قَدْindeed قَرَأْنَاwe have read الْحَيَاةَlife سَطْرًاa line فَسَطْرًاthen a line
قَدْ قَرَأْنَا الْحَيَاةَ سَطْرًا فَسَطْرًا
وَشَهِدْنَاand we have witnessed صُرُوفَهَاits vicissitudes أَلْوَانَاin varied hues
وَشَهِدْنَا صُرُوفَهَا أَلْوَانَا
We have indeed read life line by line,
We have read life line by line,
and witnessed its vicissitudes in many hues.
And witnessed its ups and downs.
وَرَأَيْنَاand we have seen الْمِقْدَامَthe bold man يَسْمُوrises إِلَىtoward الْعِـglory (first part)
وَرَأَيْنَا الْمِقْدَامَ يَسْمُو إِلَى الْعِـ
ـزِّglory (completion) وَلَاand not يَرْتَضِيis content with النُّجُومَthe stars مَكَانَاas a station
ـزِّ وَلَا يَرْتَضِي النُّجُومَ مَكَانَا
And we have seen the bold man rise toward
We saw the valiant rise to glory,
glory, not content with even the stars as his station.
Not satisfied with anything less than the stars.
وَلَمَحْنَاand we have glimpsed بِجَانِبَيْهِon either side of him أُنَاسًاpeople
وَلَمَحْنَا بِجَانِبَيْهِ أُنَاسًا
قُتِلُواthey were slain ذِلَّةًin humiliation وَمَاتُواand they died هَوَانَاin disgrace
قُتِلُوا ذِلَّةً وَمَاتُوا هَوَانَا
And we have glimpsed people on either side of him,
And by his side we saw people,
who were slain in humiliation and died in disgrace.
Killed in humiliation, dying in disgrace.
إِنَّمَاonly الْمَنْصِبُthe office الْكَرِيمُnoble بِمَنْthrough whoever فِيـin
إِنَّمَا الْمَنْصِبُ الْكَرِيمُ بِمَنْ فِيـ
ـهِit، وَلَيْسَand is not الْقَنَاةُthe spear إِلَّاexcept سِنَانَاa spearhead
ـهِ، وَلَيْسَ الْقَنَاةُ إِلَّا سِنَانَا
An office is noble only through whoever is in
True merit lies in the man himself,
it; a spear is nothing but its point.
Not in his lineage or pedigree.
قَدْindeed حَبَسْنَاwe have withheld الْمَدِيحَpraise عَنْfrom كُلِّevery مُسْتَاbidder (first part)
قَدْ حَبَسْنَا الْمَدِيحَ عَنْ كُلِّ مُسْتَا
مٍbidder (completion)، وَأَجْدِرْand how fitting بِشِعْرِنَاfor our poetry أَنْthat يُصَانَاit be safeguarded
مٍ، وَأَجْدِرْ بِشِعْرِنَا أَنْ يُصَانَا
We have indeed withheld praise from every
We withheld praise from the unworthy,
bidder—and how fitting that our poetry be safeguarded!
More deserving our poetry of protection.
لَاnot تَزِينُadorn الْعُقُودُthe necklaces جِيدًاa neck إِذَاif لَمْnot
لَا تَزِينُ الْعُقُودُ جِيدًا إِذَا لَمْ
يَكُit was، بِالْحُسْنِwith beauty قَبْلَهَاbefore them مُزْدَانَاadorned
يَكُ، بِالْحُسْنِ قَبْلَهَا مُزْدَانَا
Necklaces do not adorn a neck unless
Necklaces do not adorn a neck
it was already graced with beauty before them.
That was not beautiful before them.
رُبَّmany a دُرٍّpearl لَاقَىmet مِنَfrom الصَّدْرِthe breast دُرًّاa pearl
رُبَّ دُرٍّ لَاقَى مِنَ الصَّدْرِ دُرًّا
وَجُمَانٍand pearls فِيupon النَّحْرِthe throat لَاقَىmet جُمَانَاpearls!
وَجُمَانٍ فِي النَّحْرِ لَاقَى جُمَانَا!
Many a pearl has met a pearl in the breast,
Many a precious pearl met
and many a pearl upon the throat has met a pearl!
Its match in an open chest.
