مُخبِرَتيmy informant بُرقَةُthe stony, sandy tract of أَحواجِAhwaj
مُخبِرَتي بُرقَةُ أَحواجِ
عَنabout ظُعُنٍcamel-borne women سارَتdeparted وَأَحداجِand litters
عَن ظُعُنٍ سارَت وَأَحداجِ
The stony tract of Ahwaj tells me
My informer, with a flash like lightning,
of camel-borne women who departed, and their litters.
Brought news of a caravan that journeyed on,
طَوعَin accord with رَواحٍafternoon travel وَجَّهواthey directed لِلنَوىtoward distant departure
طَوعَ رَواحٍ وَجَّهوا لِلنَوى
عيرَهُمُtheir caravan أَمor طَوعُin accord with إِدلاجِnight travel
عيرَهُمُ أَم طَوعُ إِدلاجِ
Was it for an afternoon journey that they sent afar
Urged by the winds that drove them to their goal;
their caravan, or for travel by night?
Was it their camels' will, or fate's strong pull?
أَسقىmay water السَحابُthe clouds الغُرُّbright-white أَطلالَهُمtheir ruined dwellings
أَسقى السَحابُ الغُرُّ أَطلالَهُم
رَيّاًto full saturation وَلَوeven if مِنfrom دَمِthe blood of أَوداجيmy jugular veins
رَيّاً وَلَو مِن دَمِ أَوداجي
May the white clouds water their ruined dwellings,
The rain clouds watered their abandoned camp
drenching them—even with the blood of my jugular veins.
With rain, and with their blood that I had spilled;
أُنجُescape مِنَfrom الحُبِّlove فَإِنَّfor indeed الَّذيthe one whom
أُنجُ مِنَ الحُبِّ فَإِنَّ الَّذي
لَمdid not يُردِهِdestroy him الحُبُّlove هُوَhe is الناجيthe survivor
لَم يُردِهِ الحُبُّ هُوَ الناجي
Escape from love, for the one whom
I shall escape from love, for he escapes
love has not destroyed is the survivor.
Who is not trapped and snared by love's strong net.
ضَمِنتُI warrant أَنthat يَشغَلَhe puts to use سَيفَيهِhis two swords ذوthe possessor of الthe
ضَمِنتُ أَن يَشغَلَ سَيفَيهِ ذو ال
سَيفَينِtwo swords إِسحاقُIshaq بنُson of كُنداجِKundaj
سَيفَينِ إِسحاقُ بنُ كُنداجِ
I warrant that his two swords will be put to use by the lord of the
I guaranteed that he of the two swords,
two swords, Ishaq ibn Kundaj,
Isaac ibn Kundaj, would sheathe his blade,
وَأَنand that يُضيءَshines التاجُthe crown فيupon غُرَّةٍa radiant brow
وَأَن يُضيءَ التاجُ في غُرَّةٍ
قَديمَةِage-old in الإِشراقِradiance فيbeneath التاجِthe crown
قَديمَةِ الإِشراقِ في التاجِ
and that the crown will shine upon a brow
And that the crown would shine at the first light
of age-old radiance beneath the crown.
Of dawn, with its ancient rising glow.
مَرَدَّدٌseasoned فيin المُلكِkingship جارٍproceeding عَلىalong
مَرَدَّدٌ في المُلكِ جارٍ عَلى
طَريقَةٍa path مِنهُfrom it وَمِنهاجِand a course
طَريقَةٍ مِنهُ وَمِنهاجِ
Seasoned in kingship, he proceeds along
Secure in kingship, following a course
a path and a course drawn from it.
Laid down by him, and by tradition too,
غَداcame to be الوِشاحانِthe two baldrics عَلىupon مُرهَفٍa slender man
غَدا الوِشاحانِ عَلى مُرهَفٍ
كَالسَيفِlike a sword ضَربٍlean غَيرِnot هِلباجِa hulking oaf
كَالسَيفِ ضَربٍ غَيرِ هِلباجِ
The two baldrics now lie upon a slender man,
The turbans of the chiefs, on one well-bred
swordlike and lean, no lumbering oaf.
For war, not show, like swords sans ornament.
لَيسَhe is not بِمُختالٍswaggering لَدىamid نِعمَةٍprosperity
لَيسَ بِمُختالٍ لَدى نِعمَةٍ
وَلاnor عَظيمِgreat in الكِبرِarrogance فَجفاجِa loudmouthed braggart
وَلا عَظيمِ الكِبرِ فَجفاجِ
He does not swagger in prosperity,
No braggart in prosperity is he,
nor is he a grossly arrogant, loudmouthed braggart.
Nor heavy-handed when his power grows great,
بَحرٌa sea تَرىyou see الآمالَhopes تَطفوfloating عَلىupon
بَحرٌ تَرى الآمالَ تَطفو عَلى
غَوارِبٍwave-crests مِنهُof it وَأَثباجِand broad swells
غَوارِبٍ مِنهُ وَأَثباجِ
He is a sea: you see hopes floating upon
A sea where hopes can float on ships that sail
its wave-crests and broad swells.
Safely across, not foundering in its depths.
