أهُمُّI am minded بشكْوىto complain of الدهرfate ثمَّthen ترُدُّنيhold me back
أهُمُّ بشكْوى الدهر ثمَّ ترُدُّني
عَوارفُfavors منfrom نُعْماكُمُyour bounty ومكارِمُand generous deeds
عَوارفُ من نُعْماكُمُ ومكارِمُ
I am minded to complain of fate, but then I am held back
I complain of the vicissitudes of Time, then you make me turn back,
By favors from your bounty and acts of generosity.
Through your noble deeds and generosity,
وأغْضيand I lower my eyes حَياءًout of modesty منbefore نَداكُمْyour bounty وحاجتيand my need
وأغْضي حَياءً من نَداكُمْ وحاجتي
وقاحٌbrazen إذاwhen ماemphatic particle ساورتنيassail me اللَّوازِمُpressing necessities
وقاحٌ إذا ما ساورتني اللَّوازِمُ
And I lower my eyes, abashed by your bounty; yet my need
And out of shyness before your munificence I keep silent about my wants,
Is brazen when pressing necessities assail me.
Though importunate with necessities that press upon me.
وأعلمُand I know عِلْماًwith certainty ليسis not بالظَّنِّbased on conjecture أنَّكُمthat you
وأعلمُ عِلْماً ليس بالظَّنِّ أنَّكُم
سحائبُrain clouds مهماto whatever extent اسْطعتُمyou are able وخضارِمُand boundless seas
سحائبُ مهما اسْطعتُم وخضارِمُ
And I know for certain, not by conjecture, that you
I know for certain that you are clouds
Are rain clouds, to the utmost of your ability, and boundless seas.
That rain, no matter how much lightning flashes around them,
وماand not أبْقَتِhave left الأيامُthe days ليfor me غيرother than جودكمyour generosity
وما أبْقَتِ الأيامُ لي غير جودكم
مُعيناًas a helper وباقيand the rest of الناسِmankind مُقْوٍdestitute وحارِمُand withholding
مُعيناً وباقي الناسِ مُقْوٍ وحارِمُ
And the days have left me nothing but your generosity
Time has left me none but you
As a helper; all others are destitute or withholding.
To give me support, while other men deny and forbid.
فلاso do not تنكرواtake offense at شيميmy watching لبارقfor the lightning of مُزْنِكمyour rain clouds
فلا تنكروا شيمي لبارق مُزْنِكم
فصوْبُfor the downpour of حياكُمْyour life-giving rain قبلbefore شيميَmy watching ساجِمstreaming down
فصوْبُ حياكُمْ قبل شيميَ ساجِم
So do not fault my watching for your rain clouds' lightning:
So do not deny me your nature on account of my audacity,
For your life-giving rain was streaming down before I watched.
For good fortune is yours before my audacity.
ولاand do not تُنكرواtake offense at منيfrom me صريحاًa frank statement لمطلبٍfor a request
ولا تُنكروا مني صريحاً لمطلبٍ
فَصَوْنيfor my reserve لماof what ألقىI endure منof الهَمِّdistress كاتِمُconcealing
فَصَوْني لما ألقى من الهَمِّ كاتِمُ
Nor fault me for speaking plainly in making a request;
Do not deny me outright for a request
For my reserve conceals the distress I endure.
While I conceal the anxiety that besets me.
توَدُّcovet الظُّبىthe blades عزْمthe resolve of الوزيرthe minister وبأسَهُand his might
توَدُّ الظُّبى عزْم الوزير وبأسَهُ
وتحْسُدand envy جدْوىthe bounty of راحتيهhis two palms الغَمائمُthe clouds
وتحْسُد جدْوى راحتيه الغَمائمُ
The blades covet the minister's resolve and might,
The ostrich envies the minister his resolve and strength,
And clouds envy the bounty of his palms.
And the clouds envy his leisure free from care.
طليقُcheerful المُحَيَّاof countenance فيin وَغاهُhis battle وسَلْمِهand his peace
طليقُ المُحَيَّا في وَغاهُ وسَلْمِه
صَوارِمُهُhis sharp swords تبكيweep دَماًblood وهوwhile he باسمُsmiling
صَوارِمُهُ تبكي دَماً وهو باسمُ
Cheerful of countenance in battle and in peace,
At his ease he is brave in his error and safe,
His sharp swords weep blood while he smiles.
