عزميmy resolve وحزميand my prudence والحسامُand the sword الماضيkeen
عزمي وحزمي والحسامُ الماضي
تكفّلواthey pledged themselves بصادِقِto a true الإيماضِflash
تكفّلوا بصادِقِ الإيماضِ
My resolve, my prudence, and the keen sword
My resolve, my determination, and my unsheathed sword
have pledged themselves to a true flash.
Have guaranteed the fulfillment of my true promise
إنif أقعدَتْit checked فيin نكبةٍa calamity إنهاضيmy rising
إن أقعدَتْ في نكبةٍ إنهاضي
فكمso how many a مَطارٍflight وكمِand how many a انقضاضِswoop
فكم مَطارٍ وكمِ انقضاضِ
If my rise has been checked in a calamity,
If adversity keeps me seated, my rise
how many a flight, how many a swoop
So many soaring and plummeting cycles
ليfor me بجناحwith a wing ليسis not بالمُنهاضِbroken
لي بجناح ليس بالمُنهاضِ
وقدand already رأىhas seen منيfrom me الزمانُtime الماضيpast
وقد رأى مني الزمانُ الماضي
are mine on a wing that is not broken!
I have a wing that does not falter
Time past has already seen in me
And the past has seen my candlelight
شماسَةًwildness أعيَتْproved too much علىfor الرُّوّاضِthe tamers
شماسَةً أعيَتْ على الرُّوّاضِ
غيريَsomeone other than me مَنْthe one who يسخطُis angry وهْوwhile he راضيis acquiescent
غيريَ مَنْ يسخطُ وهْو راضي
a wildness that baffled the tamers.
Dazzling the meadows to exhaustion
It is another who is angry yet acquiescent,
Another may show anger while content
يشغَلُهdistracts him المَطْلُdelay in payment عنfrom التقاضيdemanding payment
يشغَلُه المَطْلُ عن التقاضي
أمَاdid not أمَضّtorment الحارثَal-Harith المُضاضيal-Mudadi
أمَا أمَضّ الحارثَ المُضاضي
whom delay distracts from demanding his due.
Procrastination distracts him from collection
Did not al-Harith al-Mudadi suffer
But I carried on, an insistent seeker
برْضٌa pittance أبَتْهُspurned it همّةُthe ambition of البرّاضِal-Barrad
برْضٌ أبَتْهُ همّةُ البرّاضِ
فواصَلاso the two joined الطِّوالَthe long ones بالعِراضِwith the broad ones
فواصَلا الطِّوالَ بالعِراضِ
from a pittance that al-Barrad's ambition spurned?
A firm resolve the meadows’ dwellers rejected
So the two joined the long to the broad;
So they continued with unbroken succession
يسْرونَthey travel by night أنقاضاًworn-out travelers علىupon أنقاضِworn-out mounts
يسْرونَ أنقاضاً على أنقاضِ
لاno بدّescape للزُبدِfor butter منfrom امتخاضِchurning
لا بدّ للزُبدِ من امتخاضِ
they travel by night, worn-out men on worn-out mounts.
Adding ruins upon ruins
Butter cannot be had without churning,
The scum must eventually clear
وإنماand only الأجسامُbodies للأعراضِfor honor
وإنما الأجسامُ للأعراضِ
ماwhat أقرkeeps settled الليوثَthe lions فيin الغِياضِthe thickets
ما أقر الليوثَ في الغِياضِ
and bodies exist only for honor.
While bodies are for intentions
What keeps the lions settled in the thickets?
No lions settled in the thickets
أينَwhere القرومُthe stud camels منcompared with بنيthe offspring of مِخاضِpregnant she-camels
أينَ القرومُ من بني مِخاضِ
عزّwould be difficult السّهامِthe arrows وُصلةُreaching الأغراضِthe targets
عزّ السّهامِ وُصلةُ الأغراضِ
What comparison is there between stud camels and yearlings?
Where are the brave ones from Mikhāsh’s sons?
Arrows would find their targets hard to reach
The might of arrows and bonded resolves
لوif لمhad not يُصِبْهاstruck them حادثُthe occurrence of الإنباضِbowstring-twanging
لو لم يُصِبْها حادثُ الإنباضِ
كمhow often جاءَcame إبرامٌfirmness منfrom انتِفاضِa shaking loose
كم جاءَ إبرامٌ من انتِفاضِ
if the bowstring's twang had not struck them.
