سَعىstrove لِيَfor me قَوميmy people سَعيَthe striving of قَومٍa people أَعِزَّةٍmighty
سَعى لِيَ قَومي سَعيَ قَومٍ أَعِزَّةٍ
فَأَصبَحتُso I became أَسموI aspire لِلعُلاto eminence وَالمَكارِمِand noble deeds
فَأَصبَحتُ أَسمو لِلعُلا وَالمَكارِمِ
My people strove for me as a mighty people strive,
so I now aspire to eminence and noble deeds.
تَمَنّواthey wished لِنَبليfor my arrows أَنthat تَطيشَfly astray رِياشُهاtheir fletchings
تَمَنّوا لِنَبلي أَن تَطيشَ رِياشُها
وَماyet not أَناI عَنهُمregarding them فيin النِضالِthe archery contest بِنائِمِasleep
وَما أَنا عَنهُم في النِضالِ بِنائِمِ
They wished my arrows' fletchings would fly astray,
yet I do not slumber when contesting them with arrows.
وَماnor أَناI إِنif جارٌa neighbor دَعانيcalls me إِلىto الَّتيthat which
وَما أَنا إِن جارٌ دَعاني إِلى الَّتي
تَحَمَّلَhave borne أَصحابُthe men of الأُمورِaffairs العَظائِمِmighty
تَحَمَّلَ أَصحابُ الأُمورِ العَظائِمِ
Nor am I—if a neighbor calls me to what
men of mighty affairs have borne,
لِيُسمِعَنيto make me hear وَاللَيلُwith the night بَينِbetween me وَبَينَهُand between him
لِيُسمِعَني وَاللَيلُ بَينِ وَبَينَهُ
عَنِfrom الجارِthe neighbor بِالجافيaloof وَلاnor المُتَناوِمِone feigning sleep
عَنِ الجارِ بِالجافي وَلا المُتَناوِمِ
to make me hear him, with night between us—
aloof from a neighbor, nor one who feigns sleep.
أَلَمdid ... not? تَرَyou see أَنّيthat I قَدalready وَدَيتُI paid blood money for اِبنَthe son of مِرفَقٍMirfaq
أَلَم تَرَ أَنّي قَد وَدَيتُ اِبنَ مِرفَقٍ
وَلَمwhile not تودَwere compensated with blood money قَتلىthe slain of عَبدِʿAbd شَمسٍShams وَهاشِمِand Hashim
وَلَم تودَ قَتلى عَبدِ شَمسٍ وَهاشِمِ
Have you not seen that I paid blood money for Ibn Mirfaq,
while the slain of ʿAbd Shams and Hashim went uncompensated?
جَزىmay ... repay اللَهُGod فيهاfor it الأَعوَرَينِthe two one-eyed men مَلامَةًreproach
جَزى اللَهُ فيها الأَعوَرَينِ مَلامَةً
وَعَبدَةَand ʿAbda ثَفرَthe vulva of الثَورَةِthe cow المُتَضاجِمِcrooked
وَعَبدَةَ ثَفرَ الثَورَةِ المُتَضاجِمِ
May God repay the two one-eyed men with reproach for it,
and ʿAbda, the cow's crooked vulva.
فَأَعيَواso they failed وَماand not المَولىthe ally بِمَنone whose قَلَّis scant رِفدُهُhis aid
فَأَعيَوا وَما المَولى بِمَن قَلَّ رِفدُهُ
إِذاwhen أَجحَفَتbears heavily بِالناسِon the people إِحدىone of العَقائِمِruinous calamities
إِذا أَجحَفَت بِالناسِ إِحدى العَقائِمِ
So they failed; an ally is not one whose aid is scant
when one of the ruinous calamities overwhelms the people.
وَماand not الجارُthe neighbor بِالراعيكَone who tends you ماas long as دُمتَyou remain سالِماًsafe
وَما الجارُ بِالراعيكَ ما دُمتَ سالِماً
وَيَرحَلُand departs عِندَin the face of المُضلِعِa crushing calamity المُتَفاقِمِworsening
وَيَرحَلُ عِندَ المُضلِعِ المُتَفاقِمِ
Nor is a neighbor one who tends you only while you are safe,
and departs in the face of a crushing, worsening calamity.
Sol 6.1