إِنّيindeed, I إِذاwhenever لاحَflashes البَريقُthe lightning-flash يَمانيfrom Yemen
إِنّي إِذا لاحَ البَريقُ يَماني
لأَهيمُI surely wander in longing مِنfrom طَربٍrapture إِلىtoward نَعمانِNa'man
لأَهيمُ مِن طَربٍ إِلى نَعمانِ
Indeed, whenever lightning flashes from Yemen,
I surely wander in rapture toward Na'man.
وَيَشوقُنيand makes me yearn نَجدٌNajd وَظِلُّand the shade of المُنحَنىthe bend
وَيَشوقُني نَجدٌ وَظِلُّ المُنحَنى
وَالخيفُand al-Khayf وَالجرعاءُand al-Jar'a' وَالعلمانِand al-'Alaman (the twin landmarks)
وَالخيفُ وَالجرعاءُ وَالعلمانِ
And Najd stirs my longing, and the shade at the bend,
And al-Khayf, al-Jar'a', and al-'Alaman.
لِلَهِto God! (in admiration) أَيّاميmy days بِجَوِّin the vale of سُوَيقَةٍSuwayqa
لِلَهِ أَيّامي بِجَوِّ سُوَيقَةٍ
وَرَقيبُناand our watcher قاصٍfar away وَشَمليand my loved ones دانيnear
وَرَقيبُنا قاصٍ وَشَملي داني
How splendid were my days in the vale of Suwayqa,
While our watcher was far away and my loved ones near.
أَيّامَdays when أَسحَبُI trail مِطرَفيmy bordered cloak بِالرَوضِthrough the meadow بَيamong (first fragment)
أَيّامَ أَسحَبُ مِطرَفي بِالرَوضِ بَي
نَamong (final fragment) الشيحِwormwood وَالقَيصومِand yarrow وَالحَوذانِand buttercups
نَ الشيحِ وَالقَيصومِ وَالحَوذانِ
Days when I trailed my bordered cloak through the meadow, among
Wormwood, yarrow, and buttercups.
وَلَدَيَّand beside me غيدٌgraceful maidens كَالشُموسِlike suns سَوافِراًunveiled
وَلَدَيَّ غيدٌ كَالشُموسِ سَوافِراً
يَهزُزنَthey sway فيamong كُثُبٍsand dunes غُصونَbranches of البانِthe ban tree
يَهزُزنَ في كُثُبٍ غُصونَ البانِ
And with me were graceful maidens, unveiled like suns,
Swaying ban-tree boughs amid sand dunes.
يَبسِمنَthey smile عَنrevealing نَورِblossoms of الأَقاحِdaisies وَقَدand already حَكَتresembled
يَبسِمنَ عَن نَورِ الأَقاحِ وَقَد حَكَت
وَجناتُهُنَّtheir cheeks شَقائِقَanemones of النُعمانِal-Nu'man
وَجناتُهُنَّ شَقائِقَ النُعمانِ
They smiled, revealing daisy blossoms, while
Their cheeks resembled anemones.
إِذwhen ساعَدتُI aided سُعدىSu'da وَسَلمىand Salma سَلَّمَتshe greeted
إِذ ساعَدتُ سُعدى وَسَلمى سَلَّمَت
وَسُرِرتُand I was gladdened مِنfrom حَسناءَHasna بِالإِحسانِthrough kindness
وَسُرِرتُ مِن حَسناءَ بِالإِحسانِ
When I aided Su'da and Salma greeted me,
And I was gladdened by Hasna's kindness.
فَهُناكَthere, then عايَنتُI beheld الأُسودَthe lions صَريعَةًlaid low
فَهُناكَ عايَنتُ الأُسودَ صَريعَةً
بَينَamid النَقاthe sand dunes بِلواحِظِby the glances of الغِزلانِthe gazelles
بَينَ النَقا بِلواحِظِ الغِزلانِ
There I beheld the lions laid low
Amid the dunes, by the gazelles' glances.
يَرمينَthey shoot نَبلاًarrows عَنfrom قِسِيِّbows of حَواجِبٍeyebrows
يَرمينَ نَبلاً عَن قِسِيِّ حَواجِبٍ
يَقتُلنَناthey kill us عَمداًdeliberately وَهُنَّwhile they روانيgaze steadily
يَقتُلنَنا عَمداً وَهُنَّ رواني
They shot arrows from bows of eyebrows,
Killing us deliberately as they gazed.
واهاًah! لَهُfor it زَمَناًa time أَنيقاًlovely مُهدِياًbestowing
واهاً لَهُ زَمَناً أَنيقاً مُهدِياً
نيلَfulfillment of الأَمانيwishes تَحتَbeneath ظِلِّthe shade of أَمانِsafety
نيلَ الأَماني تَحتَ ظِلِّ أَمانِ
Ah, that lovely time, bestowing
The fulfillment of wishes beneath the shade of safety!
وَكَأَنَّناand as though we بِذِمامِunder the protection of سَيفِSayf الدينِal-Din فيin
وَكَأَنَّنا بِذِمامِ سَيفِ الدينِ في
أحمىbest-guarded جَنابٍsanctuary فيin أَعَزِّmost impregnable مَكانِplace
أحمى جَنابٍ في أَعَزِّ مَكانِ
And it was as though, under Sayf al-Din's protection, we were in
The best-guarded sanctuary, in the most impregnable place.
