وَلِيَand mine is النَّبعَةُthe nabʿ branch مِنfrom سُلَّافِهاits forebears
وَلِيَ النَّبعَةُ مِن سُلَّافِها
وَلِيَand mine are الهامَةُthe headship مِنهاof it وَالكُبُرْand preeminence
وَلِيَ الهامَةُ مِنها وَالكُبُرْ
And mine is the nabʿ branch from its ancestral stock;
The stream springs from its source
And mine are its headship and highest rank;
As does arrogance and greatness from it
وَلِيَand mine is الزَّندُthe fire-stick الَّذيwhich يُورَىfire is kindled بِهِby it
وَلِيَ الزَّندُ الَّذي يُورَى بِهِ
إِنif كَباfails to spark زَندُthe fire-stick of لَئيمٍa base man أَوor قَصُرْfalls short
إِن كَبا زَندُ لَئيمٍ أَو قَصُرْ
And mine is the fire-stick by which fire is kindled,
As does the sword brandished
If a base man's fire-stick fails or falls short.
Be the sword long or short
وَأَناand I المَذكُورُthe renowned one مِنamong فِتيَانِهاits young men
وَأَنا المَذكُورُ مِن فِتيَانِها
بِفَعالِfor deeds of الخَيرِgoodness إِنif فِعلٌa deed ذُكِرْis mentioned
بِفَعالِ الخَيرِ إِن فِعلٌ ذُكِرْ
And I am renowned among its young men
And I am the one mentioned among its youth
For good deeds, whenever a deed is mentioned.
For good deeds if deeds are mentioned
أَعرِفُI recognize الحَقَّwhat is due فَلاso I do not أُنكِرُهُdeny it
أَعرِفُ الحَقَّ فَلا أُنكِرُهُ
وَكِلابِيand my dogs أُنُسٌfriendly غَيرُnot عُقُرْbiters
وَكِلابِي أُنُسٌ غَيرُ عُقُرْ
I recognize what is due, so I do not deny it;
I know the truth so I don't deny it
And my dogs are friendly, not biters.
And my dogs are companions, not biters
لاnot ترىyou see كَلبِيَmy dog إِلَّاexcept آنِساًfriendly
لا ترى كَلبِيَ إِلَّا آنِساً
إِنif أَتَىcomes خابِطُone groping along لَيلٍat night لَمْdoes not يَهِرّْgrowl
إِن أَتَى خابِطُ لَيلٍ لَمْ يَهِرّْ
You see my dog only welcoming;
You won't see my dog except being friendly
If a night-wanderer comes, he does not growl.
Even if a night prowler comes unnoticed at night
كَثُرَhave become numerous النَّاسُthe people فَماso he does not يُنكِرُهُمْfind them strange
كَثُرَ النَّاسُ فَما يُنكِرُهُمْ
مِنfrom among أَسِيفٍa servant يَبتَغِيseeking الخَيْرَkindness وَحُرّْand a free man
مِن أَسِيفٍ يَبتَغِي الخَيْرَ وَحُرّْ
The people are many, so he finds none of them strange,
Many people came but they don't reject
Whether a servant seeking kindness or a free man.
A sword seeking good and free
هَلdid عَرَفْتَyou recognize الدارَthe dwelling أَمْor أَنكَرْتَهَاfind it unfamiliar
هَل عَرَفْتَ الدارَ أَمْ أَنكَرْتَهَا
بَيْنَbetween تِبْرَاكٍTibrāk فَشَسَّيْand the two rocky tracts of عَبَقُرّْʿAbaqurr
بَيْنَ تِبْرَاكٍ فَشَسَّيْ عَبَقُرّْ
Did you recognize the dwelling, or find it unfamiliar,
Do you know the house or are ignorant of it
Between Tibrāk and the two rocky tracts of ʿAbaqurr?
Between Tabarak and Fashshay Abqur
جَرَّرَdragged السَّيلُthe torrent بِهاacross it عُثنُونَهُits beard
جَرَّرَ السَّيلُ بِها عُثنُونَهُ
وَتَعَفَّتْهاand effaced it مَدَاليجُnight-traveling winds بُكُرْearly-rising
وَتَعَفَّتْها مَدَاليجُ بُكُرْ
The torrent dragged its beard across it,
The torrents dragged their hems towards it
And night-roaming, early-rising winds effaced it.
