لَعَمرُكَby your life ماthere is no لِإِسحاقَfor Ishaq بنِson of سَعدٍSa'd
لَعَمرُكَ ما لِإِسحاقَ بنِ سَعدٍ
ضَريبٌequal إِنif طَلَبتَyou sought لَهُfor him ضَريباan equal
ضَريبٌ إِن طَلَبتَ لَهُ ضَريبا
By your life, Ishaq ibn Sa‘d has no
By your life, Ishaq ibn Sa'd has
peer, if you sought a peer for him.
no equal, should you seek an equal for him.
يُضيءُhe shines طَلاقَةًwith cheerfulness وَأَرىand I see رِجالاًmen
يُضيءُ طَلاقَةً وَأَرى رِجالاً
يَدومُpersists ظَلامُthe darkness of أَوجُهِهِمtheir faces قُطوباin frowns
يَدومُ ظَلامُ أَوجُهِهِم قُطوبا
He beams with open good cheer, though I see men
He shines with cheerfulness, while I see men
on whose faces darkness lingers, scowling.
whose faces remain dark with frowns.
إِذاwhen مَلَأَhe fills الشِعابَthe ravines سُيولَtorrents of جودٍgenerosity
إِذا مَلَأَ الشِعابَ سُيولَ جودٍ
رَأَيتَyou see مَكارِماًnoble deeds تُرضيthat please الشُعوباthe peoples
رَأَيتَ مَكارِماً تُرضي الشُعوبا
When torrents of generosity fill the ravines,
When he fills the ravines with torrents of generosity,
you see noble gifts that satisfy whole peoples.
you see noble deeds that please the peoples.
وَماand never اِبتَدَرواthey raced for العُلاeminence إِلّاexcept that شَآهُمhe outstripped them
وَما اِبتَدَروا العُلا إِلّا شَآهُم
وَإِلّاand except that راحَhe came away أَوفَرَهُمthe best-endowed among them نَصيباin share
وَإِلّا راحَ أَوفَرَهُم نَصيبا
Whenever they vie for eminence, he outstrips them
Whenever they race for eminence, he outstrips them,
and always comes away with the fullest share.
and comes away with the greatest share.
تَرَبَّعَsettled for spring أَوَّلوهُhis forebears مِنin the region of دُجَيلٍDujayl
تَرَبَّعَ أَوَّلوهُ مِن دُجَيلٍ
وَدِجلَةَand the Tigris مَنزِلاًa dwelling سَهلاًlevel رَحيباspacious
وَدِجلَةَ مَنزِلاً سَهلاً رَحيبا
His forefathers made their spring encampment by Dujayl
His forebears settled for spring by Dujayl
and the Tigris—a pleasant, spacious home.
and the Tigris, in a level, spacious dwelling.
يَرِقُّgrows gentle نَسيمُهُits breeze فيin كُلِّevery ريحٍwind
يَرِقُّ نَسيمُهُ في كُلِّ ريحٍ
تَهُبُّblows بِهِthrough it وَلَوand even if هَبَّتit blew جَنوباfrom the south
تَهُبُّ بِهِ وَلَو هَبَّت جَنوبا
Its breeze grows gentle in every wind
Its breeze grows gentle with every wind
that blows through it, even when it blows from the south.
that blows there, even if it blows from the south.
بِحَيثُwhere تُشَعشَعُis diluted الصَهباءُthe tawny wine صُبحاًat dawn
بِحَيثُ تُشَعشَعُ الصَهباءُ صُبحاً
وَيَشتَبِهُand are alike الثَرىthe soil وَالمِسكُand musk طيباin fragrance
وَيَشتَبِهُ الثَرى وَالمِسكُ طيبا
There the pure tawny wine is made to shimmer,
Where tawny wine is diluted at dawn,
and earth is indistinguishable from musk in fragrance.
and earth and musk are alike in fragrance.
