إِنّيindeed I كَأَنّيas though I لَدىwith النُعمانِal-Nu‘man خَبَّرَهُtold him
إِنّي كَأَنّي لَدى النُعمانِ خَبَّرَهُ
بَعضُone of الأُوُدَّthe friends حَديثاًa report غَيرَnot مَكذوبِfabricated
بَعضُ الأُوُدَّ حَديثاً غَيرَ مَكذوبِ
Indeed, it is as if I were with al-Nu‘man, when he was told
It seems as if one of the faithful friends told Nu'man
By one of his friends a report that was no lie:
A tale, no falsehood in it, of a fortress alive
بِأَنَّto the effect that حِصناًHisn وَحَيّاًand a clan مِنfrom بَنيthe sons of أَسَدٍAsad
بِأَنَّ حِصناً وَحَيّاً مِن بَني أَسَدٍ
قامواthey rose فَقالواand said حِماناour protected pasture غَيرُnot مَقروبِto be approached
قاموا فَقالوا حِمانا غَيرُ مَقروبِ
That Hisn and a clan of Banu Asad
With the clan of Asad, saying "Protect us!"
Rose and said, ‘Our protected pasture is not to be approached.’
Their wits fled them, and the fair speaker seduced them,
ضَلَّتdeserted حُلومُهُمُtheir wits عَنهُمfrom them وَغَرَّهُمُand beguiled them
ضَلَّت حُلومُهُمُ عَنهُم وَغَرَّهُمُ
سَنُّherd-tending المُعَيدِيَّal-Mu‘aydi فيin رَعيٍgrazing وَتَعزيبِand distant pasturing
سَنُّ المُعَيدِيَّ في رَعيٍ وَتَعزيبِ
Their wits deserted them, and they were beguiled by
Driving the steeds from Golan, unshod,
Al-Mu‘aydi’s tending of herds, grazing and pasturing far afield.
Among startled does roused from sleep unbroken,
قادَhe led الجِيادَthe steeds مِنَfrom الجَولانِal-Jawlan قائِظَةًsummering
قادَ الجِيادَ مِنَ الجَولانِ قائِظَةً
مِنfrom بَينِamong مُنعَلَةٍa shod mount تُزجىdriven onward وَمَجنوبِand a horse led alongside
مِن بَينِ مُنعَلَةٍ تُزجى وَمَجنوبِ
He led the steeds from al-Jawlan in the summer heat,
Until they cried out for help from the salt-lick people
Some shod and urged onward, others led alongside,
In a camp whose sleep was broken and unrested.
حَتّىuntil اِستَغاثَتthey sought aid بِأَهلِfrom the people of المِلحِal-Milh ماnot طَعِمَتthey tasted
حَتّى اِستَغاثَت بِأَهلِ المِلحِ ما طَعِمَت
فيat مَنزِلٍa stopping-place طَعمَthe taste of نَومٍsleep غَيرَexcept تَأويبِdaylong marching
في مَنزِلٍ طَعمَ نَومٍ غَيرَ تَأويبِ
Until they sought aid from the people of al-Milh; they had not tasted
They were splashed with the overflow of the abundant troughs
Sleep at any stopping-place—only daylong marching.
As the water-carriers hauled the undrunk draught.
يَنضَحنَthey drip نَضحَthe dripping of المَزادِthe waterskins الوُفرِthe full ones أَتأَقَهاfilled them to bursting
يَنضَحنَ نَضحَ المَزادِ الوُفرِ أَتأَقَها
شَدُّthe tight binding of الرُواةِthe water-carriers بِماءٍwith water غَيرِnot مَشروبِfor drinking
شَدُّ الرُواةِ بِماءٍ غَيرِ مَشروبِ
They drip sweat like full waterskins, filled to bursting
The hollow bellies of the sand-grouse poured down
By the water-carriers’ tight binding, with water not for drinking.
Like mourners' streaming tatters and trailing robes.
قُبُّlean الأَياطِلِthe flanks تَرديthey gallop فيin أَعِنَّتِهاtheir reins
قُبُّ الأَياطِلِ تَردي في أَعِنَّتِها
كَالخاضِباتِlike red-legged ostriches مِنَamong الزُعرِthe featherless الظَنابيبِshins
كَالخاضِباتِ مِنَ الزُعرِ الظَنابيبِ
Lean-flanked, they gallop within their reins,
Dishevelled warriors with grizzled war-beards
Like red-legged ostriches with featherless shins.
And greying temples smelled of warriors and age.
شُعثٌdisheveled عَلَيهاupon them مَساعيرٌkindlers لِحَربِهِمُfor their war
شُعثٌ عَلَيها مَساعيرٌ لِحَربِهِمُ
شُمُّhigh العَرانينِnose-bridges مِنamong مُردٍbeardless youths وَمِنand among شيبِgray-haired men
شُمُّ العَرانينِ مِن مُردٍ وَمِن شيبِ
Disheveled, bearing the kindlers of their war,
No drowsing in that fortress when
Proud, high-nosed men, both beardless youths and graybeards.