لاتَبرَحُmay you never cease to be الدَهرَforever لَناfor us مَعقِلاًa stronghold
لاتَبرَحُ الدَهرَ لَنا مَعقِلاً
يَأمَنُis safe فيwithin أَكنافِهِits sheltering bounds اللاجيthe refuge-seeker
يَأمَنُ في أَكنافِهِ اللاجي
May you forever remain our stronghold,
Our fortress that protects us will not leave
in whose shelter the seeker of refuge is safe.
Throughout time, and in its shelter hide
وُجوهُthe faces of حُسّادِكَyour enviers مُسوَدَّةٌblackened
وُجوهُ حُسّادِكَ مُسوَدَّةٌ
أَمor صُبِغَتwere dyed بَعدِيَafter my departure بِالزاجِwith vitriol
أَم صُبِغَت بَعدِيَ بِالزاجِ
Are the faces of your enviers blackened,
The refugee; your enviers' faces blackened
or have they been dyed with vitriol since my departure?
In grief, or else dyed black when you prevailed.
ماnot مِنهُمُamong them إِلّاexcept مَريضُsick الحَشاat heart
ما مِنهُمُ إِلّا مَريضُ الحَشا
بِغَيظِهِwith his rage مُختَنِقٌchoking شاجِgrief-stricken
بِغَيظِهِ مُختَنِقٌ شاجِ
Every one of them is sick at heart,
Not one among them, but is sick at heart
choking on his rage, grief-stricken.
With rage, choked up, despairing utterly,
مَرتَبَةٌa rank فيamong النَجمِthe stars تَعلوrising عَلىabove
مَرتَبَةٌ في النَجمِ تَعلو عَلى
مَراتِبٍranks مِنهُمamong them وَأَفواجِand throngs
مَراتِبٍ مِنهُم وَأَفواجِ
A rank among the stars, rising above
You rank above them in the stars, while they
their ranks and their throngs.
Cluster below you, regiment on regiment.
لَوif فَعَلواthey had done فِعلَكَyour deed لَاستَوجَبواthey would have deserved
لَو فَعَلوا فِعلَكَ لَاستَوجَبوا
أَكثَرَmost of ماwhat يَأمُلُهُhe hopes for it الراجيthe hopeful one
أَكثَرَ ما يَأمُلُهُ الراجي
Had they done as you did, they would have deserved
Had they performed your deeds, they would have gained
most of what a hopeful man hopes for.
More than the hopeful dreamer dreams he'll gain;
لَولاكَbut for you خاضَplunged الناسُthe people فيinto فِتنَةٍstrife
لَولاكَ خاضَ الناسُ في فِتنَةٍ
تَرميhurls بِدُفّاعٍwith a mighty torrent وَأَمواجِand waves
تَرمي بِدُفّاعٍ وَأَمواجِ
But for you, the people would have plunged into strife
Without you, people would have fallen into civil strife,
that hurls a mighty torrent and waves.
With warring factions and tumultuous waves.
أَرتَجتَyou barred shut لَمّاwhen فَتَحواthey opened بابَهاits gate
أَرتَجتَ لَمّا فَتَحوا بابَها
بِالسَيفِwith the sword صَلتاًunsheathed أَيَّwhat a إِرتاجِfirm closing
بِالسَيفِ صَلتاً أَيَّ إِرتاجِ
You barred it when they opened its gate,
You drove out those who opened up its door
with the sword unsheathed—how firmly you shut it!
With the sword, in deadly, violent attack;
وَفىkept faith عَليٌّAli بِمَواعيدِهِwith his promises
وَفى عَليٌّ بِمَواعيدِهِ
وَلَمand did not يُنَقِّصهاdiminish them بِإِخداجِby falling short
وَلَم يُنَقِّصها بِإِخداجِ
Ali fulfilled his promises,
And Ali fulfilled his promises to you,
and did not diminish them by falling short.
Not failing you by shirking from his pact.
مُبارَكُblessed الصُحبَةِin companionship يُرضيكَhe pleases you فيin
مُبارَكُ الصُحبَةِ يُرضيكَ في
رَأيٍcounsel لِضيقِfor the straits of الأَمرِaffairs فَرّاجِbringing relief
رَأيٍ لِضيقِ الأَمرِ فَرّاجِ
Blessed in companionship, he pleases you with
Blessed is he whose wisdom can appease
counsel that brings relief to straitened affairs.
When matters are confused and doubts arise;
سَيفُكَyour sword يُستَضوىis used for illumination بِتَدبيرِهِthrough his guidance
سَيفُكَ يُستَضوى بِتَدبيرِهِ
فيin ظُلُماتِthe darkness of الحادِثِthe calamity الداجيpitch-black
في ظُلُماتِ الحادِثِ الداجي
Your sword serves as a light through his guidance
Your sword is burnished by his shrewd resolve
in the darkness of a pitch-black calamity.
When darkness overwhelms the dreadful scene.
يَفديكَhe would ransom you مِنas مَولىًa master وَتَفديهِand you would ransom him مِنas
يَفديكَ مِن مَولىً وَتَفديهِ مِن
عَبدٍa slave لِماto whatever تَأمُرُyou command مُنعاجِcompliant
عَبدٍ لِما تَأمُرُ مُنعاجِ
He would ransom you, his master, and you would ransom him, a
A master ransoms you, a slave ransoms him,
slave obedient to whatever you command.
As you command, whenever you say "Act!"
Sol 6.1