أَلاّwhy not? بَكَيتَyou wept عَلىover الكِراthe noble (first part)
أَلاّ بَكَيتَ عَلى الكِرا
مِcompletion of 'the noble' بَنيsons of الكِرامِthe noble أوليpossessors of المَمادِحpraises
مِ بَني الكِرامِ أولي المَمادِح
Why did you not weep for the noble,
Alas! Did you weep for the generous ones
sons of noble men, worthy of praise,
Among the generous, O you who praise the noble!
كَبُكاlike the weeping of الحَمامِthe doves عَلىon فُروbranches (first part)
كَبُكا الحَمامِ عَلى فُرو
عِcompletion of 'branches' الأَيكِthe thicket فيin الغُصُنِthe boughs الصَوادِحsinging
عِ الأَيكِ في الغُصُنِ الصَوادِح
as doves weep upon the branches
Like pigeons weeping for the nests
of the thicket, singing amid the boughs?
On the branches of the lofty trees
يَبكينَthey weep حَزنىsorrowful مُستَكيsubmissive (first part)
يَبكينَ حَزنى مُستَكي
ناتٍcompletion of 'submissive' يَرُحنَthey go at evening مَعwith الرَوائِحthose returning at evening
ناتٍ يَرُحنَ مَع الرَوائِح
They weep, sorrowful and subdued,
Crying mournfully, wailing,
returning with those who return at evening.
Moaning with the winds
أَمثالُهُنَّtheir likenesses الباكِياthe weeping women (first part)
أَمثالُهُنَّ الباكِيا
تُcompletion of 'the weeping women' المُعوِلاتِthe wailing women مِنَamong النَوائِحthe mourners
تُ المُعوِلاتِ مِنَ النَوائِح
Like them are the weeping women,
Like the wailing bereaved women
wailing among the mourners.
Among the mourners in lament
مَنwhoever يَبكِهِمweeps for them يَبكِweeps عَلىover
مَن يَبكِهِم يَبكِ عَلى
حُزنٍsorrow وَيَصدُقُand speaks truth كُلُّevery مادِحpraiser
حُزنٍ وَيَصدُقُ كُلُّ مادِح
Whoever weeps for them weeps in
Whoever weeps for them, weeps for sorrow
sorrow, and every praiser speaks the truth.
And believes all who praise
كَمhow many بَينَbetween بَدرٍBadr وَالعَقَنand al-ʿAqanqal (first part)
كَم بَينَ بَدرٍ وَالعَقَن
قَلِcompletion of 'al-ʿAqanqal' مِنof مَرازبَةٍchieftains جَحاجِحmighty chiefs
قَلِ مِن مَرازبَةٍ جَحاجِح
How many were there between Badr and al-ʿAqanqal,
How few are the nights between Badr
mighty, lordly chiefs,
And Uhud of close combat!
فَمُدافِعِthen the watercourses of البَرقَينِal-Barqayn فَالthen al-
فَمُدافِعِ البَرقَينِ فَال
حَنّانِHannan مِنfrom طَرفِthe edge of الأَواشِحal-Awashih
حَنّانِ مِن طَرفِ الأَواشِح
then at the watercourses of al-Barqayn, then
So the defender with lightning spears
al-Hannan, at the edge of al-Awashih,
The compassionate in the heat of battle
شُمطٍgrizzled men وَشُبّانٍand youths بَهالnoble lords (first part)
شُمطٍ وَشُبّانٍ بَهال
يلٍcompletion of 'noble lords' مَغاويرٍbold raiders وَحاوِحfierce warriors
يلٍ مَغاويرٍ وَحاوِح
grizzled men and youths, noble
Shumut and Shubban the fearless
lords, bold raiders, fierce warriors!
