عَلَقناwe clung بِأَسبابِto the ties of الوَزيرِthe minister وَلَمand did not نَجدِwe find
عَلَقنا بِأَسبابِ الوَزيرِ وَلَم نَجدِ
لَناfor us صَدَراًa departure دونَapart from الوَزيرِthe minister وَلاnor وِرداan approach to water
لَنا صَدَراً دونَ الوَزيرِ وَلا وِردا
We clung to the minister's ties, and found
We clung to the ties of the minister but found
No departure or approach to water apart from the minister.
No access to him, nor gifts from his hand.
جَرىhe raced فَحَوىand won سَبقَthe lead over المُجِدّينَthose striving hard وادِعاًat ease
جَرى فَحَوى سَبقَ المُجِدّينَ وادِعاً
وَأَعطىand he gave فَماso not أَعطىhe gave قَليلاًlittle وَلاnor أَكدىhe stopped giving
وَأَعطى فَما أَعطى قَليلاً وَلا أَكدى
He raced and, at ease, won the lead over those who strove,
He flowed on leaving the boastful behind
And gave—never little, nor did he cease to give.
And gave, but gave sparingly, nothing grand.
وَلَمand did not يُبدِhe display أَفضالاًfavors عَلىupon مُتَطَلِّبٍone seeking
وَلَم يُبدِ أَفضالاً عَلى مُتَطَلِّبٍ
فَواضِلَهُhis bounties إِلّاexcept that أَعادَhe repeated الَّذيwhat أَبداhe had bestowed
فَواضِلَهُ إِلّا أَعادَ الَّذي أَبدا
Nor did he grant favors to anyone seeking
No special favors he showed petitioners;
His bounties without renewing what he had bestowed.
His gifts to seekers were only what they had.
طَويلُfar-reaching اليَدَينِthe two hands ماnot تُعَدِّدُcounts وائِلٌWa'il
طَويلُ اليَدَينِ ما تُعَدِّدُ وائِلٌ
أَباًa father كَأَبيهِlike his father عِندَin the matter of فِعلٍdeeds وَلاnor جَدّاa grandfather
أَباً كَأَبيهِ عِندَ فِعلٍ وَلا جَدّا
His hands reach far in bounty; Wa'il cannot name
Long of hand, his gifts were never assessed
A father like his in deeds, nor a grandfather.
As sire’s; in deed and gift he was not like dad.
إِذاwhen سادَhe leads شَيبانَShayban بنِson of ثَعلَبَةَTha'labah اِرتَضَتit approves
إِذا سادَ شَيبانَ بنِ ثَعلَبَةَ اِرتَضَت
رِياسَةَthe leadership of عاليone of lofty البَيتِlineage يَفرَعُهاhe surpasses it مَجداin glory
رِياسَةَ عالي البَيتِ يَفرَعُها مَجدا
When he leads Shayban ibn Tha'labah, the tribe accepts
When Shaiban ibn Tha'alaba held sway
The rule of one of lofty lineage, who towers above it in glory.
He gladly let the noble house rule, spread its glory.
رَعَيناwe grazed بِهِthrough him السَعدانَsa'dan herbage إِذاwhen رَطُبَgrew moist الثَرىthe soil
رَعَينا بِهِ السَعدانَ إِذا رَطُبَ الثَرى
لَناfor us وَوَرَدناand we came to drink مِنfrom نَدىthe dew of كَفِّهِhis palm صَدّاSadda, a well
لَنا وَوَرَدنا مِن نَدى كَفِّهِ صَدّا
Through him we grazed on sa'dan when the earth grew moist
We were blessed through him when the land was wet,
For us, and from his palm's dew we drank at Sadda.
And got from the dew of his palm freshness and glee.
وَماand not الغَيثُthe rain مُنهَلّاًpouring down تَوالىcame successively عِهادُهُits showers
وَما الغَيثُ مُنهَلّاً تَوالى عِهادُهُ
بِأَروَحَmore forthcoming at evening مِنهُthan he بِالسَماحِwith generosity وَلاnor أَغدىmore forthcoming at dawn
بِأَروَحَ مِنهُ بِالسَماحِ وَلا أَغدى
And rain, pouring down with shower upon shower,
No rain whose procession his rule maintained
Is no readier than he to give at evening or at dawn.
With more liberal mood or plenty, I say.
