ثِقيtrust بِجَميلin noble الصَبرpatience مِنّيfrom me عَلىin the face of الدَهرtime
ثِقي بِجَميل الصَبر مِنّي عَلى الدَهر
وَلاand do not تَثقيtrust بِالصَبرin patience مِنّيfrom me عَلىin the face of الهَجرseparation
وَلا تَثقي بِالصَبر مِنّي عَلى الهَجر
Trust in my noble patience in the face of time,
Trust in the beauty of my patience against time,
Trust in my graceful patience against the turns of Time,
But do not trust in my patience in the face of separation.
And do not trust in my patience against separation.
But do not trust my patience when it comes to separation.
أَصابَتstruck فُؤاديmy heart بَعدَafter خَمسينfifty حِجّةًyears
أَصابَت فُؤادي بَعدَ خَمسين حِجّةً
عُيونُthe eyes of الظِباءthe gazelles العُفرpale, dust-colored بالبلدin the land القَفرbarren
عُيونُ الظِباء العُفر بالبلد القَفر
After fifty years, my heart was struck
After fifty proofs, eyes of wild deer
My heart was struck, after fifty years had passed,
By the eyes of pale gazelles in the barren land.
Struck my heart in the barren, rugged land.
By the eyes of white gazelles in the desolate wasteland.
وَلستand I am not بنظّارone who keeps gazing إِلىtoward جانِبthe side of الغِنيwealth
وَلست بنظّار إِلى جانِب الغِني
إِذاwhen كانَتwas العَلياءhigh honor فيon جانِبthe side of الفَقرِpoverty
إِذا كانَت العَلياء في جانِب الفَقرِ
And I am not one to gaze toward wealth's side,
I do not look to the rich man's side
I am not one to gaze toward the side of wealth,
When high honor lies on poverty's side.
If poverty lies on the noble's side.
If high honor is found on the side of poverty.
وَلَكِنَّنيbut I مرُّbitter العَداوةin enmity واتِرٌan inflicter of wrongs
وَلَكِنَّني مرُّ العَداوة واتِرٌ
كَثيرmany ذُنوبoffenses الشِعرpoetry وَالأسَلand spears السُمرdusky
كَثير ذُنوب الشِعر وَالأسَل السُمر
But I am bitter in enmity, an inflicter of wrongs,
But I pass by enmities,
Yet I am bitter in enmity, exacting vengeance,
With many offenses committed through verse and dusky spears.
My poetry full of sins and spears with reddish points.
Burdened with the many sins of verse and tawny spears.
رَميتُI hurled بِهاwith them أَركانthe pillars of قيسِQays بنson of جحدَرٍJahdar
رَميتُ بِها أَركان قيسِ بن جحدَرٍ
فَطَحطحتُهاso I crushed them قَذفَhurling المَجانيقcatapults بالصَخرwith rocks
فَطَحطحتُها قَذفَ المَجانيق بالصَخر
I hurled them at the pillars of Qays ibn Jahdar,
I cast them at the pillars of Qays ibn Jadara
With them I struck the pillars of Qays bin Jahdar,
And crushed them as catapults do with hurled rocks.
And made them crumble as catapults do rocks.
Crushing them like rocks hurled from catapults.
وَماand not ظلمdid wrong الغوثيُّal-Ghawthi بَلrather أَناI ظالِمa wrongdoer
وَما ظلم الغوثيُّ بَل أَنا ظالِم
وَهَلand could? كانَwas فَرخُa chick الماءِof the water يُثبِتstand firm للصقرagainst the falcon
وَهَل كانَ فَرخُ الماءِ يُثبِت للصقر
Al-Ghawthi did no wrong; rather, I am the wrongdoer.
The Gauthi was not unjust; rather, I was unjust.
The Ghawthi was not unjust; nay, I am the oppressor,
And could a waterbird's chick ever stand firm against a falcon?
Could the chick of water establish the falcon?
For can a water-chick stand firm against a hawk?
أَلاindeed إِنَّماonly أَبكيI weep عَلىover الشِعرpoetry أَنَّنيbecause I
أَلا إِنَّما أَبكي عَلى الشِعر أَنَّني
أَرىI see كلevery وَطواطbat يُزاحِمjostles فيin الشعرpoetry
أَرى كل وَطواط يُزاحِم في الشعر
Indeed, I weep for poetry only because I
Oh how I weep for poetry! For I see
Truly, I only weep for the state of poetry because
See every bat jostling for a place in poetry.
Every lizard vying in poetry,
I see every bat crowding into the realm of verse.
ومنand from دونهin front of him بحرa sea وَلَيلand a night يَلُفّهenfolds him
ومن دونه بحر وَلَيل يَلُفّه
فَماso what ظَنُّهhis expectation بِاللَيلof night فيin لُجّةthe depths of البَحرthe sea
فَما ظَنُّه بِاللَيل في لُجّة البَحر
And before him lies a sea, and night enfolds him.
With an ocean below him and night enfolding him.
Before it lies a sea, and a night that enshrouds it;
So what does he expect of night in the depths of the sea?
What does he think of night in the ocean's darkness?
How will he fare with the night in the depths of the sea?
إِلَيكمstand back, you all إِلَيكمstand back, you all عَنfrom لُؤيّLu'ayy بنson of غالِبGhalib
إِلَيكم إِلَيكم عَن لُؤيّ بن غالِب
فَإِنَّfor indeed لُؤيّاًLu'ayy لاnot تَبيتspends the night عَلىwith الوِترan unavenged wrong
فَإِنَّ لُؤيّاً لا تَبيت عَلى الوِتر
Back! Back from Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib!
To you, to you about Lu'ayy ibn Ghalib -
Away, keep away from Lu'ayy bin Ghalib!
For Lu'ayy does not sleep with a wrong unavenged.
Lu'ayy does not spend the night frustrated!
For Lu'ayy does not sleep while vengeance remains unpaid.
دَعواleave alone الحَيَّةthe serpent النَضناضtongue-flicking لاdo not تَعرِضواinterfere لَهاwith her
دَعوا الحَيَّة النَضناض لا تَعرِضوا لَها
فَإِنَّfor indeed المَناياdeaths بَينَbetween أَنيابهاher fangs الخضرgreen
فَإِنَّ المَنايا بَينَ أَنيابها الخضر
Leave the tongue-flicking serpent alone; do not interfere with her,
Leave the hissing snake alone, do not expose it -
Leave the hissing serpent be; do not cross its path,
For death lies between her green fangs.
For death lies between its green fangs.
For surely death lies between its dark fangs.
Sol 6.1