أَرىI see جَنباتِthe sides of الأرضِthe earth باسمكَat your name ترجفُtremble
أَرى جَنباتِ الأرضِ باسمكَ ترجفُ
وأطرافُهاand its edges منfrom ذِكرِهits mention تَتَخوَّفُgrow fearful
وأطرافُها من ذِكرِه تَتَخوَّفُ
I see the earth's expanses trembling at your name,
I see the sides of earth quake at your name,
and its farthest reaches growing fearful at its mention.
And its edges tremble in fear of your mention.
وإلاand otherwise فَماthen what باليmy state أَرَىI see كلَّevery مارقٍrenegade
وإلا فَما بالي أَرَى كلَّ مارقٍ
منfrom البُعدِthe distance تُلقيهit flings him إليكَtoward you وتقذِفُand hurls
من البُعدِ تُلقيه إليكَ وتقذِفُ
Otherwise, why do I see every renegade
Why else do I see every deserter
flung and hurled toward you by the earth from afar?
Fling himself from afar towards you?
كأنَّكَas though you were سَيفٌa sword ضَيَّعَlost السُّخطُwrath غِمدَهُits sheath
كأنَّكَ سَيفٌ ضَيَّعَ السُّخطُ غِمدَهُ
فهاso behold هُوit صَلتٌunsheathed فيin يَدِthe hand اللَّهِof God مُرهَفُkeen-edged
فها هُو صَلتٌ في يَدِ اللَّهِ مُرهَفُ
You are like a sword whose sheath wrath has lost;
As if you’re a sword whom rage lost its sheath,
so here it is, unsheathed and keen, in God's hand.
So here it is, drawn in God’s hand, unsheathed.
يخافُfears الطليقُthe free man النازِحُdistant الدارthe abode حدَّهits edge
يخافُ الطليقُ النازِحُ الدار حدَّه
كماjust as يتَوقاهُguards against it الأسيرُthe captive المكَتَّفُwith arms bound
كما يتَوقاهُ الأسيرُ المكَتَّفُ
The free man dwelling far away fears its edge,
The fugitive fears the limit of the abode
just as the captive with bound arms guards against it.
As the captive fears his shackles and chains.
لئِنif indeed كنتَyou are ذاpossessor of الفَخرَينthe two glories إنَّindeed رِفاعةًRifa'a
لئِن كنتَ ذا الفَخرَين إنَّ رِفاعةً
ببأسِكَthrough your might ذاpossessor of النارَينِthe two fires قَدalready صارَhas become يُعرَفُis known
ببأسِكَ ذا النارَينِ قَد صارَ يُعرَفُ
If you possess two glories, Rifa'a indeed
If you’re the one of the two prides, Rafa’ah
has, through your might, become known as the bearer of two fires.
Through your might, the two-fired, is now renowned.
حَريقانِtwo blazes فيin الدَّارَينِthe two abodes يَعتَقِبانهtake turns upon him
حَريقانِ في الدَّارَينِ يَعتَقِبانه
فمنso who مثلهlike him مُستأنِفٌbeginning anew مُتَسلِّفُtaking an advance
فمن مثله مُستأنِفٌ مُتَسلِّفُ
Two blazes, in this world and the next, take turns upon him;
Two fires in both abodes follow each other,
who is like him, with more to come and an advance already taken?
So who is like him, undertaking and owed?
ومَنand whoever لَمdid not يصدِّقbelieve بالجَحيمِin Hell يردُّهsends him back
ومَن لَم يصدِّق بالجَحيمِ يردُّه
إلىto قعرِهاits depths التكذيبُdenial عجلانَin haste يُقذفُis hurled
إلى قعرِها التكذيبُ عجلانَ يُقذفُ
And whoever disbelieves in Hell is driven
He who didn’t believe Hell, disbelief
to its depths by his denial, hurled there in haste.
Hurls him to its depth, hurling and shoved.
وكانand he used to يَرىregard التَّكليفَobligation فيin الدينreligion باطِلاًbaseless
وكان يَرى التَّكليفَ في الدين باطِلاً
فهَلso, is هُوhe فيماin what مَسَّهُbefell him متكلِّفُfeigning
فهَل هُو فيما مَسَّهُ متكلِّفُ
And he regarded religious obligation as baseless;
He used to see duty in religion as void,
is he, then, feigning what has befallen him?
