أقولُI say لصحبيto my companions والمقالُwhile speech تكعُّهُcheck it
أقولُ لصحبي والمقالُ تكعُّهُ
خواطِرُthoughts حزْمٍof prudence لاnot تُردُّare repelled موانِعُهْits restraints
خواطِرُ حزْمٍ لا تُردُّ موانِعُهْ
I say to my companions, though my speech is checked
by thoughts of prudence whose restraints cannot be overcome,
لدُنat غُدوةًdaybreak لاnot يكشفdispels الرأيjudgment دامساًa deep darkness
لدُن غُدوةً لا يكشف الرأي دامساً
بهيماًpitch-black ولاnor يُغْنيavails عنagainst الفكرanxious thought بارعُهْits finest
بهيماً ولا يُغْني عن الفكر بارعُهْ
at daybreak, when judgment cannot dispel a darkness
pitch-black, nor does its finest counsel avail against care.
وللصَّبرand for patience ماwhat lies بينbetween الحَيازيمthe ribs والحَشاand the entrails
وللصَّبر ما بين الحَيازيم والحَشا
كدعْسlike the thrust of القَناthe spears الخطِّيِّfrom al-Khatt صمَّمَpressed on resolutely شَارعهtheir wielder
كدعْس القَنا الخطِّيِّ صمَّمَ شَارعه
And patience has a pang between the ribs and the entrails,
like the thrust of Khatti spears, driven home by their wielder.
تطاولَgrew long ليليmy night بالعراقin Iraq ولمْand never تَطُلْlengthened
تطاولَ ليلي بالعراق ولمْ تَطُلْ
لياليthe nights of امْرىءٍa man إِلاَّunless وهَمٌّwhile a care يُنازعُهْwrestles with him
ليالي امْرىءٍ إِلاَّ وهَمٌّ يُنازعُهْ
My night in Iraq grew long; never have
a man's nights lengthened without a care wrestling with him.
ولولاbut for الوزيرthe vizier الخِنْدفيُّthe Khindifi رحَلْتُهاI would have saddled her
ولولا الوزير الخِنْدفيُّ رحَلْتُها
إلىtoward نازحٍa distant place يدْنوdraws near علىwith العزمresolve شاسعُهْits farthest reach
إلى نازحٍ يدْنو على العزم شاسعُهْ
But for the Khindifi vizier, I would have saddled her
for a distant land, whose farthest reaches resolve brings near.
تنكَّبُshe shuns ماءthe water of الرافدينthe Two Rivers ظَميئَةًthirsty
تنكَّبُ ماء الرافدين ظَميئَةً
ويسْتاقُهاand drive her onward غُدْرُpools المَلاof the open desert ووَقائعُهْand its rock basins
ويسْتاقُها غُدْرُ المَلا ووَقائعُهْ
Thirsty, she would shun the water of the Two Rivers,
and the desert's pools and rock basins would drive her onward.
ولكنbut أبىforbade ليme أنْto أيَمِّمَI turn toward وِجْهةًa destination
ولكن أبى لي أنْ أيَمِّمَ وِجْهةً
سوىother than ابنthe son of سعيدٍSaʿid بِشْرُهُhis cheerful welcome وصنائعهand his favors
سوى ابن سعيدٍ بِشْرُهُ وصنائعه
Yet what forbade me to turn toward any destination
but Ibn Saʿid was his cheerful welcome and favors.
فأصبحتُso I became رهنcaptive to الجودgenerosity لابنof the son of محمدٍMuhammad
فأصبحتُ رهن الجود لابن محمدٍ
مُقيماًstaying وحطَّand laid down الرَّحْلthe saddle منhe who هوhe رافعهwould lift it
مُقيماً وحطَّ الرَّحْل من هو رافعه
So I became a captive of Ibn Muhammad's generosity,
staying on; he who would lift the saddle has laid it down.
