لَعَمْرُby the life of أَبيmy father وَهْوَand he is ابْنُthe son of مَنْthe one whom تَعْرِفونَهُyou know him
لَعَمْرُ أَبي وَهْوَ ابْنُ مَنْ تَعْرِفونَهُ
لقَدْindeed ذَلَّwas brought low عِرْضٌhonor لَمْnot يَصُنْهُguard it إِباءُproud defiance
لقَدْ ذَلَّ عِرْضٌ لَمْ يَصُنْهُ إِباءُ
By my father's life—he is the son of one you know—
By the life of my father, who is the son of one whom you know
honor unguarded by proud defiance has indeed been brought low.
Honor has been debased, unprotected by restraint
أَيَقْتَادُنيdoes it lead me? نَحْوَtoward الدَّنِيَّةِbaseness مَطْمَعٌhope of gain
أَيَقْتَادُني نَحْوَ الدَّنِيَّةِ مَطْمَعٌ
عَلَيَّupon me إِذاًthen إِنْif لَمْnot أَذَرْهُabandon it عَفَاءُruin
عَلَيَّ إِذاً إِنْ لَمْ أَذَرْهُ عَفَاءُ
Would a hope of gain lead me toward baseness?
Does greed lead me towards baseness?
Then let ruin fall upon me if I do not abandon it!
Then shame on me if I do not spurn it
لَوَتْturned طَرَفَيْthe two ends of حَبْليmy rope عَنِaway from الذُّلِّabasement هِمَّةٌlofty resolve
لَوَتْ طَرَفَيْ حَبْلي عَنِ الذُّلِّ هِمَّةٌ
لَهاfor it بِمَناطِat the hanging-place of الشِّعْرَيَيْنِthe two Shiʿrā stars ثَواءُa dwelling
لَها بِمَناطِ الشِّعْرَيَيْنِ ثَواءُ
Both ends of my rope were turned away from abasement by lofty resolve,
My eyes would have turned from degradation but for my aspiring soul
which dwells where the two Shiʿrā stars hang,
It found refuge in the hair at my temples
وَحَيٌّand a clan إِذاwhen الأَنْسابُlineages أَظْلَمَgrew dark لَيْلُهاtheir night
وَحَيٌّ إِذا الأَنْسابُ أَظْلَمَ لَيْلُها
تَبَلَّجَbroke forth brightly عَنهمْfrom them صُبْحُهاtheir dawn فَأَضاؤواand so they shone
تَبَلَّجَ عَنهمْ صُبْحُها فَأَضاؤوا
and by a clan—when the night of lineages darkens,
Noble stock whose lineage the night has darkened
their dawn breaks forth from that clan, and so its people shine.
Their dawn shone out and illuminated them
نَمانِيَgave me my lineage مِنْهُمْamong them كُلُّevery أَبْيَضَfair ماجِدٍnoble
نَمانِيَ مِنْهُمْ كُلُّ أَبْيَضَ ماجِدٍ
علىupon صَفْحَتَيْهِhis two cheeks بَهْجَةٌradiance وَحَياءُand modesty
على صَفْحَتَيْهِ بَهْجَةٌ وَحَياءُ
Each fair and noble man among them gave me my lineage,
I have seen among them every majestic white knight
his two cheeks bearing radiance and modesty,
Bright joy and modesty on his cheeks
أَغَرُّradiant كَماءِlike the water of المُزْنِrainclouds أُخْلِصَwas made pure نَجْرُهُhis lineage
أَغَرُّ كَماءِ المُزْنِ أُخْلِصَ نَجْرُهُ
وَلَمْand not يتَوَّركْlay claim to والِدَيْهِhis two parents إِماءُslave women
وَلَمْ يتَوَّركْ والِدَيْهِ إِماءُ
radiant as raincloud water, his lineage pure,
Pure like water sealed with musk, his valor unadulterated
and no slave women laid claim to either of his parents.
