أَرَسمَO trace الحَيِّof the tribe إِذwhen نَزَلواthey camped الإِياداal-Iyad
أَرَسمَ الحَيِّ إِذ نَزَلوا الإِيادا
تَجُرُّsweep الرامِساتُthe effacing winds بِهِover it فَباداso it vanished
تَجُرُّ الرامِساتُ بِهِ فَبادا
Is this the clan’s trace, from when they camped at Iyād?
O trace of the tribe, when they camped at al-Iyad—
The effacing winds swept over it, and it vanished.
the effacing winds sweep over it, and it has vanished.
لَقَدindeed طَلَبَتsought قُيونُthe smiths of بَنيthe sons of عِقالٍʿIqal
لَقَد طَلَبَت قُيونُ بَني عِقالٍ
أَغَرَّan illustrious man يَجيءُcomes forth مِنfrom among مِئَةٍa hundred جَواداgenerous
أَغَرَّ يَجيءُ مِن مِئَةٍ جَوادا
The smiths of Banū ʿUqāl have indeed pursued
The smiths of Banu ʿIqal have indeed sought
a radiant nobleman advancing with a hundred steeds.
an illustrious man who emerges generous from among a hundred.
أَضَلَّmay lead astray اللَهُGod خَلفَthe offspring of بَنيthe sons of عِقالٍʿIqal
أَضَلَّ اللَهُ خَلفَ بَني عِقالٍ
ضَلالَwith the straying of يَهودَJews لاnot تَرجوhope for مَعاداa resurrection
ضَلالَ يَهودَ لا تَرجو مَعادا
May God lead the progeny of Banū ʿUqāl astray—
May God lead the offspring of Banu ʿIqal astray,
as Jews go astray who hope for no resurrection.
as astray as Jews who hope for no resurrection.
غَدَرتُمyou betrayed بِالزُبَيرِagainst al-Zubayr وَماand did not وَفَيتُمyou kept faith
غَدَرتُم بِالزُبَيرِ وَما وَفَيتُم
وَفاءَthe faithfulness of الأَزدِthe Azd إِذwhen مَنَعواthey protected زِياداZiyad
وَفاءَ الأَزدِ إِذ مَنَعوا زِيادا
You betrayed al-Zubayr and did not show
You betrayed al-Zubayr and did not keep faith
the fidelity of the Azd when they protected Ziyād.
as the Azd did when they protected Ziyad.
فَأَصبَحَso became جارُهُمtheir protected guest حَيّاًalive عَزيزاًhonored
فَأَصبَحَ جارُهُم حَيّاً عَزيزاً
وَجارُand the protected guest of مُجاشِعٍMujashiʿ أَضحىbecame رَماداashes
وَجارُ مُجاشِعٍ أَضحى رَمادا
Their protégé remained alive and honored,
So their protected guest emerged alive and honored,
while Mujāshiʿ’s protégé became ashes.
while Mujashiʿ's guest became ashes.
وَلَوand if عاقَدتَyou pledged yourself to حَبلَthe cord of alliance of أَبيAbu (father of) سَعيدِSaʿid
وَلَو عاقَدتَ حَبلَ أَبي سَعيدِ
لَذَبَّhe would surely repel الخَيلَthe cavalry ماas long as حَمَلَhe bore النِجاداthe sword-baldric
لَذَبَّ الخَيلَ ما حَمَلَ النِجادا
Had you bound yourself by covenant to Abū Saʿd,
And had you bound yourself to Abu Saʿid's cord of alliance,
he would have beaten back the horsemen so long as he wore a sword-belt.
he would have repelled the cavalry as long as he wore his sword-baldric.
فَلَيتَكَso, if only you فيamong شَنوءَةَShanuʾah جارَthe protected guest of عَمروٍʿAmr
فَلَيتَكَ في شَنوءَةَ جارَ عَمروٍ
وَجاوَرتَand you dwelt beside اليَحامِدَal-Yahamid أَوor هُداداHudad
وَجاوَرتَ اليَحامِدَ أَو هُدادا
If only, among Shanūʾah, you had been ʿAmr’s protégé,
So, if only you had been ʿAmr's protected guest among Shanuʾah,
or had dwelt beside al-Yaḥāmid or Hudād.
and had dwelt under al-Yahamid's protection, or Hudad's.