لَوْif مَدَحْنَاwe praised مَنْsomeone who لَاnot يَحِقُّis due لَهُto him الْمَدْpraise (first part)
لَوْ مَدَحْنَا مَنْ لَا يَحِقُّ لَهُ الْمَدْ
حُpraise (completion) لَوَىtwisted الشِّعْرُpoetry رَأْسَهُits head فَهَجَانَاthen it lampooned us
حُ لَوَى الشِّعْرُ رَأْسَهُ فَهَجَانَا
If we praised one who had no claim to
Had we praised those undeserving of praise
praise, poetry would turn its head and lampoon us.
Poetry would have recoiled in shame from us.
الرَّسُولُthe Messenger الْكَرِيمُnoble أَنْطَقَgave voice to حَسَّاHassan (first part)
الرَّسُولُ الْكَرِيمُ أَنْطَقَ حَسَّا
نًاHassan (completion)، وَلَوْلَاهُand but for him لَمْnot يَكُنْhe would have been حَسَّانَاHassan
نًا، وَلَوْلَاهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ حَسَّانَا
The noble Messenger gave voice to
The noble Messenger inspired Hassan,
Hassan; but for him, he would not have been Hassan.
Else there'd have been no Hassan among us.
وَابْنُand the son of حَمْدَانَHamdan لَقَّنَtaught الْمُتَنَبِّيal-Mutanabbi
وَابْنُ حَمْدَانَ لَقَّنَ الْمُتَنَبِّي
غُرَرَthe choicest verses الْمَدْحِof praise فِيconcerning بَنِيthe sons of حَمْدَانَاHamdan
غُرَرَ الْمَدْحِ فِي بَنِي حَمْدَانَا
And Ibn Hamdan taught al-Mutanabbi
Ibn Hamdan taught Al-Mutanabbi
the choicest verses of praise for the sons of Hamdan.
The subtleties of praise among the Hamdan.
يَصْدُقُspeaks truly الشِّعْرُpoetry حِينَمَاwhen يَصْدُقُare true النَّاthe people (first part)
يَصْدُقُ الشِّعْرُ حِينَمَا يَصْدُقُ النَّا
سُthe people (completion) فَيَشْدُوthen it sings بِمَدْحِهِمْin praise of them نَشْوَانَاintoxicated with joy
سُ فَيَشْدُو بِمَدْحِهِمْ نَشْوَانَا
Poetry speaks truly when
Poetry rings true when people are true,
people are true; then it sings their praise, intoxicated with joy.
And sings joyfully in praising them.
وَإِذَاand when عَزَّتِgrew scarce الْمَكَارِمُnoble virtues وَلَّىturned away
وَإِذَا عَزَّتِ الْمَكَارِمُ وَلَّى
مُطْرِقَlowering الرَّأْسِthe head وَاجِمًاsilent and dejected خَزْيَانَاashamed
مُطْرِقَ الرَّأْسِ وَاجِمًا خَزْيَانَا
And when noble virtues grow scarce, it turns away,
But when noble deeds grow rare,
head bowed, silent, dejected, and ashamed,
It bows its head in silent shame.
وَمَضَىand went on يَشْتَكِيcomplains of الزَّمَانَthe age وَيَبْكِيand weeps over
وَمَضَى يَشْتَكِي الزَّمَانَ وَيَبْكِي
دَارِسَاتِfaded الطُّلُولِthe ruins وَالْأَظْعَانَاand the departing caravans
دَارِسَاتِ الطُّلُولِ وَالْأَظْعَانَا
and goes on complaining of the age and weeping
It laments the days that are gone,
over the faded ruins and the departing caravans.
The chivalrous heroes and glittering spears.
فَإِذَاso if شِئْتَyou wish أَنْthat أَكُونَI should be زُهَيْرًاZuhayr
فَإِذَا شِئْتَ أَنْ أَكُونَ زُهَيْرًا
فَأَعِنِّيthen help me وَهَاتِand bring لِيto me ابْنَthe son of سِنَانَاSinan
فَأَعِنِّي وَهَاتِ لِي ابْنَ سِنَانَا
So if you wish me to be Zuhayr,
So if you want me to be another Zuhair,
then help me, and bring me Ibn Sinan.
Help me, and bring me his like from among you.
Sol 6.1