And the valleys' paths led to it at dawn
يَتَقارَضْنَthey pass across in turn بِهاover it حَتّىuntil اِستَوَتit became level
يَتَقارَضْنَ بِها حَتّى اِستَوَت
أَشهُرَduring the months of الصَيفِsummer بِسَافٍby windblown sand مُنفَجِرْsurging forth
أَشهُرَ الصَيفِ بِسَافٍ مُنفَجِرْ
They passed across it in turn until it was leveled,
Quarrelling over it until it leveled
Through the summer months, by surging, windblown sand.
In the heated summer months with bursting springs
وَتَرىand you see مِنهاof it رُسُوماًtraces قَدalready عَفَتhave faded
وَتَرى مِنها رُسُوماً قَد عَفَت
مِثلَlike خَطِّthe stroke of اللامِthe letter lām فيin وَحيِthe script of الزُبُرْbooks
مِثلَ خَطِّ اللامِ في وَحيِ الزُبُرْ
And you see traces of it, already faded,
You see ruins of it that have faded
Like the stroke of lām in the script of books.
Like the script line in the revelation of scripture
قَدonce نَرَىwe saw البِيضَthe fair-skinned women بِهاthere مِثلَlike الدُّمىstatues
قَد نَرَى البِيضَ بِها مِثلَ الدُّمى
لَمhad not يَخُنهُنَّbetrayed them زَمَانٌtime مُقشَعِرّْgrim and bristling
لَم يَخُنهُنَّ زَمَانٌ مُقشَعِرّْ
We once saw fair-skinned women there, like statues,
We see the white within like the red
Whom no grim, bristling time had betrayed.
Time did not betray them, dreadful
يَتَلَهَّينَthey amuse themselves بِنَومَاتِwith naps الضُّحىof midmorning
يَتَلَهَّينَ بِنَومَاتِ الضُّحى
راجِحَاتِrich in الحِلمِgood sense وَالأُنسِand friendliness خُفُرْmodest
راجِحَاتِ الحِلمِ وَالأُنسِ خُفُرْ
They amused themselves with midmorning naps,
Frolicking in the slumber of forenoon
Sound of judgment, friendly, and modest;
Restrained by shyness and guarded chastity
قُطُفَslow المَشيِin walking قَرِيبَاتِclose-set الخُطَىin their steps
قُطُفَ المَشيِ قَرِيبَاتِ الخُطَى
بُدَّناًfull-bodied مِثلَlike الغَمَامِthe clouds المُزمَخِرّْtowering
بُدَّناً مِثلَ الغَمَامِ المُزمَخِرّْ
Slow of gait, taking short steps,
Plucked steps of gait, nearby paces
Full-bodied, like towering clouds.
Bodies like laden clouds low and heavy
يَتَزَاوَرْنَthey visit one another كَتَقْطاءِlike the calling of القَطَاsandgrouse
يَتَزَاوَرْنَ كَتَقْطاءِ القَطَا
وَطَعِمْنَand they tasted العَيشَlife حُلواًsweet غَيرَnot مُرّْbitter
وَطَعِمْنَ العَيشَ حُلواً غَيرَ مُرّْ
They visit one another like calling sandgrouse,
They visit each other like partridges
And they tasted life sweet, not bitter.
And sweet life they enjoy, not bitter
لَمdid not يُطاوِعْنَthey obey بِصُرْمٍby severing ties عاذِلاًa reproacher
لَم يُطاوِعْنَ بِصُرْمٍ عاذِلاً
كادَhe nearly مِنfrom شِدَّةِthe intensity of لَوْمreproach يَنْتَحِرْkills himself
كادَ مِن شِدَّةِ لَوْم يَنْتَحِرْ
They would not obey a reproacher by severing ties,
They don't obey an accusing rebel
Who nearly killed himself from the force of his reproach.
Who almost died from the intensity of blame
وَهَوَىand the desire of القَلبِthe heart الَّذِيwhich أَعْجَبَهُdelighted it
وَهَوَى القَلبِ الَّذِي أَعْجَبَهُ
صورَةٌa form أَحسَنُthe fairest of مَنthose who لاثَwrapped on الخُمُرْhead-veils
صورَةٌ أَحسَنُ مَن لاثَ الخُمُرْ
And the heart's desire, which delighted it,
And the heart that was infatuated with
Is a form—the fairest of those who wrapped on head-veils.
An image more beautiful than the wine's redness
Sol 6.1