Is he now, in what touched him, duty-bound?
وفيكَand in you لناfor us فيagainst المارِقينَthe renegades بَقيَّةٌa reserve
وفيكَ لنا في المارِقينَ بَقيَّةٌ
وإنand even if غرَّهُمdeceived them مِنهاfrom it ومنكَand from you التوقُّفُrestraint
وإن غرَّهُم مِنها ومنكَ التوقُّفُ
And in you we have a reserve against the renegades,
In you is for us in the deserters a remainder,
even if its restraint, and yours, has deceived them.
Though their blindness to it and you did astound.
وكَمand how many a غمةٍcalamity لَوif لَمnot تكُنyou existed لمnot يكُنthere would be لَهاfor it
وكَم غمةٍ لَو لَم تكُن لم يكُن لَها
سِواكَanyone other than you ولاnor كانَتwould have been لغَيرِكَfor another besides you تُكشَفُdispelled
سِواكَ ولا كانَت لغَيرِكَ تُكشَفُ
And many a calamity, had you not been, would have had
How many worries, had you not been, wouldn’t be,
no one else to meet it, nor could another have dispelled it.
Nor would, but for you, have uncovered and found.
ويوماكَand your two days فيin سلمٍpeace وحَربٍand war كِلاهُماboth of them
ويوماكَ في سلمٍ وحَربٍ كِلاهُما
سَواءٌalike دمٌblood قانٍcrimson وحَمراءand red قرقفُwine
سَواءٌ دمٌ قانٍ وحَمراء قرقفُ
And your two days, of peace and war, are both
Your days in peace and war, both of them,
alike: crimson blood and red wine.
Are equal, blood spilled and red skirmished around.
ألَماthey both alighted بِلَونٍin a color واحِدٍsingle وتَفَرَّقاand parted
ألَما بِلَونٍ واحِدٍ وتَفَرَّقا
ألاindeed ربَّmany a لَونٍcolor واحِدٍsingle يتصرَّفُtakes different forms
ألا ربَّ لَونٍ واحِدٍ يتصرَّفُ
They met in one color, yet went separate ways;
Not with different colors, yet they did separate!
indeed, many a single color takes different forms!
O Lord of one color maneuvered and crowned!
فللَّهِso, to God كفٌّa hand جودُهاits bounty مثلُlike بأَسِهاits might
فللَّهِ كفٌّ جودُها مثلُ بأَسِها
تَحوزُpossesses الندىbounty فيin الحالَتَينِthe two states وتُسرِفُand gives excessively
تَحوزُ الندى في الحالَتَينِ وتُسرِفُ
God be praised for a hand whose bounty matches its might,
To God belong palms whose generosity like might
which possesses bounty in both states and gives beyond measure.
Seize the dew in both states, overflowed and renowned.
ونفسٌand a soul تَضيقُis too narrow الأرضُthe earth عَنهاfor it وهمَّةٌand an ambition
ونفسٌ تَضيقُ الأرضُ عَنها وهمَّةٌ
تطِلُّlooks down عَلَيهاupon it منfrom عُلوٍّa height وتُشرِفُand towers above
تطِلُّ عَلَيها من عُلوٍّ وتُشرِفُ
And a soul the earth cannot contain, and an ambition
A soul the earth is too narrow for it, a resolve
that looks down upon it from on high and towers above it.
That looks down on it from loftiness, esteemed and renowned.
وقلبٌand a heart عَلىon أَطرافِthe edges of كلِّevery مَخوفَةٍperil
وقلبٌ عَلى أَطرافِ كلِّ مَخوفَةٍ
وإنand even if لَمnot يخِفهاit fears it نازِلٌencamped مُتَطرِّفُat the outermost edge
وإن لَم يخِفها نازِلٌ مُتَطرِّفُ
And a heart on the fringes of every peril,
A heart at the edges of every fearsome thing,
encamped at the farthest edge, though unafraid of it.
Even if an intrepid assailant goes there headlong.