Voices of a lively tribe woke the guarded to alarm,
وَماand no بِحِصنٍin Hisn نُعاسٌdrowsiness إِذas تُؤَرِّقُهُkeeps him awake
وَما بِحِصنٍ نُعاسٌ إِذ تُؤَرِّقُهُ
أَصواتُthe cries of حَيٍّa tribe عَلىat الأَمرارِal-Amrar مَحروبِplundered
أَصواتُ حَيٍّ عَلى الأَمرارِ مَحروبِ
No drowsiness comes to Hisn, for he is kept awake by
While the doubting herds crowded by the crosses
The cries of a plundered tribe at al-Amrar.
In the plain, apprehensive and assembled.
ظَلَّتremained all day أَقاطيعُherds أَنعامٍlivestock مُؤَبَّلَةٍgathered into herds
ظَلَّت أَقاطيعُ أَنعامٍ مُؤَبَّلَةٍ
لَدىbeside صَليبٍa cross عَلىon الزَوراءِal-Zawra مَنصوبِerected
لَدى صَليبٍ عَلى الزَوراءِ مَنصوبِ
Herds of livestock, gathered in droves, stood all day
When by God's grace their evil was stemmed,
Beside a cross erected on al-Zawra.
The scout sped back to bear the news to the tribes.
فَإِذso since وُقيتِyou were spared بِحَمدِwith praise to اللَهِGod شِرَّتَهاits fury
فَإِذ وُقيتِ بِحَمدِ اللَهِ شِرَّتَها
فَاِنجيso flee فَزارَFazara إِلىto الأَطوادِthe lofty mountains فَاللوبِthen the lava fields
فَاِنجي فَزارَ إِلى الأَطوادِ فَاللوبِ
So, since you were spared its fury, thanks be to God,
Never did they encounter, as did the clan of Asad,
Flee, Fazara, to the lofty mountains, then the lava fields.
What brought them to disaster and confusion.
وَلاand do not تُلاقيsuffer كَماas لَقَتsuffered بَنوthe sons of أَسَدٍAsad
وَلا تُلاقي كَما لَقَت بَنو أَسَدٍ
فَقَدfor indeed أَصابَتهُمُit struck them مِنهاfrom it بِشُؤبوبِwith a downpour
فَقَد أَصابَتهُمُ مِنها بِشُؤبوبِ
And do not suffer as Banu Asad suffered,
None remained save a harried fugitive, unescaping,
For it has struck them with one of its downpours.
Or a captive, bound by ropes of palm-fibre, stripped,
لَمdid not يَبقَremain غَيرُexcept طَريدٍa fugitive غَيرِnot مُنفَلِتٍescaping
لَم يَبقَ غَيرُ طَريدٍ غَيرِ مُنفَلِتٍ
وَموثَقٍand one bound فيin حِبالِropes of القِدِّrawhide مَسلوبِdespoiled
وَموثَقٍ في حِبالِ القِدِّ مَسلوبِ
None remained but a fugitive unable to escape,
Or a noble steed, mired like grouse in the sand,
And a captive bound in rawhide ropes, despoiled,
Hobbled on the hillsides among the stone slopes,
أَوor حُرَّةٍa freeborn woman كَمَهاةِlike an oryx of الرَملِthe sand قَدalready كُبِلَتshe was fettered
أَو حُرَّةٍ كَمَهاةِ الرَملِ قَد كُبِلَت
فَوقَabove المَعاصِمِthe wrists مِنهاof her وَالعَراقيبِand the heel tendons
فَوقَ المَعاصِمِ مِنها وَالعَراقيبِ
Or a freeborn woman, like a sand oryx, who had been fettered
Calling vainly for succour, while the iron bit
Above her wrists and her ankles.
Bit like a file in an unyielding muzzle.
تَدعوshe calls to قُعَيناًQu‘ayn وَقَدwhile already عَضَّhas bitten الحَديدُthe iron بِهاinto her
تَدعو قُعَيناً وَقَد عَضَّ الحَديدُ بِها
عَضَّthe bite of الثِقافِthe straightening-clamp عَلىupon صُمِّthe solid الأَنابيبِshaft sections
عَضَّ الثِقافِ عَلى صُمِّ الأَنابيبِ
She calls to Qu‘ayn while the iron has bitten into her,
Sensing their homes the prey of the invaders,
As a straightening-clamp bites into solid spear-shafts.
They invoked the names of Jesus, Domiyya, and Job.
مُستَشعِرينَfearful قَدَalready الفَواthey grew accustomed to فيin دِيارِهِمُtheir dwellings
مُستَشعِرينَ قَدَ الفَوا في دِيارِهِمُ
دُعاءَthe calls of سوعٍSaw‘ وَدُعمِيٍّand Du‘mi وَأَيّوبِand Ayyub
دُعاءَ سوعٍ وَدُعمِيٍّ وَأَيّوبِ
Fearful, they have grown accustomed in their dwellings to
The calls of Saw‘, Du‘mi, and Ayyub.
Partial English translation: 30 of 32 Arabic lines translated.