لاnot الدَهرُtime مُستَنفَذٌexhausted وَلاnor عَجَبُهits wonders
لا الدَهرُ مُستَنفَذٌ وَلا عَجَبُه
تَسومُناinflict upon us الخَسفَhumiliation كُلَّهُall of it نَوَبُهits calamities
تَسومُنا الخَسفَ كُلَّهُ نَوَبُه
Neither time nor its wonders are exhausted.
Its calamities inflict every humiliation upon us.
نالَhas won الرِضاapproval مادِحٌa praiser وَمُمتَدَحٌand one praised
نالَ الرِضا مادِحٌ وَمُمتَدَحٌ
فَقُلso say لِهَذاto this الأَميرِprince ماwhat is غَضَبُهhis anger
فَقُل لِهَذا الأَميرِ ما غَضَبُه
A praiser and the praised have won approval;
so ask this prince: why is he angry?
مُكَثِّراًtalking at length يَبتَغيhe seeks تَهَضُّماًbelittlement
مُكَثِّراً يَبتَغي تَهَضُّماً
بِذيthrough the possessor of اليَمينَينِthe two right hands كاذِباًbeing false لَقَبُهhis epithet
بِذي اليَمينَينِ كاذِباً لَقَبُه
Talking at length, he seeks to belittle us
through Dhu al-Yaminayn, whose epithet is false.
وَذوand the possessor of اليَمينَينِthe two right hands غَيرُnot ناصِرِهِhis defender
وَذو اليَمينَينِ غَيرُ ناصِرِهِ
مِنfrom نُكَتِthe barbs of الشِعرِpoetry أُثقِبَتwere set ablaze شُهُبُهits meteors
مِن نُكَتِ الشِعرِ أُثقِبَت شُهُبُه
Nor will Dhu al-Yaminayn protect him
from the barbs of verse, whose meteors are kindled.
إِذاwhen أَخذتَyou take up العَصاthe staff تَواكَلَكَleave you unaided الـthe—
إِذا أَخذتَ العَصا تَواكَلَكَ الـ
ـأَنصارُ—supporters إِلّاexcept ماwhat قُمتَyou set about تَقتَضِبُهcutting it
ـأَنصارُ إِلّا ما قُمتَ تَقتَضِبُه
When you take up the staff, you are abandoned by the
supporters, save what you set about cutting yourself.
وَنَحنُand we مَنthose who لاnot تُطالُis reached هَضبَتُهُhis crag
وَنَحنُ مَن لا تُطالُ هَضبَتُهُ
وَإِنand even if أَنافَتraise high بِفاخِرٍa boaster رُتَبُهhis ranks
وَإِن أَنافَت بِفاخِرٍ رُتَبُه
And we are those whose crag cannot be reached,
even if a boaster's ranks lift him high.
لَوif أَعرَبَspoke plainly النَجمُthe star عَنof مَناقِبِهِits virtues
لَو أَعرَبَ النَجمُ عَن مَناقِبِهِ
لَمwould not يَتَجاوَزsurpass أَحسابُناour ancestral honors حَسَبُهits ancestral honor
لَم يَتَجاوَز أَحسابُنا حَسَبُه
If the star spoke of its virtues,
its ancestral honor would not surpass ours.
لَولاwere it not for غَراميmy passion بِالعَفوِfor pardon قَدalready لَقِيَwould have met الظـthe wrong—
لَولا غَرامي بِالعَفوِ قَد لَقِيَ الظـ
ـالِمُ—doer شَرّاًevil وَساءَand was wretched مُنقَلَبُهhis end
ـالِمُ شَرّاً وَساءَ مُنقَلَبُه
Were it not for my love of pardon, the wrongdoer would have met
evil, and his end would have been wretched.
إِذاwhen أَرابَcauses alarm الزَمانُtime مُعتَمِداًdeliberately
إِذا أَرابَ الزَمانُ مُعتَمِداً
إِنكاسُthe reversal of حَذّيmy fortune (uncertain reading) سَأَلتُI ask ماwhat is أَرَبُهits purpose
إِنكاسُ حَذّي سَأَلتُ ما أَرَبُه
When time alarms me, intent
on overturning my fortune, I ask what it seeks.
وَكانَand it was حَقّاًa duty عَلَيَّupon me أَفعَلُهُI perform it
وَكانَ حَقّاً عَلَيَّ أَفعَلُهُ
إِذاwhen تَأَبّىholds aloof الصَديقُthe friend أَجتَنِبُهI avoid him
إِذا تَأَبّى الصَديقُ أَجتَنِبُه
And I fulfill what is rightfully incumbent upon me:
when a friend holds aloof, I avoid him.
