بانَdeparted الخَليطُthe companions فَماso there is no لَهُfor them مِنany مَطلَبِmeans of pursuit
بانَ الخَليطُ فَما لَهُ مِن مَطلَبِ
وَحَذَرتُand I had feared ذَلِكَthat مِنfrom أَميرٍa chief مِشغَبِtroublemaking
وَحَذَرتُ ذَلِكَ مِن أَميرٍ مِشغَبِ
The companions have departed; there is no way to reach them.
And I had feared as much from a troublemaking chief.
نَعَبَcawed الغُرابُthe crow فَقُلتُso I said بَينٌa parting عاجِلٌimminent
نَعَبَ الغُرابُ فَقُلتُ بَينٌ عاجِلٌ
ماas much as شِئتَyou wish إِذnow that ظَعَنواthey journeyed away لِبَينٍfor separation فَاِنعَبِthen caw!
ما شِئتَ إِذ ظَعَنوا لِبَينٍ فَاِنعَبِ
The crow cawed, and I said, "An imminent parting!"
Caw as much as you wish, now that they have journeyed off to part.
إِنَّindeed الغَوانيthe beautiful women قَدalready قَطَعنَthey have severed مَوَدَّتيmy bond of affection
إِنَّ الغَواني قَد قَطَعنَ مَوَدَّتي
بَعدَafter الهَوىpassion وَمَنَعنَand they withheld صَفوَthe pure part of المَشرَبِthe draught
بَعدَ الهَوى وَمَنَعنَ صَفوَ المَشرَبِ
Indeed, the beauties have severed my bond of love,
after passion, and denied me the clear draught.
وَإِذاand when وَعَدنَكَthey promise you نائِلاًa gift أَخلَفنَهُthey fail to deliver it
وَإِذا وَعَدنَكَ نائِلاً أَخلَفنَهُ
وَجَعَلنَand they make ذَلِكَthat مِثلَlike بَرقِlightning الخُلَّبِthe deceptive, rainless kind
وَجَعَلنَ ذَلِكَ مِثلَ بَرقِ الخُلَّبِ
And when they promise you a gift, they fail to deliver it,
and make that like lightning that brings no rain.
يُبدينَthey reveal مِنthrough خَلَلِthe gaps in الحِجالِthe bridal curtains سَوالِفاًsides of necks
يُبدينَ مِن خَلَلِ الحِجالِ سَوالِفاً
بيضاًwhite تُزَيَّنُare adorned بِالجَمالِwith beauty المُذهَبِgilded
بيضاً تُزَيَّنُ بِالجَمالِ المُذهَبِ
Through gaps in the bridal curtains they reveal the sides of their necks,
white, adorned with gilded beauty,
أَعناقَnecks عاطِيَةِreaching for الغُصونِthe branches جَوازِئٍgazelles needing no water
أَعناقَ عاطِيَةِ الغُصونِ جَوازِئٍ
يَبحَثنَthey dig up بِالأَدَمىat al-Adama عُروقَthe roots of الحُلَّبِthe hullab plant
يَبحَثنَ بِالأَدَمى عُروقَ الحُلَّبِ
necks like those of gazelles reaching for branches, needing no water,
digging up the roots of hullab at al-Adama.
عَبّاسُAbbas قَدindeed عَلِمَتknows مَعَدٌّMa'add أَنَّكُمthat you all
عَبّاسُ قَد عَلِمَت مَعَدٌّ أَنَّكُم
شَرَفٌan honor لَهاfor it وَقَديمُand age-old عِزٍّmight مُصعَبِunconquerable
شَرَفٌ لَها وَقَديمُ عِزٍّ مُصعَبِ
Abbas, Ma'add knows full well that you
are its honor and its age-old, unconquerable might.
وَإِذاand when القُرومُthe chieftains تَخاطَرَتvie with one another فيon مَوطِنٍa field of contest
وَإِذا القُرومُ تَخاطَرَت في مَوطِنٍ
عَرَفَacknowledge القُرومُthe chieftains لِقَرمِكَto your chieftain المُتَنَجَّبِthe nobly bred
عَرَفَ القُرومُ لِقَرمِكَ المُتَنَجَّبِ
And when the chieftains vie on a field of contest,
the chieftains acknowledge your nobly bred chief's worth.
