مَكانَin place of اِبنِهاher son إِذwhen هاجَنيhe roused me بِعُوائِهِwith his howling
مَكانَ اِبنِها إِذ هاجَني بِعُوائِهِ
عَلَيهاagainst her وَكانَتand she was مُطمَئِنّاًat ease ضَميرُهاher heart
عَلَيها وَكانَت مُطمَئِنّاً ضَميرُها
In place of her son, when he roused me with his howling
In place of her son when he disturbed me with his wailing,
Against her, while her heart had been at ease,
It would have been better for her son and less frightening
لَكانَwould surely have been اِبنُهاher son خَيراًbetter وَأَهوَنَand milder رَوعَةًa fright
لَكانَ اِبنُها خَيراً وَأَهوَنَ رَوعَةً
عَلَيهاto her مِنَthan الجُربِthe mangy beasts البَطيءِslow طُرورُهاtheir coats' regrowth
عَلَيها مِنَ الجُربِ البَطيءِ طُرورُها
Her son would have been better and less of a fright
For her than the slow mange that disfigures her.
To her than mangy beasts whose coats are slow to regrow,
Dawn lights that can exceed daybreak with their radiance
دَوامِعَoozing قَدmay يُعديinfect الصِحاحَthe healthy ones قِرافُهاcontact with them
دَوامِعَ قَد يُعدي الصِحاحَ قِرافُها
إِذاwhen هُنِئَتthey are tarred يَزدادُincreases عَرّاًin mange نُشورُهاtheir renewed outbreak
إِذا هُنِئَت يَزدادُ عَرّاً نُشورُها
Oozing—contact with them may infect the healthy;
When congratulated become more naked in their emergence.
When tarred, their renewed outbreak grows still more scabrous.
Nafe' was barking at me for his mother
وَكانَand was نُفَيعٌNufay' إِذwhen هَجانيhe lampooned me لِأُمِّهِto his mother
وَكانَ نُفَيعٌ إِذ هَجاني لِأُمِّهِ
كَباحِثَةٍlike a female searcher عَنfor مُديَةٍa knife تَستَثيرُهاshe unearths it
كَباحِثَةٍ عَن مُديَةٍ تَستَثيرُها
And Nufay', when he lampooned me, was to his mother
Like a searcher for a lost city that arouses her.
Like a creature rooting for a knife and unearthing it.
An old woman praying the five prayers who sought the protection
عَجوزٌan old woman تُصَلّيshe prays الخَمسَthe five prayers عاذَتshe sought refuge بِغالِبٍwith Ghalib
عَجوزٌ تُصَلّي الخَمسَ عاذَت بِغالِبٍ
فَلاso no وَالَّذيby him whom عاذَتshe sought refuge بِهِwith him لاnot أُضيرُهاI harm her
فَلا وَالَّذي عاذَت بِهِ لا أُضيرُها
An old woman who performs the five prayers sought refuge with Ghalib;
Of the Victorious, by the one in whom she sought protection, I will not harm her
So no—by him with whom she sought refuge, I will not harm her.
For I pity her fear of me,
فَإِنّيfor I عَلىdespite إِشفاقِهاher anxiety مِنfrom مَخافَتيfear of me
فَإِنّي عَلى إِشفاقِها مِن مَخافَتي
وَإِنand even if عَقَّهاwas undutiful to her بيthrough me نافِعٌNafi' لَمُجيرُهاsurely her protector
وَإِن عَقَّها بي نافِعٌ لَمُجيرُها
For I, despite her anxiety at the fear of me,
And if Nafe' has harmed me he will protect her.
Even if Nafi' wronged her through me, am surely her protector.
No caravan of her people came to her with what
وَلَمand never تَأتِbrought عيرٌa caravan أَهلَهاits people بِالَّذيwith what أَتَتit brought
وَلَم تَأتِ عيرٌ أَهلَها بِالَّذي أَتَت
بِهِwith it جَعفَراًJa'far يَومَon the day of الهُضَيباتِal-Hudaybat عيرُهاtheir caravan
بِهِ جَعفَراً يَومَ الهُضَيباتِ عيرُها
And no caravan ever brought its people what
Jafar's caravan came on the day of al-Hudaybiya.
Their caravan brought Ja'far on the day of al-Hudaybat.
It came to them with a camel that was not hijazi
أَتَتهُمit brought them بِعيرٍwith a caravan لَمnot تَكُنwas هِجَرِيَّةًfrom Hajar
أَتَتهُم بِعيرٍ لَم تَكُن هِجَرِيَّةً
وَلاnor حِنطَةَwheat الشَأمِSyria المَزيتِenriched with oil خَميرُهاits leavened dough
وَلا حِنطَةَ الشَأمِ المَزيتِ خَميرُها
It brought them a caravan that was not from Hajar,
Nor the wheatmeal paste of Damascus its yeast.
Nor wheat from Syria with its dough enriched with oil.
