سَأرمِيI shall shoot بِنَبلِيwith my arrows ذائِداwarding off عنfrom حِمَىthe sanctuary of نُبلِيmy nobility
سَأرمِي بِنَبلِي ذائِدا عن حِمَى نُبلِي
وَأغتَرُّand I snatch حَظِّيmy share of fortune بالغُرَيرِيَّةِon Ghurayri camels الفُتلِstout-limbed
وَأغتَرُّ حَظِّي بالغُرَيرِيَّةِ الفُتلِ
I shall shoot my arrows, defending the sanctuary of my nobility,
And snatch my share of fortune on stout-limbed Ghurayri camels,
قَدِيراًcapable علَىof نَيلِattaining الأَمَانِيِّdesires عَنوَةًby force
قَدِيراً علَى نَيلِ الأَمَانِيِّ عَنوَةً
إِذاif لَمdo not تُنِلنيهَأgrant them to me اللَّياليthe nights علىwith رِسلِease
إِذا لَم تُنِلنيهَأ اللَّيالي على رِسلِ
Able to gain my desires by force,
If the nights will not grant them to me with ease.
إذاwhen سَأَلَتask مِنِّيof me القَبَائِلُthe tribes نِسبَةًa lineage
إذا سَأَلَت مِنِّي القَبَائِلُ نِسبَةً
كَتَبتُI inscribe لَهاfor them أصلِيmy ancestry عَلَىon ظُبَتَيthe two edges of نَصلِيmy blade
كَتَبتُ لَها أصلِي عَلَى ظُبَتَي نَصلِي
When the tribes ask me for my lineage,
I inscribe my ancestry for them on my blade's two edges.
تُعَزِّزُfortifies نَفسِيmy soul هِمَّةٌa lofty resolve نَشَأتgrew up مَعِيwith me
تُعَزِّزُ نَفسِي هِمَّةٌ نَشَأت مَعِي
فَلَنso never تُبتَغَىwill be sought بَعدِيafter me وَلاnor وُجِدَتwas found قَبلِيbefore me
فَلَن تُبتَغَى بَعدِي وَلا وُجِدَت قَبلِي
A lofty resolve that grew up with me fortifies my soul,
So it will never be sought after me, nor was it found before me.
وَفيand in زَمَنٍan age أغضَىclosed its eyes لِيَخبُرَto test أهلَهُits people
وَفي زَمَنٍ أغضَى لِيَخبُرَ أهلَهُ
فَأكسَبَهُso brought it الإِغضَاءُclosing the eyes ضَرباًa kind مِنَof الخَبلِmadness
فَأكسَبَهُ الإِغضَاءُ ضَرباً مِنَ الخَبلِ
And this in an age that closed its eyes to test its people,
Only for closing its eyes to bring it a kind of madness.
وَأصبحَتِand became الأعجَازُhindquarters فِيin غَفلاتِهِits moments of heedlessness
وَأصبحَتِ الأعجَازُ فِي غَفلاتِهِ
هَوَادِيَforeparts والهَامَاتُand heads يُوطَأنَare trampled بِالنَّعلِwith the sandal
هَوَادِيَ والهَامَاتُ يُوطَأنَ بِالنَّعلِ
And in its moments of heedlessness, hindquarters became
Foreparts, while heads were trampled beneath sandals.
وَعُدَّand was deemed النَّدَىgenerosity تَبذِيرَa squandering of مَالٍwealth عَلَىfor الفَتَىa young man
وَعُدَّ النَّدَى تَبذِيرَ مَالٍ عَلَى الفَتَى
وَخَوضُand plunging into الوَغَىbattle رَأياًa decision بَعِيداًfar removed مَنَfrom العَقلِreason
وَخَوضُ الوَغَى رَأياً بَعِيداً مَنَ العَقلِ
And generosity was deemed a young man's waste of wealth,
And plunging into battle a decision far from reason.