قَومٌa people رِباطُthe tethering of بَناتِthe daughters of أَعوَجَA'waj فيهِمُamong them
قَومٌ رِباطُ بَناتِ أَعوَجَ فيهِمُ
مِنof كُلِّevery مُقرَبَةٍprized mare وَطِرفٍand a thoroughbred مُقرَبِcherished
مِن كُلِّ مُقرَبَةٍ وَطِرفٍ مُقرَبِ
A people among whom A'waj's daughters are tethered—
every prized mare and cherished thoroughbred.
ياAh! رُبَّماhow often قُذِفَwas assailed العَدُوُّthe enemy بِعارِضٍby a cloudlike host
يا رُبَّما قُذِفَ العَدُوُّ بِعارِضٍ
فَخمِvast in الكَتائِبِbattalions مُستَحيرِdensely massed in الكَوكَبِthe army's main body
فَخمِ الكَتائِبِ مُستَحيرِ الكَوكَبِ
Ah, how often the enemy was assailed by a cloudlike host,
vast in battalions, its main body densely massed.
وَإِذاand when المُجاوِرُthe neighbor seeking protection خافَfears مِنfrom أَزَماتِهِhis hardships
وَإِذا المُجاوِرُ خافَ مِن أَزَماتِهِ
كَرباًdistress وَحَلَّand settles إِلَيكُمُwith you all لَمnot يَكرَبِhe is distressed
كَرباً وَحَلَّ إِلَيكُمُ لَم يَكرَبِ
And when a neighbor fears his hardships may bring
distress, and settles with you, he suffers none.
فَانفَحso bestow generously لَناon us بِسِجالِwith bucketfuls of فَضلٍbounty مِنكُمُfrom you all
فَانفَح لَنا بِسِجالِ فَضلٍ مِنكُمُ
وَاِسمَعand hear ثَنائيmy praise فيat تَلاقيthe meeting of الأَركُبِthe caravans
وَاِسمَع ثَنائي في تَلاقي الأَركُبِ
So lavish on us bucketfuls of your bounty,
and hear my praise when the caravans meet.
آباؤُكَyour forefathers المُتَخَيَّرونَthe select أُلوpossessors of النُهىsound judgment
آباؤُكَ المُتَخَيَّرونَ أُلو النُهى
رَفَعواthey raised بِناءَكَyour house فيon اليَفاعِthe high ground المَرقَبِthe commanding height
رَفَعوا بِناءَكَ في اليَفاعِ المَرقَبِ
Your distinguished forefathers, men of sound judgment,
raised your house on the high, commanding ground.
تَندىare moist أَكُفُّهُمُtheir palms بِخَيرٍwith bounty فاضِلٍabundant
تَندى أَكُفُّهُمُ بِخَيرٍ فاضِلٍ
قِدماًfrom of old إِذاwhen يَبِسَتgrow dry أَكُفُّthe palms of الخُيَّبِthe unsuccessful
قِدماً إِذا يَبِسَت أَكُفُّ الخُيَّبِ
Their palms are moist with abundant bounty,
as of old, when the palms of the unsuccessful run dry.
زَينُthe adornment of المَنابِرِthe pulpits حينَwhen تَعلوyou ascend مِنبَراًa pulpit
زَينُ المَنابِرِ حينَ تَعلو مِنبَراً
وَإِذاand when رَكِبتَyou ride فَأَنتَthen you are زَينُthe adornment of المَوكِبِthe mounted procession
وَإِذا رَكِبتَ فَأَنتَ زَينُ المَوكِبِ
You are the adornment of pulpits when you mount a pulpit,
and when you ride, you are the procession's adornment.
وَحَمَيتَناand you protected us وَكَفَيتَand you fulfilled كُلَّevery حَقيقَةٍbinding duty of defense
وَحَمَيتَنا وَكَفَيتَ كُلَّ حَقيقَةٍ
وَالخَيلُwhile the horses فيamid رَهَجِthe billowing clouds of الغُبارِdust الأَصهَبِtawny
وَالخَيلُ في رَهَجِ الغُبارِ الأَصهَبِ
And you protected us and fulfilled every binding duty,
while the horses were amid billowing clouds of tawny dust.