تجَمجِمُmumbles بِالإِشعارِin verse-making كُلُّevery قَبيلَةٍtribe
تجَمجِمُ بِالإِشعارِ كُلُّ قَبيلَةٍ
وَفيand in القَولِspeech مَحفوظٌpreserved عَليهاagainst it وَضائِعُand lost
وَفي القَولِ مَحفوظٌ عَليها وَضائِعُ
Every tribe mumbles in verse,
The tribes are stirred with verse to exaltation,
And of its words, some are preserved against it, and some lost.
And in speech their glories are preserved from loss,
وَكُلُّand every فَتىًyoung man بِالشِعرِthrough poetry تَجلوbecome clear هُمومُهُhis concerns
وَكُلُّ فَتىً بِالشِعرِ تَجلو هُمومُهُ
وَيَكتُبُand he writes ماwhat تُمليdictate عَليهِto him المَطامِعُambitions
وَيَكتُبُ ما تُملي عَليهِ المَطامِعُ
And every youth's concerns come to light in poetry,
Each youth's cares are soothed by the balm of poesy,
And he writes what ambitions dictate to him.
And he writes what greed and ambition dictate.
وَشِعرِيَand my poetry تَختَصُّtake exclusive charge القُلوبُthe hearts بِحِفظِهِof preserving it
وَشِعرِيَ تَختَصُّ القُلوبُ بِحِفظِهِ
وَتَحظىand delight بِهِin it دونَrather than العُيونِthe eyes المَسامِعُthe ears
وَتَحظى بِهِ دونَ العُيونِ المَسامِعُ
And hearts alone preserve my poetry,
My verse is treasured in men's hearts for its charm,
And ears, not eyes, delight in it.
And eyes and ears vie for it beyond all else.
وَأولىand most worthy بِهِof it مَنwhoever كانَis مِثلَكِlike you حازِماًresolute
وَأولى بِهِ مَن كانَ مِثلَكِ حازِماً
يُذَبِّبُwards off attacks عَنfrom أَطرافِهِhis frontiers وَيُقارِعُand fights
يُذَبِّبُ عَن أَطرافِهِ وَيُقارِعُ
And most worthy of it is one as resolute as you,
Most fit for it is one staunch and prudent, as thou,
Who defends his frontiers and fights.
Who guards its gems and confronts detractors bold.
سَتَظفَرُyou will gain مِنfrom نَظميmy verse بِكُلِّwith every قَصيدَةٍode
سَتَظفَرُ مِن نَظمي بِكُلِّ قَصيدَةٍ
كَماjust as حَلَّتِadorned اللَيلَthe night النُجومُthe stars الطَوالِعُrising
كَما حَلَّتِ اللَيلَ النُجومُ الطَوالِعُ
You shall gain from my verse many an ode,
From each ode of mine thou'lt gain inspiration,
Just as rising stars adorn the night.
As nightly the eternal stars rise in their courses,
تُضيءُshine قَوافيهاits rhymes وَراءَبُيوتِهاbehind its verses
تُضيءُ قَوافيها وَراءَبُيوتِها
طِراقاًin successive layers كَماjust as يَتلوfollows النَصولَthe blades القَبائِعُthe pommels
طِراقاً كَما يَتلو النَصولَ القَبائِعُ
Its rhymes shine behind its verses,
Their lines give light beyond the homes they illume,
In successive layers, as pommels follow blades.
As lamps held up by slim and cloaked bearers.
إِذاwhen هَزَّهاbrandished it السُمّارُnight companions طارَflew away لَهاbecause of it الكَرىslumber
إِذا هَزَّها السُمّارُ طارَ لَها الكَرى
وَهَزَّتand shook جُنوبَthe sides of النائِمينَthe sleepers المَضاجِعُthe beds
وَهَزَّت جُنوبَ النائِمينَ المَضاجِعُ
When night companions brandish it, slumber takes flight before it,
When the rattle stirs them, the Pleiades take wing,
And beds shake the sleepers' sides.
And rouse the languorous sleepers in their beds.
وَغَيرُكَand others than you يَعمىis blind عَنto مَعانٍmeanings مُضيئَةٍluminous
وَغَيرُكَ يَعمى عَن مَعانٍ مُضيئَةٍ
كَماjust as تَقبِضُdraws back اللَحظَthe gaze البُروقُthe lightning flashes اللَوامِعُgleaming
كَما تَقبِضُ اللَحظَ البُروقُ اللَوامِعُ
But others, unlike you, are blind to luminous meanings,
Others are blind to meanings that shine brightly,
As flashing lightning makes the gaze recoil.
As vision contracts when lightning rends the glooms.
وَماand not كُلُّevery مَمدوحٍone praised يَلَذُّdelights بِمَدحِهِin praise of him
وَما كُلُّ مَمدوحٍ يَلَذُّ بِمَدحِهِ
أَلاbehold بَعضُsome أَطواقِnecklaces الرِقابِthe necks جَوامِعُshackles
أَلا بَعضُ أَطواقِ الرِقابِ جَوامِعُ
And not everyone praised delights in being praised;
Nor does each praised one relish his eulogy,
Behold, some necklaces are shackles.
Some proud necks disdain the yoke they cannot endure.
Sol 6.1