رَعىmay guard اللهُGod نَفْسيmy soul ماhow أَشَدَّintense اصْطبارَهاits patient endurance
رَعى اللهُ نَفْسي ما أَشَدَّ اصْطبارَها
وَلوand if طَلَبَتْit sought غَيْرَother than العُلاhigh honor ماnot تَعَنَّتِit suffered hardship
وَلو طَلَبَتْ غَيْرَ العُلا ما تَعَنَّتِ
May God guard my soul—how great its endurance!
My soul, how patient it has been
And had it sought anything but high honor, it would not have suffered hardship.
Had it sought aught but the sublime, it would have protested
إِذاwhen ذُكِرَis mentioned المَجْدُglory التَّليدُancestral تَلَفَّتَتْit turned to look
إِذا ذُكِرَ المَجْدُ التَّليدُ تَلَفَّتَتْ
إِليهِtoward it بِعَيْنَيْwith the two eyes of ثاكِلٍa bereaved parent وَأَرَنَّتِand it wailed
إِليهِ بِعَيْنَيْ ثاكِلٍ وَأَرَنَّتِ
When ancestral glory is mentioned, it turns
When lasting glory was recalled, it looked about
toward it with a bereaved parent's eyes, and wails.
With the eyes of a bereft mother, and was gentle
فَليتَso would that اعْتِراضَthe obstruction of اليَأْسِdespair دونَin the way of رَجائِهاits hope
فَليتَ اعْتِراضَ اليَأْسِ دونَ رَجائِها
ثَنىblunted غَرْبَهاits edge أَوْor أَدْرَكَتْit attained ماwhat تَمَنَّتِit wished for
ثَنى غَرْبَها أَوْ أَدْرَكَتْ ما تَمَنَّتِ
Would that despair, standing in the way of its hope,
Would that despair's onslaught had spared its hopes
had blunted its edge, or that it had attained what it wished for.
Or that its sunset had bent, or it had attained its wishes
وَلولاand were it not for دَواعيthe promptings of هِمَّةٍambition أُمَوِيَّةٍUmayyad
وَلولا دَواعي هِمَّةٍ أُمَوِيَّةٍ
تُذَكِّرُهاremind it of أجْدادَهاits ancestors لاطْمَأَنَّتِit would have found peace
تُذَكِّرُها أجْدادَها لاطْمَأَنَّتِ
And but for the promptings of Umayyad ambition,
Were it not for the motives of Umayyad determination
reminding it of its ancestors, it would have found peace.
Reminding it of its forebears, it would have been tranquil
تَحِنُّit yearns إِلىfor حَرْبٍwar أَخُوضُI plunge into غِمارَهاits depths
تَحِنُّ إِلى حَرْبٍ أَخُوضُ غِمارَها
بِجُرْدٍon sleek steeds يُبارِينَthey vie with القَناthe spears فيin الأَعِنَّةِthe reins
بِجُرْدٍ يُبارِينَ القَنا في الأَعِنَّةِ
It yearns for war, into whose depths I plunge
It yearns for a battle I plunge into its depths
on sleek steeds that vie with spears under rein,
With a troop that rivals the lances in their sharp tips
وَيَوْمٍand a day عَبُوسٍscowling ضَيِّقٍcramped حَجَراتُهُits confines
وَيَوْمٍ عَبُوسٍ ضَيِّقٍ حَجَراتُهُ
تُضاحِكُهُsmile at it تَحْتَbeneath العَجَاجِthe swirling dust أَسِنَّتِيmy spearheads
تُضاحِكُهُ تَحْتَ العَجَاجِ أَسِنَّتِي
and for a scowling day with cramped confines,
And on a day, somber, straitened, whose sides
at which my spearheads smile beneath the swirling dust.
Laugh at it beneath the horse armor, my tongues
وَلَمَّاand when رَأَتْit saw أَنّthat الثَّراَءwealth يَخُونُهاbetrays it
وَلَمَّا رَأَتْ أَنّ الثَّراَء يَخُونُها
لَوَتْit turned جِيدَهاits neck عَماaway from what تَمنَّتْit wished for وَظَنَّتِand it expected
لَوَتْ جِيدَها عَما تَمنَّتْ وَظَنَّتِ
And when it saw that wealth was betraying it,
And when it saw that fortune betrayed it
it turned its neck away from what it had wished for and expected.
It folded its hand from what it wished and thought
وَماand not اسْتَهْدَفَتْit made itself a target لِلْذُّلِّfor humiliation حينَwhen تَكَدَّرَتْgrew bitter
وَما اسْتَهْدَفَتْ لِلْذُّلِّ حينَ تَكَدَّرَتْ
عَلَيْهاupon it اللَّياليthe nights فَالقَناعَةُfor contentment جُنَّتيmy shield
عَلَيْها اللَّيالي فَالقَناعَةُ جُنَّتي
Nor did it make itself a target for humiliation when bitter grew
It did not aim for humiliation when the nights grew turbulent
the nights upon it—for contentment is my shield.
So contentment is my armor
Sol 6.1