ياO عَينُeye جوديpour generously بِدَمعٍwith tears مِنكِfrom you مُنسَكِبِstreaming
يا عَينُ جودي بِدَمعٍ مِنكِ مُنسَكِبِ
وَاِبكيand weep for خُبَيباًKhubayb مَعَwith الغادينَthe morning travelers لَمdid not يَؤُبِreturn
وَاِبكي خُبَيباً مَعَ الغادينَ لَم يَؤُبِ
O eye, be lavish with tears pouring from you.
O eye, be generous with tears streaming from you,
And weep for Khubayb, who went with those departing and did not return—
And weep for Khubayb, who went with the morning travelers and did not return.
صَقراًa falcon تَوَسَّطَstood at the heart فيamong الأَنصارِthe Ansar مَنصِبُهُhis lineage
صَقراً تَوَسَّطَ في الأَنصارِ مَنصِبُهُ
حُلوَsweet السَجِيَّةِdisposition مَحضاًpure غَيرَnot مُؤتَشَبِof mixed descent
حُلوَ السَجِيَّةِ مَحضاً غَيرَ مُؤتَشَبِ
a falcon whose station stood at the heart of the Ansar,
A falcon whose lineage stood at the heart of the Ansar,
sweet of nature, wholly pure and unalloyed.
Sweet in disposition, pure, of unmixed descent.
قَدindeed هاجَstirred عَينيmy eye عَلىdespite عِلّاتِafflictions عَبرَتِهاits tears
قَد هاجَ عَيني عَلى عِلّاتِ عَبرَتِها
إِذwhen قيلَit was said نُصَّhe was hoisted إِلىagainst جَذعٍa trunk مِنَof الخَشَبِwood
إِذ قيلَ نُصَّ إِلى جَذعٍ مِنَ الخَشَبِ
He has stirred my eye to tears despite the frailties of its weeping,
My eye was stirred, despite the afflictions of its weeping,
when word came: “He was hoisted against a trunk of wood.”
When it was said he had been hoisted against a wooden trunk.
ياO أَيُّهاyou الراكِبُthe rider الغاديsetting out in the morning لِطِيَّتِهِfor his destination
يا أَيُّها الراكِبُ الغادي لِطِيَّتِهِ
أَبلِغconvey لَدَيكَwhere you are وَعيداًa threat لَيسَis not بِالكَذِبِa lie
أَبلِغ لَدَيكَ وَعيداً لَيسَ بِالكَذِبِ
O rider setting out at dawn toward your destination,
O rider, setting out in the morning for your destination,
carry there a warning that is no lie:
Convey, where you are, a threat that is no lie.
ياO اِبنَيtwo sons of فُكَيهَةَFukayhah إِنَّindeed الحَربَwar قَدalready لَقِحَتconceived
يا اِبنَي فُكَيهَةَ إِنَّ الحَربَ قَد لَقِحَت
مَحلوبُهاits milk الصابُbitter sap إِذwhen تُمرىis stroked to yield milk لِمُحتَلِبِfor a milker
مَحلوبُها الصابُ إِذ تُمرى لِمُحتَلِبِ
O two sons of Fukayha, war has conceived;
O two sons of Fukayhah, war has indeed conceived;
the milk drawn from her is bitter aloe for whoever milks her.
Its milk is bitter sap when its udder is stroked for a milker.
فيهاin it أُسودُlions بَنيsons of النَجّارِal-Najjar يَقدُمُهُمgoing before them
فيها أُسودُ بَني النَجّارِ يَقدُمُهُم
شُهبُgleaming الأَسِنَّةِspearheads فيin مُعصَوصِبٍa tightly massed host لَجِبِclamorous
شُهبُ الأَسِنَّةِ في مُعصَوصِبٍ لَجِبِ
Within her are the lions of Banu al-Najjar, preceded
In it are the lions of Banu al-Najjar, led by
by flashing spearpoints in a dense, clamorous host.
Gleaming spearheads in a tightly massed, clamorous host.
