النَّاسُpeople مِنْamong خَوَليmy retainers وَالدَّهْرُand Time مِنْamong خَدَميmy servants
النَّاسُ مِنْ خَوَلي وَالدَّهْرُ مِنْ خَدَمي
وَقِمةُand the summit النَّجْمِof the star عِنْدِيto me مَوْطِئُa foothold القَدَمِof the foot
وَقِمةُ النَّجْمِ عِنْدِي مَوْطِئُ القَدَمِ
People are among my retainers, and Time among my servants.
People shy away from me, and time is my servant,
And the star's summit is, to me, a foothold.
The summit of a star is where I place my feet.
وَلِلْبَيانand for eloquence لِسانيmy tongue وَالنَّدىand bounty خَضِلٌmoist
وَلِلْبَيان لِساني وَالنَّدى خَضِلٌ
بِهِwith it يَديmy hand وَالعُلاand heights of glory يُخْلَقْنَare created مِنْfrom شِيَميmy virtues
بِهِ يَدي وَالعُلا يُخْلَقْنَ مِنْ شِيَمي
And my tongue serves eloquence, and bounty moistens
Eloquence is my tongue, and dew my ornament,
My hand, and the heights of glory are fashioned from my virtues.
With it my hand excels, and glory is my nature.
فَأَيْنَwhere, then مِثْلُthe equal of أَبيmy father فيamong العُرْبِthe Arabs قاطِبَةًall together
فَأَيْنَ مِثْلُ أَبي في العُرْبِ قاطِبَةً
وَمَنْand who كَخاليَlike my maternal uncle فيamong صُيّابَةِthe elite of الَعَجِمthe non-Arabs
وَمَنْ كَخاليَ في صُيّابَةِ الَعَجِم
Where, then, among all the Arabs is my father's equal?
Where in all Arabia was there one like my father?
And who among the elite of the non-Arabs is like my maternal uncle?
Or anyone like my uncle among non-Arabs?
وَالنَّسْرُand the vulture يَتْبَعُfollows سَيْفِيmy sword حِينَwhen يَلْحَظُهُcatches sight of it
وَالنَّسْرُ يَتْبَعُ سَيْفِي حِينَ يَلْحَظُهُ
وَالدَّهْرُand Time يُنْشِدُrecites ماwhat يَهْميpours forth بِهِwith it قَلَميmy pen
وَالدَّهْرُ يُنْشِدُ ما يَهْمي بِهِ قَلَمي
And the vulture follows my sword when it catches sight of it.
The eagle follows my sword when it discerns it,
And Time recites whatever my pen pours forth.
And fate recites what flows from my pen.
لَوْif صِيَغتِwere fashioned الأَرْضُthe earth ليfor me دُونَto the exclusion of الوَرىhumankind ذَهَباًas gold
لَوْ صِيَغتِ الأَرْضُ لي دُونَ الوَرى ذَهَباً
لَمْnot تَرْضَهاbe satisfied with it لِمُرَجِّيfor one hoping for نائِليmy bounty هِمَمِيmy aspirations
لَمْ تَرْضَها لِمُرَجِّي نائِلي هِمَمِي
If the earth were fashioned of gold for me alone,
If the earth were remolded into gold for me,
My aspirations would not deem it enough for one hoping for my bounty.
It would not satisfy the hopes of my aspirations.
وَعَنْand after قَليلٍa short while أُرَىI shall be seen فيin مَأْزِقٍa narrow battleground حَرِجٍconstricted
وَعَنْ قَليلٍ أُرَى في مَأْزِقٍ حَرِجٍ
بِهِin it تُشامُare sheathed السُّرَيْجيّاتُthe Surayji swords فيin القِمَمِthe heads
بِهِ تُشامُ السُّرَيْجيّاتُ في القِمَمِ
And soon I shall be seen in the close press of battle,
Yet for little I see myself caught in dire straits,
Where Surayji swords are sheathed in heads.
With which the mounts are charged in the summits.
وَالبيضُand the fair women مُرْدَفَةٌmounted behind riders تَبْدوshow خَلاخِلُهاtheir anklets
وَالبيضُ مُرْدَفَةٌ تَبْدو خَلاخِلُها
فيon مَسْلَكِa path وَحِلٍmuddy مِنْfrom عَبْرَةٍtears وَدَمِand blood
في مَسْلَكِ وَحِلٍ مِنْ عَبْرَةٍ وَدَمِ
And the fair women are mounted behind riders, their anklets showing
The white camels appear with their litters,
On a path muddied with tears and blood.
On a terrain of bog and blood from weeping.
فَالمَجْدُfor glory فيon صَهَواتِthe backs of الخَيْلِhorses مَطلَبُهُits place of pursuit
فَالمَجْدُ في صَهَواتِ الخَيْلِ مَطلَبُهُ
وَالعِزُّand honor فيin ظُبَةِthe edge of الصَّمْصامَةِthe keen sword الخَذِمِcleaving
وَالعِزُّ في ظُبَةِ الصَّمْصامَةِ الخَذِمِ
For glory is sought upon the backs of horses,
Glory lies in the neighing of the steed,
And honor lies in the edge of the keen, cleaving sword.
And honor in the herds with severed humps.
Sol 6.1