وَقَالَAnd he saidآخَرُ:another:
And another said:
أَعْدَدْتُI have preparedلِلضَّيْفَانِfor the guestsكَلْبًاa dogضَارِبًاbiting......
I have prepared for the guests a biting dog ...
عِنْدِيwith meوَفَضْلُand surplusهِرَاوَةٍof a clubمِنْofأَرْزَنٍ1ironwood
with me and a surplus of an ironwood club. [1]
وَقَالَAnd saidأَعْشَىA'shaبَنِيof Banuتَغْلِبَ:Taghlib:
And A'sha of Banu Taghlib said:
إِذَاWhenحَلَّتْalightedمُعَاوِيَةُMu'awiyaبْنُson ofعَمْرٍو'Amr......
When Mu'awiya son of 'Amr alighted ...
عَلَىonالْأَطْوَاءِ2the watering placesخَنَّقَتِstrangledالْكِلَابَاthe dogs (dual)
on the watering places [2], the dogs were strangled.
وَأَنْشَدَنِيAnd he recited to meابْنُson ofالْأَعْرَابِيِّ،al-A'rabi,وَزَعَمَand he claimedأَنَّهُthat itمِنْfromقَوْلِthe saying ofالْمَجْنُونِ:al-Majnun:
And Ibn al-A'rabi recited to me, claiming it was from the sayings of al-Majnun:
وَنَارٍAnd a fireقَدْindeedرُفِعَتْwas raisedلِغَيْرِfor other thanخَيْرٍgood......
And a fire was raised not for any good purpose ...
رَجَاءَhopingأَنْthatتَأَوَّبَنِيthey would come to me at nightالرِّعَاءُ3the shepherds
hoping that the shepherds would come to me at night. [3]
تَأَوَّبَنِيThey came to me at nightطَوِيلُtallالشَّخْصِof statureمِنْهُمْamong them......
They came to me at night, a tall one among them ...
يَجُرُّdraggingثِفَالَهُhis quiverيَرْجُوhoping forالْعَشَاءَ4the dinner
dragging his quiver, hoping for dinner. [4]
فَكَانَAnd it wasعَشَاؤُهُhis dinnerعِنْدِيwith meخَزِيرٌa meat stew......
And his dinner with me was a meat stew ...
بِتَمْرٍwith datesجَثِيثَةٍof a heapفِيهِin itالنَّوَاءُthe pits
with a heap of dates in which there were pits.
وَقَالَAnd saidفِيinخِلَافِcontrary toذَلِكَthatحَسَّانُHassanبْنُson ofثَابِتٍ:Thabit:
And contrary to that, Hassan ibn Thabit said:
أَوْلَادُSons ofجَفْنَةَJafnaحَوْلَaroundقَبْرِthe grave ofأَبِيهِمْtheir father......
Sons of Jafna around their father's grave ...
قَبْرِthe grave ofابْنِson ofمَارِيَةَMariaالْكَرِيمِthe generousالْمُفَضَّلِthe preferred
the grave of the son of Maria, the generous, the preferred.
يَغْشَوْنَThey come toحَتَّىuntilمَاnotتَهَرُّbarkكِلَابُهُمْtheir dogs......
They come to them until their dogs do not bark ...
لَاnotيَسْأَلُونَthey askعَنِaboutالسَّوَادِthe black massالْمُقْبِلِ5approaching
they do not ask about the approaching black mass. [5]
وَقَالَAnd saidالْمُرَّارُal-Murrarالْحِمَّانِيُّal-Himmaniفِيinكَلْبِهِ:his dog:
And al-Murrar al-Himmani said about his dog:
أَلِفَHe has become familiar withالنَّاسَthe peopleفَمَاand so notيَنْبَحُهُمْhe barks at them......
He has become familiar with people, so he does not bark at them ...
مِنْfromأَسِيفٍa servantيَبْتَغِيseekingالْخَيْرَgoodوَحُرٍّ6and a free man
neither from a servant seeking good nor a free man. [6]
وَقَالَAnd saidعِمْرَانُImranبْنُson ofعِصَامٍ:Isam:
And Imran ibn Isam said:
لِعَبْدِFor Abdالْعَزِيزِal-Azizعَلَىuponقَوْمِهِhis people......
For Abd al-Aziz upon his people ...
وَغَيْرِهِمْand othersمِنَنٌfavorsغَامِرَةٌoverwhelming
and others are overwhelming favors.
Footnotes
- 1.أَرْزَنٌ: شَجَرٌ صُلْبٌ تُتَّخَذُ مِنْهُ الْهِرَاوَةُ.
Arzan: a hard tree from which the club is made.
- 2.الْأَطْوَاءُ: جَمْعُ طَوًى، وَهِيَ مَوَاضِعُ الْمَاءِ.
Al-atwa': plural of tawan, meaning places of water.
- 3.تَأَوَّبَنِي: أَتَانِي لَيْلًا.
Ta'awwabani: he came to me at night.
- 4.الثِّفَالُ: جَعْبَةُ السِّهَامِ.
Ath-thifal: the quiver of arrows.
- 5.السَّوَادُ: الشَّخْصُ، وَالْمُرَادُ الْقَادِمُ عَلَيْهِمْ.
As-sawad: the person, meaning the one approaching them.
- 6.الْأَسِيفُ: الْأَجِيرُ، وَالْحُرُّ: الْحُرُّ الْكَريمُ.
Al-asif: the hired servant, and al-hurr: the free noble man.