سائِلask بَنيsons of الحَرِثِal-Harith المُزريbringing disgrace بِمَعشَرِهِupon his people
سائِل بَني الحَرِثِ المُزري بِمَعشَرِهِ
أَينَwhere الغَزالُthe gazelle عَلَيهِupon it الدُرُّpearls مِنof ذَهَبِgold
أَينَ الغَزالُ عَلَيهِ الدُرُّ مِن ذَهَبِ
Ask the sons of al-Hurra—and the man who disgraces his people:
Ask the sons of al-Harith, who brought disgrace upon his people:
Where is the gazelle adorned with pearls of gold?
Where is the golden gazelle, with pearls upon it?
ياO حارِHarith (shortened) قَدindeed كُنتَyou were لَولاwere it not for ماwhat غَضِبتَyou grew angry لَهُfor it
يا حارِ قَد كُنتَ لَولا ما غَضِبتَ لَهُ
لِلَّهِto God belongs دَرُّكَyour excellence فيin عِزٍّhonor وَفيand in حَسَبِnoble lineage
لِلَّهِ دَرُّكَ في عِزٍّ وَفي حَسَبِ
O Harith, had you not betrayed him, you would have been—
O Harith, but for what you took offense over, you would have been—
God, what a man of honor and noble lineage!
God bless you!—a man of honor and noble lineage.
جَلَّلتَyou cloaked قَومَكَyour people مَخزاةًdisgrace وَمَنقَصَةًand dishonor
جَلَّلتَ قَومَكَ مَخزاةً وَمَنقَصَةً
ماsuch as لَنwill never يُجَلَّلَهُbe cloaked in it حَيٌّa tribe مِنَamong العَرَبِthe Arabs
ما لَن يُجَلَّلَهُ حَيٌّ مِنَ العَرَبِ
You have shrouded your people in disgrace and dishonor
You have cloaked your people in disgrace and dishonor,
such as no Arab tribe will ever shroud them in.
Such as no tribe among the Arabs will ever be cloaked in.
ياO سالِبَyou who stripped البَيتِthe House ذيpossessing الأَركانِthe corners حِليَتَهُits adornment
يا سالِبَ البَيتِ ذي الأَركانِ حِليَتَهُ
أَدِّreturn الغَزالَthe gazelle فَلَنfor it will not يَخفىremain hidden لِمُستَلِبِfor a plunderer
أَدِّ الغَزالَ فَلَن يَخفى لِمُستَلِبِ
O despoiler of the pillared House, who stripped away its ornament,
O you who stripped the House, with its corners, of its adornment,
return the gazelle—it cannot remain hidden with a plunderer.
Return the gazelle, for a plunderer cannot keep it hidden.
بِئسَwretched are البَنونَthe sons وَبِئسَand wretched is الشَيخُthe elder شَيخُهُمُtheir elder
بِئسَ البَنونَ وَبِئسَ الشَيخُ شَيخُهُمُ
تَبّاًruin لِذَلِكَupon that one مِنas شَيخٍan elder وَمِنand as عَقِبِoffspring
تَبّاً لِذَلِكَ مِن شَيخٍ وَمِن عَقِبِ
Wretched are the sons, and wretched the elder who leads them;
Wretched are the sons, and wretched the elder—their elder!
perdition upon such an elder and such descendants!
Ruin upon that elder and his offspring!
تِلكُمthat (addressing you all) قُبَيِّلَةٌa little tribe حُصَّتwas shorn وَقَلَّلَهاand diminished it
تِلكُم قُبَيِّلَةٌ حُصَّت وَقَلَّلَها
دَعوىthe prayer of خُبَيبِKhubayb الَّتيwhich حَقَّتwas fulfilled وَلَمand did not تَخِبِfail
دَعوى خُبَيبِ الَّتي حَقَّت وَلَم تَخِبِ
That paltry little tribe was shorn and diminished
That little tribe was shorn, and diminished by
by Khubayb’s curse, which came true and did not fail.
Khubayb's prayer, which was fulfilled and did not fail.
