ضروبa mighty striker بحدَّيْwith the two edges of رأيهِhis judgment وحُسامهِand his keen sword
ضروب بحدَّيْ رأيهِ وحُسامهِ
عزائمُهhis resolves مطْرورةٌsharpened وصَوارمُهْand his keen swords
عزائمُه مطْرورةٌ وصَوارمُهْ
He strikes mightily with the twin edges of his judgment and his sword;
his resolves are sharpened, and so are his blades.
فللخطبِso for calamity ماwhat تُثنْىare folded عليهaround it ضُلوعهُhis ribs
فللخطبِ ما تُثنْى عليه ضُلوعهُ
وللحربand for war ماwhat تُلْوىare curled عليهaround it براجمُهْhis knuckles
وللحرب ما تُلْوى عليه براجمُهْ
For calamity, he has what his ribs enclose;
and for war, what his knuckles close upon.
كأنَّas though سَناthe radiance of البرقِthe lightning اليمانيِّYemeni وجْهُهhis face
كأنَّ سَنا البرقِ اليمانيِّ وجْهُه
اذاwhen ماan emphatic particle اسْتهلَّتْpoured forth للعُفاةِfor petitioners مكارمُهْhis generous deeds
اذا ما اسْتهلَّتْ للعُفاةِ مكارمُهْ
His face is like the radiance of Yemeni lightning
when his generous deeds rain down upon petitioners.
يرىhe sees الوعرrough ground سهلاًeasy فيin المساعيendeavors إِلىtoward العلىthe heights
يرى الوعر سهلاً في المساعي إِلى العلى
مغارمُهhis outlays فيon المأثُراتِglorious deeds مَغانمهْhis gains
مغارمُه في المأثُراتِ مَغانمهْ
He finds rough ground easy in striving for the heights;
his outlays on glorious deeds are his gains.
أنامِلُهُhis fingertips فيin المُجْدباتِtimes of drought لآمِلٍfor one who hopes
أنامِلُهُ في المُجْدباتِ لآمِلٍ
غمامِa raincloud ندىًbounty; dew لاnot يُكذبdisappoints الدهرever شائمهits watcher for rain
غمامِ ندىً لا يُكذب الدهر شائمه
For one who hopes in times of drought, his fingertips are
a cloud of bounty that never disappoints its watcher.
فتىyoung hero الحيِّthe clan أماas for فتكهُhis deadly assault فهوthen it is مُعْلَنٌopenly proclaimed
فتى الحيِّ أما فتكهُ فهو مُعْلَنٌ
مُبينٌplainly evident واماand as for جودُهhis generosity فهوthen he is كاتمهْconcealing it
مُبينٌ واما جودُه فهو كاتمهْ
The clan's young hero—his deadly assault is openly proclaimed,
plain to see; but his generosity he conceals.
يزيدُhe increases علىunder عَجْمِthe testing of اللياليthe nights صَلابةًin hardness
يزيدُ على عَجْمِ الليالي صَلابةً
اذاwhen النِّكسthe weakling خارتgave way فيamid الخطوبcalamities معاجمهhis mettle
اذا النِّكس خارت في الخطوب معاجمه
He grows harder under the testing of the nights,
when the weakling's mettle fails amid calamities.
وزيرٌa minister غَداhas become اِحسانُهhis beneficence مُتَرادفاًsuccessive
وزيرٌ غَدا اِحسانُه مُتَرادفاً
فأيَّامُهso his days رَزَّاقَةٌabundantly providing sustenance لاnot مواسمُهْhis festive seasons
فأيَّامُه رَزَّاقَةٌ لا مواسمُهْ
A minister whose favors now follow one upon another;
so his days bring sustenance, not merely his festive seasons.
Sol 6.1