ياO لقوميmy people, to my aid! منagainst تيميٍa Taymi دعْوةًa summons
يا لقومي من تيميٍ دعْوةً
لكثيرfor one with many الوتْرِwrongs to avenge موفورabundant الأحَنْgrudges
لكثير الوتْرِ موفور الأحَنْ
O my people—a cry for help against a Taymi,
O my people, my tribe, I call upon you
for one with many wrongs to avenge and abundant grudges.
For he of abundant virtue and generosity
جَرِّدوهاsend them forth شُزَّباًlean سابِقةًfleet
جَرِّدوها شُزَّباً سابِقةً
تمْلأfills الأرضَthe earth سِلاحاًweapons وجُننْand shields
تمْلأ الأرضَ سِلاحاً وجُننْ
Send them forth—lean, fleet steeds—
Saddle it lean, outpacing,
filling the earth with weapons and shields,
Filling the land with weapons and madness
لمغارٍfor a raid تَحسَبُyou reckon الصُّبْحَthe dawn بهin it
لمغارٍ تَحسَبُ الصُّبْحَ به
جُنْحَthe gloom of ليلٍnight منfrom مُثارِstirred-up النَّقْعِdust جَنْgrew dark
جُنْحَ ليلٍ من مُثارِ النَّقْعِ جَنْ
for a raid in which you would take the dawn
To caves where dawn is reckoned
for night's gloom, veiled by the dust raised up.
A wing of night from stirred embers
كلَّماwhenever عَفِّرَcast into the dust طِرْفٌa noble steed فارساًa horseman
كلَّما عَفِّرَ طِرْفٌ فارساً
عكفَstayed الطِّرْفُthe steed عليهover him وصَفَنْand stood with one hoof poised
عكفَ الطِّرْفُ عليه وصَفَنْ
Whenever a steed casts a horseman into the dust,
Whenever a gallant knight bares his sword
the steed stays over him, one hoof poised.
His blade clings to him and is steadfast
وَلجentered الضَّيْمُinjustice إلىupon مَنْone who عِزُّكمْyour glory
وَلج الضَّيْمُ إلى مَنْ عِزُّكمْ
بينbetween فَتْكٍdeadly blows منfrom يديهhis two hands ولَسَنْand eloquence
بين فَتْكٍ من يديه ولَسَنْ
Injustice has reached the man in whom your glory rests,
And injustice comes to you whose honor
between his hands' deadly blows and his eloquence.
Lies between his killing and tongue
فكلاميso my speech نَهبُplunder مَنْwhoever يَجْهلُهُdoes not understand it
فكلامي نَهبُ مَنْ يَجْهلُهُ
مِدَحٌpraises تُزْجىare proffered ومنْزورٌand scant يُمْنْblessing
مِدَحٌ تُزْجى ومنْزورٌ يُمْنْ
So my words are plunder for those who do not understand them:
So my words are spoils to the ignorant
praises proffered, with scant blessing.
Praise nursed, and censored nourished
مُطْمعيwhat tempts me فيin مدْحهمْpraising them زينتُهمtheir finery
مُطْمعي في مدْحهمْ زينتُهم
تلْكُمُthat (addressing you all) الزينةُfinery خضراءُgreen growth الدِّمَنْdung heaps
تلْكُمُ الزينةُ خضراءُ الدِّمَنْ
Their finery tempted me to praise them;
My desire in praising them, their adornment
that finery is greenery on dung heaps.
That is your adornment, verdant price
كلُّeveryone حِلِّopen to violation العِرْضِhonor محميsafeguarded الثَّراwealth
كلُّ حِلِّ العِرْضِ محمي الثَّرا
لاnot ينالُattains المجدَglory ماas long as عاشَhe lives ولَنْand never will
لا ينالُ المجدَ ما عاشَ ولَنْ
Anyone whose honor is fair game but whose wealth is guarded
Every gallant, protector of honor
will never attain glory while he lives—never.
Glory is not attained by one who lived or will live
طيَّبَmade sweet الذمَّblame لهُfor him حُبُّlove of الغِنىriches
طيَّبَ الذمَّ لهُ حُبُّ الغِنى
فاستمرَّso grew hardened العِرْضُhonor منهُof his ومَرَنْand became inured
فاستمرَّ العِرْضُ منهُ ومَرَنْ
Love of riches made blame sweet to him,
Good reputation pleased him, so honor persisted
so his honor grew hardened and inured.
And was supple from it and trained
صبِّحواattack at dawn المُدْنَthe cities بهاwith them مَبْثوثةًspread abroad
صبِّحوا المُدْنَ بها مَبْثوثةً
فتكةًa deadly assault تبقىremains حديثاًa tale فيthrough الزمنْtime
فتكةً تبقى حديثاً في الزمنْ
Strike the cities at dawn with them spread abroad,
Give the cities glad tidings dispersed
in a deadly assault that time will keep recounting.
