يَمِينُكَyour right hand فيin النَّوالِbounty وفيand in الكفاحِcombat
يَمِينُكَ في النَّوالِ وفي الكفاحِ
كَصَوْبِlike the downpour of المُزْنِrainclouds والقَدَرِand fate المُتَاحِordained
كَصَوْبِ المُزْنِ والقَدَرِ المُتَاحِ
Your right hand, in bounty and in combat,
Your hand in benevolence and in battle
is like the rainclouds’ downpour and ordained fate.
Is like the stroke of destiny, sure and able,
إِذاwhen صالَتْit attacks فَكَمْthen how many أَجَلٍa lifespan مُبَاحٍforfeit
إِذا صالَتْ فَكَمْ أَجَلٍ مُبَاحٍ
وإِنْand if جادَتْit gives generously فَكَمْthen how much مالٍwealth مُباحِfreely available
وإِنْ جادَتْ فَكَمْ مالٍ مُباحِ
When it strikes, how many lives are forfeit!
Should you be kind, how excellent the grace!
And if it gives, how much wealth is freely bestowed!
And if generous, what noble wealth you place!
يَلينُis gentle لناtoward us ويَخْشُنُand is harsh للأَعادِيtoward enemies
يَلينُ لنا ويَخْشُنُ للأَعادِي
وهَذِيand this شِيمَةُthe nature of البِيضِthe bright swords الصِّفاحِbroad-bladed
وهَذِي شِيمَةُ البِيضِ الصِّفاحِ
Gentle with us and harsh toward enemies—
To us, gentle, though to foes a threat,
such is the nature of bright, broad blades.
The nature thus of polished blades which let
أُبثُّكَI confide to you ياO جمالَJamal (beauty) المُلْكِal-Mulk (sovereignty) أَّنِّيthat I
أُبثُّكَ يا جمالَ المُلْكِ أَّنِّي
سَكِرْتُI became drunk وماand not شَرِبْتُI drank كؤوسَcups of راحِwine
سَكِرْتُ وما شَرِبْتُ كؤوسَ راحِ
I confide to you, O Jamal al-Mulk, that I
Loose I sing your beauty's fame, for I
grew drunk, though I drank no cups of wine.
Though drinking not am drunk, and know not why.
قَطَعْتُI crossed إِلىto أَبِيAbu (father of) الخَيرِal-Khayr (goodness) بْنِson of جُرْجِيJurji
قَطَعْتُ إِلى أَبِي الخَيرِ بْنِ جُرْجِي
مَهَامِهَdesert wastes لاnot تَخِفُّare light علىupon الرِّياحِthe winds
مَهَامِهَ لا تَخِفُّ على الرِّياحِ
I crossed, on my way to Abu al-Khayr ibn Jurji,
To Abul Khair son of Jurj I came,
desert wastes that weigh heavily even on the winds.
His great renown no winds can blow aflame.
فأَنزَلَنيso he lodged me ولكِنْand yet عنfrom ذُرَاهُhis heights
فأَنزَلَني ولكِنْ عن ذُرَاهُ
وحَيَّانِيand he greeted me ولكنْand yet بِالنُّباحِwith barking
وحَيَّانِي ولكنْ بِالنُّباحِ
So he 'put me up'—but down from his heights,
He welcomed me, but from afar aloof,
and greeted me—but with barking.
And set the hounds on me with bark and woof.
فلوso if لاقيتُI had met منهُin him رَبَّa possessor of عِرْضٍhonor
فلو لاقيتُ منهُ رَبَّ عِرْضٍ
تَرَكْتُI would have left أديمَهُhis skin دامِيbleeding with الجِراحِwounds
تَرَكْتُ أديمَهُ دامِي الجِراحِ
Had I found in him a man of honor,
Had he but met me with unsheathed blade,
I would have left his skin bleeding with wounds.
I had not quit the field while life still stayed.
ولكنand yet نُزِّهَتْwere kept unsullied عنهaway from him سُيوفيmy swords
ولكن نُزِّهَتْ عنه سُيوفي
هناكthere وأُكْبِرَتْand were deemed too noble عنهfor him رِماحيmy spears
هناك وأُكْبِرَتْ عنه رِماحي
But my swords were held too pure to touch him
But from this wrath he held his swords at bay
there, and my spears were deemed too noble for him.
And turned aside his lances on that day.
ولوand if أَنِّيthat I إِلىto رَيَّانRayyan آوِيI seek shelter
ولو أَنِّي إِلى رَيَّان آوِي
لآوانيhe would shelter me فَتًىa young man رَجْبُgenerous النَّواحيon every side
لآواني فَتًى رَجْبُ النَّواحي
And were I to seek shelter with Rayyan,
And had I sought Raiyan to be my host,
a youth generous on every side would shelter me.
A noble friend Raiyan would have me boast.
فإِنْfor if لمnot أَحْظَI am fortunate منهfrom him بنَيْلِin receiving رِفْدٍa gift
فإِنْ لم أَحْظَ منه بنَيْلِ رِفْدٍ
فإِنَّthen indeed البِشْرَcheerfulness عُنْوَانُthe sign of السَّماحِgenerosity
فإِنَّ البِشْرَ عُنْوَانُ السَّماحِ
For even if I received no gift from him,
If I find not in him all kindness, still
a cheerful face is the sign of generosity.
Man's brow should be the tablet for goodwill.
Sol 6.1