حماكmay it guard you حِمىprotection الرحمنthe All-Merciful منfrom كلevery حادثٍcalamity
حماك حِمى الرحمن من كل حادثٍ
يُخافis feared ومنand from خطبٍordeal تَروعterrify نوائبُهْits misfortunes
يُخاف ومن خطبٍ تَروع نوائبُهْ
May the All-Merciful's protection guard you from every calamity
May God protect you from every feared accident,
That is feared, and from every ordeal whose misfortunes terrify.
And from calamities whose afflictions are dreadful.
ولاand never فارقتْforsake تلكthose المناقبَthe noble virtues صِحَّةٌgood health
ولا فارقتْ تلك المناقبَ صِحَّةٌ
مهنَّأةٌblissfully enjoyed ماso long as الْتَذَّtook delight بالماءِin water شارِبُهْits drinker
مهنَّأةٌ ما الْتَذَّ بالماءِ شارِبُهْ
And may health never forsake those noble virtues,
And never parted from those virtues is wellness,
Blissfully enjoyed, so long as water delights its drinker.
Delighted, as long as its drinker drinks water.
فإنَّfor indeed العُلىglory منwith أحمدAhmad بنson of مُحمَّدٍMuhammad
فإنَّ العُلى من أحمد بن مُحمَّدٍ
عقيلةُa cherished noblewoman غيْرانٍa jealous man تُخافُare feared مَشاغِبُهْhis quarrels
عقيلةُ غيْرانٍ تُخافُ مَشاغِبُهْ
For glory, with Ahmad son of Muhammad,
For the most high of Ahmad bin Muhammad
Is the cherished wife of a jealous man whose quarrels are feared.
Is the beloved of Ghairan, whose machinations are feared,
وزيرٌa minister يفُرُّflees المحْلُdrought منfrom جوِّthe air of أرضهhis land
وزيرٌ يفُرُّ المحْلُ من جوِّ أرضه
ويحسدُهand envies him صَوبُthe downpour of الغَمامthe clouds وساكبُهand its pourer
ويحسدُه صَوبُ الغَمام وساكبُه
A minister: drought flees the air of his land,
A minister whom the abode flees from the atmosphere of his land,
And the clouds' downpour and its pourer envy him.
And the sides of clouds envy him and its pourer.
وينجابand lifts away طَخْيُthe murk of الليلnight منfrom قسماتِهhis facial features
وينجاب طَخْيُ الليل من قسماتِه
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle دَجتْgrew dark ظلْماؤهُits darkness وغَياهبُهْand its deep shadows
إذا ما دَجتْ ظلْماؤهُ وغَياهبُهْ
And night's murk lifts before his features,
The darkness of night is pierced by his divisions,
Whenever its darkness and deep shadows thicken.
When its darkness and obscurities grow dense.
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle تبارىvie فاخِرانِtwo boasters بمَفْخرٍover a distinction
إذا ما تبارى فاخِرانِ بمَفْخرٍ
كريمٍnoble تبارتْvie كُتْبُهُhis writings وكَتائِبُهْand his battalions
كريمٍ تبارتْ كُتْبُهُ وكَتائِبُهْ
Whenever two boasters vie over a distinction,
When two boastful ones compete in generosity,
A noble one—his writings and his battalions vie.
His books and writings compete.
فعندso with قَصيرٍone of short reach فيin المَجالِthe field ولاحِقٍand one that overtakes
فعند قَصيرٍ في المَجالِ ولاحِقٍ
طِعانٌspear-thrusting كولْغlike the lapping of الذيبthe wolf وشْكٌswift معاطبهits deadly effects
طِعانٌ كولْغ الذيب وشْكٌ معاطبه
So with the short-ranged and the pursuer in the field,
So for one short in space and overtaking,
There are thrusts like a wolf's lapping, swiftly fatal.
There are piercing strikes like the fang of a wolf and probable hits.