Killing that remains a talk of time
وخُراسانand Khurasan فَصَوْناًso protect ضافياًamply
وخُراسان فَصَوْناً ضافياً
أنهاfor it is أرضُthe land of عليAli بنson of الحسنal-Hasan
أنها أرضُ علي بن الحسن
And Khurasan—give it ample protection,
And Khorasan a sheltering companion
for it is the land of Ali ibn al-Hasan.
It is the land of Ali son of Al-Hassan
أرضُthe land of خِرْقٍa generous man مُتْلفٍlavishing ماwhatever يحتويhe possesses
أرضُ خِرْقٍ مُتْلفٍ ما يحتوي
جعلَmade الأموالَwealth للحمدِfor praise ثَمَنْa price
جعلَ الأموالَ للحمدِ ثَمَنْ
The land of a generous man who spends all he possesses,
Land of accord, what it contains
who made his wealth the price of praise.
Made wealth the price for praise
ساكبُpouring out الجودِbounty إذاwhen عَزَّgrew scarce الحَياrain
ساكبُ الجودِ إذا عَزَّ الحَيا
ببنانٍwith fingertips كلماwhenever سيلَhe is asked هَتَنْpoured freely
ببنانٍ كلما سيلَ هَتَنْ
He pours out bounty when rain is scarce,
Pouring generosity when life was dear
through fingertips that rain whenever he is asked.
With everflowing streams when flood roared
أبْلَجُradiant الوجهof face نقيٌّpure عِرْضُهُhis honor
أبْلَجُ الوجه نقيٌّ عِرْضُهُ
طاهِرُpure البُرْدةِthe mantle عنfree from مسِّthe touch of الدَّرنْgrime
طاهِرُ البُرْدةِ عن مسِّ الدَّرنْ
Radiant of face, unsullied in honor,
Bright of face, pure his honor
his mantle pure, untouched by grime.
Unsullied cloak from touch of harm
عاقِرُslaughtering الكُومِhigh-humped she-camels علىfor ضِيفانهِhis guests
عاقِرُ الكُومِ على ضِيفانهِ
عامَin a year لاnot يُنْقَعُhas his thirst quenched عَيْمانُone craving اللبنْmilk
عامَ لا يُنْقَعُ عَيْمانُ اللبنْ
He slaughters high-humped she-camels for his guests
Barren mount denies not guests
in a year when one craving milk cannot slake his thirst.
A year it is not dried of milk
مُستريحat ease الرِفْدِin giving ماno فيin جُودهِhis generosity
مُستريح الرِفْدِ ما في جُودهِ
كدَرُbitterness المَطْلِdelay ولاnor شَوْبُtaint المِننreminders of favors
كدَرُ المَطْلِ ولا شَوْبُ المِنن
He gives with ease; his generosity is free
At ease, giving freely, his generosity
of delay's bitterness and the taint of reminders of favors.
No turbid water or hint of favor
فيin ابتذالlavishing المالwealth بحرٌa sea زاخرٌswelling
في ابتذال المال بحرٌ زاخرٌ
يقتلُslays الجدبَdrought وفيand in الناديthe assembly حَضَنْMount Hadan
يقتلُ الجدبَ وفي النادي حَضَنْ
In lavishing wealth, he is a swelling sea
In wasting wealth a roaring sea
that slays drought—and in the assembly he is Mount Hadan.
Kills drought, and in club a bosom
شرفُhonor الدينof the faith الذيwho إحسانُهhis kindness
شرفُ الدين الذي إحسانُه
فيamong الورىhumankind أحياrevived كريماتِnoble السُّننْtraditions
في الورى أحيا كريماتِ السُّننْ
Sharaf al-Din, whose kindness
Honor of the Faith, his beneficence
has revived noble traditions among humankind.
Revived ethics' most noble traits
همَّةlofty resolve مالكةٌgoverning أوقاتهُhis hours
همَّة مالكةٌ أوقاتهُ
منعتdenied مُقْلتهُhis eye طيبَthe sweetness of الوسَنْslumber
منعت مُقْلتهُ طيبَ الوسَنْ
A lofty resolve that governs his hours
Ambition sovereign, his times
has denied his eye the sweetness of slumber.
Prevented his death the prime of youth
لوذعيُّkeen القلبِof heart لاnot تخدعهُdeceive him
لوذعيُّ القلبِ لا تخدعهُ
رِيبُmisgivings الشكdoubt ولاnor رجْمُblind guesswork الظننconjectures
رِيبُ الشك ولا رجْمُ الظنن
Keen-hearted, he is not deceived
Faithful of heart, do not doubt him
by doubt's misgivings or blind conjecture.