وَالنِصفُand fair dealing مِنّيfrom me مَتىwhenever سَمَحتُI am generous بِهِwith it
وَالنِصفُ مِنّي مَتى سَمَحتُ بِهِ
مَعَwith اِقتِداريmy power تَطَوُّلاًas a favor أَهَبُهI bestow it
مَعَ اِقتِداري تَطَوُّلاً أَهَبُه
And fair dealing from me, whenever I grant it,
while I hold the power, I bestow as a favor.
وَخيرَتيand my choice عَقلُthe reason of صاحِبيmy companion فَمَتىbut whenever
وَخيرَتي عَقلُ صاحِبي فَمَتى
سُقتُI drive القَوافيthe rhymes فَخيرَتيthen my choice أَدَبُهhis literary skill
سُقتُ القَوافي فَخيرَتي أَدَبُه
My choice is my companion's reason; but whenever
I drive the rhymes, my choice is his literary skill.
وَالعَقلُand reason مِنfrom صَنعَةٍcraft وَتَجرُبَةٍand experience
وَالعَقلُ مِن صَنعَةٍ وَتَجرُبَةٍ
شَكلانِtwo forms مَولودُهُits inborn form وَمُكتَسَبُهand its acquired form
شَكلانِ مَولودُهُ وَمُكتَسَبُه
Reason, through craft and experience,
has two forms: inborn and acquired.
كَلَّفتُموناyou imposed on us حُدودَthe definitions of مَنطِقِكُمyour logic
كَلَّفتُمونا حُدودَ مَنطِقِكُم
فيin الشِعرِpoetry يُلغىis set aside عَنfrom صِدقِهِits truth كَذِبُهits falsehood
في الشِعرِ يُلغى عَن صِدقِهِ كَذِبُه
You burden us with the definitions of your logic
in poetry, whose falsehood is set aside from its truth.
وَلَمand did not يَكُنbe ذوthe man with القُروحِthe sores يَلهَجُdwell continually بِالـon the—
وَلَم يَكُن ذو القُروحِ يَلهَجُ بِالـ
ـمَنطِقِ—logic ماwhat is نَوعُهُits kind وَماand what is سَبَبُهits cause
ـمَنطِقِ ما نَوعُهُ وَما سَبَبُه
Yet Dhu al-Quruh was not forever engrossed in
logic: 'What is its kind, and what its cause?'
وَالشِعرُand poetry لَمحٌa flash تَكفيsuffices إِشارَتُهُits hint
وَالشِعرُ لَمحٌ تَكفي إِشارَتُهُ
وَلَيسَand it is not بِالهَذرِrambling talk طُوِّلَتare drawn out خُطَبُهits speeches
وَلَيسَ بِالهَذرِ طُوِّلَت خُطَبُه
Poetry is a flash: its hint suffices;
it is not rambling talk with long-drawn speeches.
لَوif أَنَّthat ذاكَthat الشَريفَnobleman وازَنَhad compared بَيـbe—
لَو أَنَّ ذاكَ الشَريفَ وازَنَ بَيـ
ـنَ—tween اللَفظِwords وَاِختارَand chosen لَمwould not يَقُلhave said شَجَبُهhis grief
ـنَ اللَفظِ وَاِختارَ لَم يَقُل شَجَبُه
Had that nobleman compared
words and chosen well, he would not have said 'shajabuhu' ('his grief').
وَاللَفظَand wording حُليُthe adornment of المَعنىmeaning لَيسَdoes not يُريـshow—
وَاللَفظَ حُليُ المَعنى لَيسَ يُريـ
ـكَ—you الصُفرُbrass حُسناًbeauty يُريكَهُshows it to you ذَهَبُهits gold
ـكَ الصُفرُ حُسناً يُريكَهُ ذَهَبُه
Wording is meaning's jewelry; you are not shown
by brass the beauty that its gold reveals to you.
أَجلىhe drove out لُصوصَthe thieves of البِلادِthe land يَطلُبُهُمpursuing them
أَجلى لُصوصَ البِلادِ يَطلُبُهُم
وَباتَand became لِصَّa thief of القَريضِpoetry يَنتَهِبُهplundering it
وَباتَ لِصَّ القَريضِ يَنتَهِبُه
He drove out the land's thieves, pursuing them,
yet became a thief of poetry, plundering it.
قاتَلتَناyou fought us بِالسِلاحِwith weaponry تَملِكُهُyou possess it
قاتَلتَنا بِالسِلاحِ تَملِكُهُ
مُعتَزِياًboasting بِالعَديدِof the host تَنتَخِبُهyou select it
مُعتَزِياً بِالعَديدِ تَنتَخِبُه
You fought us with weapons you possess,
boasting of the host you select.
