أَحَقُّmost deserving مَنof those who كانَتِwas النَعماءُblessings سابِغَةًabundant
أَحَقُّ مَن كانَتِ النَعماءُ سابِغَةً
عَلَيهِupon him مَنhe who أَسبَغَlavished النُعمىbounty عَلىupon الأُمَمِthe nations
عَلَيهِ مَن أَسبَغَ النُعمى عَلى الأُمَمِ
Most deserving among those richly endowed with blessings
Is he more deserving, him who was abundantly blessed
is he who lavishes bounty upon the nations.
Than he who blessed the nations abundantly?
وَأَجدَرُand most worthy الناسِof people أَنto تَعنواbow الرِقابُthe necks لَهُto him
وَأَجدَرُ الناسِ أَن تَعنوا الرِقابُ لَهُ
مَنِhe who اِستَرَقَّenslaved رِقابَthe necks of الناسِpeople بِالنِعَمِthrough favors
مَنِ اِستَرَقَّ رِقابَ الناسِ بِالنِعَمِ
And worthiest of men to have necks bow before him
And are men more obligated to serve him
is he who enslaves men's necks through favors.
Who enslaved men's necks with his blessings?
إِذاwhen سَماhe rose فَإِلىthen toward العَلياءِthe heights نَهضَتُهُhis ascent
إِذا سَما فَإِلى العَلياءِ نَهضَتُهُ
وَإِنand if مَشىhe walked فَعَلىthen upon الأَعناقِthe necks وَالقِمَمِand the crowns of heads
وَإِن مَشى فَعَلى الأَعناقِ وَالقِمَمِ
When he rises, his ascent is toward the heights;
When he aims high, his ascent is to the highest
and when he walks, it is upon necks and the crowns of heads.
And if he walks, ‘tis on necks and summits
لِلَّهِto God (an exclamation of praise) أَمٌّa mother تَلَقَّتهُreceived him بِراحَتِهاwith her palm
لِلَّهِ أَمٌّ تَلَقَّتهُ بِراحَتِها
ماذاwhat تَلَقَّتshe received إِلىinto الدُنياthe world مِنَof الكَرَمِgenerosity
ماذا تَلَقَّت إِلى الدُنيا مِنَ الكَرَمِ
God bless the mother who received him in her palm!
To God belongs a nation that met Him with its palms
What generosity she welcomed into the world!
What did it meet of generosity in this world?
فيamong صِبيَةٍboys لِلمَعاليfor lofty aspirations كانَhe was أَولَعَهُمthe most devoted of them
في صِبيَةٍ لِلمَعالي كانَ أَولَعَهُم
بِالمَكرُماتِto noble deeds وَأَلقاهُمand the readiest of them to meet إِلىtoward الدِيَمِthe steady rains
بِالمَكرُماتِ وَأَلقاهُم إِلى الدِيَمِ
Among boys of lofty aspirations, he was the most devoted
In a youth most aspiring to glories was his passion
to noble deeds, and the readiest to meet the steady rains.
For acts of grace and giving liberally
كَمhow often غِبتُI was absent عَنهُfrom him وَماyet not غابَتwere absent مَكارِمُهُhis benefactions
كَم غِبتُ عَنهُ وَما غابَت مَكارِمُهُ
وَنِمتُand I slept عَنهُaway from him بِآماليwith my hopes وَلَمand did not يَنَمِsleep
وَنِمتُ عَنهُ بِآمالي وَلَم يَنَمِ
How often I was absent from him, yet his benefactions were not;
How often I was absent from him, but his nobleness
and I slept, entrusting my hopes to him, while he did not sleep.
Did not wane, while I slept, hopeful and awake
لاdoes not يُتبِعُfollow with المالَwealth أَنفاساًbreaths مُصاعَدَةًrising
لا يُتبِعُ المالَ أَنفاساً مُصاعَدَةً
وَلاand does not يُعيرُlend العَطاياthe gifts زَفرَةَa sigh of النَدَمِregret
وَلا يُعيرُ العَطايا زَفرَةَ النَدَمِ
He sends no rising sighs after his gifts of wealth,
Wealth follows not ascending souls
nor lends his gifts a sigh of regret.
Nor does he regret gifts with sighs of remorse
ياO مُمرِضاًone who sickens بِالمَساعيthrough noble endeavors قَلبَthe heart of حاسِدِهِhis envier
يا مُمرِضاً بِالمَساعي قَلبَ حاسِدِهِ
عَلىover العُلىlofty rank وَمُداويand healer of الفَقرِpoverty وَالعَدَمِand destitution
عَلى العُلى وَمُداوي الفَقرِ وَالعَدَمِ
O you whose striving sickens your envier's heart
O you who heal with efforts the heart of his envier
over your lofty rank, and who heals poverty and destitution!
