عَنِّيabout meالْقَيْقَانِيَّةَ1the Qayqaniyyaوَالْقَطْرِيَّةَ2and the Qatriyya
Ask about me the Qayqaniyya and the Qatriyya.
وَسَلْand askعَنِّيabout meالْمُتَشَبِّهَةَthe Mutashabbihaوَذَبَّاحِيand the slaughterers ofالْجَزِيرَةِ3the island
And ask about me the Mutashabbiha and the slaughterers of the island.
وَكَيْفَand howبَطْشِيmy assaultسَاعَةَat the hourالْبَطْشِof assault
And how is my assault at the hour of assault?
وَكَيْفَand howحِيلَتِيmy cunningسَاعَةَat the hourالْحِيلَةِof cunning
And how is my cunning at the hour of cunning?
وَكَيْفَand howأَنَاam Iعِنْدَatالْجَوْلَةِthe charge (in battle)
And how am I at the charge?
وَكَيْفَand howثَبَاتُthe firmness ofجَنَانِيmy heartعِنْدَatرُؤْيَةِseeingالطَّلِيعَةِthe vanguard
And how is the firmness of my heart at the sight of the vanguard?
وَكَيْفَand howيَقَظَتِيmy vigilanceإِذَاwhenكُنْتُI wasرَبِيئَةً4a scout
And how is my vigilance when I was a scout?
وَكَيْفَand howكَلَامِيmy speechعِنْدَbeforeالسُّلْطَانِthe rulerإِذَاwhenأُخِذْتُI was captured
And how is my speech before the ruler when I was captured?
وَكَيْفَand howصَبْرِيmy patienceإِذَاwhenجُلِدْتُI was flogged
And how is my patience when I was flogged?
وَكَيْفَand howقِلَّةُthe scarcity ofضَجَرِيmy restlessnessإِذَاwhenحُبِسْتُI was imprisoned
And how is the scarcity of my restlessness when I was imprisoned?
وَكَيْفَand howرَسْفَانِيmy chafing (in shackles)فِيinالْقَيْدِthe shackleإِذَاwhenأُثْقِلْتُit was made heavy
And how is my chafing in the shackle when it was made heavy?
فَكَمْfor how manyمِنْofدِيمَاسٍ5a dungeonقَدْindeedنَقَبْتُهُI dug through it
For how many a dungeon have I dug through it!
وَكَمْand how manyمِنْofمُطْبِقٍ6a sealed (prison)قَدْindeedأَفْضَيْتُهُI opened it
And how many a sealed prison have I opened it!
وَكَمْand how manyمِنْofسِجْنٍa prisonقَدْindeedكَابَدْتُهُI endured it
And how many a prison have I endured it!
لَمْnotتَشْهَدْنِيyou witnessed meوَكُرْدَوَيْهِand Kurdayhالْأَقْطَعُal-Aqta'أَيَّامَin the days ofسِنْدَانَ7Sindan
You and Kurdayh al-Aqta' did not witness me in the days of Sindan.
وَلَاnorشَهِدْتَنِيdid you witness meفِيinفِتْنَةِthe sedition ofسَرَنْدِيبَ8Sarandib
Nor did you witness me in the sedition of Sarandib.
وَلَاnorرَأَيْتَنِيdid you see meأَيَّامَin the days ofحَرْبِthe war ofالْمُلْتَانِ9Multan
Nor did you see me in the days of the war of Multan.
سَلْaskعَنِّيabout meالْكُتَيْفِيَّةَal-Kutayfiyyaوَالْخَرْبِيَّةَand al-Kharbiyyaوَالْبِلَالِيَّةَand al-Bilaliyya
Ask about me al-Kutayfiyya, al-Kharbiyya, and al-Bilaliyya.
وَبَقِيَّةِand the rest ofأَصْحَابِthe companions ofصَخْرٍSakhrوَمُصَخِّرٍand Musakhkhir
And the rest of the companions of Sakhr and Musakhkhir.
وَبَقِيَّةِand the rest ofأَصْحَابِthe companions ofفَاسٍFasوَرَاسٍand Rasوَمِقْلَاسٍand Miqlas
And the rest of the companions of Fas, Ras, and Miqlas.
وَمَنْand whoeverلَقِيَmetأَزْهَرَAzharأَبَاAbuالنِّقَمِal-Niqam
And whoever met Azhar Abu al-Niqam.
كَانَwasآخِرُthe lastمَنْwhoصَادَفَنِيencountered meحَمْدَوَيْهِHamdayhأَبُوAbuالْأَرْطَالِal-Artal
The last one who encountered me was Hamdayh Abu al-Artal.