أُردُدreturn عَلَيناto us الَّذيwhat اِستَعَرتَyou borrowed وَقُلand speak
أُردُد عَلَينا الَّذي اِستَعَرتَ وَقُل
قَولُكَyour own words يُعرَفmay be known لِغالِبٍfor a victor غَلَبُهhis victory
قَولُكَ يُعرَف لِغالِبٍ غَلَبُه
Return to us what you borrowed, and speak
your own words, so the victor's victory may be known.
أَمّاas for اِبنُIbn (son of) بِسطامِكَyour Bistam الَّذيwhom ظَلتَyou kept تُطـyou ex—
أَمّا اِبنُ بِسطامِكَ الَّذي ظَلتَ تُطـ
ـريهِ—tol him فَغَيثٌthen he is rain يُغيثَناbrings us relief حَلَبُهits milking
ـريهِ فَغَيثٌ يُغيثَنا حَلَبُه
As for your Ibn Bistam, whom you have kept
extolling, he is rain whose milking brings us relief.
أَزهَرُradiant يَتلوfollows لِسانَهُhis tongue يَدَهُhis hand
أَزهَرُ يَتلو لِسانَهُ يَدَهُ
سَومَthe march of جُمادىJumada يَحدوdrives with song بِهِit رَجَبُهhis Rajab
سَومَ جُمادى يَحدو بِهِ رَجَبُه
A radiant man, whose tongue follows his hand,
like Jumada's march, his Rajab chanting it onward.
لاnot يَرتَضيis content with البِشرُcheerfulness يَومَon the day of سُؤدُدِهِhis glory
لا يَرتَضي البِشرُ يَومَ سُؤدُدِهِ
أَوuntil يَتَعَدّىsurpasses إِشراقَهُhis radiance لَهَبُهhis blaze
أَو يَتَعَدّى إِشراقَهُ لَهَبُه
He is not content with a smile in his hour of glory,
until his blaze outstrips his radiance.
فَإِنso if تَعَلَّيتَyou aspire higher فَالمُوَفَّقُthen al-Muwaffaq (granted success) بِاللَـby Al—
فَإِن تَعَلَّيتَ فَالمُوَفَّقُ بِاللَـ
ـهِ—lah (God) مَرادُthe one desired by النَدىgenerosity وَمُطَّلِبُهand its seeker
ـهِ مَرادُ النَدى وَمُطَّلِبُه
If you aspire higher, al-Muwaffaq, aided by
God, is generosity's desire and its seeker.
كالِىءُguardian of ثَغرِthe frontier of الإِسلامِIslam يَرفِدُهُsustains him
كالِىءُ ثَغرِ الإِسلامِ يَرفِدُهُ
جِدُّthe earnestness of اِمرِىءٍa man لاnot يَشوبُهُtaints it لَعِبُهhis play
جِدُّ اِمرِىءٍ لا يَشوبُهُ لَعِبُه
Guardian of Islam's frontier, he is sustained
by a man's earnestness, untainted by his play.
فَحائِنُso the doomed man of الزَنجِthe Zanj مُجمِعٌresolved upon هَرَباًflight
فَحائِنُ الزَنجِ مُجمِعٌ هَرَباً
إِنif كانَwere to يُنجوsave بِحائِنٍa doomed man هَرَبُهhis flight
إِن كانَ يُنجو بِحائِنٍ هَرَبُه
So the doomed man of the Zanj is resolved to flee,
if his flight can save a doomed man.
لاnot يَأمَنُhe trusts البَرَّthe land مُفضِياًlying open كَنَفٌa flank
لا يَأمَنُ البَرَّ مُفضِياً كَنَفٌ
مِنهُof it وَلاnor البَحرَthe sea طامِياًswelling high حَدَبُهits crests
مِنهُ وَلا البَحرَ طامِياً حَدَبُه
He trusts neither the land, though its flank lies open,
nor the sea, its crests surging high.
ماnot اِختارَhe chose أَمراًa course إِلّاexcept that تَوَهَّمَهُhe imagined it
ما اِختارَ أَمراً إِلّا تَوَهَّمَهُ
رَداهُhis ruin أَوor ظَنَّhe thought أَنَّهُthat it was عَطَبُهhis destruction
رَداهُ أَو ظَنَّ أَنَّهُ عَطَبُه
He has chosen no course without imagining it
his ruin, or supposing it his destruction.
Sol 6.1