لَيسَis not الزَمانُtime بِمُعتِبٍone to make amends فَذَرينيso leave me be
لَيسَ الزَمانُ بِمُعتِبٍ فَذَريني
أَرميI confront تَجَهُّمَthe scowling خَطبِهِof its calamity بِجَبينيwith my brow
أَرمي تَجَهُّمَ خَطبِهِ بِجَبيني
Time grants no redress, so let me be;
I meet its calamity's scowl with my brow.
وَخذُthe swift pace القِلاصِof the young she-camels يَرُدُّنيwill bring me back لَكِto you بِالغِنىwith wealth
وَخذُ القِلاصِ يَرُدُّني لَكِ بِالغِنى
فيin بَعضِsome of ذاthis التَطوافِwandering أَوor يُردينيwill kill me
في بَعضِ ذا التَطوافِ أَو يُرديني
The young she-camels' swift pace will bring me back to you with wealth,
On one of these wanderings—or bring me to my death.
وَالرِزقُand sustenance لِليَقِظِfor the vigilant المُشَيَّعِstrengthened رَأيُهُhis judgment
وَالرِزقُ لِليَقِظِ المُشَيَّعِ رَأيُهُ
بِالعَزمِby resolve لالِلعاجِزِnot for the helpless المَأفونِthe feeble-minded
بِالعَزمِ لالِلعاجِزِ المَأفونِ
And sustenance is for the vigilant, whose judgment is strengthened
By resolve, not for the helpless fool.
لَولاwere it not for أَبوAbu إِسحاقَIshaq لَمnot أَلحَقI would have caught up بِمَنwith those
لَولا أَبو إِسحاقَ لَم أَلحَق بِمَن
فَوقيabove me وَلَمnor أَفضُلI would have excelled عَلىover مَنthose دونيbelow me
فَوقي وَلَم أَفضُل عَلى مَن دوني
Were it not for Abu Ishaq, I would not have caught up with those
Above me, nor surpassed those below me.
أَقسَمتُI have sworn لاnot يَخشىfears الحَوادِثَcalamities جارُهُhis neighbor
أَقسَمتُ لا يَخشى الحَوادِثَ جارُهُ
وَيَمينُهُand his right hand قَمِنٌwell able بِبِرِّto fulfill يَمينيmy oath
وَيَمينُهُ قَمِنٌ بِبِرِّ يَميني
I have sworn: his neighbor need fear no calamities,
And his right hand is well able to fulfill my oath.
سَمحُgenerous اليَدَينِof both hands لَهُhe has أَيادٍfavors جَمَّةٌabundant
سَمحُ اليَدَينِ لَهُ أَيادٍ جَمَّةٌ
عِنديtoward me وَمَنٌّand bounty لَيسَis not بِالمَمنونِcut off
عِندي وَمَنٌّ لَيسَ بِالمَمنونِ
Open-handed, he has bestowed abundant favors
On me, and bounty that is never cut off.
وَلَقَدand indeed بَعَثتُI sent لَهُto him الثَناءَpraise فَلَمyet did not يَقُمmeasure up
وَلَقَد بَعَثتُ لَهُ الثَناءَ فَلَم يَقُم
جُهدُthe utmost effort of الثَناءِpraise بِعَفوِwith the effortless part of ماwhat يولينيhe bestows on me
جُهدُ الثَناءِ بِعَفوِ ما يوليني
I have indeed sent him praise, yet never has
The utmost praise matched his effortless gifts to me.
جودٌgenerosity يَبُذُّoutstrips الغَيثَthe rain أَحفَلَat its fullest ماwhen جَرَتflowed
جودٌ يَبُذُّ الغَيثَ أَحفَلَ ما جَرَت
بِسِجالِهِwith its bucketfuls فِيَقُrainbursts of السَحابِthe clouds الجونِthe dark
بِسِجالِهِ فِيَقُ السَحابِ الجونِ
Generosity that outstrips rain at its most abundant,
When the dark clouds' showers pour forth its bucketfuls.
أَنّىhow يَكونُcan there be لَهُfor it اتِّصالٌcontinuity فيin النَدىgenerosity
أَنّى يَكونُ لَهُ اتِّصالٌ في النَدى
وَوُقوعُهُwhile it falls فيat الحينِone time بَعدَafter الحينِanother time
وَوُقوعُهُ في الحينِ بَعدَ الحينِ
How can it be constant in generosity,
When it falls only from time to time?
أَفديكَI would ransom you وَالنَعماءُand the favors عِنديI enjoy جَمَّةٌabundant
أَفديكَ وَالنَعماءُ عِندي جَمَّةٌ
قَدindeed كَثَّرَتhave multiplied فيamong الناسِpeople مَنthose who يَفدينيwould ransom me
قَد كَثَّرَت في الناسِ مَن يَفديني
I would ransom you, and the favors I enjoy are abundant;
They have multiplied those among men who would ransom me.
إِنَّindeed الَّذيthat which حُمِّلتُهُI was charged with it فَحَمَلتَهُso you accepted it
إِنَّ الَّذي حُمِّلتُهُ فَحَمَلتَهُ
ماكانَwas not مِنpart of خُلُقيmy character وَلاnor مِنpart of دينيmy faith
ماكانَ مِن خُلُقي وَلا مِن ديني
Indeed, what I was charged with and you accepted as true
Was neither in my character nor in my faith.
أَيَخونُwould it betray? فيconcerning سِرِّthe secret of الصَديقِthe friend لِسانُthe tongue of ذيa man of
أَيَخونُ في سِرِّ الصَديقِ لِسانُ ذي
كَرَمٍhonor عَلىwith سِرِّthe secret of العَدُوِّthe enemy أَمينِtrustworthy
كَرَمٍ عَلى سِرِّ العَدُوِّ أَمينِ
Would a friend's secret be betrayed by the tongue of a man
Of honor, trusted with an enemy's secret?
هَذاthis وَماصَدريand my breast is not بِمُنصَرِفِturning away الهَوىin affection
هَذا وَماصَدري بِمُنصَرِفِ الهَوى
عَنكُمfrom you وَلاnor أَناI فيكُمُconcerning you بِظَنينِsuspect
عَنكُم وَلا أَنا فيكُمُ بِظَنينِ
All this, while the love in my breast has not turned
Away from you, nor am I suspect in my loyalty to you.
أَبَنيO sons of المُدَبِّرِal-Mudabbir لاتَزَلmay never cease أَيّامُكُمyour days
أَبَني المُدَبِّرِ لاتَزَل أَيّامُكُم
مَوصولَةًjoined بِالعِزِّto glory وَالتَمكينِand firm authority
مَوصولَةً بِالعِزِّ وَالتَمكينِ
O sons of al-Mudabbir, may your days remain
Joined to glory and firm authority.
فَالمَجدُfor glory يَعلَمُknows أَنَّكُمthat you لَمhave not تُقصِرواyou rested content
فَالمَجدُ يَعلَمُ أَنَّكُم لَم تُقصِروا
إِلّاexcept عَلىwith سَبقٍa lead إِلَيهِtoward it مُبينِclear
إِلّا عَلى سَبقٍ إِلَيهِ مُبينِ
For glory knows that you have never rested content
With anything but a clear lead in attaining it.
Sol 6.1