وخَيلانِand two cavalry hosts خَيلٌa cavalry host قادَهاhe led it لمُلِمَّةٍfor a calamity
وخَيلانِ خَيلٌ قادَها لمُلِمَّةٍ
إلىto مَوقِفٍa battlefield مُرَّانُهits ashwood lances يَتَقَصَّفُsplinter
إلى مَوقِفٍ مُرَّانُه يَتَقَصَّفُ
And two cavalry hosts: one he led against a calamity,
And two hosts of horse that you drove to the fight,
to a battlefield whose ashwood lances splinter;
To a stance well-trained, neighing and prancing around.
وخيلٌand a cavalry host نَهاهاdeterred it ذكرُهُthe mention of him عَنfrom لِقائِهmeeting him
وخيلٌ نَهاها ذكرُهُ عَن لِقائِه
فراحَتso it departed كأنَّas though الريحَthe wind بالخَيلِupon the horses تَعصِفُblows fiercely
فراحَت كأنَّ الريحَ بالخَيلِ تَعصِفُ
and another that the mention of him kept from meeting him,
And a horse host that your mention barred from the meeting,
so it departed as though the wind were sweeping the horses away.
So they trotted as if the wind gusts blew them around.
بلَغتَyou have reached إِلىto أَعلَىthe highest المَنازِلِstations فيin العُلىeminence
بلَغتَ إِلى أَعلَى المَنازِلِ في العُلى
وكُلٌّand everyone يُمنِّيfills with hopes نَفسَهhimself ويُسوِّفُand procrastinates
وكُلٌّ يُمنِّي نَفسَه ويُسوِّفُ
You have reached the highest stations of eminence,
You reached the highest stations in the Highest,
while everyone else indulges in hopes and procrastinates.
While everyone wishes himself and procrastinates around.
وأنتَand you أَبوthe father of شبلَينِtwo lion cubs يكشرُbares his teeth عَنهُماin their defense
وأنتَ أَبو شبلَينِ يكشرُ عَنهُما
لكَيso that يَكبراthey both grow والجَيشُand the army بالجَيشِby the army يُوصَفُis described
لكَي يَكبرا والجَيشُ بالجَيشِ يُوصَفُ
And you are the sire of two lion cubs, baring your fangs for them,
You are Abu Shubail, baring them
so they may grow; and one army is judged by another.
So they grow, and the army to army is compared around.
سَتَبقىyou will remain لرَيبِto face the adversity of الدَّهرِtime حتَّىuntil تكفَّهُyou restrain it
سَتَبقى لرَيبِ الدَّهرِ حتَّى تكفَّهُ
وويلٌand woe لرَيبِto the adversity of الدَّهرِtime مِماfrom what تُخلفُyou leave behind
وويلٌ لرَيبِ الدَّهرِ مِما تُخلفُ
You will endure against time's adversity until you curb it,
For the doubt of time you will remain until you end it,
and woe to time's adversity from what you leave behind.
And woe to the doubt of time for what you will leave abound!
تَخلَّفremain behind ستبقيyou will leave نِقمةًvengeance وسَحابَتَيand two clouds of
تَخلَّف ستبقي نِقمةً وسَحابَتَي
عطاءٍbounty وماand not تِلكَthat الفراسةforesight تُخلفُproves false
عطاءٍ وما تِلكَ الفراسة تُخلفُ
Remain: you will leave vengeance and two clouds
Leave it will, lasting spite, and clouds
of bounty; that foresight will not prove false.
Of generosity, and that insight doesn’t confound!
كَأنِّيas though I إِذاwhen ماever (emphasis) قُلتُI speak أسمعُI hear كلَّall ماthat which
كَأنِّي إِذا ما قُلتُ أسمعُ كلَّ ما
أُشاهِدُهI see it حَوليaround me يَقولُspeaks ويحلفُand swears
أُشاهِدُه حَولي يَقولُ ويحلفُ
It is as if, whenever I speak, I hear all that
It’s as if, whenever I say, I hear everything
I see around me speaking and swearing:
I see around me swear and avow.
منof الشعرِpoetry ماthat which قامَتare established براهينُproofs of صدقهِits truth
من الشعرِ ما قامَت براهينُ صدقهِ
ومنهُand some of it حَديثٌa tale فيabout سِواكsomeone other than you يؤلفُis made up
ومنهُ حَديثٌ في سِواك يؤلفُ
Some poetry has its truth established by proofs,
Of poetry, that which its proofs of truth stood up,
and some is a tale made up about someone other than you.
And of it, a tale about you is composed and renowned.
Sol 6.1