Had misfortune’s strike not caused them to disband
How often firmness has come from a shaking loose,
How much conclusion came from uprising
وشاعَand spread abroad ماwhat قدalready كانhad been ذاpossessed of اعتراضِobstruction
وشاعَ ما قد كان ذا اعتراضِ
خفِّفْease up فإنيfor I لستُam not ذاpossessed of انخفاضِlowliness
خفِّفْ فإني لستُ ذا انخفاضِ
and what once met obstruction has spread abroad!
And how much spread that once met objection
Ease up, for I am not one to bow low.
Lighten up, for I am no lowly being
غازَلْتُI courted غُرَّthe bright ones of الأعيُنِthe eyes المِراضِlanguid
غازَلْتُ غُرَّ الأعيُنِ المِراضِ
منof أسودٍblack يلمعُgleaming فيwithin بياضِwhite
من أسودٍ يلمعُ في بياضِ
I courted bright, languid eyes,
I flirted with the tender, aching eyes
of black that gleams within white.
Of a black beauty shining in whiteness
أماhave you not رأيتَseen مونِقَthe loveliness of الرّياضِthe gardens
أما رأيتَ مونِقَ الرّياضِ
عقدْتُI pledged منهfrom it لأبيto Abu الفيّاضِal-Fayyad
عقدْتُ منه لأبي الفيّاضِ
Have you not seen the gardens' loveliness?
Have you not seen Munayqa’s meadows
From it I pledged to Abu al-Fayyad—
From it I strung for Abul Fayyādh
المالكthe master المالِكthe owner عنby تراضِmutual consent
المالك المالِك عن تراضِ
رِقَّthe servitude of مريضa sick man غيرِnot ذيsubject to انقِراضِextinction
رِقَّ مريض غيرِ ذي انقِراضِ
the master, who holds mastery by mutual consent—
The owner, the possessor without objection
a sick man's servitude, never to expire.
A sick one recovered without relapse
يخطِرُhe strides proudly فيin ردائهhis robe الفَضْفاضِample
يخطِرُ في ردائه الفَضْفاضِ
يكرَعُhe drinks deeply فيfrom سَلْسالِهhis sweet-flowing water الرّضْراضِcopious
يكرَعُ في سَلْسالِه الرّضْراضِ
He strides proudly in his ample robe,
Wandering in his flowing robe
he drinks deep of his copious, sweet-flowing water,
Rattling in his jingling chains
يعلوhe mounts مَطاthe back of جوادِهhis steed المُرتاضِwell-trained
يعلو مَطا جوادِه المُرتاضِ
يجمعُhe joins بينbetween الروضِthe gardens والحِياضِand the pools
يجمعُ بين الروضِ والحِياضِ
he mounts the back of his well-trained steed,
Rising high on his prancing steed
he unites the gardens and the pools.
Combining garden and pond
أكرمhow noble لهfor him منas a مبرمa binder نقّاضِan unbinder
أكرم له من مبرم نقّاضِ
ذيpossessed of نظرjudgment ثَبْتٍfirm وذيand possessed of تَغاضيforbearance
ذي نظر ثَبْتٍ وذي تَغاضي
How noble a binder and unbinder he is,
More generous to him than a bargaining lender
with firm judgment and with forbearance,
Of steady insight and tolerance
حاسِمِeradicating ماwhat بالدّهرِis in time منof أمراضِillnesses
حاسِمِ ما بالدّهرِ من أمراضِ
علىupon اللياليthe nights منهfrom him حينdoom قاضِpassing judgment
على الليالي منه حين قاضِ
rooting out the illnesses time contains.
Vanquishing the epochs’ afflictions
From him comes a doom that judges the nights.
In its nights when time had passed
قارَضَنيhe requited me وأيّماand what a قِراضِrequital
قارَضَني وأيّما قِراضِ
فاعْتَضْتُso I received recompense منهfrom him أحسنَthe finest اعْتياضِcompensation
فاعْتَضْتُ منه أحسنَ اعْتياضِ
He requited me—and what a requital!
He tested me, and what a test
So I received from him the finest recompense.