وَأَنَاand Iمُجِيبُresponder toمَرْدَوَيْهِMardayhبْنِson ofأَبِيAbuفَاطِمَةَFatima
And I am the responder to Mardayh ibn Abi Fatima.
وَأَنَاand IخَلَفْتُI succeededبَنِيthe sons ofهَانِئٍHani'
And I succeeded the sons of Hani'.
وَأَنَاand Iأَوَّلُthe firstمَنْwhoشَرِبَdrankالْغَرْبَىal-Gharabaحَارًّاhotوَالْبَزِيلَand al-Bazilبَارِدًاcold
And I am the first who drank al-Gharaba hot and al-Bazil cold.
وَأَوَّلُand the firstمَنْwhoشَرِبَdrankبِالْعِرَاقِin Iraqبِالْكُبَرَةِ10with the large cup
And the first who drank in Iraq with the large cup.
وَجَعَلَand madeالْقَنْقَلَ11al-Qanqalقَرْعَةًa gourd
And made al-Qanqal a gourd.
وَأَوَّلُand the firstمَنْwhoضَرَبَstruckالشَّاهْسَبْرَمَ12al-Shahsabramعَلَىonوَرَقِthe leaves ofالْقَرْعِthe gourd
And the first who struck al-Shahsabram on the leaves of the gourd.
وَأَوَّلُand the firstمَنْwhoلَعِبَplayedبِالْيَرْمَعِwith al-Yarma'١1
And the first who played with al-Yarma'.
Footnotes
- 1.الْقَيْقَانِيَّةُ: فِرْقَةٌ مِنَ الْخَوَارِجِ نُسِبَتْ إِلَى قَيْقَانَ، وَهِيَ قَرْيَةٌ بِالْبَصْرَةِ.
Al-Qayqaniyya: a sect of the Khawarij attributed to Qayqan, a village in Basra.
- 2.الْقَطْرِيَّةُ: فِرْقَةٌ مِنَ الْخَوَارِجِ نُسِبَتْ إِلَى قَطَرِيِّ بْنِ الْفُجَاءَةِ.
Al-Qatriyya: a sect of the Khawarij attributed to Qatari ibn al-Fuja'a.
- 3.ذَبَّاحُو الْجَزِيرَةِ: هُمْ خَوَارِجُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْفُرَاتِيَّةِ، وَكَانُوا يَذْبَحُونَ مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ.
Slaughterers of the island: they are the Khawarij of the Euphrates island, who used to slaughter those who opposed them.
- 4.الرَّبِيئَةُ: الطَّلِيعَةُ الَّتِي تَرْتَبِئُ لِلْقَوْمِ أَيْ تَرْقُبُ الْعَدُوَّ.
Ar-Rabee'a: the vanguard that watches for the people, i.e., observes the enemy.
- 5.الدِّيمَاسُ: السِّجْنُ تَحْتَ الْأَرْضِ، وَالْجَمْعُ دَيَامِيسُ.
Ad-Dimas: an underground prison; plural: dayamīs.
- 6.الْمُطْبِقُ: السِّجْنُ الْمُطْبِقُ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ أَيْ لَا يُفْتَحُ بَابُهُ.
Al-Mutbiq: a prison that is closed upon its inmate, i.e., its door is not opened.
- 7.سِنْدَانُ: مَوْضِعٌ أَوْ يَوْمٌ مِنْ أَيَّامِ الْعَرَبِ.
Sindan: a place or a day from the days of the Arabs.
- 8.سَرَنْدِيبُ: جَزِيرَةُ سِيلَانَ، وَكَانَتْ فِتْنَةٌ هُنَاكَ.
Sarandib: the island of Ceylon, where a sedition occurred.
- 9.الْمُلْتَانُ: مَدِينَةٌ بِالْهِنْدِ، وَكَانَتْ حَرْبٌ لِلْخَوَارِجِ هُنَاكَ.
Al-Multan: a city in India, where the Khawarij had a war.
- 10.الْكُبَرَةُ: إِنَاءٌ كَبِيرٌ كَالْقَدَحِ تُشْرَبُ بِهِ الْخَمْرُ.
Al-Kubara: a large vessel like a cup from which wine is drunk.
- 11.الْقَنْقَلُ: إِنَاءٌ مِنْ خَشَبٍ أَوْ جِلْدٍ يُتَّخَذُ لِلشَّرَابِ.
Al-Qanqal: a vessel made of wood or leather used for drinking.
- 12.الشَّاهْسَبْرَمُ: ضَرْبٌ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ أَوِ الشَّرَابِ، وَقِيلَ: لُعْبَةٌ.
Ash-Shahsabram: a type of food or drink; some say it is a game.