مَلَكَwon mastery over الشُّكْرَgratitude نَوالٌbounty
مَلَكَ الشُّكْرَ نَوالٌ
دونَbelow أدناهُits least الغَمامُthe clouds
دونَ أدناهُ الغَمامُ
Bounty has won gratitude;
The angel of gratitude, Nawal,
the clouds fall short of even its least.
Below the clouds is her abode.
صادِقُtrue الشَّيْمِthe rain-watcher's hopes إذاwhen أخْلfailed (continued)
صادِقُ الشَّيْمِ إذا أخْل
َفَending of 'failed' جَوْنٌa dark cloud ورُكامُand piled-up clouds
َفَ جَوْنٌ ورُكامُ
True to the rain-watcher's hopes, when
Truthful in nature, excellent in character,
dark clouds and cloud-heaps fail their promise.
When calm, she is lively, when upset, collected.
دائِمُunceasing السَّحِّdownpour لهfor it فيin الحthe clan (continued)
دائِمُ السَّحِّ له في الح
َيِّending of 'the clan' مُكْثٌa stay ومُقامand an abode
َيِّ مُكْثٌ ومُقام
Ever pouring down, it has among the clan
Constantly smiling, lingering and staying,
a stay and an abode.
In the dear life, not in a rush to leave.
جادَناwas generous to us بالجَوْدِwith generosity منهُfrom him
جادَنا بالجَوْدِ منهُ
عَضُدُʿAḍud (support) الدِّينِal-Dīn (the faith) الهُمامُthe valiant
عَضُدُ الدِّينِ الهُمامُ
He showered us with his generosity—
We were endowed with generosity by her,
the valiant ʿAḍud al-Dīn.
The pillar of resolute faith.
فارسُknight الرَّوْعَيْنِthe two terrors إِمَّاwhenever
فارسُ الرَّوْعَيْنِ إِمَّا
عَنَّarose جَدْبٌdrought أوor خِصامُstrife
عَنَّ جَدْبٌ أو خِصامُ
Knight of both terrors, whenever
A horseman of two meadows, either
drought or strife arises.
Barren or locked in conflict.
فَهزيمانِso both are vanquished لهُby him الَّلأوُhardship (continued)
فَهزيمانِ لهُ الَّلأوُ
اءending of 'hardship' والموْتُand death الزُّؤامُswift and deadly
اء والموْتُ الزُّؤامُ
So both are routed before him:
For him defeat are the stony trails
hardship and swift death.
And death, the unforgiving ally.
يشتكيcomplains ماas long as وَضَحَshone الصُّبُْthe morning (continued)
يشتكي ما وَضَحَ الصُّبُْ
حending of 'the morning' وماand as long as جَنَّfell الظَّلامُthe darkness
ح وما جَنَّ الظَّلامُ
There is complaint as long as dawn shines
He complains of what the dawn revealed
and as long as darkness falls,
And what the night concealed.
مِنْof قِراهُhis hospitality وَوَغاهُand his warfare
مِنْ قِراهُ وَوَغاهُ
أبَداًforever نِيبٌaged she-camels وَهامُand heads
أبَداً نِيبٌ وَهامُ
against his hospitality and his warfare—
His villages and home forever
forever, from aged she-camels and heads.
Afflicted and anxious.
فعليهِso around him مِنْfrom عِتاقِnoble ones الطَّيِْthe birds (continued)
فعليهِ مِنْ عِتاقِ الطَّيِْ
رending of 'the birds' والنَّاسِand the people ازْدحامُa throng
ر والنَّاسِ ازْدحامُ
So around him gather noble birds
So on him, the emancipation of
and people in throngs.
Birds and crowded people.
ولَنِارَيْهِand for his two fires معَamid الجَدْبِdrought
ولَنِارَيْهِ معَ الجَدْبِ
وفيand in الحَرْبِwar اضْطِرامُblazing
وفي الحَرْبِ اضْطِرامُ
And his two fires, amid drought
And we saw, with the drought,
and in war, blaze fiercely.
And in war, turmoil.
سابِقٌforemost فيin حَلْبَةthe racecourse المِglory (continued)
سابِقٌ في حَلْبَة المِ
جدending of 'glory' مَداهُhis reach لاnot يُرامُis sought
جد مَداهُ لا يُرامُ
Foremost on the racecourse of
Foremost in the field of glory, his limit cannot be reached.
glory, his reach is unattainable.