So I took the best precautions from him
كمhow many a صِبْغُstain of همٍّgrief بسناهُthrough his radiance ماضِfading away
كم صِبْغُ همٍّ بسناهُ ماضِ
نَضاhe unsheathed عليهagainst it سيفَa sword حدٍّan edge ماضِkeen
نَضا عليه سيفَ حدٍّ ماضِ
How many a stain of grief fades in his radiance!
Many a sorrow dyed with its years passing
He drew against it a sword with a keen edge,
He poured on it a sharpened sword’s edge
فقابلَso he matched الإحلاءَsweetness بالإحْماضِwith sourness
فقابلَ الإحلاءَ بالإحْماضِ
كماas جمعْتَyou joined شفرَتَيْthe two blades of مِقراضِshears
كما جمعْتَ شفرَتَيْ مِقراضِ
then matched sweetness with sourness,
And met favor with disfavor
as you brought the two blades of shears together:
As you brought together the twin shears
تجانُسٌharmony يصدُرُarising عنfrom نِقاضِopposition
تجانُسٌ يصدُرُ عن نِقاضِ
فقلso say لباغيto the seeker of جودِهhis generosity الفيّاضِoverflowing
فقل لباغي جودِه الفيّاضِ
a harmony arising from opposition.
A concord born of objection
So tell the seeker of his overflowing bounty:
Tell the unjust, his generosity spent
اقْعُدْsit still فقدfor already جاءكit has come to you ذاpossessed of ارتِكاضِgalloping
اقْعُدْ فقد جاءك ذا ارتِكاضِ
وليسand it is not محتاجاًin need الىof حضّاضِan encourager
وليس محتاجاً الى حضّاضِ
Sit still: it has come galloping to you,
“Sit, for one risen against you has come
and needs no one to urge it on.
Needing no pleading for forgiveness”
فريضةٌan allotted share زادتexceeded علىbeyond الفرّاضِthe expert allotter
فريضةٌ زادت على الفرّاضِ
بانَwas distinguished بهاby it الوانيthe laggard منfrom الرُّكّاضِthe runners
بانَ بها الواني من الرُّكّاضِ
An allotted share that outstrips the allotter,
An extra duty beyond the lawful
by which the laggard is distinguished from the runners.
Made evident by the jeweler’s polishing
ترميit strikes الأعاديthe foes منهfrom him بالعِراضِwith broad shafts
ترمي الأعادي منه بالعِراضِ
لنزعِto wrench away بابِthe gate of الأزمةِthe crisis العضّاضِfiercely biting
لنزعِ بابِ الأزمةِ العضّاضِ
It strikes the foes with broad shafts from him,
Casting foes with intention
to wrench away the crisis's biting gate.
To remove the door of the biting crisis
يرميhe shoots بذيwith one bearing الرّيشِfeathers وبالمِعراضِand with a featherless shaft
يرمي بذي الرّيشِ وبالمِعراضِ
يجدكfinds you بطْشاًin forceful assault كلevery ذيone possessed of انتهاضِrising up
يجدك بطْشاً كل ذي انتهاضِ
He shoots feathered arrows and featherless shafts.
Casting the feathered and the lances
Everyone who rises finds you mighty in assault.
You’ll find in me a might no riser can match
يحذَرُhe is wary of عزماًresolutely كلَّevery ذيone possessed of انتفاضِrebellion
يحذَرُ عزماً كلَّ ذي انتفاضِ
وإذاand when العدىthe foes ناراًa fire علىamid ارتِماضِscorching heat
وإذا العدى ناراً على ارتِماضِ
He resolutely guards against every rebel.
Fearing resolve no dissenter can shake
And when the foes are a fire of scorching heat,
And if enmity flames with insistence
صيّرهُمhe made them منamong جملةِthe body of الأمراضِillnesses
صيّرهُم من جملةِ الأمراضِ
لاmay not عادَreturn ماwhat أبرمhe bound firmly لانتقاضِto unraveling
لا عادَ ما أبرم لانتقاضِ
he counts them among the illnesses.
Make them of the class of maladies
May what he has bound never revert to unraveling,
No conclusion ever undone
ولاand no انبساطَexpansiveness منهfrom him لانقباضِto contraction
ولا انبساطَ منه لانقباضِ
آمينَamen فيin مستقبلٍthe future كماضِlike the past
آمينَ في مستقبلٍ كماضِ
nor his expansiveness turn to contraction.
Nor expansion and contraction ceased
Amen—in the future as in the past.
Amen - in a future like the past
Sol 6.1