ياO ضارِبَyou who strike الجَيشِthe army بيwith me فيin وَسطِthe middle of مَفرِقِهِits crown
يا ضارِبَ الجَيشِ بي في وَسطِ مَفرِقِهِ
لَقَدindeed ضَرَبتَyou struck بِعَينِwith the very essence of الصارِمِthe cutting sword العَضَبِkeen-edged
لَقَد ضَرَبتَ بِعَينِ الصارِمِ العَضَبِ
O you who strike the army with me at the very center of its crown,
O you who strike the army in the midst of its detachment
you have indeed struck with the keen, cutting sword itself.
You have truly struck with the piercing, stern eye
لاتَحرُزُdoes not shield الدُرعُthe armor عَنّيfrom me نَفسَthe life of صاحِبِهاits wearer
لاتَحرُزُ الدُرعُ عَنّي نَفسَ صاحِبِها
وَلاnor أُجيرُI uphold ذِمامَthe protection of البيضِthe helmets وَاليَلَبِand leather armor
وَلا أُجيرُ ذِمامَ البيضِ وَاليَلَبِ
Armor does not shield its wearer's life from me,
No armor protects its owner's soul from me
nor do I honor the protection pledged by helmets and leather armor.
Nor do I restrain the reins of the white and the piebald
وَلاnor أَعودُI return بِرُمحيwith my spear غَيرَother than مُنحَطِمٍshattered
وَلا أَعودُ بِرُمحي غَيرَ مُنحَطِمٍ
وَلاnor أَروحُI come home بِسَيفيwith my sword غَيرَother than مُختَضِبِblood-stained
وَلا أَروحُ بِسَيفي غَيرَ مُختَضِبِ
Nor do I return with my spear unbroken,
Nor do I return with my spear without it being shattered
nor come home with my sword unstained with blood,
Nor do I sheathe my sword without it being bloodied
حَتّىuntil تَقولَthey say لَكَto you الأَعداءُthe enemies راغِمَةًdespite themselves
حَتّى تَقولَ لَكَ الأَعداءُ راغِمَةً
أَضحىhas become اِبنُthe son of عَمِّكَyour paternal uncle هَذاthis فارِسُthe knight of العَرَبِthe Arabs
أَضحى اِبنُ عَمِّكَ هَذا فارِسُ العَرَبِ
until your enemies say to you, despite themselves,
Until the enemies say to you reluctantly
“This cousin of yours has become the knight of the Arabs.”
Your cousin here has become the knight of the Arabs
هَيهاتَfar from it! لاnot أَجحَدُI deny النَعماءَthe bounty مُنعِمَهاits bestower
هَيهاتَ لا أَجحَدُ النَعماءَ مُنعِمَها
خَلَفتَyou took the place of ياO اِبنَson of أَبيAbu الهَيجاءِal-Hayja فِيَّtoward me أَبيmy father
خَلَفتَ يا اِبنَ أَبي الهَيجاءِ فِيَّ أَبي
Far from it! I do not deny a benefactor's bounty.
Alas! I do not deny the blessings of their Bestower
You have taken my father's place with me, O son of Abu al-Hayja.
After Abu Al-Hayja, you have succeeded your father in me
يامَنO you who يُحاذِرُfear أَنthat تَمضيmight strike عَلَيَّagainst me يَدٌa hand
يامَن يُحاذِرُ أَن تَمضي عَلَيَّ يَدٌ
ماليwhy do I أَراكَsee you لِبيضِto the gleaming swords of الهِندِIndia تَسمَحُyou are liberal بيwith me
مالي أَراكَ لِبيضِ الهِندِ تَسمَحُ بي
O you who fear that a hand might strike me,
O you who is wary that a hand may move against me
why do I see you freely yielding me to India's gleaming swords,
Why do I see you being so generous with the whites of India
وَأَنتَwhile you بيwith me مِنamong أَضَنِّthe most reluctant to part with الناسِthe people كُلِّهِمِall of them
وَأَنتَ بي مِن أَضَنِّ الناسِ كُلِّهِمِ
فَكَيفَso how تَبذُلُنيyou give me freely لِلسُمرِto the brown spears وَالقُضُبِand the cutting swords
فَكَيفَ تَبذُلُني لِلسُمرِ وَالقُضُبِ
when, of all people, you are among the most reluctant to part with me?
While you are the most caring of all people towards me
How, then, do you yield me to brown spears and cutting swords?
So how can you abandon me to the bay and the roan?
ماnot زِلتُI ceased أَجهَلُهُI fail to recognize it فَضلاًas a favor وَأُنكِرُهُand I deny it
ما زِلتُ أَجهَلُهُ فَضلاً وَأُنكِرُهُ
وَأوسِعُand I indulge النَفسَmyself مِنin عُذرٍexcuses وَمِنand in عَجَبِastonishment
وَأوسِعُ النَفسَ مِن عُذرٍ وَمِن عَجَبِ
I kept failing to recognize this as a favor, and denying it,
I continued to be ignorant of it as grace and deny it
and indulging myself in excuses and astonishment,
And make my soul more patient with excuses and wonder
حَتّىuntil رَأَيتُكَI saw you بَينَamong الناسِthe people مُجتَنِباًkeeping apart
حَتّى رَأَيتُكَ بَينَ الناسِ مُجتَنِباً
تُثنيyou praise عَلَيَّof me بِوَجهٍwith a face غَيرِnot مُتَّإِبِashamed
تُثني عَلَيَّ بِوَجهٍ غَيرِ مُتَّإِبِ
until I saw you keeping apart among the people,
Until I saw you among the people, keeping aloof
praising me with an unabashed face.
Praising me with an unblaming face
فَعِندَهاthen وَعُيونُwhile the eyes of الناسِthe people تَرمُقُنيgaze at me
فَعِندَها وَعُيونُ الناسِ تَرمُقُني
عَلِمتُI knew أَنَّكَthat you لَمdid not تُخطِئyou err وَلَمand did not أُصِبِI judge rightly
عَلِمتُ أَنَّكَ لَم تُخطِئ وَلَم أُصِبِ
Then, as the people's eyes gazed at me,
It was then, while people's eyes watched me
I knew that you had not erred, and that I had not been right.
That I knew you were right and I was wrong
Sol 6.1