ياO مَوضِعَyou who urge onward الشَدَنِيَّةِthe Shadani she-camel الوَجناءِthe stout-cheeked
يا مَوضِعَ الشَدَنِيَّةِ الوَجناءِ
وَمُصارِعَand wrestler with الإِدلاجِnight travel وَالإِسراءِand nighttime journeying
وَمُصارِعَ الإِدلاجِ وَالإِسراءِ
O you who urge on the stout-cheeked Shadani she-camel,
and wrestle with night marches and journeys after dark,
أَقريconvey السَلامَgreetings مُعَرَّفاًMu'arraf (Arafat) وَمُحَصِّباًand Muhassab
أَقري السَلامَ مُعَرَّفاً وَمُحَصِّباً
مِنfrom خالِدِKhalid المَعروفِbeneficence وَالهَيجاءِand battle
مِن خالِدِ المَعروفِ وَالهَيجاءِ
convey greetings to Mu'arraf and Muhassab
from Khalid of bounty and battle.
سَيلٌa flood طَماswelled لَوif لَمnot يَذُدهُheld it back ذائِدٌa restrainer
سَيلٌ طَما لَو لَم يَذُدهُ ذائِدٌ
لَتَبَطَّحَتwould have spread out أولاهُits first surge بِالبَطحاءِacross al-Batha
لَتَبَطَّحَت أولاهُ بِالبَطحاءِ
A flood swelled: had no restrainer held it back,
its first surge would have spread across al-Batha;
وَغَدَتand would become بُطونُthe valley bottoms مِنىMina مُنىًwishes مِنfrom سَيبِهِhis bounty
وَغَدَت بُطونُ مِنى مُنىً مِن سَيبِهِ
وَغَدَتand would become حَرىًdeserving مِنهُof it ظُهورُthe ridges حِراءِHira
وَغَدَت حَرىً مِنهُ ظُهورُ حِراءِ
Mina's hollows would become wishes fulfilled through his bounty,
and Hira's ridges would be worthy of his bounty.
وَتَعَرَّفَتand would know عَرَفاتُArafat زاخِرَهُhis swelling flood وَلَمand not
وَتَعَرَّفَت عَرَفاتُ زاخِرَهُ وَلَم
يُخصَصbe singled out كَداءٌKada مِنهُby him بِالإِكداءِfor barrenness
يُخصَص كَداءٌ مِنهُ بِالإِكداءِ
And Arafat would know his swelling flood, nor
would Kada be singled out by him for barrenness.
وَلَطابَand would be pleasant مُرتَبَعٌa spring pasture بِطيبَةَin Tayba وَاِكتَسَتand she would don
وَلَطابَ مُرتَبَعٌ بِطيبَةَ وَاِكتَسَت
بُردَينِtwo robes بُردَa robe ثَرىًof moist earth وَبُردَand a robe ثَراءِof wealth
بُردَينِ بُردَ ثَرىً وَبُردَ ثَراءِ
Spring pasture in Tayba would be sweet, and she would don
two robes: a robe of moist earth and a robe of wealth.
لاmay not يُحرَمِbe deprived الحَرمَانِthe two sanctuaries خَيراًof good إِنَّهُمindeed they
لا يُحرَمِ الحَرمَانِ خَيراً إِنَّهُم
حُرِمواwere deprived بِهِin him نَوءاًof a rain-bringing star مِنَamong الأَنواءِthe rain-bringing stars
حُرِموا بِهِ نَوءاً مِنَ الأَنواءِ
May the two sanctuaries never lack good! Indeed, their people
have been denied, in him, one of the rain-bringing stars.
ياO سائِليyou who ask me عَنabout خالِدٍKhalid وَفَعالِهِand his deeds
يا سائِلي عَن خالِدٍ وَفَعالِهِ
رِدcome to the water فَاِغتَرِفthen scoop up عِلماًknowledge بِغَيرِwithout رَشاءِa well-rope
رِد فَاِغتَرِف عِلماً بِغَيرِ رَشاءِ
O you who ask me about Khalid and his deeds,
come to the water and scoop up knowledge without a well-rope.
اُنظُرlook وَإِيّاكَand beware الهَوىbias لاdo not تُمكِنَنever grant
اُنظُر وَإِيّاكَ الهَوى لا تُمكِنَن
سُلطانَهُits dominion مِنover مُقلَةٍan eye شَوساءِlooking askance
سُلطانَهُ مِن مُقلَةٍ شَوساءِ
Look, and beware of bias; never grant
its dominion over an eye that looks askance.
تَعلَمyou will know كَمِhow many اِفتَرَعَتhave deflowered صُدورُthe points رِماحِهِof his spears
تَعلَم كَمِ اِفتَرَعَت صُدورُ رِماحِهِ
وَسُيوفِهِand his swords مِنof بَلدَةٍa town عَذراءِvirgin
وَسُيوفِهِ مِن بَلدَةٍ عَذراءِ
You will learn how many were deflowered by his spearheads
and his swords—towns untouched before.
