أَمُذهَبَةَO you who gild التِراسِthe shields لِرَدِّto repel كَيدٍa plot
أَمُذهَبَةَ التِراسِ لِرَدِّ كَيدٍ
صُروفُvicissitudes الدَهرِof time مُذهَبَةُsweeping away التِراسِthe shields
صُروفُ الدَهرِ مُذهَبَةُ التِراسِ
O you who gild shields to repel a plot,
The rounds of fate wear down barricades,
time’s vicissitudes sweep shields away.
to fend off schemes and charades.
وَكَيفَAnd how أَرومُI seek فيin أَدَبٍletters وَفَهمٍand understanding
وَكَيفَ أَرومُ في أَدَبٍ وَفَهمٍ
دِراساًstudy وَالمَآلُand the outcome هُوَit اِندِراسيmy erasure
دِراساً وَالمَآلُ هُوَ اِندِراسي
And how can I seek, in letters and understanding,
How can I feign knowledge and tact,
study, when my end is my own erasure?
when the outcome is purely abstract?
نَعَمYes لِلعَضدِfor felling رَبَّتنيnurtured me مَليكيmy sovereign
نَعَم لِلعَضدِ رَبَّتني مَليكي
وَكانَAnd was بِحِكمَةٍwith wisdom مِنهُfrom him اِغتِراسيmy planting
وَكانَ بِحِكمَةٍ مِنهُ اِغتِراسي
Yes, my sovereign nurtured me for felling,
Yes, my patron trained me with care,
and my planting came through wisdom from him.
and wisely made me his heir.
أَقامَstationed المَلِكُthe king حُرّاساًguards عَلَيهِover him
أَقامَ المَلِكُ حُرّاساً عَلَيهِ
وَماAnd not تُنفىare warded off الحَوادِثُthe calamities بِاِحتِراسِby vigilance
وَما تُنفى الحَوادِثُ بِاِحتِراسِ
The king stationed guards around himself,
The king posted guards over me,
yet calamities are not warded off by vigilance.
but mishaps cannot deterred be.
كَأَنّاAs though we فيin السَفائِنِthe ships عائِماتٍafloat
كَأَنّا في السَفائِنِ عائِماتٍ
وَعِندَAnd at المَوتِdeath أُلقِيَتِwere cast المَراسيthe anchors
وَعِندَ المَوتِ أُلقِيَتِ المَراسي
It is as though we were in ships afloat,
Like ships afloat we remain,
and at death the anchors are cast.
till at death the anchors are lain.
تَخَلَّفَremained behind بَعدَناafter us جيلٌa generation وَنَجمٌand a star
تَخَلَّفَ بَعدَنا جيلٌ وَنَجمٌ
فَأَزهَرُSo a bright one شائِمٌkeeping watch وَأَشَمُّand a lofty one راسيfirmly rooted
فَأَزهَرُ شائِمٌ وَأَشَمُّ راسي
A generation and a star remain after us:
After us came throngs of new shoots,
one bright and keeping watch, one lofty and firmly rooted.
some odious, some taking firm roots.
فِرارٌFlight مِنfrom مَهاريسِcrushing mortars المَناياdeath
فِرارٌ مِن مَهاريسِ المَنايا
بِأَقدامٍon feet يَطَأنَthat tread عَلىupon هَراسِthorny plants
بِأَقدامٍ يَطَأنَ عَلى هَراسِ
Flight from death’s crushing mortars,
Fleeing the throes of demise,
on feet that tread upon thorny plants.
with feet trampling ruins and cries.
فَكَمSo how many قارَنَّthey have paired مِنof رَأسٍa head بِرِجلٍwith a leg
فَكَم قارَنَّ مِن رَأسٍ بِرِجلٍ
وَكَمAnd how many أَلحَقنَthey have joined مِنof قَدَمٍa foot بِراسِto a head
وَكَم أَلحَقنَ مِن قَدَمٍ بِراسِ
So how many a head they have paired with a leg,
Many a head kissed a foot,
and how many a foot they have joined to a head!
many a foot chased a head's route.
فَقُدَّمَSo was advanced مَنwhoever تَأَخَّرَlagged behind فيin العَطاياthe grants
فَقُدَّمَ مَن تَأَخَّرَ في العَطايا
وَأُخِّرَAnd was held back مَنwhoever تَقَدَّمَcame first فيin المِراسِcombat
وَأُخِّرَ مَن تَقَدَّمَ في المِراسِ
So whoever lagged in grants was put first,
He who lagged in bestowals was promoted,
and whoever led in combat was held back.
and he who led was demoted.
فَنَحنُSo we وَماand not فِراسَتُناour discernment بِمَينٍat all false
فَنَحنُ وَما فِراسَتُنا بِمَينٍ
كَلَفظِlike the saying of الدَراميِّal-Darami أَبيAbu (father of) فِراسِFiras
كَلَفظِ الدَراميِّ أَبي فِراسِ
So we—and our discernment is no lie—
Our foresight is not without flaw,
are like the saying of al-Darami, Abu Firas:
like the verse of Abu Firas the law.
إِذاIf أَتَهمتَyou enter Tihamah فيin أَيّامِdays of قَيظٍsummer heat
إِذا أَتَهمتَ في أَيّامِ قَيظٍ
فَعُدِّthen steer الناجِياتِthe swift she-camels إِلىtoward قَراسِbitter cold
فَعُدِّ الناجِياتِ إِلى قَراسِ
“If you enter Tihamah in days of summer heat,
When you accuse in scorching days,
then steer the swift she-camels toward bitter cold.”
count the saved, don't the strayed.
أَذودُI fend off عَنِfrom الفرائِسِthe prey ضارِياتٍravening beasts
أَذودُ عَنِ الفرائِسِ ضارِياتٍ
وَأَعلَمُAnd I know أَنَّthat غايَتَهاtheir aim اِفتِراسيpreying on me
وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ غايَتَها اِفتِراسي
I fend ravening beasts away from the prey,
I ward off beasts in their charges,
and I know that their aim is to prey on me.
knowing my end is in their largesse.
وَقَدAnd may يَغنىhave enough اِبنُa son of آدَمَAdam وَهُوَwhile he is حُرٌّfree
وَقَد يَغنى اِبنُ آدَمَ وَهُوَ حُرٌّ
بِلاwithout فَرَسٍa horse يُعَدُّkept ready وَلاnor فَراسِa lion
بِلا فَرَسٍ يُعَدُّ وَلا فَراسِ
And a son of Adam may have enough, while free,
Adam's son self-sufficed can be,
without a horse kept ready or a lion.
with no steed or cavalry.
بِيَثرِبَIn Yathrib حُفرَةٌa pit خَرِسَتfell mute وَنادىyet called out
بِيَثرِبَ حُفرَةٌ خَرِسَت وَنادى
مُغَيَّبُهاthe one hidden within it فَأَسمَعَand so made hear ذاa man of خُراسِKhurasan
مُغَيَّبُها فَأَسمَعَ ذا خُراسِ
In Yathrib a pit fell mute; yet he called out—
In Yathrib lies a dumb well,
the one hidden within it—and made a man in Khurasan hear.
its buried caller, the well could tell.
Sol 6.1