The resolute warriors and brave
أَوَand do...? لاnot تَرَونَyou see كَماas أَرىI see
أَوَ لا تَرَونَ كَما أَرى
وَقَدand indeed اِستَبانَhas become clear لِكُلِّto every لامِحobserver
وَقَد اِستَبانَ لِكُلِّ لامِح
And do you not see as I see,
Do you not see as I see
as it has become clear to every observer,
And it is clear to every keen-sighted one
أَنthat قَدindeed تَغَيَرَّhas changed بَطنُthe valley of مَكَMecca (first part)
أَن قَد تَغَيَرَّ بَطنُ مَكَ
ةَcompletion of 'Mecca' فَهيَso it is موحِشَةُdesolate الأَباطِحthe gravelly streambeds
ةَ فَهيَ موحِشَةُ الأَباطِح
that the valley of Mecca has changed,
That the heart of Mecca has changed
so its gravelly streambeds stand desolate,
And it has become desolate and empty
مِنbereft of كُلِّevery بِطريقٍpatrician لِبِطborn to a patrician (first part)
مِن كُلِّ بِطريقٍ لِبِط
ريقٍcompletion of 'patrician' نَقِيِّspotless of الوَجهِthe face واضِحradiant
ريقٍ نَقِيِّ الوَجهِ واضِح
bereft of every patrician, born of a patrician,
Of every generous man, and every
spotless of face and radiant,
Pure-faced, straightforward man
دُعموصِwater-worm; court insider أَبوابِthe gates of المُلوكِkings
دُعموصِ أَبوابِ المُلوكِ
وَجائِبٍand a traverser لِلخَرقِof the trackless waste فاتِحan opener of paths
وَجائِبٍ لِلخَرقِ فاتِح
a water-worm at the gates of kings,
And the doors of kings are shut
and a crosser of trackless wastes, an opener of paths;
Against the torn garment and petitioner
وَمِنَand of السَراطِمَةِthe towering men الجَلاthe massive men (first part)
وَمِنَ السَراطِمَةِ الجَلا
حِمَةِcompletion of 'the massive men' المَلاوِثَةِthe stalwart men المَناجِحthe successful men
حِمَةِ المَلاوِثَةِ المَناجِح
and of the towering, massive
And from the vulgar riffraff
men, stalwart and successful;
The brazen impudent and scheming
القائِلينَthose who speak الآمِرينَthose who command الthe
القائِلينَ الآمِرينَ ال
فاعِلينَdoers لِكُلِّof every صالِحgood deed
فاعِلينَ لِكُلِّ صالِح
those who speak and command,
Who command and execute
the doers of every good deed;
Every vile deed
المُطعِمينَthose who feed others الشَحمَfat فَوabove (first part)
المُطعِمينَ الشَحمَ فَو
قَcompletion of 'above' الخُبزِthe bread شَحماًfat كَالأَنافِحlike rennet-bags
قَ الخُبزِ شَحماً كَالأَنافِح
those who feed others fat upon
Who stuff the bread's top with fat
bread—fat like rennet-bags;
Fat likeprobes
نُقُلِbearers of الجِفانِthe bowls مَعَwith الجِفاthe bowls (first part)
نُقُلِ الجِفانِ مَعَ الجِفا
نِcompletion of 'the bowls' إِلىto جِفانٍbowls كَالمَناضِحlike watering basins
نِ إِلى جِفانٍ كَالمَناضِح
bearers of bowls, with bowls,
Moving carrion with carrion
to bowls like watering basins,
To further carrion like ladles
لَيسَتthey are not بِأَصفارٍempty لِمَنfor whoever
لَيسَت بِأَصفارٍ لِمَن
يَقفوfollows وَلاnor رُحٍّlow-rimmed رَحارِحwide and shallow
يَقفو وَلا رُحٍّ رَحارِح
not empty for anyone
They are not empty bags to whoever tracks
who follows, nor broad and shallow;
Nor easy game for the hunter
وُهُبِgenerous givers of المِئينَhundreds مِنَfrom المِئيhundreds (first part)
وُهُبِ المِئينَ مِنَ المِئي
نِcompletion of 'hundreds' إِلىto المِئينِhundreds مِنَof اللَواقِحpregnant she-camels
نِ إِلى المِئينِ مِنَ اللَواقِح
givers of hundreds, from hundreds
Give hundreds to the hundreds
to hundreds, of pregnant she-camels,
To further hundreds of marriages
لِلضَيفِfor the guest ثُمَّthen الضَيفِthe guest بَعafter (first part)
لِلضَيفِ ثُمَّ الضَيفِ بَع
دَcompletion of 'after' الضَيفِthe guest وَالبُسُطِand the dams left with their calves السَلاطِحbroad-bodied
دَ الضَيفِ وَالبُسُطِ السَلاطِح
for the guest, then the guest after
For the guest, then the guest
the guest, and the broad-bodied dams left with their calves,
After the guest with food and bowls spread
سَوقَthe driving of المُؤَبِّلِthe camel-owner لِلمُؤَبfor the camel-owner (first part)
سَوقَ المُؤَبِّلِ لِلمُؤَب
بِلِcompletion of 'the camel-owner' صادِراتٍdeparting عَنfrom بَلادِحBaladih
بِلِ صادِراتٍ عَن بَلادِح
driven as one camel-owner drives for another,
For their trade sent abroad
departing from Baladih.
