أَتاكَreached you بِياسِرَat Yasir النَبَءُthe news الجَليلُmomentous
أَتاكَ بِياسِرَ النَبَءُ الجَليلُ
فَلَيلُكَso your night إِذwhen أَتاكَhe came to you بِهِwith it طَويلُlong
فَلَيلُكَ إِذ أَتاكَ بِهِ طَويلُ
The momentous news reached you at Yasir;
So your night was long when he brought it to you.
أَتاكَreached you بِأَنَّthat خَيرَthe best of الناسِpeople إِلّاexcept
أَتاكَ بِأَنَّ خَيرَ الناسِ إِلّا
أَميرَthe Commander of المُؤمِنينَthe faithful بِهاin it قَتيلُslain
أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ بِها قَتيلُ
Word reached you that the best of men, save
The Commander of the Faithful, lay slain there.
فَقُلتُso I said لِمَنto whoever يُخَبِّرُنيinforms me حَزيناًsorrowful
فَقُلتُ لِمَن يُخَبِّرُني حَزيناً
أَتَنعىdo you announce the death of مُصعَباًMus'ab غالَتكَmay it destroy you غولُa ghoul
أَتَنعى مُصعَباً غالَتكَ غولُ
So, sorrowful, I said to the one informing me:
“Do you announce Mus'ab's death? May a ghoul destroy you!”
فَإِنso if يَهلِكhe perishes فَجَدُّكُمُthen your fortune شَقِيٌّwretched
فَإِن يَهلِك فَجَدُّكُمُ شَقِيٌّ
وَعَيشُكُمُand your livelihood وَأَمنُكُمُand your security قَليلُscant
وَعَيشُكُمُ وَأَمنُكُمُ قَليلُ
If he perishes, then your fortune is wretched,
And your livelihood and your security are scant.
وَإِنand if يَعمَرhe lives on فَإِنَّكُمُthen indeed you بِخَيرٍwell off
وَإِن يَعمَر فَإِنَّكُمُ بِخَيرٍ
عَلَيكُمupon you مِنfrom نَوافِلِهِhis gifts فُضولُabundant portions
عَلَيكُم مِن نَوافِلِهِ فُضولُ
And if he lives on, then you fare well;
Abundant portions of his bounty fall to you.
أَغَرُّradiant-faced تَفَرَّجُpart away الغَمَراتُengulfing perils عَنهُfrom him
أَغَرُّ تَفَرَّجُ الغَمَراتُ عَنهُ
كَأَنَّas though جَبينَهُhis brow سَيفٌa sword صَقيلُpolished
كَأَنَّ جَبينَهُ سَيفٌ صَقيلُ
He is radiant-faced; engulfing perils part from him,
As though his brow were a polished sword.
يُهابُis feared صَريفُthe grinding of نابَيهِhis two fangs وَيُخشىand is dreaded
يُهابُ صَريفُ نابَيهِ وَيُخشى
إِذاwhen عَدَلَتswung aside شَقاشِقَهاtheir throat-pouches الفُحولُthe camel bulls
إِذا عَدَلَت شَقاشِقَها الفُحولُ
The grinding of his two fangs is feared and dreaded
When the camel bulls swing their throat-pouches aside.
إِذاwhen نَزَلَتdescended بِهِupon him حَربٌa war ضَروسٌsavagely biting
إِذا نَزَلَت بِهِ حَربٌ ضَروسٌ
يُهابُis feared الرِزُّthe rumble مِنهاfrom it وَالصَليلُand the clang
يُهابُ الرِزُّ مِنها وَالصَليلُ
When a savagely biting war descends upon him,
Whose rumble and clanging are feared,
مَرىhe stroked to draw milk بِالسَيفِwith the sword ضَرَّتَهاher udder فَدَرَّتso she gave milk
مَرى بِالسَيفِ ضَرَّتَها فَدَرَّت
فَأَمسَتso she became by evening وَهيَand she عارِفَةٌresigned ذَلولُtame
فَأَمسَت وَهيَ عارِفَةٌ ذَلولُ
He strokes her udder with the sword, and she gives milk;
So by evening she is resigned and tame.
