أَلاAh! ياO رَبعُdwelling-site بِالهَضبِat al-Hadb
أَلا يا رَبعُ بِالهَضبِ
إِلىto الخَلصاءِal-Khalsa بِالنَقبِat al-Naqb
إِلى الخَلصاءِ بِالنَقبِ
Ah, O dwelling-site at al-Hadb,
O quarter in the highlands
stretching to al-Khalsa at al-Naqb,
Towards Al-Khalas with holes
كَنِضوِlike a worn remnant الخَلَقِworn cloth النّاحِthin (word beginning)
كَنِضوِ الخَلَقِ النّاحِ
لِend of 'thin' أَوor دارَسَةِfaded writing الكُتبِbooks
لِ أَو دارَسَةِ الكُتبِ
like a thin remnant of worn cloth,
Like the creation of people pure
or the faded writing of books.
Or students of books
إِلىto أَكرَمِthe noblest of قَحطانَQahtan
إِلى أَكرَمِ قَحطانَ
وَصَلناwe linked السَهبَthe wilderness بِالسَهبِto the wilderness
وَصَلنا السَهبَ بِالسَهبِ
To the noblest of Qahtan
To the most generous of Qahtan
we linked wilderness to wilderness,
We reached plains with plains
إِلىto مُجتَمَعِthe gathering-place of النَيلِbounty
إِلى مُجتَمَعِ النَيلِ
وَمُلقىand the resting-place of أَرحُلِsaddles الرَكبِthe caravan
وَمُلقى أَرحُلِ الرَكبِ
to the gathering-place of bounty
To the gathering of the Nile
and the resting-place of the caravan's saddles:
And where caravans meet
حُمَيدHumayd مَفزَعِthe refuge of الأُمَّthe nation (word beginning)
حُمَيد مَفزَعِ الأُمَّ
ةِend of 'the nation' فيin الشَرقِthe East وَفيand in الغَربِthe West
ةِ في الشَرقِ وَفي الغَربِ
Humayd, the nation's refuge
Praised refuge of the nation
in the East and in the West.
In the East and in the West
كَأَنَّas though الناسَthe people جِسمٌa body وَهand he (word beginning)
كَأَنَّ الناسَ جِسمٌ وَه
وَمِنهُcompletes 'he'; within it مَوضِعُthe place of القَلبِthe heart
وَمِنهُ مَوضِعُ القَلبِ
As though mankind were a body, and he
As if people are one body
held within it the place of the heart.
And it is where the heart lies
إِذاwhen سالَمَhe makes peace with أَرضاًa land غَit lived (word beginning)
إِذا سالَمَ أَرضاً غَ
نِيَتend of 'it lived' آمِنَةَsecure السَربِthe way of life
نِيَت آمِنَةَ السَربِ
When he makes peace with a land,
If it makes peace with a land
it lives on, secure in its ways;
Its flocks are safe
وَإِنand if حارَبَهاhe wars against it حَلَّتdescended
وَإِن حارَبَها حَلَّت
بِهاupon it راغِيَةُthe bellow of السَقبَthe camel-calf
بِها راغِيَةُ السَقبَ
and if he wars against it, there descends
And if it fights it
upon it the camel-calf's bellow.
It is filled with looting falcons
إِذاwhen لاقىhe encounters رَعيلَthe vanguard of المَوdeath (word beginning)
إِذا لاقى رَعيلَ المَو
تِend of 'death' بِالشَطبَةِwith the slender lance وَالشَطبِand the lances
تِ بِالشَطبَةِ وَالشَطبِ
When he meets the vanguard of death
When it meets the march of death
with the slender lance and lances,
With the whip and the stick
وَبِالماذِيَّةِand with polished mail الخَضرِgreen-hued
وَبِالماذِيَّةِ الخَضرِ
وَبِالهِندِيَّةِand with Indian blades القُضبِkeen-cutting
وَبِالهِندِيَّةِ القُضبِ
and green-hued coats of mail,
And with the green shield
and keen Indian blades,
And the Indian bow
غَداhe goes forth مُجتَمِعَsteadfast of القَلبِheart
غَدا مُجتَمِعَ القَلبِ
لَهُhe has جُندٌan army مِنَof الرُعبِterror
لَهُ جُندٌ مِنَ الرُعبِ
he goes forth, steadfast of heart;
It becomes the gathering of hearts
he has an army of terror.
It has an army of fright
فَياso, oh فَوزَthe triumph of الَّذيwhoever وَالىallied himself
فَيا فَوزَ الَّذي وَالى
وَياand, oh بُؤسىthe misery of أَخيthe brother of الذَنبِguilt
وَيا بُؤسى أَخي الذَنبِ
So what triumph for whoever befriends him,
So oh what joy is yours
and what misery for the guilty man!
