ياO مالُMal وَالسَيِّدُand the lord المُعَمَّمُturbaned قَدmay
يا مالُ وَالسَيِّدُ المُعَمَّمُ قَد
يُبطِرُهُmakes him insolent بَعضُsome of رَأيِهِhis judgment السَرِفُreckless
يُبطِرُهُ بَعضُ رَأيِهِ السَرِفُ
O Mal, a turbaned lord may
O Mal, the veiled master's reasoning
be made insolent by some reckless judgment of his.
is flawed, though proud he seems.
خالَفتَyou opposed فيin الرَأيِjudgment كُلَّevery ذيpossessor of فَخَرٍpride
خالَفتَ في الرَأيِ كُلَّ ذي فَخَرٍ
وَالحَقُّand the truth ياO مالُMal غَيرُother than ماwhat تَصِفُyou describe
وَالحَقُّ يا مالُ غَيرُ ما تَصِفُ
You have opposed in judgment every man of pride,
On matters of opinion you've opposed
and the truth, O Mal, is not what you describe.
each vain pretender it seems.
لاnot يَرفَعُis raised العَبدُthe slave فَوقَabove سُنَّتِهِhis customary station
لا يَرفَعُ العَبدُ فَوقَ سُنَّتِهِ
وَالحَقُّand the rightful claim يوفىis fulfilled بِهِwith it وَيُعتَرَفُand is acknowledged
وَالحَقُّ يوفى بِهِ وَيُعتَرَفُ
A slave is not raised above his customary station,
No mortal rises above the Way;
and a rightful claim is fulfilled and acknowledged.
truth will be recognized in the end.
إِنَّindeed بُحَيراًBuhayr عَبدٌa slave لِغَيرِكُمُbelonging to someone other than you
إِنَّ بُحَيراً عَبدٌ لِغَيرِكُمُ
ياO مالُMal وَالحَقُّand the right عِندَهُwith him فَقِفواso halt
يا مالُ وَالحَقُّ عِندَهُ فَقِفوا
Indeed, Buhayr is a slave belonging to someone other than you,
Bohayra is a slave, not of your kind;
O Mal; the right lies with him, so halt.
by him let the argument rest, my friend.
أوتيتُI was given فيهِconcerning him الوَفاءَfull satisfaction مُعتَرِفاًacknowledging
أوتيتُ فيهِ الوَفاءَ مُعتَرِفاً
بِالحَقِّof the rightful claim فيهِconcerning him لَكُمbelonging to you فَلاتَكِفواso do not transgress
بِالحَقِّ فيهِ لَكُم فَلاتَكِفوا
I was given full satisfaction concerning him, acknowledging
I've been loyal, admitting what's true,
your rightful claim concerning him; so do not transgress.
but don't relent or pretend.
نَحنُwe بِماwith what عِندِناwe have وَأَنتَand you بِماwith what
نَحنُ بِما عِندِنا وَأَنتَ بِما
عِندَكَyou have راضٍcontent وَالرَأيُand opinion مُختَلِفُdiffering
عِندَكَ راضٍ وَالرَأيُ مُختَلِفُ
We, with what we have, and you, with what
You keep your views; I'll keep mine,
you have, are content; yet opinions differ.
each satisfied, though they contend.
نَحنُwe المَكيثونَthose who stand firm حَيثُwhere يَحمَدُناcommends us الthe (continued next line)
نَحنُ المَكيثونَ حَيثُ يَحمَدُنا ال
مُكثُstaying وَنَحنُand we المَصالِتُbold warriors الأُنُفُproud
مُكثُ وَنَحنُ المَصالِتُ الأُنُفُ
We stand firm where we win praise for
We're steadfast where constancy is praised;
standing firm; and we are bold, proud warriors.
we're pious worshippers without end;
وَالحافِظوand the guardians عَورَةِvulnerable point العَشيرَةِthe clan لاnot
وَالحافِظو عَورَةِ العَشيرَةِ لا
يَأتيهُمُcomes upon them مِنfrom وَرائِهِمbehind them وَكَفُdisgrace
يَأتيهُمُ مِن وَرائِهِم وَكَفُ
And we guard the clan's vulnerable points; no
defenders of family honor-behind them
disgrace reaches them from behind.
no enemy passes through a chink or a rend.