From a barren land
لِكِرامِهِمfor their noble men فَوقَabove الكِراthe noble (first part)
لِكِرامِهِم فَوقَ الكِرا
مِcompletion of 'the noble' مَزِيَّةٌa distinction وَزنَthe weight of الرَواجِحthe heavier weights
مِ مَزِيَّةٌ وَزنَ الرَواجِح
Their noble men have, above other noble men,
They have advantage over the generous
a distinction as weighty as the heavier weights,
Like weights tipping the scales
كَتَثاقُلِlike the sinking of الأَرطالِpound-weights بِالon the
كَتَثاقُلِ الأَرطالِ بِال
قِسطاسِbalance فيin الأَيديthe hands المَوانِحthe bestowing ones
قِسطاسِ في الأَيدي المَوانِح
like the sinking of pound-weights upon
A faction betrayed them
the balance, in hands that give.
As they protected damaged honor
خَذَلتَهُمُforsook them فِئَةٌa faction وَهُمwhile they
خَذَلتَهُمُ فِئَةٌ وَهُم
يَحمونَthey guard عَوراتِthe vulnerable places of الفَضائِحdisgrace
يَحمونَ عَوراتِ الفَضائِح
A faction abandoned them while they
Striking reform with sharpened swords
guarded the vulnerable places against disgrace,
Indeed their voices carried me
الضارِبينَthose who strike التَقدُمِيin the forefront (first part)
الضارِبينَ التَقدُمِي
يَّةَcompletion of 'in the forefront' بِالمُهَنَّدَةِwith Indian-steel swords الصَفائِحbroad blades
يَّةَ بِالمُهَنَّدَةِ الصَفائِح
striking in the forefront
From among the imploring and screaming
with broad blades of Indian steel.
For God's sake, the Banu Ali's pearls
وَلَقَدand indeed عَنانيdistressed me صَوتُهُمtheir cry
وَلَقَد عَناني صَوتُهُم
مِنfrom بَينِamong مُستَسقٍone asking for water وَصائِحand one crying out
مِن بَينِ مُستَسقٍ وَصائِح
And indeed their cry distressed me,
Be they chaste or married
from those asking for water and those crying out.
Will change an arid thicket
لِلَهِto God دُرُّexcellence (literally, milk) بَنيsons of عَلِيٍّAli
لِلَهِ دُرُّ بَني عَلِيٍّ
أَيِّمٍan unmarried man مِنهُمamong them وَناكِحand a married man
أَيِّمٍ مِنهُم وَناكِح
God bless the sons of Ali—
That chirps at every yelping
the unmarried among them and the married—
With deceptive actions, ambitions
إِنif لَمnot يُغيرواthey raid غارَةًa raid
إِن لَم يُغيروا غارَةً
شَعواءَraging تُجحِرُdrives into holes كُلَّevery نابِحbarker
شَعواءَ تُجحِرُ كُلَّ نابِح
if they do not launch a raid,
Yearnings with longings
raging, driving every barker into its hole,
Back to a bare standoff
بِالمُقرِباتِon the steeds that bring near المُبعِداthe steeds that carry far (first part)
بِالمُقرِباتِ المُبعِدا
تِcompletion of 'the steeds that carry far' الطامِحاتِthe high-headed steeds مَعَwith الطَوامِحthe high-headed steeds
تِ الطامِحاتِ مَعَ الطَوامِح
on steeds that bring near and carry far,
To a lion's snapping with gnashing
high-headed, alongside high-headed steeds,
And horn will meet horn
مُرداًbeardless youths عَلىon جُردٍshort-haired steeds إِلىagainst
مُرداً عَلى جُردٍ إِلى
أُسدٍlions مُكالِبَةٍfighting fiercely كَوالِحbaring their teeth
أُسدٍ مُكالِبَةٍ كَوالِح
beardless youths on short-haired steeds, against
The stride of wrestler meeting wrestler
lions fighting fiercely, baring their teeth.
With about a thousand then a thousand
وَيُلاقِand meets قِرنٌa matched warrior قِرنَهُhis matched opponent
وَيُلاقِ قِرنٌ قِرنَهُ
مَشيَthe gait of المُصافِحِone offering a handshake لِلمُصافِحtoward one offering a handshake
مَشيَ المُصافِحِ لِلمُصافِح
And a champion meets his match,
Between the mighty and the spears
walking as one handshaker approaches another,
بِزُهاءِwith about أَلفٍa thousand ثُمَّthen أَلa thousand (first part)
بِزُهاءِ أَلفٍ ثُمَّ أَل
فٍcompletion of 'a thousand' بَينَamong ذيone wearing بَدَنٍa mail-coat وَرامِحand a spearman
فٍ بَينَ ذي بَدَنٍ وَرامِح
with about a thousand, then another thousand,
some clad in mail, some bearing spears.
Partial English translation: 59 of 62 Arabic lines translated.