His swords weep blood while he smiles.
كتائبُهُhis battalions والكُتْبُand books أنصارُallies of مجدِهhis glory
كتائبُهُ والكُتْبُ أنصارُ مجدِه
تُسَرُّare gladdened دواوينٌregisters بهby him ومَلاحِمُand fierce battles
تُسَرُّ دواوينٌ به ومَلاحِمُ
His battalions and books are allies of his glory;
His battalions and his books are the buttress of his glory,
Registers and fierce battles are gladdened by him.
Registers exult in him, and epics.
فللْهامِso, for heads فيon يومِthe day of الكَريهةِbattle ناثِرٌa scatterer
فللْهامِ في يومِ الكَريهةِ ناثِرٌ
وللفضلand for virtue فيin قلبthe heart of الصَّحيفةthe page ناظِمُone who strings together
وللفضل في قلب الصَّحيفة ناظِمُ
For he scatters heads on the day of battle,
In the day of hardship he has a censurer
And strings virtues together in the heart of the page.
And in the parchment’s heart an arranger of its prose.
أبوfather of جعفرJa‘far تاجُthe crown of المُلوكِkings وثروةُand the wealth of
أبو جعفر تاجُ المُلوكِ وثروةُ
الضَّريكِthe destitute وعامُwhile the year of المَحْلِdrought أغْبَرُdust-gray قاتِمُdark
الضَّريكِ وعامُ المَحْلِ أغْبَرُ قاتِمُ
Abu Ja‘far, crown of kings and wealth
Father of kings, wealth of the honoured house,
Of the destitute, while the drought-year is dust-gray and dark.
Pillar of the realm, most generous when gloomy,
فتىthe champion of الحَيِّthe clan منَّاعُstaunch defender of الحَريمِthe women وعصمةُand refuge for
فتى الحَيِّ منَّاعُ الحَريمِ وعصمةُ
الطريدthe outcast إذاwhen ماemphatic particle أبْسلَتْهhave doomed him الجرائمُcrimes
الطريد إذا ما أبْسلَتْه الجرائمُ
The clan's champion, staunch defender of its women, and refuge
You are the lion of the thicket in guarding us, and our protection,
Of the outcast, when crimes have doomed him.
When events make us prey for those who blame.
أغرُّillustrious تميميّTamimi النِّجارِin lineage بفَخْرِهِto his glory
أغرُّ تميميّ النِّجارِ بفَخْرِهِ
الشهيرِrenowned يُقرُّacknowledge المالكانthe two Maliks ودارِمُand Darim
الشهيرِ يُقرُّ المالكان ودارِمُ
Illustrious, of Tamimi lineage—his glory
I boast to the family of Nujar concerning him
Is renowned and acknowledged by the two Maliks and Darim.
Whose fame the high and lowly celebrate.
لهhe has قسْوةٌhardness تحتbeneath العَواليthe tall spears وغِلْظةٌand harshness
له قسْوةٌ تحت العَوالي وغِلْظةٌ
وفيand in النَّصرِvictory لُطْفٌgentleness سابغٌabundant ومراحمand acts of mercy
وفي النَّصرِ لُطْفٌ سابغٌ ومراحم
He is stern and harsh beneath the tall spears,
He is hard beneath the banners and harsh,
And in victory, lavish in gentleness and mercy.
But in giving victory gentle, lavish, merciful.
وكيفand how يَحُلُّcan settle الهَمُّworry باحَةthe courtyard of منزليmy home
وكيف يَحُلُّ الهَمُّ باحَة منزلي
وأحْمَدُwhile Ahmad مَضَّاءُresolute in carrying out الأوامرِcommands سالِمُsafe and sound
وأحْمَدُ مَضَّاءُ الأوامرِ سالِمُ
And how can worry settle in the courtyard of my home,
How should anxiety enter a house where Ahmad dwells,
While Ahmad, resolute in command, is safe and sound?
He who makes radiant the authoritative commands?
Sol 6.1