لَكَto you الخَيرُgood fortune مِنas a مُستَبطِئٍone impatient with delay فيin تَأَخُّريmy delay
لَكَ الخَيرُ مِن مُستَبطِئٍ في تَأَخُّري
تَرىyou think أَنَّنيthat I آثَرتُchose هِجرانُهُforsaking him عَمداdeliberately
تَرى أَنَّني آثَرتُ هِجرانُهُ عَمدا
Blessings on you, impatient at my delay;
Good for me that you delayed and tarried
You think I have deliberately chosen to forsake him.
As if you thought I’d abandoned you purposely!
مَتىwhenever كُنتَyou are ياO خَيرَbest of الأَخِلّاءِclose friends عائِداًreturning
مَتى كُنتَ يا خَيرَ الأَخِلّاءِ عائِداً
بِلَومِwith reproach عَلىfor أَلّاthat not تَرانيyou see me فَلُمthen blame سَعداSa'd
بِلَومِ عَلى أَلّا تَراني فَلُم سَعدا
Whenever, O best of friends, you return
When will you, best companion, return
With reproaches because you do not see me, blame Sa'd.
With blame that you see me no more merry?
وَماand not أَصطَفيI favor لَونَthe color of الحِدادِmourning وَلاnor أَرىI see
وَما أَصطَفي لَونَ الحِدادِ وَلا أَرى
لِعَينَيَّfor my two eyes حَظّاًpleasure فيin الرَمادِashes إِذاwhen اسوَدّاthey turn black
لِعَينَيَّ حَظّاً في الرَمادِ إِذا اسوَدّا
I do not favor the color of mourning, nor see
I wear no mourning, see no good in dust
Any pleasure for my eyes in ashes when they turn black.
If eyes in the blackened get no victory.
لَئِنif indeed كُنتَyou are نوراًa light ساطِعاًshining فَطَريقُناthen our road
لَئِن كُنتَ نوراً ساطِعاً فَطَريقُنا
إِلَيكَto you عَلىthrough ظَلماءَdarkness داجِيَةٍdeeply dark جِدّاvery
إِلَيكَ عَلى ظَلماءَ داجِيَةٍ جِدّا
If you are indeed a shining light, then our road
If you're a beaming light, our path to you
To you lies through utterly pitch-black darkness.
Is over darkness dismally obscure, I guarantee.
وَلَوand if أَنجَحَتfulfilled بَغدادُBaghdad مَوعِدَthe promise of واسِطٍWasit
وَلَو أَنجَحَت بَغدادُ مَوعِدَ واسِطٍ
لَماthen not عَدِمَتit would have lacked مِنّيfrom me عَلىfor نُجحِهاits success حَمداpraise
لَما عَدِمَت مِنّي عَلى نُجحِها حَمدا
And had Baghdad fulfilled Wasit's promise,
Had Baghdad kept tryst like Wasit’s
It would not have lacked my praise for its success.
I'd have failed not to hymn its success sincerely.
وَماand not خِلتُكَI thought you ابنَson of الأَنجُمِthe stars الزُهرِbright سائِراًdeparting
وَما خِلتُكَ ابنَ الأَنجُمِ الزُهرِ سائِراً
وَتارِكَand leaving نُعماكَyour bounty الَّتيwhich شُهِرَتbecame famous عَدّاan unfailing spring
وَتارِكَ نُعماكَ الَّتي شُهِرَت عَدّا
I never thought you, son of the bright stars, would depart
Nor did I, Ibn Al-Anjum’s bright star, leave you
And leave your bounty, famed as an unfailing spring.
Forsaking your famed gifts completely.
أُعيذُكَI seek protection for you أَنthat يُعتَدَّكَthey take you as القَومُthe people إِسوَةًa model
أُعيذُكَ أَن يُعتَدَّكَ القَومُ إِسوَةً
إِذاwhen عَزَمواthey resolve فيin إِثرِthe wake of مَسأَلَةٍa request رَدّاrefusal
إِذا عَزَموا في إِثرِ مَسأَلَةٍ رَدّا
I would shield you from being taken by people as a model
I pray, don't let people take you
When, after a request, they resolve to refuse.
As model when seeking rejection coldly.
وَماand not كانَwas ماwhat سَيَّرتُI sent forth فيكَin your praise نَسيئَةًon credit
وَما كانَ ما سَيَّرتُ فيكَ نَسيئَةً
فَلِمso why لاnot يَكونُshould be البَذلُthe giving فيin عَقبِهِits wake نَقداcash
فَلِم لا يَكونُ البَذلُ في عَقبِهِ نَقدا
What I sent forth in your praise was not on credit;
My song to you was no forgetfulness;
So why should the gift not follow it in ready cash?
Why then no cash for it forthrightly?
Sol 6.1