إِذاif شِئتَyou wish يَوماًone day أَنto تَسودَlead عَشيرَةًa clan
إِذا شِئتَ يَوماً أَن تَسودَ عَشيرَةً
فَبِالحُلمِthen with forbearance سُدْlead لاnot بِالتَّسَرُّعِwith haste وَالشَّتْمِand insults
فَبِالحُلمِ سُدْ لا بِالتَّسَرُّعِ وَالشَّتْمِ
If someday you wish to become master of a clan,
If one day you wish to lead a clan,
then rule through forbearance, not through rashness and abuse.
then lead with forbearance, not with haste and insults.
وَلَلْحُلمُand indeed forbearance خَيرٌbetter فَاِعْلَمَنَّso know for certain مَغَبَّةًin outcome
وَلَلْحُلمُ خَيرٌ فَاِعْلَمَنَّ مَغَبَّةً
مِنَthan الجَهلِrash folly إِلَّاexcept أَنthat تشمسَyou bridle مِنbecause of ظُلْمِinjustice
مِنَ الجَهلِ إِلَّا أَن تشمسَ مِن ظُلْمِ
For forbearance—know this—is better in its ultimate outcome
And forbearance is indeed better in its outcome—know this well—
than folly, unless you catch a scent of injustice.
than rash folly, unless you bridle at injustice.
وَمُنتَظِريand one expecting me صَتْماًburly فَقالَthen he said رَأَيتهُI saw him
وَمُنتَظِري صَتْماً فَقالَ رَأَيتهُ
نَحيفاًthin فَقَدyet indeed أجزيI suffice عَنِin place of الرّجلthe man الصَّتْمِburly
نَحيفاً فَقَد أجزي عَنِ الرّجل الصَّتْمِ
One who awaited me expecting a hulking man said, “I found him
And one expecting me to be burly said, "I saw him
slender; yet he did the work of the great, solidly built man.”
thin"; yet I can take the place of a burly man.
رَأَتshe saw رجلاًa man قَصداًof moderate build دَعائِمَthe pillars of بَيتهhis house
رَأَت رجلاً قَصداً دَعائِمَ بَيته
طَوالٌlofty وَماand not طولُstature الأَباعِرِcamels بِالجِسْمِin bodily bulk
طَوالٌ وَما طولُ الأَباعِرِ بِالجِسْمِ
I have seen men of middling stature, each a pillar of his house,
She saw a man of moderate build, whose house's pillars
lofty in worth—for camel-height is no greatness of frame.
are lofty; camels' stature is not measured by bodily bulk.
خَليليّmy two friends إِنَّindeed الدَّارَthe dwelling غَفرٌa relapse لِذيfor one with الهَوىlove
خَليليّ إِنَّ الدَّارَ غَفرٌ لِذي الهَوى
كَماas يَغْفِرُrelapses المَحمومُthe fever-stricken one أَوor صاحِبُone suffering from الكَلْمِa wound
كَما يَغْفِرُ المَحمومُ أَو صاحِبُ الكَلْمِ
My two friends, the dwellings bring the lover’s sickness back,
My two friends, the dwelling brings the lover a relapse,
as a fevered man relapses, or one who bears a wound.
as one fever-stricken or wounded relapses.
قِفاhalt, you two فَاِسأَلاthen ask, you two عَنabout مَنزِلِthe dwelling of الحَيِّthe clan دِمنَةًa campsite's remains
قِفا فَاِسأَلا عَن مَنزِلِ الحَيِّ دِمنَةً
وَبِالأَبرَقِand at al-Abraq الباديprominent أَلِمَّاstop briefly, you two عَلىbeside رَسْمِa trace
وَبِالأَبرَقِ البادي أَلِمَّا عَلى رَسْمِ
Halt, both of you, and ask after the tribe’s abode, now a blackened ruin;
Halt, you two, and ask the ruins about the clan's dwelling;
and at al-Abraq, open to view, pause awhile over a vestige.
and at prominent al-Abraq, stop beside a trace.
أَبىrefused منزلٌa dwelling بِالبُرْقِat al-Burq أَلَّاnot to يهيجنيstir me
أَبى منزلٌ بِالبُرْقِ أَلَّا يهيجني
وَدارٌand a home لَهاof hers بَينَbetween الأَجارِعِal-Ajariʿ وَالرَّسْمِand al-Rasm
وَدارٌ لَها بَينَ الأَجارِعِ وَالرَّسْمِ
A dwelling at al-Burq could do nothing but stir me,
A dwelling at al-Burq would not leave me unstirred,
and so did an abode of hers between al-Ajāriʿ and al-Rasm.
nor would her home between al-Ajariʿ and al-Rasm.
Sol 6.1