تَأَلَّقَflashed نَجدِيٌّa cloud from Najd كَأَنَّas though وَميضَهُits gleam
تَأَلَّقَ نَجدِيٌّ كَأَنَّ وَميضَهُ
قَواعِدُbases of رَضوىRadwa أَوor مَناكِبَshoulders of ريمِRim
قَواعِدُ رَضوى أَو مَناكِبَ ريمِ
A cloud from Najd flashed, as though its gleam
A Najdi shone as if his radiance
were the bases of Radwa or the shoulders of Rim.
Were pillars of contentment or shoulders of loftiness
أَقولُI say لَهُto it لَمّاwhen تَفارَطَcame thick and fast صَوبُهُits downpour
أَقولُ لَهُ لَمّا تَفارَطَ صَوبُهُ
وَراءَكَback with you قَدalready أَلقَحتَyou fertilized كُلَّevery عَقيمِbarren one
وَراءَكَ قَد أَلقَحتَ كُلَّ عَقيمِ
I say to it, as its downpour comes thick and fast:
I say to him when his aim went astray
Back with you! You have made all that was barren fruitful.
Behind you, you made every barren fertile
تَبَعَّقَgushed حَتّىuntil خِلتُI thought أَنَّthat بُعاقَهُits torrent
تَبَعَّقَ حَتّى خِلتُ أَنَّ بُعاقَهُ
عَلىdespite عَدَمِlack of الجَدوىbounty أَكُفُّhands of تَميمِTamim
عَلى عَدَمِ الجَدوى أَكُفُّ تَميمِ
It gushed until I thought its torrent,
He flowed until I was sure his flowing
despite its lack of bounty, was the hands of Tamim.
Was in vain, so I restrained my amulet
أَتَيتُهُمُI came to them وَالجَدبُand drought قَدalready عَضَّدَcut down القَراhospitality
أَتَيتُهُمُ وَالجَدبُ قَد عَضَّدَ القَرا
وَلاand no عَهدَacquaintance لِلباغيfor the seeker النَدىbounty بِكَريمِwith a generous man
وَلا عَهدَ لِلباغي النَدى بِكَريمِ
I came to them when drought had cut down hospitality,
I came to them while barrenness had propped up the abodes
and the seeker of bounty knew no generous man.
And the rain clouds had no covenant with the generous for a generous one
فَماso not اِستَحضَرواthey invoked العِلّاتِexcuses وَهيَthough they were كَريمَةٌhonorable
فَما اِستَحضَروا العِلّاتِ وَهيَ كَريمَةٌ
وَلاand not أَطرَقواthey lowered their heads مِنfrom رَوعَةٍfright وَوُجومِand silent dismay
وَلا أَطرَقوا مِن رَوعَةٍ وَوُجومِ
So they invoked no excuses, though these were honorable,
So they did not recall the noble women
nor lowered their heads in fright and silent dismay.
Nor were awed from loftiness and gloom
هُمُthey ضَمِنواthey shouldered اللَأواءَhardship وَالأَزلُand dearth راكِدٌstagnant
هُمُ ضَمِنوا اللَأواءَ وَالأَزلُ راكِدٌ
عَلىupon مُقعِدٍcrippling مِنof عُسرِهِمtheir poverty وَمُقيمِand enduring
عَلى مُقعِدٍ مِن عُسرِهِم وَمُقيمِ
They shouldered hardship, while dearth lay stagnant
They guaranteed wretchedness while time lingered
upon their crippling and enduring poverty.
On a seat of their hardship, resident
فَماso not وَلَدَتgave birth to أُمُّthe mother of المَكارِمِnoble deeds مِثلَهُمtheir like
فَما وَلَدَت أُمُّ المَكارِمِ مِثلَهُم
كِراماًnoble men وَلَمand did not تَغلَطerr لَهُمfor them بِلَئيمِwith a base man
كِراماً وَلَم تَغلَط لَهُم بِلَئيمِ
So the mother of noble deeds has borne none like them—
So the mother of honors did not birth the likes of them
noble men—nor erred by bearing them a base one.
As honorable, nor did she err for them with an ignoble one
Sol 6.1