فسيَّانِthus equal ماwhat تُخفيconceal معانيthe meanings of سُطورِهhis written lines
فسيَّانِ ما تُخفي معاني سُطورِه
وماand what أظْهَرتهُhave revealed it بالطِّرادِin mounted combat مواكِبُهhis cavalcades
وما أظْهَرتهُ بالطِّرادِ مواكِبُه
Thus equal are what the meanings of his lines conceal
The lines of his poetry conceal their meanings,
And what his cavalcades reveal in mounted combat.
As do their caravans openly manifest them.
فتىthe gallant of الحَيِّthe clan أماas for جارُهُhis neighbor فهوthen he مانِعٌprotecting
فتى الحَيِّ أما جارُهُ فهو مانِعٌ
حِماهُhis protected domain وأمَّاand as for مالُهُhis wealth فهوthen he واهِبُهْits giver
حِماهُ وأمَّا مالُهُ فهو واهِبُهْ
The clan's champion: as for his neighbor, he guards
A living man, while his neighbor forbids him,
His sanctuary; as for his wealth, he gives it away.
Protects him, and his money, he grants it.
فمنْثورةٌso scattered فيin سَلْمِهhis peace ونِزالِهِand his combat
فمنْثورةٌ في سَلْمِه ونِزالِهِ
جماجمُthe skulls of أبطالِthe heroes of الوَغىbattle ورَغائبُهْand his coveted gifts
جماجمُ أبطالِ الوَغى ورَغائبُهْ
So scattered in his peace and his combat
Scattered in his peace and fighting
Are the skulls of battle's heroes and his coveted gifts:
Are the skulls of heroes of strife and its floods.
خضارمُvast oceans of جودٍgenerosity أوor معاقِلُstrongholds of نجْدةٍsuccor
خضارمُ جودٍ أو معاقِلُ نجْدةٍ
إذاwhen الدهرTime أكْدىfailed to yield نصرهُits aid وسحائبُهand its clouds
إذا الدهر أكْدى نصرهُ وسحائبُه
Oceans of generosity or strongholds of succor,
Verdant in generosity or fortified in help,
When Time's aid and its clouds fail.
When fate insists on aiding him and its clouds.
إذاwhen مُضَرُMudar الحمراءِthe Red مَدَّswelled أتِيُّهاher torrent
إذا مُضَرُ الحمراءِ مَدَّ أتِيُّها
فخِنْدِفُهاthen her Khindif آذِيُّهُits billows وغَوارِبُهْand its crests
فخِنْدِفُها آذِيُّهُ وغَوارِبُهْ
When Mudar the Red's torrent rises,
When the red hyena extends its neck
Then her Khindif is its billows and crests.
Its injuries and biting wounds pierce it.
فجاؤاso they came بماضيwith one firm in العَزْمresolve سامٍaspiring إلىto العُلىglory
فجاؤا بماضي العَزْم سامٍ إلى العُلى
تُكاثِرُrival in number رَمْلَthe sands of الأنْعُمَيْنal-An'umayn مناقبهhis virtues
تُكاثِرُ رَمْلَ الأنْعُمَيْن مناقبه
So they brought one of firm resolve, aspiring to glory,
So they came with determination and composure to the most high,
Whose virtues rival the sands of al-An'umayn in number—
His virtues multiplying the sands of An’amayn.
أبيAbu جعفرٍJa'far تاجِthe crown of الملوكِthe kings الذيwho بهِthrough him
أبي جعفرٍ تاجِ الملوكِ الذي بهِ
يعُزُّgains honor مُواليهhis ally ويَخْزىand is disgraced مُحاربُهْhis enemy
يعُزُّ مُواليه ويَخْزى مُحاربُهْ
Abu Ja'far, the crown of kings, through whom
Of my father Ja’far, crown of kings, by which
His ally gains honor and his enemy is disgraced.
His loyalists are honored and his adversaries humiliated.
Sol 6.1