Suspicion's conjecture or slander's stones
ينطقُspeaks الغيبُthe unseen علىupon مقْولهِhis tongue
ينطقُ الغيبُ على مقْولهِ
بالذيof what كانhad منin السرِّsecrecy كَمَنْlain hidden
بالذي كان من السرِّ كَمَنْ
The unseen speaks upon his tongue
The unseen speaks of his words
of what had lain hidden in secrecy.
That which was of secrets, as if one known
قاطنٌstaying ماas long as سَدِكَclung العزُّhonor بهto him
قاطنٌ ما سَدِكَ العزُّ به
فإذاbut when ماfor emphasis آنسَsensed الضَّيْمَhumiliation ضَعنْdeparted
فإذا ما آنسَ الضَّيْمَ ضَعنْ
He stays as long as honor clings to him;
Living, honor filled you such
but when he senses humiliation, he departs.
When injustice weakened, it leaned
نعمَhow excellent مُعليa raiser of النارِfire فيin ديمومةٍa desert waste
نعمَ مُعلي النارِ في ديمومةٍ
وأخوand a brother to الجودِbounty إذاwhen شحَّgrew miserly الزمنtime
وأخو الجودِ إذا شحَّ الزمن
How fine a raiser of fire in the desert waste,
Yes bestower in lasting
and a brother to bounty when the times turn miserly.
Brother of generosity when time was miserly
أبداًforever يفديكَmay he ransom you منfrom كلevery رَدىًdestruction
أبداً يفديكَ من كل رَدىً
ألْكَنُinarticulate المِقْوَلِof tongue إنْif قالhe speaks لَحنْerrs in grammar
ألْكَنُ المِقْوَلِ إنْ قال لَحنْ
May you forever be ransomed from every mortal peril by
Will ransom you always from every harm
the inarticulate man who errs in grammar when he speaks,
Shelter of speech, if it erred
باخلُstingy الخاطِرِin thought والكفِّand hand معاًalike
باخلُ الخاطِرِ والكفِّ معاً
يحسبُconsiders البذلspending عنin defense of العِرضhonor غَبنْa loss
يحسبُ البذل عن العِرض غَبنْ
miserly alike in mind and hand,
Empty heart and palm together
who counts spending to defend honor as a loss.
Giving loss he counts honor loss
شرفتْbecame noble نفسكَyour soul حتىuntil عظمتْgrew exalted
شرفتْ نفسكَ حتى عظمتْ
عنbeyond حلولinhabiting الجسمa frame أوor سكنىdwelling in البدنa body
عن حلول الجسم أو سكنى البدن
Your soul has become so noble, so exalted,
Your soul noble until magnified
as to be above inhabiting a frame or dwelling in a body.
Beyond body's descent or dwelling
واحْتواكَand possessed you الوجدُpassion بالمجدfor glory فماso not
واحْتواكَ الوجدُ بالمجد فما
قادكَled you الشوقُlonging إلىto الظَبيthe gazelle الأغَنْsweetly nasal-voiced
قادكَ الشوقُ إلى الظَبي الأغَنْ
And passion for glory has possessed you; no
And ecstasy filled you with glory, so
longing has led you to the sweet-voiced gazelle.
Yearning led you not to the riches
أيهاO النَّدْبُnoble man الذيwho إحسانُهhis kindness
أيها النَّدْبُ الذي إحسانُه
طَيَّبَmade sweet الغُربةexile ليfor me بعدafter الوطنthe homeland
طَيَّبَ الغُربة لي بعد الوطن
O noble man, whose kindness
O you, whose beneficence
made exile sweet for me after I left home.
Sweetened exile for me after homeland
كلevery عامٍyear للورىfor humankind عيدٌa feast بهin it
كل عامٍ للورى عيدٌ به
يُقْتلُis slain الهَمُّcare ويُغْتالُand is struck down الحَزَنْsorrow
يُقْتلُ الهَمُّ ويُغْتالُ الحَزَنْ
Each year, humankind has a feast in which
Each year for people a feast it has
care is slain and sorrow struck down.
Grief is killed and sorrow slain
ولناand for us منfrom كلevery يومٍday ينقضيpasses
ولنا من كل يومٍ ينقضي
بكthrough you أعْيادٌfeasts منfrom الفِعْلaction الحسنgood
بك أعْيادٌ من الفِعْل الحسن
And for us, with every day that passes,
And for us each passing day with you
there are feasts through you, born of good deeds.
Days of good deeds, celebrations
فهناكَso may it gladden you الصَّومُfasting والإفطارُand breaking the fast ماas long as
فهناكَ الصَّومُ والإفطارُ ما
قرْقرَcooed القُمْرُturtle-doves علىatop رأسِthe tip of فَنَنْa bough
قرْقرَ القُمْرُ على رأسِ فَنَنْ
So may fasting and breaking the fast gladden you, as long as
For there is fast and there is breakfast
turtle-doves coo at the tip of a bough.
As the moon tilts over the Minaret dome
Sol 6.1