وَإِنَّAnd indeedصَخْرًاSakhrلَتَأْتَمُّindeed followsالْهُدَاةُthe guidesبِهِhimكَأَنَّهُas if heعَلَمٌa flagفِيonرَأْسِهِhis headنَارٌ1a fire
And indeed Sakhr is followed by the guides as if he were a flag on top of which is a fire. «1»
وَلَيْسَAnd notيَمْنَعُنِيprevents meمِنْfromتَفْسِيرِexplanationكُلِّeveryمَاwhatيَمُرُّpassesإِلَّاexceptاتِّكَالِيmy relianceعَلَىonمَعْرِفَتِكَyour knowledge
And nothing prevents me from explaining everything that passes by except my reliance on your knowledge.
وَلَيْسَAnd notهَذَاthisالْكِتَابُbookنَفْعُهُits benefitإِلَّاexceptلِمَنْfor one whoرَوَىnarratedالشِّعْرَpoetryوَالْكَلَامَand speechوَذَهَبَand followedمَذَاهِبَthe waysالْقَوْمِof the peopleأَوْorيَكُونُbeقَدْindeedشَدَاlearnedمِنْهُfrom itشَدْوًاa learningحَسَنًاgood
And this book does not benefit except the one who has narrated poetry and speech, and followed the ways of the people, or has learned from it a good learning.
وَمِمَّاAnd from whatيَدُلُّindicatesعَلَىonكَرَمِgenerosityالْقَوْمِof the peopleأَيْمَانُهُمْtheir oathsالْكَرِيمَةُthe nobleوَأَقْسَامُهُمْand their vowsالشَّرِيفَةُthe honorable
And among what indicates the generosity of the people are their noble oaths and honorable vows.
قَالَSaidمَعْدَانُMa'danبْنُson ofجَوَّاسٍJawwasالْكِنْدِيُّal-Kindi
Ma'dan ibn Jawwas al-Kindi said:
إِنْIfكَانَwasمَاwhatبَلَّغْتَyou conveyedعَنِّيabout meفَلَاthen notمِنِّيfrom meصَدِيقِيmy friendوَ حُزَّتْand were cut offمِنْfromيَدَيَّmy handsالْأَنَامِلُthe fingers
If what you conveyed about me is true, then my friend is not from me, and the fingers have been cut off from my hands.
وَكُفِّنْتُAnd I was shroudedوَحْدِيaloneمُنْذِرًاMundhirفِيinرِدَائِهِhis cloakوَصَادَفَand metحَوْطًاa shieldمِنْfromأَعَادِيenemiesقَاتِلُkiller
And I was shrouded alone, Mundhir, in his cloak, and a killer met a shield from my enemies.
وَقَالَAnd saidالْأَشْتَرُal-AshtarمَالِكُMalikبْنُson ofالْحَارِثِ2al-Harithفِيinمِثْلِlikeذَلِكَthatأَيْضًاalso
And al-Ashtar Malik ibn al-Harith said «2» similarly:
بَقِيتُI remainedوَحْدِيaloneوَانْحَرَفْتُand I turned awayعَنِfromالْعُلَىhighnessوَلَقِيتُand I metأَضْيَافِيmy guestsبِوَجْهٍwith a faceعَبُوسٍfrowning
I remained alone and turned away from highness, and I met my guests with a frowning face.
إِنْIfلَمْnotأُشَنِّنْI launchعَلَىagainstابْنِson ofحَرْبٍHarbغَارَةًa raidلَمْnotتَخْلُit is freeيَوْمًاa dayمِنْfromنِهَابِplunderingنُفُوسٍ3souls
If I do not launch against ibn Harb a raid that is not free a day from the plundering of souls «3»
خَيْلًاhorsesكَأَمْثَالِlikeالسَّعَالِيghoulsشُذَّبًاslenderتَعْدُوrunningبِبِيضٍwith whiteفِيinالْكَرِيهَةِthe battleشُوسٍ4fierce
Horses like ghouls, slender, running with white (swords) in the fierce battle, «4»
حَمِيَbecame hotالْحَدِيدُironعَلَيْهِمْon themفَكَأَنَّهُso as if itلَمَعَانُgleamingبَرْقٍlightningأَوْorشُعَاعُraysشُمُوسٍsuns
The iron became hot upon them, as if it were the gleaming of lightning or the rays of suns.
وَقَالَAnd saidابْنُson ofسَيْحَانَSayhan
And Ibn Sayhan said:
حَرَامٌForbiddenكَنَّتِيmy daughter-in-lawمِنِّيfrom meبِسُوءٍwith evilوَأَذْكُرُand I rememberصَاحِبِيmy companionأَبَدًاalwaysبِذَامٍ5with blame
Forbidden is my daughter-in-law from me with evil, and I always remember my companion with blame «5»
لَقَدْIndeedأَحْرَمْتُI have forbiddenوُدَّthe loveبَنِيsons ofمُطِيعٍMuti'حَرَامَas forbiddenالدُّهْنِthe oilلِلرَّجُلِfor the manالْحَرَامِ6the forbidden
Indeed I have forbidden the love of the sons of Muti' as forbidden as the oil is for the forbidden man «6»
Footnotes
- 1.خَبَرٌ لِـ«إِنَّ» وَهُوَ جُمْلَةٌ «لَتَأْتَمُّ الْهُدَاةُ بِهِ»
The predicate of 'inna' is the sentence 'the guides indeed follow him'.
- 2.هُوَ مَالِكُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ النَّخَعِيُّ، الْمَعْرُوفُ بِالْأَشْتَرِ، وَكَانَ مِنْ أَشْرَافِ الْكُوفَةِ وَشُجْعَانِهَا.
He is Malik ibn al-Harith al-Nakha'i, known as al-Ashtar, and he was one of the nobles and brave men of Kufa.
- 3.قَوْلُهُ: «لَمْ تَخْلُ يَوْمًا مِنْ نِهَابِ نُفُوسٍ»: أَيْ لَمْ تَخْلُ تِلْكَ الْغَارَةُ مِنْ أَنْ تَسْلُبَ نُفُوسًا، أَيْ تَقْتُلَ أُنَاسًا.
His saying: 'not free a day from plundering of souls' means that the raid was not free from taking souls, i.e., killing people.
- 4.«الْخَيْلُ» مَفْعُولٌ بِهِ لِفِعْلٍ مَحْذُوفٍ تَقْدِيرُهُ: أُغِيرُ خَيْلًا، وَالسَّعَالِي: جَمْعُ سِعْلَاةٍ، وَهِيَ الْغُولُ.
'Horses' is the object of an omitted verb, i.e., 'I raid with horses'. 'Sa'ali' is plural of 'si'lat', which means ghoul.
- 5.أَيْ: يَحْرُمُ عَلَيَّ أَنْ أَذْكُرَ كَنَّتِي بِسُوءٍ، وَأَنَا أَذْكُرُ صَاحِبِي دَائِمًا بِذَمٍّ.
That is, it is forbidden for me to mention my daughter-in-law with evil, and I always mention my companion with blame.
- 6.يَقُولُ: إِنَّهُ حَرَّمَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ وُدَّ بَنِي مُطِيعٍ تَحْرِيمًا كَتَحْرِيمِ الدُّهْنِ عَلَى الرَّجُلِ الَّذِي هُوَ فِي إِحْرَامِهِ، فَلَا يَتَمَلَّى مِنْهُ.
He says: I have forbidden myself the love of Banu Muti' as it is forbidden for a man in ihram to use oil, so he cannot enjoy it.