تأرَّجgrew fragrant عُرضُthe expanse of الدهرtime منfrom نشرthe fragrance of منطقيmy speech
تأرَّج عُرضُ الدهر من نشر منطقي
وسَرَّand gladdened تَميماًTamim أنَّthat سَعْداًSa'd أميرُهاits emir
وسَرَّ تَميماً أنَّ سَعْداً أميرُها
Time's expanse grew fragrant with the perfume of my speech.
The days of life blossomed with my eloquent speech,
And Tamim rejoiced that Sa'd was its emir.
And Tameem rejoiced that Sa'd was its prince.
ولاذتand it sought refuge بصيفيِّwith Sayfi الفخارِglory فأنْشرتْso it revived
ولاذت بصيفيِّ الفخارِ فأنْشرتْ
مفاخرthe glories of أحسابٍancestral honors طويلٍlong-lasting دُثُورُهاtheir effacement
مفاخر أحسابٍ طويلٍ دُثُورُها
And it sought refuge with Sayfi of glory and revived
It took refuge in my poetry of clay, so I composed
ancestral glories long buried in oblivion.
Poems boasting of its ancient and noble lineage.
لفضلٍfor merit سرىspread مسرىthe course of الرياحthe winds بنجدةٍwith valor
لفضلٍ سرى مسرى الرياح بنجدةٍ
تَدُقُّcrush صدورَthe breasts of الذَّابلاتslender spears صدورهاits breasts
تَدُقُّ صدورَ الذَّابلات صدورها
For merit that swept along the winds' course, with valor
Due to outstanding merit that spread like the winds in Najd,
whose breasts crush the breasts of slender spears.
Beating the breasts of the decaying;
حَباhe bestowed المجدَglory أعراضَthe honor of الملوكkings وعَلَّمand taught
حَبا المجدَ أعراضَ الملوك وعَلَّم
الأسِنَّةthe spearheads تدْمىare bloodied بالطِّعانِby spear-thrusts نُحورُهاtheir throats
الأسِنَّة تدْمى بالطِّعانِ نُحورُها
He bestowed glory on the honor of kings and taught
It loved glory and the reputation of kings, and taught
the spearheads to have their throats bloodied by thrusts.
Tongues to sharpen and pierce throats.
ورَدَّand turned جبانَthe coward of الحَيِّthe tribe فارسَa knight of بُهْمةٍa formidable host
ورَدَّ جبانَ الحَيِّ فارسَ بُهْمةٍ
إذاwhen الحربُwar دارتraged واشرأبَّتand reared up سورهاits surges of fury
إذا الحربُ دارت واشرأبَّت سورها
And turned the tribe's coward into a knight of a formidable host,
It repelled the cowards of the tribe, a courageous knight
when war raged and its surges reared high.
When war raged and the walls were breached.
وأذْعنand bowed منfrom عُلْياthe nobility of كُلَيبٍKulayb ودارمٍand Darim
وأذْعن من عُلْيا كُلَيبٍ ودارمٍ
فرزْدَقُهاits Farazdaq حاميdefender of الحمىthe protected domain وجريرهاand its Jarir
فرزْدَقُها حامي الحمى وجريرها
And the noblest of Kulayb and Darim bowed—
Those of its nobility like Kulaib and Darim submitted,
its Farazdaq, defender of the protected domain, and its Jarir.
As did its satirists who protected its sanctuary.
يضوعُwafts fragrance بأرْجاءِthrough the reaches of البلادِthe land كأنهُas though it were
يضوعُ بأرْجاءِ البلادِ كأنهُ
مَجالُa roaming-place of غوانٍbeautiful women أثْقَلَتْهاweighed them down عُطورُهاtheir perfumes
مَجالُ غوانٍ أثْقَلَتْها عُطورُها
It wafts fragrance through the reaches of the land, as though it were
Its fragrance wafted through the country as if it were
a haunt of beauties weighed down by their perfumes,
The scent of musk heavily laden on perfumes.
أوor الطيِّبُthe sweet fragrance منfrom ذكرmention of الوزيرthe minister وحمدهand praise of him
أو الطيِّبُ من ذكر الوزير وحمده
إذاwhen اندياتُthe councils of الحيِّthe tribe عُدَّتْare counted صُدورهاtheir leading men
إذا اندياتُ الحيِّ عُدَّتْ صُدورها
or the sweet fragrance of mentioning the minister and praising him,
Or like the sweet scent of praising the minister and his glory,
when the leading men of the tribe's councils are counted.
When the tribes recited his virtues.
أبيAbu (father of) جعفرٍJa'far مِطْعامُa lavish giver of food كلِّevery عَشيَّةٍevening
أبي جعفرٍ مِطْعامُ كلِّ عَشيَّةٍ
إذاwhen النَّارُthe fire لمdid not يرفعْraise سَناهاits glow مُنيرُهاits kindler
إذا النَّارُ لم يرفعْ سَناها مُنيرُها
Abu Ja'far, a lavish giver of food each evening,
Abu Ja'far is the evening feast of all,
when the fire's kindler has not raised its glow.
When the glowing fire lifts up its blaze.
