أَقولُI say لِنَفسيto myself مَرَّةًonce بَعدَafter مَرَّةٍonce
أَقولُ لِنَفسي مَرَّةً بَعدَ مَرَّةٍ
وَسُمرُand the dark-brown ones القَناthe spears فيin الحَيِّthe encampment لاno شَكَّdoubt تَلمَعُgleam
وَسُمرُ القَنا في الحَيِّ لا شَكَّ تَلمَعُ
I say to myself, time after time,
Again and again I say to myself,
while the dark-brown spears in the camp gleam without doubt:
The evening star shines bright, undoubtedly.
أَياO نَفسُsoul رِفقاًgently فيin الوَغىbattle وَمَسَرَّةًand joy
أَيا نَفسُ رِفقاً في الوَغى وَمَسَرَّةً
فماfor … not كَأسُهاits cup إِلّاexcept مِنَfrom السُمِّpoison يُنقَعُis steeped
فما كَأسُها إِلّا مِنَ السُمِّ يُنقَعُ
O soul, be gentle in battle, and be glad,
Oh soul, be gentle in strife and take joy,
for its cup is steeped in nothing but poison.
For its cup holds only poison to drink.
إِذاif لَمnot أَقُدI lead خَيلاًhorses إِلىto كُلِّevery ضَيغَمٍlion
إِذا لَم أَقُد خَيلاً إِلى كُلِّ ضَيغَمٍ
فَآكُلَso I may eat مِنof لَحمِflesh العُداةِthe foes وَأَشبَعُand I am sated
فَآكُلَ مِن لَحمِ العُداةِ وَأَشبَعُ
If I do not lead horses against every lion,
If I do not lead horses to every enemy,
so I may eat of the foes' flesh and be sated,
And eat the flesh of foes till sated,
فَلاthen may … not قُدتُّI led مِنfrom أَقصىfarthest البَلادِthe lands طَلائِعاًvanguards
فَلا قُدتُّ مِن أَقصى البَلادِ طَلائِعاً
وَلاnor عِشتُI lived مَحموداًpraised وَعَيشيand my livelihood مُوَسَّعُample
وَلا عِشتُ مَحموداً وَعَيشي مُوَسَّعُ
then may I never lead vanguards from the farthest lands,
If I do not send raiding bands from the frontier,
nor live honored, with my livelihood abundant.
And live glorious, though my life be cramped,
إِذاif لَمnot أَطَأI trample طَيّاًTayy وَأَحلافَهاand its allies مَعاًtogether
إِذا لَم أَطَأ طَيّاً وَأَحلافَها مَعاً
قُضاعَةَQuda'ah بِالأَمرِwith the event الَّذيthat يُتَوَقَّعُis expected
قُضاعَةَ بِالأَمرِ الَّذي يُتَوَقَّعُ
If I do not trample Tayy and its allies together—
If I do not tread a land and its pastures together,
Quda'ah—with the event that is expected,
Subduing it by force as expected,
فَسيرواthen march إِلىto طَيٍّTayy لِنُخليso that we may empty دِيارَهُمtheir dwellings
فَسيروا إِلى طَيٍّ لِنُخلي دِيارَهُم
فَتُصبِحَso they become مِنof سُكّانِهاtheir inhabitants وَهيَand they are بَلقَعُa barren waste
فَتُصبِحَ مِن سُكّانِها وَهيَ بَلقَعُ
then march to Tayy, that we may empty their dwellings,
Then march to a land and empty its homes,
so they become, bereft of their inhabitants, a barren waste.
Till it becomes peopled by you and a ruin.
Sol 6.1