Perhaps the sorrow that you have come to be in behind it there will be an imminent relief
Meaning: I hope that God removes the worry and grief that you have come to be in and that it is succeeded by imminent relief.
دَعَانِيَ مِنْ نَجْدٍ؛ فَإِنَّ سِنِينَهُ لَعِبْنَ بِنَا شِيباً وَشَيَّبْنَنَا مُرْدَا
اَلْمَعْنَى: اُتْرُكَانِي يَا خَلِيلَيَّ مِنْ ذِكْرِ هَذِهِ ٱلْبِلَادِ؛ فَإِنَّ مَا حَدَثَ فِيهَا مِنَ ٱلْجَدْبِ وَٱلْقَحْطِ هَزَّ ٱلشُّيُوخَ وَأَزْعَجَهُمْ، وَشَيَّبَتْ أَحْوَالُهَا ٱلشَبَابَ وَٱلْمُرْدَ.
Leave me (both of you) in relation to Najd[1]; for as grey-haired [elderly people] its years undoubtedly made sport of us and as beardless [youth] it made us grey-haired.
Commentary: Leave me, my (two) bosom friends in relation to mentioning this land [of Najd], for certainly whatever aridness [there was] and drought that has happened has shaken and disturbed the old men and its conditions gave grey hair to the youth and the beardless.
[1] A region in Saudi Arabia. [Translator]
اَلْمَعْنَى: يُوَبِّخُ ٱلْحُطَيْئَةُ بِهَذَا ٱلْبَيْتِ آلَ ٱلزِّبْرِقَانِ، وَيَقُولُ لَهُمْ: كُنْتُ مُوَالِياً لَكُمْ نَازِلاً فِي حِمَاكُمْ، وَكَانَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ أُلْفَةٌ وَمُؤَاخَاةٌ، ثُمَّ ٱنْحَرَفْتُ عَنْكُمْ وَعَدَلْتُ إِلَى غَيْرِكُمْ؛ فَلَا بُدَّ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ لِهَذَا سَبَبٌ مِنْ نَاحِيَتِكُمْ؛ فَأَنْتُمْ غَيْرُ أَهْلٍ لِلْجِوَارِ وَٱلْمَوَدَّةِ.
Was I not your neighbour whilst there was between me and you love and brotherliness?
Commentary: [The poet,] al-Ḥuṭay’ah, reprimands the al-Zibriqān family with this verse and says to them: I was an adherent of yours living under your protection and there was familiarity and brotherhood between me and you, then I turned away from you towards others; there must be a reason on your part for this as you are unfit for neighbourly association and love.
لَعَمْرُكَ مَا أَدْرِي وَإِنِّي لَأَوْجَلُ عَلَى أَيِّنَا تَعْدُو ٱلْمَنِيَّةُ أَوَّلُ
اَلْمَعْنَى: يَقُولُ لِصَاحِبِهِ: أُقْسِمُ لَكَ بِحَيَاتِكَ إِنِّي لَا أَعْلَمُ – مَعَ أَنَّنِي خَائِفٌ – مَنِ ٱلَّذِي يَنْزِلُ بِهِ ٱلْمَوْتُ مِنَّا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَنْزِلَ بِصَاحِبِهِ. يُرِيدُ أَنَّ هَذِهِ ٱلْحَيَاةَ قَصِيرَةٌ، وَٱلْمَرْءُ فِي كُلِّ لَحْظَةٍ عُرْضَةٌ لِلْمَوْتِ، فَلَا يَحْسُنُ أَنْ نَقْضِيَ حَيَاتَنَا فِي ٱلْهَجْرَانِ وَٱلْقَطِيعَةِ.
By your life, I do not know – though certainly I assuredly dread – on which of us will the fate [of death] strike first
Commentary: He is saying to his companion: I swear to you by your life I certainly do not know – though I am afraid – whom amongst us will death befall before it befalls his companion. What the poet means is that this life is short and a person is prone to death at every moment, so it is unbefitting that we spend our lives in abandonment and severance.
Ancient Arabic Poetry 1
![سَتُبْدِي لَكَ ٱلْأَيَّامُ مَا كُنْتَ جَاهِلاً وَيَأْتِيكَ بِٱلْأَخْبَارِ مَنْ لَمْ تُزَوِّدِ اَلْمَعْنَى: إِنَّ ٱلْأَيَّامَ سَتَكْشِفُ لَكَ مَا كَانَ مُسْتَتِراً عَنْكَ، وَسَتَأْتِيكَ ٱلْأَخْبَارُ [عَفْواً] مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ تُكَلِّفَ نَفْسَكَ [أَنْ تَتَجَشَّمَ] ٱلْبَحْثَ عَنْهَا.](https://arabicenglish.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Arabic_Poetry_1_new.png)
Arabic Poetry 1
Commentary: Time will certainly expose to you what was concealed from you, and news will come to you [spontaneously] without you having to exert yourself [take the trouble] to seek it out.
[1] That is: dispatched to seek out news. Literally: ‘and the one whom you had not supplied with travelling provisions will come to you with news’. [Translator]