فقالthen said صِحابيmy companions فُزْتَyou have won بابنa son of مناقبٍnoble deeds
فقال صِحابي فُزْتَ بابن مناقبٍ
كريمgenerous مبيتthe lodging of الضَّيفthe guest ضخمٍlavish دسائعهhis gifts
كريم مبيت الضَّيف ضخمٍ دسائعه
My companions said: You have won a son of noble deeds,
generous in lodging guests, lavish in his gifts,
بمُجْتَمَعin one uniting الفخرينthe two glories منfrom فرعthe lineage of مالكٍMalik
بمُجْتَمَع الفخرين من فرع مالكٍ
وحنظلةٍand Hanzala والمجدُwhile glory تسموrise high فَوارعُهْits pinnacles
وحنظلةٍ والمجدُ تسمو فَوارعُهْ
in whom the two glories meet, from the line of Malik
and Hanzala, while glory's pinnacles soar.
أنِخْهاmake her kneel ونَمْand sleep إنَّindeed الرفيقthe companion ابنُa son of همَّةٍhigh resolve
أنِخْها ونَمْ إنَّ الرفيق ابنُ همَّةٍ
تُقَضُّare made restless لحاجاتfor the needs of الرجالmen مضاجعُهْhis beds
تُقَضُّ لحاجات الرجال مضاجعُهْ
Make her kneel and sleep: your companion is a son of high resolve,
whose beds are disturbed by men's needs.
سيكشفهاhe will dispel it إنْif صادفfinds القولُspeech فرصةًan opening
سيكشفها إنْ صادف القولُ فرصةً
بقوْلٍwith speech يسُرُّdelights المجدglory والحمدand praise ناصعهits purity
بقوْلٍ يسُرُّ المجد والحمد ناصعه
He will dispel it, if speech finds an opening,
with speech whose purity delights glory and praise.
هوhe الفارسُthe knight الكرَّارthe ever-charging فيin كلِّevery معركٍbattle
هو الفارسُ الكرَّار في كلِّ معركٍ
إذاwhen جَبُنَتْturn cowardly أبطالُهُits champions ومَصاقِعُهْand its master orators
إذا جَبُنَتْ أبطالُهُ ومَصاقِعُهْ
He is the knight, ever charging in every battle,
when its champions and master orators turn cowardly.
صؤولٌfierce in assault إذاwhen التفَّتْgather عليهaround him كُماتُهُits armored warriors
صؤولٌ إذا التفَّتْ عليه كُماتُهُ
قؤولٌmighty in speech إذاwhen التفَّتgather عليهaround him مَجامِعُهْits assemblies
قؤولٌ إذا التفَّت عليه مَجامِعُهْ
Fierce in assault when its armored warriors gather around him,
mighty in speech when its assemblies gather around him.
سِمامٌpoison علىagainst الأعداءenemies مُرٌّbitter مَذاقُهُits taste
سِمامٌ على الأعداء مُرٌّ مَذاقُهُ
وبحرٌand a sea منof المعروفkindness عذْبٌsweet شرائعُهْits watering-places
وبحرٌ من المعروف عذْبٌ شرائعُهْ
Poison to enemies, bitter to taste,
and a sea of kindness, its watering-places sweet.
ويمْدحُهُand praises him منfrom دارمٍDarim ذوa man of بَلاغَةٍeloquence
ويمْدحُهُ من دارمٍ ذو بَلاغَةٍ
بنىbuilt فخْرَهhis glory صيْفِيُّهُhis Sayfi forebear ومُجاشِعُهand his Mujashiʿ forebear
بنى فخْرَه صيْفِيُّهُ ومُجاشِعُه
And an eloquent man of Darim praises him,
whose glory his forebears Sayfi and Mujashiʿ built.
يفوقُhe surpasses الهوىpassion العُذريَّʿUdhri منthrough فرطthe intensity of حبِّهhis love
يفوقُ الهوى العُذريَّ من فرط حبِّه
وإِخلاصهِand his sincerity والودُّthough affection جَمٌّmany خَدائعُهْits deceptions
وإِخلاصهِ والودُّ جَمٌّ خَدائعُهْ
He surpasses ʿUdhri passion in the fervor of his love
and sincerity, though affection's deceptions are many.
Sol 6.1