أَبَتrefused عَبراتُهُhis tears إِلّاanything but انهِمالاًstreaming down
أَبَت عَبراتُهُ إِلّا انهِمالاً
عَشِيَّةَon the evening أَزمَعَresolved الحَيُّthe clan اِرتِحالاdeparture
عَشِيَّةَ أَزمَعَ الحَيُّ اِرتِحالا
His tears refused all but pouring down
His tears would do nothing but stream down
on the evening when the tribe resolved to depart.
on the evening when the clan resolved to depart.
أَجَدَّكَare you in earnest? كُلَّماwhenever هَمُّواthey intended بِنَأيٍto go away
أَجَدَّكَ كُلَّما هَمُّوا بِنَأيٍ
تَرَقرَقَwelled up ماءُwater عَينِكَyour eye ثُمَّthen سالاflowed
تَرَقرَقَ ماءُ عَينِكَ ثُمَّ سالا
Is it truly so—whenever they resolve to go far away,
Is it true that whenever they intend to go away,
the water in your eye wells up, and then it flows?
the water in your eye wells up and then flows?
تَقاضَيناwe sought fulfillment of مَواعِدَthe promises of أُمِّUmm (mother of) عَمروٍAmr
تَقاضَينا مَواعِدَ أُمِّ عَمروٍ
فَضَنَّتbut she begrudged أَنto تُنِيلَgrant favor وَأَنand to تُنالاbe attained
فَضَنَّت أَن تُنِيلَ وَأَن تُنالا
We pressed Umm ʿAmr to honor her promises;
We sought fulfillment of Umm Amr's promises,
she thought she could bestow her favor—and be won.
but she would neither grant her favor nor let herself be won.
وَسارَand traveled خَيالُهاher phantom السارِيnight-roaming إِلَيناto us
وَسارَ خَيالُها السارِي إِلَينا
فَلَوfor if عَلِمَتshe knew لَعاقَبَتِshe would have punished الخَيالاthe phantom
فَلَو عَلِمَت لَعاقَبَتِ الخَيالا
Her night-roaming phantom journeyed to us;
And her night-roaming phantom traveled to us;
had she known, she would have punished the phantom.
for had she known, she would have punished the phantom.
إِذاwhen وَصَلَتreach رَكائِبُناour mounts قُرَيشاًQuraysh
إِذا وَصَلَت رَكائِبُنا قُرَيشاً
فَقَدthen indeed وَصَلَتhave reached بِناwith us البَحرَthe sea الزُلالاsweet and clear
فَقَد وَصَلَت بِنا البَحرَ الزُلالا
When our riding beasts have carried us to Quraysh,
When our mounts reach Quraysh,
they have carried us to a sea of purest water.
they have indeed brought us to a sea of sweet, clear water.
فَتىًa young man لَوif مَدَّstretched out نَحوَtoward الجَوِّthe sky باعاًan armspan
فَتىً لَو مَدَّ نَحوَ الجَوِّ باعاً
وَهَمَّand aspired بِأَنto يَنالَreach الشُهبَthe bright stars نالاwould reach
وَهَمَّ بِأَن يَنالَ الشُهبَ نالا
A noble youth: were he to stretch his reach toward the sky
A young man who, if he stretched an armspan toward the sky
and aspire to the bright stars, he would attain them.
and sought to reach the bright stars, would reach them.
إِذاwhen انتَسَبَdeclares his lineage ابنُson of بَدرانٍBadran وَجَدناwe find
إِذا انتَسَبَ ابنُ بَدرانٍ وَجَدنا
مَناسِبَهُhis lines of descent العَلِيَّةَexalted لاnot تُعالىbe surpassed
مَناسِبَهُ العَلِيَّةَ لا تُعالى
When Ibn Badran recounts his ancestry, we find
When Ibn Badran declares his lineage, we find
his lofty lines of descent beyond all rivalry.
his exalted lines of descent cannot be surpassed.
تَطُولُstands tall بِهاthrough them إِذاwhen ذُكِرَتare recounted مَعَدٌّMaʿadd
تَطُولُ بِها إِذا ذُكِرَت مَعَدٌّ
وَتُكسِبُand confer كُلَّevery قَيسىٍQaysi جَمالاbeauty
وَتُكسِبُ كُلَّ قَيسىٍ جَمالا
Through him they tower whenever Maʿadd is named,
Through them Maʿadd stands tall when they are recounted,
and lend beauty to every branch of Qays.
and they lend beauty to every Qaysi.
أَياO عَلَمَbeacon الهُدىof guidance نَجوىa whispered confidence مُحِبٍّof a lover
أَيا عَلَمَ الهُدى نَجوى مُحِبٍّ
يُحِبُّكُمُloves you (plural) اِعتِقاداًwith conviction لاnot انتِحالاpretense
يُحِبُّكُمُ اِعتِقاداً لا انتِحالا
O beacon of guidance, receive a lover’s whispered plea—
O beacon of guidance, a whispered confidence from a lover
one who loves you from conviction, not false profession.
who loves you with conviction, not pretense.
مَنَنتَyou bestowed favors فَلَمand did not تُجَشِّمِنيburden me with عَناءًhardship
مَنَنتَ فَلَم تُجَشِّمِني عَناءً
وَجُدتَand you gave generously فَلَمand did not تُكَلِّفنِيrequire me to make سُؤَالاa request
وَجُدتَ فَلَم تُكَلِّفنِي سُؤَالا
You bestowed your favor and made me bear no hardship;
You bestowed favors without burdening me with hardship,
you gave freely and did not force me to ask.
and gave generously without requiring me to ask.
إِذاif عَدِمَlacks الزَمانُthe age مُسَيِّبِياًa Musayyibi
إِذا عَدِمَ الزَمانُ مُسَيِّبِياً
فَساقَthen may bring اللَهُGod لِلدُنياupon the world الوَبالاcalamity
فَساقَ اللَهُ لِلدُنيا الوَبالا
If ever the age should lack a Musayyabī,
If the age should ever lack a Musayyibi,
then may God drive calamity upon the world.
then may God bring calamity upon the world.