وَاللَهُby God لاnot يَزدَهيoverawes كَتيبَتَناour war band
وَاللَهُ لا يَزدَهي كَتيبَتَنا
أُسدُlions عَرينٍa lair مَقيلُهاtheir midday resting place غُرَفُupper chambers
أُسدُ عَرينٍ مَقيلُها غُرَفُ
By God, our war band cannot be overawed by
Our brave tribe fears no lions in their den,
lions of a lair whose noonday retreats are lofty chambers.
like cubs at rest in a sheltered bend.
إِذاwhen مَشَيناwe walk فيin الفارِسِيِّPersian armor كَماjust as
إِذا مَشَينا في الفارِسِيِّ كَما
تَمشيwalk جِمالٌcamels مَصاعِبٌunbroken قُطُفُshort-stepping
تَمشي جِمالٌ مَصاعِبٌ قُطُفُ
When we walk in Persian armor, as
When we walk past the Persian lines
unbroken, short-stepping camels walk,
like camels marching in a stately trend,
نَمشيwe march إِلىtoward المَوتِdeath مِنout of حَفائِظِناour zeal for honor
نَمشي إِلى المَوتِ مِن حَفائِظِنا
مَشياًa march ذَريعاًswift وَهُكمُناand our judgment (probable reading) نَصَفُequitable
مَشياً ذَريعاً وَهُكمُنا نَصَفُ
we march toward death out of our zeal for honor,
we stride towards death on watchful guard,
with swift strides; and our judgment is fair.
halting halfway in case foes descend.
إِنَّindeed سَميراًSamir أَبَتrefused عَشيرَتُهُhis clan
إِنَّ سَميراً أَبَت عَشيرَتُهُ
أَنto يَعرِفواthey acknowledge فَوقَbeyond مابِهِthat with which نَطِفواthey became tainted
أَن يَعرِفوا فَوقَ مابِهِ نَطِفوا
Indeed, Samir's clan has refused
Samira's clan refused to acknowledge
to acknowledge more than the stain they bear.
anyone mightier, whomever they offend.
أَوor تَصدُرِreturn الخَيلُthe horses وَهيَwhile they are حامِلَةٌcarrying
أَو تَصدُرِ الخَيلُ وَهيَ حامِلَةٌ
تَحتَbeneath صُواهاtheir raised backs (uncertain) جَماجِمٌskulls جُفُفُdry
تَحتَ صُواها جَماجِمٌ جُفُفُ
Or the horses return, carrying
Nor would our horses march out pregnant,
beneath their raised backs, dry skulls.
skulls of foemen bouncing underneath.
أَوor تَجرَعواswallow الغَيظَrage مابَداas seems fit لَكُمُto you
أَو تَجرَعوا الغَيظَ مابَدا لَكُمُ
فَهارِشواthen goad الحَربَwar حَيثُwherever تَنصَرِفُit turns
فَهارِشوا الحَربَ حَيثُ تَنصَرِفُ
Or swallow your rage as you please;
You'll never taste humiliation and bitterness;
then goad war wherever it turns.
seek battle elsewhere if you intend.
إِنّيindeed I لَأُنمىam surely traced in descent إِذاwhen اِنتَمَيتُI claim descent إِلىto
إِنّي لَأُنمى إِذا اِنتَمَيتُ إِلى
غُرٍّillustrious كِرامٍnoble وَقَومُناand our people شَرَفُexalted
غُرٍّ كِرامٍ وَقَومُنا شَرَفُ
Indeed, when I claim my lineage, I am traced to
When I claim descent from generous, noble forebears,
illustrious, noble men; and our people are exalted:
our people's excellence is without end.
بيضٌfair-faced جِعادٌcurly-haired كَأَنَّas though أَعيُنَهُمtheir eyes
بيضٌ جِعادٌ كَأَنَّ أَعيُنَهُم
يُكحِلُهاlines them with kohl فيin المَلاحِمِpitched battles السَدَفُdarkness
يُكحِلُها في المَلاحِمِ السَدَفُ
fair-faced, curly-haired, as though their eyes
Pure white pillars, their eyes kohl-lined
were lined with kohl by darkness amid the battles.
in ferocious scenes of battle they upend.
Sol 6.1