وَحاجَةِand many a need of آمِلٍa hopeful person لَمnot أَعدُI went beyond فيهاin it
وَحاجَةِ آمِلٍ لَم أَعدُ فيها
دُنُوَّthe nearness of الدارِthe dwelling وَالخُلُقَand the character الغَريباuncommon
دُنُوَّ الدارِ وَالخُلُقَ الغَريبا
For a hopeful petitioner’s need, I sought no more
And many a hopeful man's need, for which I looked no further than
than nearness of home and an extraordinary character.
nearness of home and uncommon character,
نَدَبتُI enlisted لَهاfor it أَباAbu (father of) يَعقوبَYa'qub لَمّاwhen
نَدَبتُ لَها أَبا يَعقوبَ لَمّا
وَثِقتُI trusted بِسَعيِهِin his striving وَأَبىand he refused عُقوباfalling behind
وَثِقتُ بِسَعيِهِ وَأَبى عُقوبا
For it I enlisted Abu Ya‘qub when
I entrusted to Abu Ya'qub, once
I trusted his endeavor—and he refused to hold back.
I trusted his striving, and he refused to fall behind.
أَقاضٍwill you discharge? أَنتَyou حَقَّthe due of أَبيAbu (father of) رَقاشٍRaqash
أَقاضٍ أَنتَ حَقَّ أَبي رَقاشٍ
عَلَيَّupon me شَفيعَas an intercessor for نُعمىa favor أَوor مُثيباas one repaying a favor
عَلَيَّ شَفيعَ نُعمى أَو مُثيبا
Will you discharge Abu Riqash’s claim
Will you discharge the debt to Abu Raqash
against me—doubling a favor, or repaying one?
that lies upon me, interceding for a favor or repaying one?
دَعَوتُكَI called upon you عِندَat the time of واجِبِهِhis due وَحَتمٌand a binding duty
دَعَوتُكَ عِندَ واجِبِهِ وَحَتمٌ
عَلَيكَupon you وَقَدand now that دَعَوتُكَI have called upon you أَنto تُجيباyou answer
عَلَيكَ وَقَد دَعَوتُكَ أَن تُجيبا
I called upon you over his binding due and my own claim
I called upon you when his claim fell due; it is binding
upon you; indeed, I called upon you to answer.
on you, now that I have called upon you, to answer.
أَواصِرُbonds of زائِرٍa visitor وَزِمامُand the protection of ناءٍone far away
أَواصِرُ زائِرٍ وَزِمامُ ناءٍ
عَلَيكَupon you ضَمانُهُits guarantee حَتّىuntil يَؤوباhe returns
عَلَيكَ ضَمانُهُ حَتّى يَؤوبا
A visitor’s ties and the pledge of one far away—
A visitor's bonds, and the protection of one far away—
their safekeeping is your charge until both return.
you are their guarantor until he returns.
رَضيتُI was content with لَهُfor him خِلالاًqualities مِنكَfrom you زُهراًradiant
رَضيتُ لَهُ خِلالاً مِنكَ زُهراً
حَمَينَthey protected الظَنَّhope عِندَكَin you أَنfrom يَخيباfailing
حَمَينَ الظَنَّ عِندَكَ أَن يَخيبا
For him I chose radiant virtues in you,
For him, I was content with your radiant virtues,
virtues that keep even the wealthy from leaving you disappointed.
which kept my hope in you from disappointment.
فَإِنbut if يُعضِلكَhinders you عُذرٌan excuse عَنfrom بُلوغِattaining الـstart of 'that which'
فَإِن يُعضِلكَ عُذرٌ عَن بُلوغِ الـ
ـلَذيrest of 'that which' أَمَّلتُI hoped for فيهِin it فَقَعthen fall قَريباnearby
ـلَذي أَمَّلتُ فيهِ فَقَع قَريبا
If some excuse should hinder you from attaining the—
But if an excuse keeps you from attaining
—thing I hoped for in this, then come close to it.
what I hoped for in this, then fall near the mark.
Sol 6.1