إِلىto اللَهِGod أَشكوI complain ماwhat أَرىI see مِنfrom عَشائِرٍclans
إِلى اللَهِ أَشكو ما أَرى مِن عَشائِرٍ
إِذاwhen مادَنَوناwe draw near زادَgrows جاهِلُهُمtheir fool بُعداmore distant
إِذا مادَنَونا زادَ جاهِلُهُم بُعدا
To God I complain of what I see from clans:
I complain to God of what I see in the tribes
Whenever we draw near, their fool grows farther away.
When we draw near, their ignorant grow more distant
وَإِنّاand indeed we لَتَثنيناsurely draw us back عَواطِفُthe tender impulses حِلمِناour forbearance
وَإِنّا لَتَثنينا عَواطِفُ حِلمِنا
عَلَيهِمtoward them وَإِنand even though ساءَتhave become bad طَرائِقُهُمtheir ways جِدّاvery much
عَلَيهِم وَإِن ساءَت طَرائِقُهُم جِدّا
And the tender impulses of our forbearance surely draw us back
Yet we curb the impulses of our forbearance towards them
Toward them, though their ways are very bad.
However much their ways may be wrong
وَيَمنَعُناand restrains us ظُلمُwronging العَشيرَةِthe clan أَنَّناthat we
وَيَمنَعُنا ظُلمُ العَشيرَةِ أَنَّنا
إِلىto ضُرِّهاharm to it لَوif نَبتَغيwe seek ضُرِّهاharm to it أَهدىbetter guided
إِلى ضُرِّها لَو نَبتَغي ضُرِّها أَهدى
And what keeps us from wronging our clan is that
The tribe's injustice stops us
We know best the way to harm it, should we seek its harm.
Seeking their harm, though it would guide us better
وَإِنّاand indeed we إِذاwhen شِئناwe wish بِعادَdistance from قَبيلَةٍa tribe
وَإِنّا إِذا شِئنا بِعادَ قَبيلَةٍ
جَعَلناwe put عِجالاًin haste دونَbefore أَهلِهِمُtheir people نَجداNajd
جَعَلنا عِجالاً دونَ أَهلِهِمُ نَجدا
And whenever we wish to part from a tribe,
When we want to shun a tribe
We swiftly put Najd between ourselves and their people.
We place an advance guard before its people
وَلَوand if عَرَفَتknew هَذيthese العَشائِرُclans رُشدَهاtheir right course
وَلَو عَرَفَت هَذي العَشائِرُ رُشدَها
إِذاًthen جَعَلَتناthey would make us دونَin front of أَعدائِهاtheir enemies سَدّاa barrier
إِذاً جَعَلَتنا دونَ أَعدائِها سَدّا
And had these clans known their right course,
If only these tribes knew what was right for them
They would then have made us a barrier against their enemies.
Then they would make us a barrier against their enemies
وَلكِنbut أَراهاI see them أَصلَحَmay He set right اللَهُGod حالَهاtheir condition
وَلكِن أَراها أَصلَحَ اللَهُ حالَها
وَأَخلَفَهاand may He compensate them بِالرُشدِwith sound judgment قَدindeed عَدِمَتthey have lost رُشداsound judgment
وَأَخلَفَها بِالرُشدِ قَد عَدِمَت رُشدا
Yet I see them—may God set their affairs right
But I see that God has set their affairs aright
And restore their sound judgment—bereft of sound judgment.
And deprived them of propriety, having lost all propriety
إِلىuntil كَمhow long نَرُدُّwe turn back البيضَthe gleaming swords عَنهُمfrom them صَوادِياthirsting
إِلى كَم نَرُدُّ البيضَ عَنهُم صَوادِيا
وَنَثنيand we turn back صُدورَthe breasts الخَيلِof the horses قَدalready مُلِأَتhave been filled حِقداwith hatred
وَنَثني صُدورَ الخَيلِ قَد مُلِأَت حِقدا
How long shall we turn gleaming swords away from them, still thirsting,
To what end do we restrain the swords from them
And turn back the breasts of horses already filled with hatred,
And curb the chests of horses, now filled with rancor?
وَنَغلِبُand we overcome بِالحِلمِwith forbearance الحَمِيَّةَfierce pride مِنهُمُfrom them
وَنَغلِبُ بِالحِلمِ الحَمِيَّةَ مِنهُمُ
وَنَرعىand we protect رِجالاًmen لَيسَnot نَرعىwe honor لَهُمfor them عَهداa covenant
وَنَرعى رِجالاً لَيسَ نَرعى لَهُم عَهدا
And overcome their fierce pride with forbearance,
And overcome their hotheadedness with patience
And protect men, though no covenant binds us to them?
While we shepherd men to whom we've given no pact
أَخافُI fear عَلىfor نَفسيmyself وَلِلحَربِand war has سَورَةٌa surge of fury
أَخافُ عَلى نَفسي وَلِلحَربِ سَورَةٌ
بَوادِرَsudden outbreaks أَمرٍof an affair لانُطيقُwe are unable لَهاagainst them رَدّاrepulsion
بَوادِرَ أَمرٍ لانُطيقُ لَها رَدّا
I fear for myself—war has its fury—
I fear for myself, and war has a whirl
The sudden eruptions of a crisis we cannot repel,
Harbingers of something we cannot ward off
وَجَولَةَand a bout حَربٍof war يَهلِكُperishes الحِلمُforbearance دونَهاbefore it
وَجَولَةَ حَربٍ يَهلِكُ الحِلمُ دونَها
وَصَولَةُand an onslaught بَأسٍof might تَجمَعُgathers الحُرَّthe free man وَالعَبداand the slave
وَصَولَةُ بَأسٍ تَجمَعُ الحُرَّ وَالعَبدا
And a bout of war before which forbearance perishes,
And a battle where patience perishes
And a fierce onslaught that gathers free man and slave alike.
And a raid that gathers freemen and slaves
وَإِنّاand indeed we لَنَرميwe surely counter الجَهلَfolly بِالجَهلِwith folly مَرَّةًon occasion
وَإِنّا لَنَرمي الجَهلَ بِالجَهلِ مَرَّةً
إِذاwhen لَمnot نَجِدwe find مِنهُfrom it عَلىunder حالَةٍany circumstance بُدّاan escape
إِذا لَم نَجِد مِنهُ عَلى حالَةٍ بُدّا
And we do indeed answer folly with folly on occasion,
We will meet ignorance with ignorance once
When we can find no way at all to avoid it.
If we find no way with them to make amends
Sol 6.1