He attained the highest summit while still a lad.
أحْرَزَattained الغايَةَthe utmost goal مِنْof
أحْرَزَ الغايَةَ مِنْ
عَلْيائِهاits lofty heights وهوwhile he is غُلامُa boy
عَلْيائِها وهو غُلامُ
He reached the utmost of
Defiant of desire, pouring with pride,
its lofty heights while still a boy.
Decisive in resolve, a sharp sword of the valiant,
للْهَوىto desire عاصٍdisobedient وبالعَلِْand with lofty glory (continued)
للْهَوى عاصٍ وبالعَلِْ
ياءending of 'lofty glory' صَبٌّenamored مُسْتَهامُlove-struck
ياء صَبٌّ مُسْتَهامُ
Defiant toward desire, yet with
lofty glory smitten and enthralled.
That cuts off disputes when the warriors
صارِمٌresolute فيin العَزْمِresolve مَطْرُsharpened (continued)
صارِمٌ في العَزْمِ مَطْرُ
ورending of 'sharpened' الغِرارَيْنِthe two cutting edges حُسامُa keen sword
ور الغِرارَيْنِ حُسامُ
Resolute in purpose, sharpened
Withdraw from striking each other.
along both edges—a keen sword.
The pupils of his eyes: the glory of faith and the inkpots of order.
يَقْطَعُcleaves الخَطْبَcalamity إذاwhen يَنْبُrebounds (continued)
يَقْطَعُ الخَطْبَ إذا يَنْبُ
وending of 'rebounds' عنِfrom الضَّرْبِthe blow الكَهامُthe blunt sword
و عنِ الضَّرْبِ الكَهامُ
He cleaves calamity when
Master of the living, noble when nobles are few.
the blunt sword recoils from the blow.
His children: coarse in skin, mighty, unopposed.
طَرفَاهُhis two ancestral sides الخِرْقُthe masterful عِزُّʿIzz (glory) الدِal-Dīn (the faith; continued)
طَرفَاهُ الخِرْقُ عِزُّ الدِ
ينending of 'al-Dīn (the faith)' والحَبْرُand the scholar النِّظامُal-Niẓām (order)
ين والحَبْرُ النِّظامُ
His two forebears: the masterful ʿIzz al-Dīn
They undertake the abundant gifts and deflect any blame.
and the scholar al-Niẓām,
Sweet yet strong-tasted from affection,
سَيِّداthe two lords الحَيِّthe clan كَريمُnoble (continued)
سَيِّدا الحَيِّ كَريمُ
اهits two (word ending) إذاwhen عَزَّbecame scarce الكِرامُnoble men
اه إذا عَزَّ الكِرامُ
the clan's two lords, its two noble men
Yet harsh in anger.
when noble men are scarce.
So his glory prohibited him
وَلداهُthey both begot him خَشِنَfierce البأِbattle-might (continued)
وَلداهُ خَشِنَ البأِ
سending of 'battle-might' عَزِيزاًmighty لاnot يُضامُis oppressed
س عَزِيزاً لا يُضامُ
They begot him fierce in battle,
And the sacred month.
mighty, not to be oppressed.
يَسْتَقِلُّdeems small النَّائِلَbounty الدََّabundant (continued)
يَسْتَقِلُّ النَّائِلَ الدََّ
ثرending of 'abundant' ويَمْرِيهِand milks him المَلامُreproach
ثر ويَمْرِيهِ المَلامُ
He deems his abundant bounty little,
and reproach milks more from him.
شَبِمٌcool عَذْبٌsweet مِنَfrom الوُِaffection (continued)
شَبِمٌ عَذْبٌ مِنَ الوُِ
دending of 'affection' وفيand in السُّخْطِwrath سِمامُdeadly poison
د وفي السُّخْطِ سِمامُ
Cool and sweet in affection,
and in wrath, deadly poison.
فهَنَاهُso may it gladden him مَجْدُهُhis glory الباذِtowering (continued)
فهَنَاهُ مَجْدُهُ الباذِ
خending of 'towering' والشَّهْرُand the month الحَرامُsacred
خ والشَّهْرُ الحَرامُ
So may his towering glory gladden him,
and the sacred month as well.
Partial English translation: 34 of 42 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1