ولاnor تُشتَرَىare bought اليومَtoday السُّيوفُswords لِقَطعِهَاfor their cutting power
ولا تُشتَرَى اليومَ السُّيوفُ لِقَطعِهَا
وَلَكِنbut لِحُسنِfor the beauty of الحَليِthe ornaments أوor رَونَقِthe sheen of الصَّّقلِthe polish
وَلَكِن لِحُسنِ الحَليِ أو رَونَقِ الصَّّقلِ
Nor are swords bought today for their cutting power,
But for the beauty of their ornaments or the sheen of their polish.
ولاnor تُوهَبُare given gifts المَدَّاحُpanegyrists عَنfor حُرِّthe nobility of مَدحِهَاtheir praise
ولا تُوهَبُ المَدَّاحُ عَن حُرِّ مَدحِهَا
وَلَكنbut عَلَىaccording to قَدرِthe measure of الفُكَاهَةِhumor وَالهَزلِand jest
وَلَكن عَلَى قَدرِ الفُكَاهَةِ وَالهَزلِ
Nor are panegyrists given gifts for their noble praise,
But in proportion to their humor and jest.
فَلَولاbut were it not for ابنُson of عَبدِservant of اللهِGod مَاnot لاحَshone لِلنّدَىfor generosity
فَلَولا ابنُ عَبدِ اللهِ مَا لاحَ لِلنّدَى
جَبِينٌa brow وَلاnor اقتَادَexacted retribution السَّمَاحُliberality مِنَfrom البُخلِmiserliness
جَبِينٌ وَلا اقتَادَ السَّمَاحُ مِنَ البُخلِ
But for Ibn Abd Allah, generosity would have no shining
Brow, nor would liberality exact retribution from miserliness.
وَولاand were it not for أبُوfather of عَبدِservant of الإلاهِGod بنُson of سَبرَةٍSabra
وَولا أبُو عَبدِ الإلاهِ بنُ سَبرَةٍ
لأضحَىwould have become نِجَارُthe stock of المَجدِglory مُنقَطِعَcut off from النَّسلِoffspring
لأضحَى نِجَارُ المَجدِ مُنقَطِعَ النَّسلِ
And but for Abu Abd al-Ilah ibn Sabra,
The stock of glory would have been left without offspring.
وَلولاand were it not for أيادِيهِhis favors المُبَدِّدُscattering شَملَهَاtheir unity
وَلولا أيادِيهِ المُبَدِّدُ شَملَهَا
نَداهُhis bounty لَكَانَwould have been الجُودُgenerosity مُفتَرِقَdispersed الشَّملِthe gathering
نَداهُ لَكَانَ الجُودُ مُفتَرِقَ الشَّملِ
And but for his favors, scattered
By his bounty, generosity would have been torn apart.
وَمَاand not كُنتُwould I have been لَولاwere it not for أَنتَyou إلاexcept مُزَمِّماًfitting halters to
وَمَا كُنتُ لَولا أَنتَ إلا مُزَمِّماً
رَكَابِيmy riding camels مُثٍِيراًtaking up عَنfrom بَلنسِيَةٍValencia رَحلِيmy saddle
رَكَابِي مُثٍِيراً عَن بَلنسِيَةٍ رَحلِي
And but for you, I would only have been fitting halters to
My riding camels, taking up my saddle to leave Valencia,
وُمستَبدِلاًand exchanging أهلاًpeople سِوَاهَاother than her وَمَنزِلاًand a dwelling
وُمستَبدِلاً أهلاً سِوَاهَا وَمَنزِلاً
وَإِنand although كَانَwas فِيهَاin her مَنزِليmy home وَبِهَاand in her أهلِيmy family
وَإِن كَانَ فِيهَا مَنزِلي وَبِهَا أهلِي
And exchanging her for other people and another home,
Though my home is there, and my family is there.
فَأمرُكَso your command لِيto me بِالمُكثِto remain فِيهَاin her إقَامَةٌa settled residence
فَأمرُكَ لِي بِالمُكثِ فِيهَا إقَامَةٌ
وَصَلتُI maintained ties with بِهَاthrough it أهلِيmy family وَصُنتُand I safeguarded بِهَاthrough it إبلِيmy camels
وَصَلتُ بِهَا أهلِي وَصُنتُ بِهَا إبلِي
So your command that I stay there has secured my residence,
Through which I have maintained my family ties and safeguarded my camels.
Sol 6.1