مررتُI passed علىby أسرابِflocks of طيركَyour birds وقفاًat rest
مررتُ على أسرابِ طيركَ وقفاً
فأرسلتُso I released عقبانيmy eagles إليهاtoward them تصيدُهاhunting them
فأرسلتُ عقباني إليها تصيدُها
I passed by flocks of your birds at rest,
I passed by flocks of your birds standing still,
So I loosed my eagles upon them to hunt them.
So I sent my falcons to hunt them down.
فلمso did not تُغنِavail عنهاfor them فيin اللقاءِthe encounter صفوفُهاtheir ranks
فلم تُغنِ عنها في اللقاءِ صفوفُها
ولمnor did تُغنِavail عنهاfor them فيin البرازsingle combat رُدُودُهاtheir counterattacks
ولم تُغنِ عنها في البراز رُدُودُها
Their ranks availed them nothing in the encounter,
But their ranks did not avail them at the encounter,
Nor did their counterattacks avail them in single combat.
Nor did their fleeing help them get away.
أكُرُّI charge علىat ماwhatever فرّfled منهاfrom among them كأنَّنيas though I
أكُرُّ على ما فرّ منها كأنَّني
أكرُّI charge علىat فرسانhorsemen of حَربٍwar أذُودُهاI drive them back
أكرُّ على فرسان حَربٍ أذُودُها
I charge at those among them that have fled, as though I
I resented their escaping as if I resented
Were charging at horsemen of war, driving them back.
Knights of war whom I drove away.
فأذكرتنيso they reminded me ماwhat قالsaid عاشقُa lover of خِلَّةٍa beloved
فأذكرتني ما قال عاشقُ خِلَّةٍ
بَرىwasted away جسمَهhis body هجرانُهاher abandonment وصدودُهاand her rejection
بَرى جسمَه هجرانُها وصدودُها
So they reminded me of what a lover said to his beloved,
Then I recalled what a lover of Khillah said
Whose abandonment and rejection had wasted his body:
When he saw her body shun him and avoid him:
فلوfor if أنَّthat ماwhat أبقيتyou have left منيof me مُعلَّقٌsuspended
فلو أنَّ ما أبقيت مني مُعلَّقٌ
بعُودِfrom a stalk of ثُمامٍthumam grass ماnot تأوَّدَbend عُودُهاits stalk
بعُودِ ثُمامٍ ما تأوَّدَ عُودُها
“For if what you have left of me were suspended
"If what is left of me were hung
From a stalk of thumam grass, its stalk would not bend.”
On a tamarisk's twigs, they would not bend under it."