وَلَوand if تَدعوyou called on بِطاحِيَةَthe lowland folk of اِبنِIbn (son of) سودٍSud
وَلَو تَدعو بِطاحِيَةَ اِبنِ سودٍ
وَزَهرانَand Zahran الأَعِنَّةِthe reins أَوor إِياداIyad
وَزَهرانَ الأَعِنَّةِ أَو إِيادا
Had you called on the Baṭāḥiyyah of Ibn Sūd,
And had you called on Ibn Sud's lowland folk,
or Zahrān, lords of the reins, or Iyād—
and Zahran of the reins, or Iyad—
وَفيand among الحُدّانِal-Huddan مَكرُمَةًhonor وَعِزّاًand might
وَفي الحُدّانِ مَكرُمَةً وَعِزّاً
وَفيand among النَدبِal-Nadb المَآثِرِthe glorious deeds وَالعِماداand the tent-pillars
وَفي النَدبِ المَآثِرِ وَالعِمادا
among al-Ḥudān are nobility and might,
and among al-Huddan you would find honor and might,
and among al-Nadb, glorious deeds and sustaining pillars.
and among al-Nadb, glorious deeds and tent-pillars.
وَفيand among مَعنٍMaʿn وَإِخوَتِهِمand their brothers تُلاقيyou would find
وَفي مَعنٍ وَإِخوَتِهِم تُلاقي
رِباطَthe tethering of الخَيلِthe horses وَالأَسَلَand the spears الحِداداsharp-pointed
رِباطَ الخَيلِ وَالأَسَلَ الحِدادا
Among Maʿn and their brothers you would have encountered
And among Maʿn and their brothers you would find
tethered warhorses and keen-edged spears.
horses tethered in readiness and sharp-pointed spears.
وَلَوand if تَدعوyou called on الجَهاضِمَal-Jahadim أَوor جُدَيداJudayd
وَلَو تَدعو الجَهاضِمَ أَو جُدَيدا
وَجَدتَyou would find حِبالَthe cords of ذِمَّتِهِمtheir pledged protection شِداداstrong
وَجَدتَ حِبالَ ذِمَّتِهِم شِدادا
Had you called upon al-Jahāḍim or Judayd,
And had you called on al-Jahadim or Judayd,
you would have found the cords of their pledged protection strong.
you would have found the cords of their pledged protection strong.
وَكِندَةُand Kindah لَوif نَزَلتَyou lodged بِهِمwith them دَخيلاًas a seeker of protection
وَكِندَةُ لَو نَزَلتَ بِهِم دَخيلاً
لَزادَهُمُit would have increased them مَعَalongside الحَسَبِancestral honor اِشتِداداin resolve
لَزادَهُمُ مَعَ الحَسَبِ اِشتِدادا
And Kindah—had you lodged among them as one under protection,
And Kindah—had you lodged with them seeking refuge,
they would have gained in ancestral glory as well as honor.
that would have increased their resolve, alongside their ancestral honor.
وَلَوand if يَدعوhe called on الكِرامَthe noble بَنيthe sons of حُباقٍHubaq
وَلَو يَدعو الكِرامَ بَني حُباقٍ
لَلاقىhe would surely find دونَin defense of ذِمَّتِهِمtheir pledge of protection ذِياداa repelling defense
لَلاقى دونَ ذِمَّتِهِم ذِيادا
Had he called upon the noble Banū Ḥudāʾ,
And had he called on the noble Banu Hubaq,
he would have met fierce defense guarding their pledge.
he would have found defense guarding their pledge of protection.
