فَلَمَّاAnd whenتَصَافَنَّاwe sharedالْإِدْوَاةَthe water-skinأَجْهَشْتُI sobbed
And when we shared the water-skin, I sobbed...
إِلَيَّtowards meغُضُونُthe foldsالْعَنْبَرِيِّof al-ʿAnbarīالْجَرَاضِمِ1the great warrior
The folds of the great warrior al-ʿAnbarī turned towards me [in weeping].
عَلَىatسَاعَةٍan hourلَوْifأَنَّthatفِيamongالْقَوْمِthe peopleحَاتِمًاHatim
At such an hour that if Hatim were among the people...
عَلَىuponجُودِهِhis generosityضَنَّتْwould be stingyبِهِwith itنَفْسُthe soulحَاتِمٍof Hatim
Even Hatim's own soul would be stingy with its generosity.
وَبِذَلِكَAnd with thatالْمَذْهَبِthe wayمِنَofالْأَثَرَةِselflessnessمَدَحَpraisedالشَّاعِرُthe poetكَعْبَKaʿbابْنَson ofمَامَةَ2Māmah
With the same spirit of selflessness, the poet praised Kaʿb ibn Māmah.
حِينَwhenآثَرَhe preferredبِنَصِيبِهِwith his shareرَفِيقَهُhis companionالنَّمِرِيَّal-Namarīفَقَالَ:and said:
When he gave his share to his companion al-Namarī, he said:
مَاNotكَانَwasمِنْamongسُوقَةٍthe common peopleأُسْقِيَone who gave to drinkعَلَىdespiteظَمَأٍthirst
There was none among the common folk who gave to drink despite thirst...
خَمْرًاwineبِمَاءٍwith waterإِذَاwhenنَاجُودُهَاits mixtureبَرَدَا3became cold
Who mixed wine with water when its mixture cooled.
مِنْthanابْنِson ofمَامَةَMāmahكَعْبٍKaʿbثُمَّthenعَيَّwas unableبِهِto it
Than Kaʿb son of Māmah, then he was unable to accomplish it...
زَوُّthe driving awayالْمَنِيَّةِof deathإِلَّاexceptحُرَّةٌa free womanوَقَدًا4and a fire
Except a free woman and a firebrand in driving away death.
أَوْفَىHe came upعَلَىtoالْمَاءِthe waterكَعْبٌKaʿbثُمَّthenقِيلَit was saidلَهُto him
Kaʿb came up to the water, then it was said to him...
رُدَّReturnكَعْبُKaʿbإِنَّكَindeed youوَرَّادٌa frequent visitorفَمَاbut notوَرَدَاhe returned (with water)
“Return, Kaʿb, for you are a frequent visitor, but he did not return with water.”
وَفِيAnd aboutالْمُصَافَنَةِsharing waterيَقُولُsaysالْأَسَدِيُّ5al-Asadī
And about sharing water, al-Asadī says:
كَأَنَّas ifأَطِيطًاa creakingيَابِنَةَO daughter ofالْقَوْمِthe peopleلَمْnotيُنَخْwas made to kneel
As if a creaking, O daughter of the people, had not made kneel...
قَلَائِصَyoung she-camelsيُحْكِيهَاimitating themالْحَنِّيُّthe curvedالْمُنَقَّحُ6the well-polished
Young she-camels imitated by the curved, well-polished [bow].
وَلَمْAnd notيَسْقِgave to drinkقَوْمًاa peopleفَارِسِيٌّa Persianعَلَىuponالْحَصَىthe pebbles
Nor did a Persian give a people to drink upon the pebbles...
صُبَابَthe remaining dropsالْأَدَاوِيof the water-skinsوَالْمَطِيَّاتِand the riding animalsجُنَّحٍ7bending down
The remaining drops of water-skins and riding animals bending down.
وَيَزْعُمُونَAnd they claimأَنَّthatالْحَصَاةَthe pebbleالَّتِيwhichإِذَاifغَمَرَهَاcovered itالْمَاءُwaterفِيinالْإِنَاءِthe vessel
And they claim that the pebble which, when water covers it in the vessel...
كَانَتْwasنَصِيبَthe shareأَحَدِهِمْof one of themتُسَمَّىis calledالْمُقْلَةَ8al-muqla
It was the share of one of them and is called 'al-muqla'.
وَهَذَاAnd thisالْحَرْفُwordسَمِعْتُهُI heard itمِنَfromالْبَغْدَادِيِّينَthe Baghdadisوَلَمْand notأَسْمَعْهُI heard itمِنْfromأَصْحَابِنَاour companions
I heard this word from the Baghdadis, but I did not hear it from our companions.
وَقَدْand indeedبَرِئْتُI disassociateإِلَيْكَto youمِنْهُfrom it
And I have disassociated myself to you from it.
وَقَالَAnd saidابْنُson ofجَحْوَشٍJaḥwashفِيaboutالْمُصَافَنَةِ:sharing water:
And Ibn Jaḥwash said about sharing water:
وَلَمَّاAnd whenتَعَاوَرْنَاwe took turnsالْإِدْوَاةَthe water-skinأَجْهَشْتُI sobbed
And when we took turns with the water-skin, I sobbed...
إِلَىtowardsالْمَاءِthe waterنَفْسُthe soulالْعَنْبَرِيِّof al-ʿAnbarīالْجَرَاضِمِthe great warrior
The soul of al-ʿAnbarī the great warrior yearned towards the water.
Footnotes
- 1.الْعَنْبَرِيُّ: نِسْبَةٌ إِلَى عَنْبَرَ، وَالْجَرَاضِمُ: الْعَظِيمُ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ.
Al-ʿAnbarī: a lineage to ʿAnbar, and al-jarāḍim means the great one of the people.
- 2.كَعْبُ بْنُ مَامَةَ: أَحَدُ الْأَجْوَادِ الْمَشْهُورِينَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ.
Kaʿb ibn Māmah: one of the famous generous men in the pre-Islamic era.
- 3.نَاجُودُهَا: مِزَاجُهَا.
Nājūduhā: its mixture.
- 4.زَوُّ الْمَنِيَّةِ: دَفْعُهَا كِنَايَةٌ عَنِ السَّخَاءِ.
Zaww al-maniyya: driving it away, a metaphor for generosity.
- 5.الْأَسَدِيُّ: شَاعِرٌ مِنْ بَنِي أَسَدٍ.
Al-Asadī: a poet from Banī Asad.
- 6.الْحَنِّيُّ الْمُنَقَّحُ: الْقَوْسُ الْمَعْطُوفَةُ الْمُحْكَمَةُ.
Al-ḥannī al-munaqqaḥ: the curved, well-made bow.
- 7.الْأَدَاوِي: جَمْعُ إِدْوَاةٍ وَهِيَ السِّقَاءُ الصَّغِيرُ.
Al-adāwī: plural of idwāh, which is a small water-skin.
- 8.الْمُقْلَةُ: الْحَصَاةُ الَّتِي تُلْقَى فِي الْإِنَاءِ لِيُعْلَمَ قَدْرُ الْحَصَّةِ.
Al-muqla: the pebble that is thrown into the vessel to determine the share.