إذاwhen عُدَّتْare counted سَراةُchiefs الجودِof generosity طُرَّاًall together
إذا عُدَّتْ سَراةُ الجودِ طُرَّاً
فسعدthen Sa'd الدينal-Din (the Faith) متبوعُone who is followed السَّماحِgenerosity
فسعد الدين متبوعُ السَّماحِ
When all the chiefs of generosity are counted,
If generosity's instincts are reckoned as faults
Sa'd al-Din is generosity's leader.
Then Sa'd al-Din is accused of indulgence.
طليقُcheerful الوجهِof face لاnot جَهْمٌgrim قطوبٌscowling
طليقُ الوجهِ لا جَهْمٌ قطوبٌ
ولاnor هيَّابةٌfearful عندduring الكفاحِclose combat
ولا هيَّابةٌ عند الكفاحِ
Open of countenance, neither grim nor scowling,
With a bright face, neither frowning nor dejected,
Nor fearful in close combat.
Nor timid when the struggle looms ahead.
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle اسْتَنَّhe races فيin بأسٍvalor وجُودٍand generosity
إذا ما اسْتَنَّ في بأسٍ وجُودٍ
أبَرَّhe surpasses علىbeyond الغواديmorning rainclouds والصِّفاحِand broad sword blades
أبَرَّ على الغوادي والصِّفاحِ
When he races in valor and generosity,
When he girds for valor and bounty intertwined
He surpasses morning rainclouds and broad sword blades.
He charges the peaks and the rugged terrain.
رضاهُhis favor وسُخْطُهُand his wrath فيtoward مُعْتَفِيهِhis seekers of bounty
رضاهُ وسُخْطُهُ في مُعْتَفِيهِ
وفيand toward الأعداءthe enemies منof سَمٍّpoison ورَاحِand wine
وفي الأعداء من سَمٍّ ورَاحِ
His favor and his wrath, for his suppliants
His pleasure and anger toward his proteges
And for his foes, are poison for the latter and wine for the former.
Are a poison and balm toward hostile men.
بنانٌfingers مثلُlike سَحِّthe pouring الغَيْثِof rain رِفْداًin bestowing bounty
بنانٌ مثلُ سَحِّ الغَيْثِ رِفْداً
وودهٌand his affection مثلُlike مُنْبَلَجthe breaking الصَّباحِof dawn
وودهٌ مثلُ مُنْبَلَج الصَّباحِ
His fingers pour bounty like torrential rain,
His gifts are rain pouring from the clouds,
And his affection is like the breaking dawn.
His affection, the radiant light of dawn.
شَباsharp points الأقوالِof words والأقلامand pens منهُfrom him
شَبا الأقوالِ والأقلام منهُ
أشدُّmightier منthan المواضيkeen swords والرماحِand spears
أشدُّ من المواضي والرماحِ
The sharp points of his words and pens
Pens and words are humbled before his glory,
Are mightier than keen swords and spears.
More helpless than meadows against the spear.
تصولُcharge لهاagainst them ذِمٌcensure (reading uncertain) وشِفارُand edges بيضٍof gleaming swords
تصولُ لها ذِمٌ وشِفارُ بيضٍ
فيهزمُهنَّso he routs them بالغُرِّwith brilliant utterances الفِصاحِeloquent
فيهزمُهنَّ بالغُرِّ الفِصاحِ
Censure and the edges of gleaming swords assail them,
Though slander assails him like flashes of white swords,
So he routs them with brilliant, eloquent words.
His eloquence scatters them in defeat.
بقلبيin my heart منbecause of سَجاياtraits المجْدِof glory فيهin him
بقلبي من سَجايا المجْدِ فيه
هوىpassion العِزْthe woman-shunning man (first word fragment) هاةٍcontinuation of the preceding word; no separate meaning بالخوْدِfor the maiden الرَّداحِfull-hipped
هوى العِزْ هاةٍ بالخوْدِ الرَّداحِ
For the noble traits within him, my heart feels
Deep in my heart, with its battle-scarred walls,
The passion of a woman-shunning man for a full-hipped maiden.
Lives a passion for glory and high renown.
Sol 6.1