أَلَيسَis he not بِصاحِبِthe opponent of الكَذّابِthe Liar لَمّاwhen
أَلَيسَ بِصاحِبِ الكَذّابِ لَمّا
أَصابَstruck الناسَthe people شُؤبوبٌa downpour وَبيلُruinous
أَصابَ الناسَ شُؤبوبٌ وَبيلُ
Is he not the one who faced the Liar, when
A ruinous downpour struck the people,
وَكادَand nearly نِسائُهُمtheir women يَلقَينَmet غَيّاًruin
وَكادَ نِسائُهُم يَلقَينَ غَيّاً
تُرِكنَthey were abandoned وَفَرَّand fled عَنهُنَّfrom them البُعولُthe husbands
تُرِكنَ وَفَرَّ عَنهُنَّ البُعولُ
And their women nearly met with ruin,
Abandoned, while their husbands fled from them?
وَأَرعَنَand a vast host قَدindeed جَرَرتَyou led إِلىtoward عَدُوٍّan enemy
وَأَرعَنَ قَد جَرَرتَ إِلى عَدُوٍّ
يُزَيِّنُهُadorns it التَأَوُّهُgroaning وَالصَهيلُand neighing
يُزَيِّنُهُ التَأَوُّهُ وَالصَهيلُ
And a vast host you have led against an enemy;
Groaning and neighing adorn it.
كَأَنَّas though زُهائَهُits multitude لِلَّهِfor God حُجٌّpilgrims
كَأَنَّ زُهائَهُ لِلَّهِ حُجٌّ
تَوافىgathered مِنهُمُof them بِمِنىat Mina حُلولُthose encamped
تَوافى مِنهُمُ بِمِنى حُلولُ
As though its multitude were pilgrims for God,
With groups of them gathered and encamped at Mina.
تَضِلُّgoes astray العائِذُthe nursing dam البَلقاءُpiebald فيهِمamong them
تَضِلُّ العائِذُ البَلقاءُ فيهِم
وَيُخطِئُand misses رَحلَthe saddle of صاحِبِهِhis companion الزَميلُthe fellow traveler
وَيُخطِئُ رَحلَ صاحِبِهِ الزَميلُ
The piebald nursing dam goes astray among them,
And a fellow traveler misses his companion's saddle.
كَأَنَّas though مُجَفَّفاتِthe armor-clad ones of الخَيلِthe horses فيهِin it
كَأَنَّ مُجَفَّفاتِ الخَيلِ فيهِ
إِذاwhen مَرَّتthey passed بَرازيقاًin squadrons فُيولُelephants
إِذا مَرَّت بَرازيقاً فُيولُ
As though the armored horses within it,
When they passed in squadrons, were elephants.
سَمَوتَyou advanced بِهِمwith them إِلىtoward حَيٍّa tribe بَعيدٍdistant
سَمَوتَ بِهِم إِلى حَيٍّ بَعيدٍ
لِتَفجَعَهُمto bereave them وَأَنتَand you لَهاin that فَعولُa mighty doer
لِتَفجَعَهُم وَأَنتَ لَها فَعولُ
You advanced with them toward a distant tribe,
To bereave them—and in that you are mighty.
وَبَيناand while أَنتَyou توجِفُyou spur onward مُستَهِلّاًcrying aloud
وَبَينا أَنتَ توجِفُ مُستَهِلّاً
بِساحَةِin the expanse of أَرضِهِمtheir land لَمَعَsignaled الدَليلُthe guide
بِساحَةِ أَرضِهِم لَمَعَ الدَليلُ
And while you were spurring onward, crying aloud,
In the expanse of their land, the guide signaled,
وَآنَسَand he spotted غَيبَbeyond رابِيَةٍa hill سَواماًgrazing beasts
وَآنَسَ غَيبَ رابِيَةٍ سَواماً
تَرىyou see قِطَعَfragments of السَحابِthe clouds بِهاin it يَزولُdrift
تَرى قِطَعَ السَحابِ بِها يَزولُ
And spotted grazing beasts beyond a hill;
You see patches of cloud drifting there.
وَأَولادُand the offspring of الصَريحِpurebred stock مُسَوَّماتٌmarked
وَأَولادُ الصَريحِ مُسَوَّماتٌ
تَبارىrace one another مِثلَlike ماthe way هَدَجَtrotted الوُعولُthe ibex
تَبارى مِثلَ ما هَدَجَ الوُعولُ
And the marked offspring of purebred stock
Race one another like trotting ibex.
أَبَسَّurged with cries بِهاto them الفَوارِسُthe horsemen فَاِستَطارَتso they flew off
أَبَسَّ بِها الفَوارِسُ فَاِستَطارَت
تُباريvie with المُردَthe beardless youths بِالجِذَمِwith whip-stumps الكُهولُthe middle-aged men
تُباري المُردَ بِالجِذَمِ الكُهولُ
The horsemen urged them with cries, and they flew off;
The middle-aged men vie with beardless youths, wielding whip-stumps.