وَدَعاand he called فَأَسمَعَthen made hear بِالأَسِنَّةِwith spearpoints وَاللُهىand gifts
وَدَعا فَأَسمَعَ بِالأَسِنَّةِ وَاللُهى
صُمَّthe deaf among العِدىthe foes فيinside صَخرَةٍa rock صَمّاءِunyielding
صُمَّ العِدى في صَخرَةٍ صَمّاءِ
He called, and with spearpoints and gifts made himself heard
by his deaf foes, even within unyielding rock.
بِمَجامِعِat the junctions الثَغرَينِof the two frontiers ماnot يَنفَكُّdoes he cease مِنfrom
بِمَجامِعِ الثَغرَينِ ما يَنفَكُّ مِن
جَيشٍa host أَزَبَّbristling وَغارَةٍand a raid شَعواءِsweeping
جَيشٍ أَزَبَّ وَغارَةٍ شَعواءِ
At the junctions of the two frontiers, he is never without
a bristling host and a sweeping raid,
مِنfrom كُلِّevery فَرجٍfrontier opening لِلعَدُوِّof the enemy كَأَنَّهُas though it were
مِن كُلِّ فَرجٍ لِلعَدُوِّ كَأَنَّهُ
فَرجٌa private part حِمىًguarded إِلّاexcept مِنَfrom الأَكفاءِequals
فَرجٌ حِمىً إِلّا مِنَ الأَكفاءِ
from every enemy opening, as though it were
a guarded private part, barred to all but equals.
قَدindeed كانَthere was خَطبٌa grave affair عاثِرٌstumbling فَأَقالَهُthen set it upright
قَد كانَ خَطبٌ عاثِرٌ فَأَقالَهُ
رَأيُthe judgment الخَليفَةِof the caliph كَوكَبُthe star الخُلَفاءِof caliphs
رَأيُ الخَليفَةِ كَوكَبُ الخُلَفاءِ
A grave affair had stumbled, but was set upright by
the judgment of the caliph, the star of caliphs.
فَخَرَجتَso you emerged مِنهُfrom it كَالشِهابِlike a meteor وَلَمand have not تَزَلceased
فَخَرَجتَ مِنهُ كَالشِهابِ وَلَم تَزَل
مُذever since كُنتَyou came to be خَرّاجاًone who repeatedly escapes مِنَfrom الغَمّاءِdark distress
مُذ كُنتَ خَرّاجاً مِنَ الغَمّاءِ
So you emerged from it like a meteor, and have always been,
ever since you came to be, one who breaks free of darkest straits.
ماno سَرَّنيpleased me بِخِداجِهاfor its being cut short مِنas حُجَّةٍa pilgrimage
ما سَرَّني بِخِداجِها مِن حُجَّةٍ
ماanywhere بَينَbetween أَندَلُسٍAndalus إِلىto صَنعاءِSana'a
ما بَينَ أَندَلُسٍ إِلى صَنعاءِ
No reward could gladden me for that pilgrimage cut short,
anywhere from Andalus to Sana'a;
أَجرٌa reward وَلَكِنand yet قَدindeed نَظَرتُI considered فَلَمthen did not أَجِدfind
أَجرٌ وَلَكِن قَد نَظَرتُ فَلَم أَجِد
أَجراًa reward يَفيthat matches بِشَماتَةِthe gloating of الأَعداءِthe enemies
أَجراً يَفي بِشَماتَةِ الأَعداءِ
yet I have considered, and found no
reward to offset the enemies' gloating.
لَوif سِرتَyou had departed لَاِلتَقَتِwould have closed together الضُلوعُthe ribs عَلىaround أَسىًgrief
لَو سِرتَ لَاِلتَقَتِ الضُلوعُ عَلى أَسىً
كَلِفٍclinging قَليلِgiving little السِلمِpeace لِلأَحشاءِto the vitals
كَلِفٍ قَليلِ السِلمِ لِلأَحشاءِ
If you had departed, the ribs would have closed around grief
clinging, granting the vitals little peace.
وَلَجَفَّand would have withered نُوّارُthe blossoms الكَلامِof speech وَقَلَّماand seldom
وَلَجَفَّ نُوّارُ الكَلامِ وَقَلَّما
يُلفىis found بَقاءُthe survival الغَرسِof plants بَعدَafter الماءِthe water
يُلفى بَقاءُ الغَرسِ بَعدَ الماءِ
And speech's blossoms would have withered; seldom
do plants survive after their water is gone.
فَالجَوُّso the air جَوّيis my air إِنif أَقَمتَyou remain بِغِبطَةٍin happiness
فَالجَوُّ جَوّي إِن أَقَمتَ بِغِبطَةٍ
وَالأَرضُand the earth أَرضيis my earth وَالسَماءُand the sky سَمائيis my sky
وَالأَرضُ أَرضي وَالسَماءُ سَمائي
So the air is my air, if you remain in happiness,
and the earth is my earth, and the sky my sky.
Sol 6.1