مَناطِقُgirdles غِلمانٍboys وَأَحجالُand anklets أُنَّسٍcompanionable women
مَناطِقُ غِلمانٍ وَأَحجالُ أُنَّسٍ
تَغُرُّbeguile وَأَعمالُand the deeds الفَتىthe young man بِالخَواتِمِby their endings
تَغُرُّ وَأَعمالُ الفَتى بِالخَواتِمِ
Boys' girdles and the anklets of companionable women
The regions of boys and the tents of intimacy
beguile, yet a young man's deeds are judged by their endings.
Change, and the deeds of the youth by rings
وَكَمand how many زَلَّةٍa lapse مُدَّتwere stretched out أَيادٍhands لِدَفعِهاto avert it
وَكَم زَلَّةٍ مُدَّت أَيادٍ لِدَفعِها
وَقَدand already عُلِّقَتit was fastened مِنof أَهلِهاits perpetrators بِالعَراتِمِto the noses
وَقَد عُلِّقَت مِن أَهلِها بِالعَراتِمِ
How many a lapse has had hands stretched out to avert it,
And how many a slip extended hands to repel it
though it was already fastened to its perpetrators' noses.
Yet it hung from its people by the necklaces
فَإِنَّfor indeed عَدِيّاًAdi فَرَّfled مِنfrom خَوفَِfear of نَكبَةٍa calamity
فَإِنَّ عَدِيّاً فَرَّ مِن خَوفَِ نَكبَةٍ
وَآضَتand became سَبِيّاًa captive أُختُهُhis sister بِنتُdaughter of حاتِمِHatim
وَآضَت سَبِيّاً أُختُهُ بِنتُ حاتِمِ
For Adi fled for fear of a calamity,
So Adi fled from fear of mishap
and his sister, Hatim's daughter, became a captive.
And Saabiya his sister, daughter of Haatim cried
وَماand never زالَتِceased الحُمرُthe red camels الرَواهِنُkept in reserve لِلقِرىfor hospitality
وَما زالَتِ الحُمرُ الرَواهِنُ لِلقِرى
تُكَشِّفُdispel غَمّاتِclouds of grief الوُجوهِthe faces القَواتِمِdarkened
تُكَشِّفُ غَمّاتِ الوُجوهِ القَواتِمِ
And the red camels kept in reserve for hospitality have always
And the reddish camels, the conveyors to the villages
dispelled the gloom from darkened faces.
Still uncover the sorrows of the stern faces
فَقارِبso draw near وَباعِدand draw away وَاِحبُand crawl وَاِعلُand rise وَلاand do not تَقُلspeak
فَقارِب وَباعِد وَاِحبُ وَاِعلُ وَلا تَقُل
وَقولَنand do speak وَجاهِرand declare openly بِالمُرادِabout the intended aim وَكاتِمِand conceal
وَقولَن وَجاهِر بِالمُرادِ وَكاتِمِ
So draw near and draw away, crawl and rise, and do not speak;
So draw near and keep away, love and rise high, and do not say
and do speak, declare your intent openly, and conceal it.
Speak gently and proclaim openly the intention, and keep it secret
لِكُلِّfor every زَمانٍage أُسرَةٌa clan لَيسَnot أَنجُمٌstars
لِكُلِّ زَمانٍ أُسرَةٌ لَيسَ أَنجُمٌ
بَدَتappeared مَغرِباًat sunset مِثلَlike النُجومِthe stars العَواتِمِlate-appearing
بَدَت مَغرِباً مِثلَ النُجومِ العَواتِمِ
Each age has its clan; no stars
For every era there are chiefs, not stars
appearing at sunset are like the stars that emerge late.
That appeared setting, like the disappearing stars
أَنعُمانُO Nu'man ماnot سَرَّpleased اِبنَthe son of حَنتَمَةَHantamah الَّذيthat which
أَنعُمانُ ما سَرَّ اِبنَ حَنتَمَةَ الَّذي
سُرِرتَyou were delighted بِهِby it مِنfrom شُربِdrinking ماwhat فيin الحَناتِمِthe wine jars
سُرِرتَ بِهِ مِن شُربِ ما في الحَناتِمِ
O Nu'man, the son of Hantamah took no pleasure in what
How excellent is not what gladdened Ibn Hantamah
delighted you: drinking what was in the wine jars.
You were delighted with drinking what was in the jugs
وَأَحسَنُand better مِنthan مَدحِpraising اِمرِىءِa man الصِدقِof truth كاذِباًfalsely
وَأَحسَنُ مِن مَدحِ اِمرِىءِ الصِدقِ كاذِباً
بِماfor what لَيسَis not فيهِin him رَميُهُassailing him بِالمَشاتِمِwith insults
بِما لَيسَ فيهِ رَميُهُ بِالمَشاتِمِ
And better than falsely praising a truthful man
And better than the praise of Imri’ul Qais, lying
for what he lacks is assailing him with insults.
With what is not in it, accusing him of abuse
تَشابَهَresembled one another أَهلُthe people الأَرضِof the earth عَبدٌa slave وَسَيِّدٌand a master
تَشابَهَ أَهلُ الأَرضِ عَبدٌ وَسَيِّدٌ
وَماand what قيلَwas said فيat أَعراسِهِمtheir weddings وَالمَآتِمِand the funerals
وَما قيلَ في أَعراسِهِم وَالمَآتِمِ
Earth's people are alike, slave and master,
The people of earth resembled, a slave and master
as are the words spoken at their weddings and funerals.
And what was said in their weddings and bereavements
هُمُthey أَسِفواgrieved لِلخَطبِat the calamity موجِبِoccasioning فَرحَةٍjoy
هُمُ أَسِفوا لِلخَطبِ موجِبِ فَرحَةٍ
وَهَشّواand rejoiced لِأَمرٍat an event وَهوَand it was إِحدىone of السَلاتِمِthe calamities
وَهَشّوا لِأَمرٍ وَهوَ إِحدى السَلاتِمِ
They grieved at a calamity that was a cause for joy,
They rejoiced for the sermon causing happiness
and rejoiced at an event that was one of the disasters.
And were elated for a matter, which is one of the woes
وَقَدand indeed هَتَمَbroke the front teeth of النُعمىbounty هُمَيمُHumaym اِبنُson of غالِبٍGhalib
وَقَد هَتَمَ النُعمى هُمَيمُ اِبنُ غالِبٍ
لِماbecause of what سارَcirculated مِنof أَقوالِهِhis sayings فيabout الأَهاتِمِthe Ahatim (broken-toothed men)
لِما سارَ مِن أَقوالِهِ في الأَهاتِمِ
And Humaym son of Ghalib has broken bounty's teeth
And Nu’ma Al-Yahmami deeply sighed for what flowed
because of his words about the Ahatim that spread abroad.
Of his words among the groups
وَأَجمَلُand nobler مِنthan سَوقِdriving المِئينِhundreds سُكوتُهُhis silence
وَأَجمَلُ مِن سَوقِ المِئينِ سُكوتُهُ
عَنِfrom الفَخرِboasting وَالأَفواهُand mouths رَهنُhostage to الرَواتِمِcrushing calamities
عَنِ الفَخرِ وَالأَفواهُ رَهنُ الرَواتِمِ
And nobler than driving hundreds of camels is his keeping silent
And more beautiful than the market of the hundred is his silence
rather than boasting; mouths are hostage to crushing calamities.
About pride, and the mouths hostage to the relators
Sol 6.1