قَرُبَdrew near الحَياthe life-giving rain وَاِنهَلَّand poured down ذاكَthat البارِقُthe lightning-bearing cloud
قَرُبَ الحَيا وَاِنهَلَّ ذاكَ البارِقُ
وَالحاجَةُand need العُشَراءُa ten-month-pregnant she-camel بَعدَكَafter you فارِقُwithdrawing to calve
وَالحاجَةُ العُشَراءُ بَعدَكَ فارِقُ
The rain drew near, and that lightning-bearing cloud poured down.
The life is near, and that lightning struck
And need, a she-camel heavy with young, withdraws to calve in your wake.
And the great need after you has parted
إيهٍgo on أَباO father of زَيدٍZayd فَذَرعُكَfor your reach واسِعٌwide
إيهٍ أَبا زَيدٍ فَذَرعُكَ واسِعٌ
وَنَداكَand your bounty فَيّاحٌfar-spreading وَمَجدُكَand your glory باسِقُtowering
وَنَداكَ فَيّاحٌ وَمَجدُكَ باسِقُ
Go on, Abu Zayd, for your reach is wide,
Oh Abū Zayd, your arm is generous
and your bounty spreads far, and your glory towers high.
And your voice loud, and your glory towering
قَدindeed لانَgrew soft أَكثَرُmost of ماwhat تُريدُyou seek وَبَعضُهُand some of it
قَد لانَ أَكثَرُ ما تُريدُ وَبَعضُهُ
خَشِنٌrough وَإِنّيand indeed I بِالنَجاحِof success لَواثِقُsurely confident
خَشِنٌ وَإِنّي بِالنَجاحِ لَواثِقُ
Most of what you seek has indeed softened, while some of it
Much of what you want is rough
is rough; yet I am surely confident of success.
Though I’m confident of success
فيin الرَوضِthe meadow قُرّاصٌnettles وَفيand in سَيلِthe torrent of الرُباthe hills
في الرَوضِ قُرّاصٌ وَفي سَيلِ الرُبا
كَدَرٌmurkiness وَفيand in بَعضِsome of الغُيوثِthe rains صَواعِقُthunderbolts
كَدَرٌ وَفي بَعضِ الغُيوثِ صَواعِقُ
In the meadow are nettles, and in the torrent from the hills
In the garden a prune tree, and in the flood of calamity
is murk; in some rainstorms are thunderbolts.
Turbidity, and in some rains there is thunder
زَوَّجتُI wedded أَمريmy undertaking بِالسُعودِto good fortunes فَأَصبَحَتso became
زَوَّجتُ أَمري بِالسُعودِ فَأَصبَحَت
مِنهُfrom it النُحوسُthe ill fortunes النُكدُbaleful وَهيَand they are طَوالِقُdivorced
مِنهُ النُحوسُ النُكدُ وَهيَ طَوالِقُ
I wedded my undertaking to good fortune, and so
I married my matter to good fortune, so it became
the baleful ill fortunes were divorced from it.
Protected from misfortune and separation
وَمَغارِبُand the sunsets of الإِخفاقِfailure أَضحَتbecame بِالَّذيthrough what
وَمَغارِبُ الإِخفاقِ أَضحَت بِالَّذي
أَولىhe bestowed مِنَof الإِنجاحِsuccess وَهيَand they are مَشارِقُsunrises
أَولى مِنَ الإِنجاحِ وَهيَ مَشارِقُ
And failure's sunsets became, through what
And the sunsets of failure became, in that
he bestowed of success, sunrises.
Which is more deserving than success – the sunrises
فَأَتَتهُso it came to him مَأرُبَتيmy wish فَأَدرَكَand so attained شَأوَهاits utmost reach
فَأَتَتهُ مَأرُبَتي فَأَدرَكَ شَأوَها
قَرمٌa noble chief بِعائِرَةِwith the fleeing ones of المَكارِمِnoble deeds لاحِقُcatching up
قَرمٌ بِعائِرَةِ المَكارِمِ لاحِقُ
So my wish came to him, and its goal was attained
So my wish came to him, and an old man of virtue attained his glory
by a noble chief who overtakes noble deeds in flight.
Chasing the caravan of noble deeds
ماnot أَوَّلُthe first of السامينَthose rising بِالعاليthe highest وَلاnor
ما أَوَّلُ السامينَ بِالعالي وَلا
كُلُّall الجِيادِthe steeds دُفِعنَwere sent forth قَبلُearlier سَوابِقُwinners
كُلُّ الجِيادِ دُفِعنَ قَبلُ سَوابِقُ
The first to rise is not the highest, nor
Not every eminent person promotes the lofty, nor
are all steeds sent forth earlier the winners.
Are all steeds pushed forward before the racers
فَأَتَتso it came عَواناًa mature woman ثَيِّباًpreviously married ماnot سَرَّنيpleased me
فَأَتَت عَواناً ثَيِّباً ما سَرَّني
بِمَكانِهاin its place مِنّيwith me الكَعابُthe nubile maiden العاتِقُunwed
بِمَكانِها مِنّي الكَعابُ العاتِقُ
So it came, mature and once-wed; I would not have been pleased
So help came, experienced – I was not pleased
by a nubile, unwed maiden in its place beside me.
With its position to me, the stubborn old camel
وَمِنَand among الرَزِيَّةِcalamity أَنَّthat شُكريmy gratitude صامِتٌsilent
وَمِنَ الرَزِيَّةِ أَنَّ شُكري صامِتٌ
عَمّاabout what فَعَلتَyou did وَأَنَّand that بِرَّكَyour kindness ناطِقُspeaking
عَمّا فَعَلتَ وَأَنَّ بِرَّكَ ناطِقُ
And it is a misfortune that my gratitude is silent
And of annoyance is that my gratitude is silent
about what you have done, while your kindness speaks.
About what you did, and that your kindness speaks
وَأَخَفُّand the lightest ماwhat جَشِمَundertook اِمرُؤٌa man وَسَعىand strove لَهُfor it
وَأَخَفُّ ما جَشِمَ اِمرُؤٌ وَسَعى لَهُ
يَوماًever لِذيfor the possessor of النُعمىbounty الثَناءُpraise الصادِقُtruthful
يَوماً لِذي النُعمى الثَناءُ الصادِقُ
And the lightest task a man undertakes and strives to fulfill
The slightest thing a man senses and strives for
at any time for a benefactor is truthful praise.
One day, for the benevolent, is sincere praise
أَأَرىshall I see الصَنيعَةَthe favor مِنكَfrom you ثُمَّthen أُسِرُّهاconceal it
أَأَرى الصَنيعَةَ مِنكَ ثُمَّ أُسِرُّها
إِنّيindeed I إِذاًthen لِيَدِof the hand of الكِرامِthe noble لَسارِقُsurely a thief
إِنّي إِذاً لِيَدِ الكِرامِ لَسارِقُ
Shall I behold a kindness from you, then conceal it?
Shall I see graciousness from you, then conceal it?
Then I would surely be a thief of noble hands' bounty.
I would then be a thief of the generous hand
Sol 6.1