Against glory, and cure poverty and nonexistence
أَقبَلتَهاyou brought them forward بِسِياطِwith the whips of العَزمِresolve تَحفِزُهاurging them on
أَقبَلتَها بِسِياطِ العَزمِ تَحفِزُها
لِلطَعنِtoward spear-thrusts لابِعِراكِnot by tugging at العُذرِthe bridle-straps وَاللُجُمِand the bits
لِلطَعنِ لابِعِراكِ العُذرِ وَاللُجُمِ
You brought them forward with the whips of resolve, urging them
You met it with lashes of determination, rousing it
toward spear-thrusts, not by tugging at bridle-straps and bits,
To stab, not skirmish of excuses and fraud
مِنfrom دَومَةٍDawmah بِجِبالِin the mountains of الغَورِal-Ghawr حامِلَةٍbearing
مِن دَومَةٍ بِجِبالِ الغَورِ حامِلَةٍ
حَقائِبَsaddlebags of المَوتِdeath لِلأَعداءِfor the enemies وَالنِقَمِand vengeance
حَقائِبَ المَوتِ لِلأَعداءِ وَالنِقَمِ
from Dawmah in the mountains of al-Ghawr, bearing
From a fortress in the mountains of Al-Ghur, bearing
saddlebags of death and vengeance for the enemies.
The burdens of death for the enemies and vengeance
عَلىupon قَطاهُنَّtheir croups صَدّارونَreturning from watering عَنfrom نَهَلٍa first draught
عَلى قَطاهُنَّ صَدّارونَ عَن نَهَلٍ
مِنَfrom القَواضِبِthe sharp swords وَرّاfrequent entrants (word fragment) دونَcompletion of the preceding word لِلقُحَمِinto perils
مِنَ القَواضِبِ وَرّا دونَ لِلقُحَمِ
Upon their croups are men returning from a first draught
Against their armored ships in rows from a creek
of sharp swords, ever venturing into perils.
Of boats fleeing without armor
طَريدَةٌa quarry لِلعُلىfor glory جَلّىmighty فَأَدرَكَهاthen overtook it
طَريدَةٌ لِلعُلى جَلّى فَأَدرَكَها
بَعدَafter المِطالِprolonged delay جَناحُthe wing of الأَجدَلِthe falcon الضَرِمِfiery
بَعدَ المِطالِ جَناحُ الأَجدَلِ الضَرِمِ
A mighty quarry for glory—then it was overtaken
A fugitive of glory, its light revealed her
after long delay by the wing of the fiery falcon.
After hopes gone; the wing of fate, the fierce
أَقامَrevived سوقَthe market of المَساعيnoble endeavors وَهيَwhile it بائِرَةٌwas stagnant
أَقامَ سوقَ المَساعي وَهيَ بائِرَةٌ
مَجالُthe range of عَزمِكَyour resolve بَينَbetween السَيفِthe sword وَالقَلَمِand the pen
مَجالُ عَزمِكَ بَينَ السَيفِ وَالقَلَمِ
The market of noble endeavors, once stagnant, was revived
He set up the market of efforts while it was thriving
by the sweep of your resolve between sword and pen.
The scope of your determination between sword and pen
فَفيso in النِزالِcombat يَدٌa hand حَمراءُred مِنfrom عَلَقٍclotted blood
فَفي النِزالِ يَدٌ حَمراءُ مِن عَلَقٍ
وَفيand in النَوالِgiving يَدٌa hand بَيضاءُwhite مِنfrom كَرَمِgenerosity
وَفي النَوالِ يَدٌ بَيضاءُ مِن كَرَمِ
So in combat, a hand red with clotted blood,
So in fighting, a hand red from blood
and in giving, a hand white with generosity.
And in giving, a white hand from nobility
أَعياdefied الرِجالَmen وَإِنand even if عَزّواthey were mighty وَإِنand even if كَرُمواthey were generous
أَعيا الرِجالَ وَإِن عَزّوا وَإِن كَرُموا
مَكانُthe standing of كَفَّيكَyour two palms فيهاtherein مِنin terms of نَدىًbounty وَدَمِand blood
مَكانُ كَفَّيكَ فيها مِن نَدىً وَدَمِ
Men are outdone, however mighty, however generous,
Men grow weary even when honored and generous
by the standing of your two hands in bounty and blood.
But your two hands give it freshness and blood
Sol 6.1