His mother bore no sons to serve as slaves
يَخوضُhe wades into إِذَاwhen ماemphatic particle الحَرْبُwar بَزَّتْstripped off قِناعَهاher veil
يَخوضُ إِذَا ما الحَرْبُ بَزَّتْ قِناعَها
حِياضَthe pools of الرَّدىdeath وَالمَشْرَفِيُّand the Mashrafi sword رِداءُa cloak
حِياضَ الرَّدى وَالمَشْرَفِيُّ رِداءُ
He wades, when war strips off her veil,
When war bares its fangs, he plunges in
into the pools of death, a Mashrafi sword his cloak.
Clothed in the raiment of steadfastness and nobility
وَيَعْتادُهُand visits him عِنْدَat الندىgenerosity أَرْيَحِيَّةٌgenerous elation
وَيَعْتادُهُ عِنْدَ الندى أَرْيَحِيَّةٌ
كَماjust as هَزَّswayed أَعْطافَthe sides of الخَليعِthe libertine طِلاءُwine
كَما هَزَّ أَعْطافَ الخَليعِ طِلاءُ
And a generous elation visits him when he gives,
And in times of peace, he is most gentle
as wine sets a libertine's sides swaying.
As the waving of a loose garment’s hem sways gently
وَيَرْوَىand drinks his fill إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle أَمْكَنَbecame possible الوِرْدُwatering جارُناour neighbor
وَيَرْوَى إِذا ما أَمْكَنَ الوِرْدُ جارُنا
وَأذْوادُناand our camel herds صُعْرُturned aside الخُدودِthe cheeks ظِماءُthirsty
وَأذْوادُنا صُعْرُ الخُدودِ ظِماءُ
And our neighbor drinks his fill whenever watering is possible,
When love flowers, he and his boon companions
while our camel herds thirst, their cheeks turned aside.
Slim waisted, their cheeks glowing with thirst
وَيَحْلُبُand he milks فيناamong us العَيْشَlife وُسْعَthe full capacity of إِنائِهِhis vessel
وَيَحْلُبُ فينا العَيْشَ وُسْعَ إِنائِهِ
وَيُرْضِعُهُand suckles him دَرَّthe flowing milk of النَّعيمِease ثَراءُwealth
وَيُرْضِعُهُ دَرَّ النَّعيمِ ثَراءُ
And among us he milks life to his vessel's full capacity,
He milks sustenance for us, the breadth of his vessel
and wealth suckles him with the flowing milk of ease.
Nurturing it with the affluence of bliss
وَيَرْعَىand he grazes حِمانَاour protected pasture مُطْمَئِناًtranquil جَنانُهُhis heart
وَيَرْعَى حِمانَا مُطْمَئِناً جَنانُهُ
لَهُfor him مِنْfrom ظُباthe edges of أَسْيافِناour swords خُفَراءُguardians
لَهُ مِنْ ظُبا أَسْيافِنا خُفَراءُ
And he grazes in our protected pasture, his heart at peace;
Confident, his soul tranquil, he pastures our sanctuaries
he has guardians in the edges of our swords.
Protected by the keen swords of our warriors
وَنَحْنُand we إِلىtoward الدّاعِيthe caller سِراعٌswift وفيand in الخَنىfoul speech
وَنَحْنُ إِلى الدّاعِي سِراعٌ وفي الخَنى
يَهُزُّstirs مَقاريفَthe baseborn among الرِّجالِmen بِطاءُslow
يَهُزُّ مَقاريفَ الرِّجالِ بِطاءُ
And we are swift to the caller, but toward foul speech
And we rush to defend those who call for aid; in battle
that stirs the baseborn among men, we are slow.
The gait of men pounds with slow heaviness
فَماso not سَكَّنَتْناsubdued us لِلْهوانِto humiliation خَصاصَةٌpoverty
فَما سَكَّنَتْنا لِلْهوانِ خَصاصَةٌ
وَلاnor حَرَّكَتْناstirred us فيin الغِنىwealth خُيَلاءُarrogance
وَلا حَرَّكَتْنا في الغِنى خُيَلاءُ
So poverty has not subdued us to humiliation,
No dishonor has tempted us to cowardice
nor, in wealth, has arrogance stirred us.
Nor has fortune stirred in us arrogance
Sol 6.1