تكونُbecomes رياضاًgardens أرضُهhis land ذاتَpossessing بهجةٍbeauty
تكونُ رياضاً أرضُه ذاتَ بهجةٍ
إذاwhen السَّنَةُthe year الشَّهْباءashen and drought-stricken جفَّhas dried up غميرهاits green undergrowth
إذا السَّنَةُ الشَّهْباء جفَّ غميرها
His land becomes gardens full of beauty,
The land under him becomes gardens of delight
when the ashen year's green undergrowth has dried up.
When the hoary years dry up its torrents.
علىyet أنهاthat it عندin times of التَّنكّرِhostility حَرَّةٌa lava-field
على أنها عند التَّنكّرِ حَرَّةٌ
تشُجُّsplit الحواميhoof-rims والخفافand camel footpads صخورهاits rocks
تشُجُّ الحوامي والخفاف صخورها
Yet in times of hostility it is a lava-field,
Though when enraged, it stirs its defenders and light cavalry
whose rocks split hoof-rims and camel footpads.
And sets in motion its rocky hills.
تميسُsways proudly تميمٌTamim فيon مَطاthe back of كُلِّevery سابحٍswift-gliding steed
تميسُ تميمٌ في مَطا كُلِّ سابحٍ
وقدand indeed عَلِمتْit has learned أنَّthat الوزيرthe minister عَشيرُهاits kinsman
وقد عَلِمتْ أنَّ الوزير عَشيرُها
Tamim sways proudly on the back of every swift-gliding steed,
Tameem plunges into the deep sea of every swimmer,
and it has learned that the minister is its kinsman,
Now that it knows the minister is of its kin.
فخاراًin pride بمرفوعin one with a lofty العمادِtent-pole كأنماas though
فخاراً بمرفوع العمادِ كأنما
مُحيَّاهhis countenance شمسٌa sun طبَّقcovered الأرضthe earth نورُهاits light
مُحيَّاه شمسٌ طبَّق الأرض نورُها
proud of him whose tent-pole stands high, as though
It prides itself on the exalted office as if
his countenance were a sun whose light covered the earth.
The beaming sun enveloped the whole earth with its light.
تُطيعُobey ملوكُthe kings of الأرضthe earth نافذَbinding أمْرِهِhis command
تُطيعُ ملوكُ الأرض نافذَ أمْرِهِ
وتَطْرُدهاand drives them out أحْداثُهاtheir calamities فيُجيرُهاso he shelters them
وتَطْرُدها أحْداثُها فيُجيرُها
The kings of the earth obey his binding command,
The kings of the world obey his decisive command
and their calamities drive them out, so he shelters them.
And its own affairs drive it to seek his protection.
فأيَّامُهso his days فيin كلِّevery خطْبٍordeal وأزْمَةٍand crisis
فأيَّامُه في كلِّ خطْبٍ وأزْمَةٍ
يُنَوَّلُis granted bounty عافيهاtheir seeker of bounty ويُفْدىand is ransomed أسِيرُهاtheir captive
يُنَوَّلُ عافيها ويُفْدى أسِيرُها
Thus in his days, amid every ordeal and crisis,
In all dangerous and difficult situations,
their petitioner is granted bounty, and their captive is ransomed.
He steers its course aright and ransoms its prisoners.
قِراهُhis fare for guests بديعاتُwonders of النَّعيمِdelight وَشيكَةًpromptly
قِراهُ بديعاتُ النَّعيمِ وَشيكَةً
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle الطَّواهيthe cooks أرْجأتْهاheld them back قُدُورهاtheir pots
إذا ما الطَّواهي أرْجأتْها قُدُورها
His guest-fare is wondrous delights, promptly served,
Its villages enjoy the niceties of bounty and are marked
when the cooks are held back by their pots.
By steaming cooking pots when the stoves roar.
ويُفْهقُand fills to overflowing أسماعthe ears of الضيوفthe guests بعُذرهwith his apology
ويُفْهقُ أسماع الضيوف بعُذره
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle المَقاريthe serving bowls نَشَّhas run dry عنهاfrom them قَديرُهاtheir cooked fare
إذا ما المَقاري نَشَّ عنها قَديرُها
And he floods the guests' ears with his apology,
Its guests are amazed by his hospitality
when the cooked fare in the serving bowls has run out.
When the cauldrons bubble forth over the fire.
وتُثْنيand praise عِتاقُthe noble breeds of الطيرbirds صبحاًat dawn بفضلهfor his bounty
وتُثْني عِتاقُ الطير صبحاً بفضله
إذاwhen جُثَثُthe corpses of الأبطالheroes أضحتْhave become تميرُهاprovision them
إذا جُثَثُ الأبطال أضحتْ تميرُها
And noble birds praise his bounty at dawn,
The birds in the morning, thanks to him, modulate
when the corpses of heroes become their provisions.
Their songs, when the dead bodies of warriors fatten its vultures.
فدامَso may he remain مُطاعاًobeyed ماas long as تغنَّتْsings حمامةٌa dove
فدامَ مُطاعاً ما تغنَّتْ حمامةٌ
وماand as long as حانَthe time comes منof شمسthe sun of النهارday ذُرورُهاits rising
وما حانَ من شمس النهار ذُرورُها
So may he remain obeyed as long as a dove sings,
May he remain obeyed for as long as the turtledove sings
and as long as the time comes for the day's sun to rise.
And the sun's morning light continues to shine!
Sol 6.1