You would not see drivers driving a caravan evenly
وَلَمand never تُرَwere seen سَوّاقينَdrivers عيراًa caravan كَساقَةٍlike drivers
وَلَم تُرَ سَوّاقينَ عيراً كَساقَةٍ
يَسوقونَthey drive أَعدالاًpaired loads يَدِبُّplods بَعيرُهاtheir camel
يَسوقونَ أَعدالاً يَدِبُّ بَعيرُها
And never were caravan-drivers seen like those drivers
With camels pacing as their camel paces.
Who drove paired loads, their camel plodding along.
When a Jafari woman recalls a husband of hers
إِذاwhenever ذَكَرَتshe remembers زَوجاًa husband لَهاof hers جَعفَرِيَّةٌa Ja'fari woman
إِذا ذَكَرَت زَوجاً لَها جَعفَرِيَّةٌ
وَمَصرَعَand the fall of قَتلىthe slain لَمnot تُقَتَّلwere slain ثُؤورُهاtheir blood-debtors
وَمَصرَعَ قَتلى لَم تُقَتَّل ثُؤورُها
Whenever a Ja'fari woman remembers a husband of hers
And the place her slain were killed but her walls were not breached
And the fall of the slain, whose killers have not been slain,
It becomes clear no protector remains of Jafar's family
تَبَيَّنُshe sees clearly أَنthat لَمnot يَبقَremains مِنof آلِthe house of جَعفَرٍJa'far
تَبَيَّنُ أَن لَم يَبقَ مِن آلِ جَعفَرٍ
مُحامٍa defender وَلاnor دونَin defense of النِساءِthe women غَيورُهاtheir jealous guardian
مُحامٍ وَلا دونَ النِساءِ غَيورُها
She sees that none of the house of Ja'far remains—
Nor, apart from the women, any zealous defenders.
No defender, nor their jealous guardian to shield the women.
Their husbands denied them when they saw them
وَقَدand indeed أَنكَرَتfailed to recognize أَزواجَهاtheir husbands إِذwhen رَأَتهُمُthey saw them
وَقَد أَنكَرَت أَزواجَها إِذ رَأَتهُمُ
عُراةًnaked نِساءٌwomen قَدalready أُحِرَّتhad been seared صُدورُهاtheir breasts
عُراةً نِساءٌ قَد أُحِرَّت صُدورُها
And they failed to recognize their husbands when they saw them
Bare-chested, women whose chests had been exposed.
Naked—women whose breasts had been seared.
When the days are recalled when no host rose
إِذاwhen ذُكِرَتare recalled أَيّامُهُمtheir battle-days يَومَthe day لَمnot يَقُمrose
إِذا ذُكِرَت أَيّامُهُم يَومَ لَم يَقُم
لِسَلَّةِagainst the unsheathing of أَسيافِthe swords of الضَبابِal-Dabab نَفيرُهاtheir war-band
لِسَلَّةِ أَسيافِ الضَبابِ نَفيرُها
When their battle-days are recalled—the day there did not rise
Against the onslaught of the murky swords.
Against al-Dabab's unsheathed swords a war-band of theirs;
An eve when the crepuscular light made them seem
عَشِيَّةَon the evening when يَحدوهُمhe drove them on هُرَيمٌHuraym كَأَنَّهُمas though they were
عَشِيَّةَ يَحدوهُم هُرَيمٌ كَأَنَّهُم
رِئالُchicks نَعامٍostriches مُستَخَفٌّeasily stirred نَفورُهاtheir flight
رِئالُ نَعامٍ مُستَخَفٌّ نَفورُها
That evening Huraym drove them on, as though they were
Like ostriches running with outstretched necks.
Ostrich chicks, their flight easily stirred;
An eve when they met the fatality of Jafar's clan -
عَشِيَّةَon the evening when لاقَتهُمmet them بِآجالِwith the appointed deaths of جَعفَرٍJa'far
عَشِيَّةَ لاقَتهُم بِآجالِ جَعفَرٍ
صَوارِمُkeen swords فيin أَيديthe hands of الضَبابِal-Dabab ذُكورُهاtheir virile blades
صَوارِمُ في أَيدي الضَبابِ ذُكورُها
That evening they were met with Ja'far's appointed deaths
Swords in the hands of the murk - their males.
By keen swords in al-Dabab's hands—their virile blades.
As if for the horses, the day they met them
كَأَنَّهُمُas though they were لِلخَيلِbefore the cavalry يَومَon the day لَقيتَهُمyou met them
كَأَنَّهُمُ لِلخَيلِ يَومَ لَقيتَهُم
بِطِخفَةَat Tikhfah خِربانٌmale bustards عَلَتهاrose above them صُقورُهاtheir falcons
بِطِخفَةَ خِربانٌ عَلَتها صُقورُها
Before the cavalry, on the day you met them, they seemed
At Takhifah, prey pounced on by their hawks.
At Tikhfah, like male bustards with their falcons rising above them.
Partial English translation: 31 of 32 Arabic lines translated.