وَلَوand if يَدعوhe called on بَنيthe sons of عَوذِʿAwdh بنِson of سودٍSud
وَلَو يَدعو بَني عَوذِ بنِ سودٍ
دَعاhe would have called on الوافينَthose faithful بِالذِمَمِto the covenants الجِعاداthe sturdy men
دَعا الوافينَ بِالذِمَمِ الجِعادا
Had he called upon Banū ʿAwḏ ibn Sūd,
And had he called on Banu ʿAwdh ibn Sud,
he would have called on curly-haired men faithful to their pledges.
he would have called on sturdy men faithful to their covenants.
وَلَوand if طَرَقَcame by night to الزُبَيرُal-Zubayr بَنيthe sons of عَلِيٍّʿAli
وَلَو طَرَقَ الزُبَيرُ بَني عَلِيٍّ
لَقالواthey would surely say قَدindeed أَمِنتَyou are safe فَلَنso you will not تُكاداbe plotted against
لَقالوا قَد أَمِنتَ فَلَن تُكادا
Had al-Zubayr come by night to Banū ʿAlī,
And had al-Zubayr come by night to Banu ʿAli,
they would have said, “You are safe; no plot shall touch you.”
they would have said, 'You are safe; no plot shall be laid against you.'
وَلَوand if يَدعوhe called on المَعاوِلَal-Maʿawil ماnot اِجتَوَوهُthey shunned him
وَلَو يَدعو المَعاوِلَ ما اِجتَوَوهُ
إِذاwhen الداعيthe caller غَداةَon the morning of الرَوعِterror نادىcried out
إِذا الداعي غَداةَ الرَوعِ نادى
Had he called upon al-Maʿāwil, they would not have shunned him
And had he called on al-Maʿawil, they would not have shunned him,
when, on the morning of terror, the caller cried out.
when the caller cried out on the morning of terror.
وَجارٌand a protector مِنfrom سُلَيمَةَSulaymah كانَwould have been أَوفىmore faithful
وَجارٌ مِن سُلَيمَةَ كانَ أَوفى
وَأَرفَعَand higher مِنthan قُيونِكُمyour smiths عِماداin tent-pillars
وَأَرفَعَ مِن قُيونِكُم عِمادا
A protégé of Sulaymah proved more faithful
And a protector from Sulaymah would have been more faithful,
and loftier of pillar than your smiths.
and loftier in tent-pillars than your smiths.
وَجَدناwe found الأَزدَthe Azd أَكرَمَكُمthe noblest of you جِواراًin granting neighborly protection
وَجَدنا الأَزدَ أَكرَمَكُم جِواراً
وَأَوراكُمand the best of you at kindling fire إِذاwhen قَدَحواthey strike زِناداfire-sticks
وَأَوراكُم إِذا قَدَحوا زِنادا
We found the Azd more generous protectors than you,
We found the Azd the noblest of you in granting protection,
and quicker to make fire blaze when they struck the flint.
and the best of you at kindling fire when they strike their fire-sticks.
وَلَوand if فَرَّجتَyou split open قَصَّthe breastbone of مُجاشِعِيٍّa Mujashiʿite
وَلَو فَرَّجتَ قَصَّ مُجاشِعِيٍّ
لِتَنظُرَso that you might look ماnot وَجَدتَyou would find لَهُin him فُؤاداa heart
لِتَنظُرَ ما وَجَدتَ لَهُ فُؤادا
If you pried open a Mujāshiʿite’s rib cage
And had you split open a Mujashiʿite's breastbone,
and looked within, you would find no heart in him.
to look inside, you would have found no heart in him.
وَلَوand if وازَنتَyou weighed لُؤمَthe baseness of مُجاشِعِيٍّa Mujashiʿite
وَلَو وازَنتَ لُؤمَ مُجاشِعِيٍّ
بِلُؤمِagainst the baseness of الخَلقِhumankind أَضعَفَit would be twice as great ثُمَّthen زاداit increased further
بِلُؤمِ الخَلقِ أَضعَفَ ثُمَّ زادا
And if you weighed the baseness of Mujāshiʿ
And had you weighed a Mujashiʿite's baseness
against all creation’s baseness, it would double it, then surpass it.
against mankind's baseness, his would have been twice as great, then greater still.
