شربتُmay I drink دماًblood اِنْif حالَturns ودِّيmy affection ساعةًfor an hour
شربتُ دماً اِنْ حالَ ودِّي ساعةً
إِلىto غيرother than صفوٍpurity أوor أقمتُI remain علىin الذُلِّhumiliation
إِلى غير صفوٍ أو أقمتُ على الذُلِّ
May I drink blood if, for even an hour, my affection turns
May I drink blood if my affection turns, for an hour,
away from purity, or if I abide in humiliation.
To anything but purity, or if I remain in humiliation;
وانْand if رحُتُI depart الاَّexcept حامداًpraising غيرexcept أننيthat I
وانْ رحُتُ الاَّ حامداً غير أنني
أَخوone possessing حالةٍa condition اِنif لمnot أقلI speak نطقتْit speaks قبليbefore me
أَخو حالةٍ اِن لم أقل نطقتْ قبلي
Though fortune may grant another panegyrist ample scope, still I am
Or if I depart otherwise than praising; yet I am
beset by a plight that, if I do not voice it, speaks before I do.
One whose condition, if I say nothing, speaks before me;
وانْand if بعتI sell آماليmy hopes منof المجدglory والعُلىand eminence
وانْ بعت آمالي من المجد والعُلى
مبيعthe selling of الكُسالىthe indolent بالمواطنِfor homelands والأهْلِand family
مبيع الكُسالى بالمواطنِ والأهْلِ
Though my hopes of glory and eminence lie far off,
Or if I sell my hopes of glory and eminence
for home and kin are where the idle take root.
As the indolent sell theirs for home and family;
وانْand if باتspends the night يثنينيturns me away عنfrom العزمresolve موعِدٌa promise
وانْ بات يثنيني عن العزم موعِدٌ
بكىwept الفضلexcellence منat اِنجازهits fulfillment لأوليfor people of الجهلignorance
بكى الفضل من اِنجازه لأولي الجهل
Though a promise should keep me overnight from my resolve,
Or if a promise keeps me all night from my resolve—
virtue would weep to see it fulfilled for men of ignorance.
At whose fulfillment for the ignorant excellence wept.
فلاso let not يخْدَعنَّever deceive الحيthe tribe صبريmy patience فاننيfor I
فلا يخْدَعنَّ الحي صبري فانني
لأمرقُindeed swifter عندwhen facing المؤذياتِharmful things منthan النَّبْلِarrows
لأمرقُ عند المؤذياتِ من النَّبْلِ
So let not my forbearance deceive the clan: for I
So let not my patience deceive the tribe, for I
pierce through more swiftly than arrows when affronts strike.
Am indeed swifter than arrows when faced with harm.
رعىmay guard اللّهُGod حوْباءَthe soul of الوزيرِthe minister فانهfor he
رعى اللّهُ حوْباءَ الوزيرِ فانه
حليفُan ally of الاباءproud refusal الصعبunyielding والخُلُقِand disposition السهلgentle
حليفُ الاباء الصعب والخُلُقِ السهل
May God preserve the minister’s very soul, for he is
May God guard the minister's soul, for he is
the companion of unbending pride and gentle manners—
An ally of unyielding pride and a gentle disposition.
أغَرُّradiant اذاwhen لاحتappear يوارقُlightning flashes بِشْرهِhis cheerfulness
أغَرُّ اذا لاحت يوارقُ بِشْرهِ
تباشرshare glad tidings بالوُبْلof heavy rain الهطولpouring down بنوsons of المَحْلdrought
تباشر بالوُبْل الهطول بنو المَحْل
illustrious: when the lightning flashes of his glad countenance gleam,
Radiant—when the lightning of his cheerful face appears,
the children of drought exchange glad tidings of pouring rain.
The sons of drought share glad tidings of torrential rain.
أرَقُّgentler منthan الماءwater الزُّلالِclear and pure لسائِلٍto a petitioner
أرَقُّ من الماء الزُّلالِ لسائِلٍ
وأخشنُand harsher فيin نصرdefending النزيلthe guest منthan النصلthe blade
وأخشنُ في نصر النزيل من النصل
To one who asks, he is gentler than clear, sweet water,
Gentler than limpid water toward a petitioner,
yet in defending a guest, harsher than a blade.
And harsher than a blade in defending a guest.
يُجنِّبُkeeps clear of أدناسَthe stains of المِطالِprocrastination وُعُودَهhis promises
يُجنِّبُ أدناسَ المِطالِ وُعُودَه
ويوسِعُand amply supplies أقسامthe kinds الوعيدِof threats منwith المَطْلdelay
ويوسِعُ أقسام الوعيدِ من المَطْل
He keeps the stains of procrastination far from his promises,
He keeps his promises free of the stains of procrastination,
yet grants every form of threatened punishment ample reprieve.
And lavishes delay upon every kind of threat.
يُناطُare hung قميصاهُhis two tunics بأرْوَعَupon an awe-inspiring man ماجِدٍnoble
يُناطُ قميصاهُ بأرْوَعَ ماجِدٍ
مريرunyielding القوىstrength زينan adornment to المعاركbattles والحفْلand assemblies
مرير القوى زين المعارك والحفْل
His two robes are hung upon an awe-inspiring nobleman,
His two tunics hang upon an awe-inspiring nobleman,
of steely sinew, an ornament to battles and assemblies;
Of unyielding strength, the ornament of battles and assemblies;
دقيقِsubtle المَعانيthoughts فيamong المَعاليexalted honors مَقامُهhis station
دقيقِ المَعاني في المَعالي مَقامُه
اذاwhen عُدَّتare counted الأحسابancestral honors فيin الشرفnobility العبلmighty
اذا عُدَّت الأحساب في الشرف العبل
refined in thought, his station is among the loftiest attainments
Subtle in thought, his station is among the heights,
when pedigrees are reckoned by the weight of honor.
When ancestral honors are reckoned in mighty nobility.
وكيفand how عُدوليmy turning aside أقْتَضيI demand المجدglory غيرهfrom anyone but him
وكيف عُدولي أقْتَضي المجد غيره
وعَلياؤهand his eminence والقولُand the words منيfrom me بلاwithout مِثْلِan equal
وعَلياؤه والقولُ مني بلا مِثْلِ
How could I turn aside and seek glory from anyone but him,
And how could I turn aside, seeking glory from anyone but him,
when his sublimity—and the verse I make—are matchless?
When his eminence and my words are without equal?
Sol 6.1