And oh what misery is mine, brother of guilt
وَماand nothing يَشفىcures صُداعَthe ache of الرَأthe head (word beginning)
وَما يَشفى صُداعَ الرَأ
سِend of 'the head' مِثلُlike الصارِمِthe cutting sword العَضبِkeen-edged
سِ مِثلُ الصارِمِ العَضبِ
And nothing cures the aching head
And nothing heals the headache
like a keen, cutting sword.
Like the angry, drawing sword
أَياO ذاpossessor of الجودِgenerosity فَاِسلَمso live unharmed ماas long as
أَيا ذا الجودِ فَاِسلَم ما
جَرَتpassed حُقبٌages إِلىinto حُقبِages
جَرَت حُقبٌ إِلى حُقبِ
O generous one, live unharmed as long as
O you of generosity, make peace
age follows upon age.
Eras have passed to eras
فَأَنتَfor you are الغَيثُlife-giving rain فيin السِلمِpeace
فَأَنتَ الغَيثُ في السِلمِ
وَأَنتَand you are المَوتُdeath فيin الحَربِwar
وَأَنتَ المَوتُ في الحَربِ
For you are rain in peace,
You are rain in peace
and you are death in war.
And death in war
وَأَنتَand you are الجامِعُthe uniter الفارِthe divider (word beginning)
وَأَنتَ الجامِعُ الفارِ
قُend of 'the divider' بَينَbetween البُعدِdistance وَالقُربِand nearness
قُ بَينَ البُعدِ وَالقُربِ
And you are the uniter, the divider
You unite the far
between distance and nearness.
And the near
بِكَthrough you اللَهُGod تَلافىrescued الناthe people (word beginning)
بِكَ اللَهُ تَلافى النا
سَend of 'the people' بَعدَafter العَثرِstumbles وَالنَكبِand calamities
سَ بَعدَ العَثرِ وَالنَكبِ
Through you God rescued the people
Through you God makes
after stumbles and calamities,
People recover after stumbling
وَرَدَّand returned البيضَthe bright swords وَالبيضَand the fair women
وَرَدَّ البيضَ وَالبيضَ
إِلىto الأَغمادِthe scabbards وَالحُجبِand the veils
إِلى الأَغمادِ وَالحُجبِ
and returned bright swords and fair women
And sheaths swords
to their scabbards and their veils,
With your bravery in war
بِإِقدامِكَthrough your bold advance فيin الحَربِwar
بِإِقدامِكَ في الحَربِ
وَإِطعامِكَand your feeding others فيin اللَزبِfamine
وَإِطعامِكَ في اللَزبِ
through your bold advance in war
And feeding in hardship
and your feeding others in famine.
How much fear have you relieved
فَكَمso, how often أَمَّنتَyou made safe مِنfrom خَوفٍfear
فَكَم أَمَّنتَ مِن خَوفٍ
وَكَمand how much أَشغَبتَyou stirred up مِنof شَغبِturmoil
وَكَم أَشغَبتَ مِن شَغبِ
So how often you have brought safety from fear,
And how much havoc have you wreaked
and how much turmoil you have stirred;
How many worries have you solved
وَكَمand how many أَصلَحتَyou set right مِنof خَطبٍa crisis
وَكَم أَصلَحتَ مِن خَطبٍ
وَكَمand how many أَيَّمتَyou left widowed مِنof خِطبِa bride
وَكَم أَيَّمتَ مِن خِطبِ
and how many a crisis you have set right,
And how many glories have you achieved
and how many a bride you have widowed!
None tames them but
وَماand not تَمهَرُهاyou give her a dowry إِلّاexcept
وَما تَمهَرُها إِلّا
دِراكَa succession of الطَعنِthrusts وَالضَرَبِand blows
دِراكَ الطَعنِ وَالضَرَبِ
And you give her no dowry except
Your piercing and striking
thrust after thrust and blow after blow.
Through you Qahtan reached
تَناهَتattained the utmost بِكَthrough you قَحطانٌQahtan
تَناهَت بِكَ قَحطانٌ
إِلىto الغايَةِthe utmost limit وَالحَسبِand ancestral honor
إِلى الغايَةِ وَالحَسبِ
Through you Qahtan has attained
The ultimate glory
the utmost height and ancestral honor,
You missed the glory of life
فَفاتَتso it surpassed شَرَفَthe nobility of الأَحياthe tribes (word beginning)
فَفاتَت شَرَفَ الأَحيا
ءِend of 'the tribes' فَوتَas the surpassing of الرَأسِthe head لِلعَجبِover the tailbone
ءِ فَوتَ الرَأسِ لِلعَجبِ
so it surpassed the nobility of other tribes,
Like missing the head is a wonder
as the head surpasses the tailbone.
Partial English translation: 47 of 48 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1