أَكرِمhow noble! بِهِhe is (exclamatory) مَلِكاًas a king عَزيزاًsecure in honor جارُهُhis neighbor
أَكرِم بِهِ مَلِكاً عَزيزاً جارُهُ
لَمnot (past) يَخشَfear نابَthe fang of نَوائِبَcalamities of الحَدَثانِtime
لَم يَخشَ نابَ نَوائِبَ الحَدَثانِ
How noble a king he is! His neighbor, held secure,
Has never feared the fang of time's calamities.
مِنfrom دَوحَةٍa great tree عَرَبِيَّةًArab تُبَلِيَّةٍTubali
مِن دَوحَةٍ عَرَبِيَّةً تُبَلِيَّةٍ
أَفنانُهاits boughs يَنَعَتhave ripened بِكُلِّwith every مَجانيfruit to gather
أَفنانُها يَنَعَت بِكُلِّ مَجاني
Sprung from an Arab, Tubali tree,
Whose boughs have ripened with every kind of fruit.
فَحُسامُهُso his keen sword يَومَon the day of الوَغىbattle بِذِمامِهِfor his pledged honor
فَحُسامُهُ يَومَ الوَغى بِذِمامِهِ
يَفريcleaves فَراشَthe thin bones of حَواجِبِthe brows of الفُرسانِthe horsemen
يَفري فَراشَ حَواجِبِ الفُرسانِ
So his sword, on battle's day, in defense of his pledge,
Cleaves the thin bones above the horsemen's brows.
حاميdefender of الذِمارِhonor مُشَتَّتُdivided العَزماتِpurposes مَشoccupied (first fragment)
حامي الذِمارِ مُشَتَّتُ العَزماتِ مَش
غولٌoccupied (final fragment) بِيَومِwith a day of نَدىًbounty وَيَومِand a day of طِعانِspear-fighting
غولٌ بِيَومِ نَدىً وَيَومِ طِعانِ
Defender of honor, his purposes divided, occupied
With a day of bounty and a day of spear-fighting.
ماnot أَثمَرَتbore fruit يَومَon the day of الهِياجِbattle's tumult رِماحُهُhis spears
ما أَثمَرَت يَومَ الهِياجِ رِماحُهُ
إِلاexcept عَمائِمَthe turbans of لابِسيwearers of التيجانِcrowns
إِلا عَمائِمَ لابِسي التيجانِ
On the day of battle, his spears bore no fruit
But the turbans of those who wear crowns.
ماnot حاتمُHatim الطائِيُّal-Ta'i إِلّاbut عَبدُهُhis slave
ما حاتمُ الطائِيُّ إِلّا عَبدُهُ
شَتّانَhow far apart! بَينَbetween الكُفرِunbelief وَالإيمانِand faith
شَتّانَ بَينَ الكُفرِ وَالإيمانِ
Hatim al-Ta'i is nothing but his slave:
How far apart are unbelief and faith!
يَهَبُhe gives الهُنَيدَةَa hundred camels وَالرِعاءَand the herdsmen وَوَجهُهُwhile his face
يَهَبُ الهُنَيدَةَ وَالرِعاءَ وَوَجهُهُ
طَلقٌbeaming وَكُلَّand every طِمِرَّةٍfleet mare وَحِصانِand stallion
طَلقٌ وَكُلَّ طِمِرَّةٍ وَحِصانِ
He gives a hundred camels and their herdsmen—his face
Beaming—and every fleet mare and stallion.
فيin مَدحِهِpraising him إِنّيindeed, I لَمُعتَذِرٌsurely apologetic وَلَوeven if
في مَدحِهِ إِنّي لَمُعتَذِرٌ وَلَو
أَنّيthat I كَقُسِّlike Quss عُكاظ'Ukaz أَوor سَحبانِSahban
أَنّي كَقُسِّ عُكاظ أَو سَحبانِ
In praising him I must beg pardon, even if
I were like Quss of 'Ukaz or Sahban.
مَولايَmy lord سَيفَSayf الدينِal-Din خُذهاaccept it مِدحَةًa praise-poem
مَولايَ سَيفَ الدينِ خُذها مِدحَةً
وافَتit has reached فَتىthe foremost youth of الفِتيانِthe youths مِنfrom فِتيانِFityan
وافَت فَتى الفِتيانِ مِن فِتيانِ
My lord Sayf al-Din, accept this praise-poem,
Which has reached the foremost of youths, from Fityan,
مِنfrom فاضِلٍa worthy man أَشعارُهُhis poems تَحدوchant بِهاwith them
مِن فاضِلٍ أَشعارُهُ تَحدو بِها
فيin الرَكبِthe caravan مُطرِبَةًenchanting حُدىthe camel-driving songs of الرُكبانِthe riders
في الرَكبِ مُطرِبَةً حُدى الرُكبانِ
From a worthy man, whose poems are sung
In the caravan as the riders' rapturous chants.
لاmay he not زالَcease يُلفىbe found بِالأَعاديover the enemies ظافِراًvictorious
لا زالَ يُلفى بِالأَعادي ظافِراً
فيin كُلِّevery مَعرَكَةٍbattle بِكُلِّat every أَوانِtime
في كُلِّ مَعرَكَةٍ بِكُلِّ أَوانِ
May he ever be found victorious over his enemies,
In every battle, at every time.
Sol 6.1