ياO ناشِدَseeker of النَعماءِbounty يَقفوhe follows إِثرَهاits trail
يا ناشِدَ النَعماءِ يَقفو إِثرَها
قِفِhalt المَطاياthe riding camels قَدalready بَلَغتَyou have reached بَحرَهاits sea
قِفِ المَطايا قَد بَلَغتَ بَحرَها
O seeker of bounty, following its trail,
O you who seek virtues as your guide
Halt the riding camels: you have reached its sea.
Halt your mounts, for you've reached their tide
مَسيلُهاits course فيناamong us وَمُستَقَرُّهاand its resting place
مَسيلُها فينا وَمُستَقَرُّها
طَودُa towering mountain العُلىof eminence وَشَمسُهاand its sun وَبَدرُهاand its full moon
طَودُ العُلى وَشَمسُها وَبَدرُها
Its course and its resting place are among us.
Their flow is in us, and home resides
The towering mountain of eminence, its sun and its full moon.
Mountain of glory, its sun and moon besides
فَوَّضَتِentrusted الدُنياthe world إِلَيهِto him أَمرَهاits affairs
فَوَّضَتِ الدُنيا إِلَيهِ أَمرَها
وَقَلَّدَتهُand entrusted him with نَفعَهاits benefit وَضَرَّهاand its harm
وَقَلَّدَتهُ نَفعَها وَضَرَّها
The world entrusted its affairs to him,
So the world to him its rule confides
and placed its benefit and harm in his charge.
Giving him its harm and gain besides
عُدَّتwere counted مَساعيهاits achievements فَكانَso he was فَخرَهاits pride
عُدَّت مَساعيها فَكانَ فَخرَها
لَمnot تَقذَbe troubled by grit عَينُthe eye المَجدِof glory مُذsince أَقَرَّهاhe gladdened it
لَم تَقذَ عَينُ المَجدِ مُذ أَقَرَّها
Its achievements were reckoned, and he was its pride.
His efforts made his greatest pride
No grit has troubled glory's eye since he brought it joy.
Since eyes of glory on him reside
ذوpossessed of شيمَةٍa disposition تُعطيgives العُيونَthe eyes خُبرَهاknowledge of itself
ذو شيمَةٍ تُعطي العُيونَ خُبرَها
لاnot تَحوِجُrequires الناظِرَthe beholder أَنto يُقِرَّهاhold them fixed
لا تَحوِجُ الناظِرَ أَن يُقِرَّها
Possessed of a nature that reveals itself to the eyes,
Of noble traits that give the eyes their guide
it does not require the beholder to keep his eyes fixed.
No need for gazes to verify besides
نَرجوwe hope for وَنَخشىand we fear حُلوَهاits sweetness وَمُرَّهاand its bitterness
نَرجو وَنَخشى حُلوَها وَمُرَّها
كَجَمَّةِlike a pool الماءِof water نُرَجّيwe hope for غَمرَهاits abundance
كَجَمَّةِ الماءِ نُرَجّي غَمرَها
We hope for its sweetness and fear its bitterness,
Hoping for the sweet, fearing what chides
like a pool of water whose abundance we hope for
Like a water well we hope it will provide
يَومَon the day of الوُرودِcoming to water وَنَهابُand we dread قَعرَهاits bottom
يَومَ الوُرودِ وَنَهابُ قَعرَها
يَبعَثُهاhe sends them forth بَعثَas the sending of السَحابِthe clouds قَطرَهاtheir rain
يَبعَثُها بَعثَ السَحابِ قَطرَها
on the day we come to drink, yet dread its depths.
Despite the day we'll reach its downslide
He sends them forth as clouds send their rain:
He brings it back like clouds their rain does guide
مُحَجَّلاتِwhite-stockinged ones نِعَمٍof favors وَغُرَّهاand their white-blazed ones
مُحَجَّلاتِ نِعَمٍ وَغُرَّها
شَغَلتَناyou occupied us حَتّىuntil نَسيناwe forgot شُكرَهاthanks for them
شَغَلتَنا حَتّى نَسينا شُكرَها
white-stockinged favors and their white-blazed ones.
Gifts galore, yet forget we to abide
You so preoccupied us that we forgot to give thanks for them.
Busying us until we forget to chide
يُهديhe offers إِلَيناto us شَفقَهاtheir twilight glow وَوِترَهاand their odd-numbered ones
يُهدي إِلَينا شَفقَها وَوِترَها
عِيابَchests دارينَof Darin حَمَلنَthey carried عِطرَهاits perfume
عِيابَ دارينَ حَمَلنَ عِطرَها
He offers us their twilight glow and their odd-numbered gifts,
Giving of his vigilance and pact besides
chests from Darin that carried its perfume.
Fragrance of two abodes he bears inside
إِنَّindeed المَعاليthe heights of honor وَلَدَتكَshe bore you بَكرَهاher firstborn
إِنَّ المَعالي وَلَدَتكَ بَكرَها
ماnot ضَمِنَتheld مِثلَكَone like you يَوماًever حِجرَهاher lap
ما ضَمِنَت مِثلَكَ يَوماً حِجرَها
Truly, noble eminence bore you as her firstborn;
Indeed greatness birthed you at its fore
her lap had never held anyone like you.
No peer like you have its walls espied
أُمّاًas a mother رَؤوماًtender أَرضَعَتكَshe suckled you دَرَّهاher flowing milk
أُمّاً رَؤوماً أَرضَعَتكَ دَرَّها
لَوif أَلَّفَتgathered together عَلىupon النِظامِthe string نَثرَهاtheir scattered gems
لَو أَلَّفَت عَلى النِظامِ نَثرَها
A tender mother, she suckled you with her flowing milk.
A gentle mother nursed you at her side
Were their scattered gems gathered onto a string,
If but you'd write prose with your bona fide
قَلائِدُnecklaces المَجدِof glory لَكُنتَyou would surely be دُرَّهاtheir pearl
قَلائِدُ المَجدِ لَكُنتَ دُرَّها
نَرىwe see الأَعاديthe enemies إِنif عَزَمتَyou set your sights on ثَغرَهاtheir frontier
نَرى الأَعادي إِن عَزَمتَ ثَغرَها
you would surely be the pearl of glory's necklaces.
Necklaces of glory you would reside
We see the foes, if you set your sights on their frontier,
Enemies we see, if you onwards stride
أَباغِثَweaklings الطَيرِamong birds تَراءَتcaught sight of صَقرَهاtheir falcon
أَباغِثَ الطَيرِ تَراءَت صَقرَها
فَحلُa bull-camel وَغىًof battle يُنسيmakes forget الفُحولَthe bull-camels هَدرَهاtheir bellowing
فَحلُ وَغىً يُنسي الفُحولَ هَدرَها
as weak birds that have glimpsed their falcon.
Young birds espying eagles at their side
A bull-camel of battle, making other bull-camels forget their bellowing.
Spreading terror, heroes forgot their pride
لَأَصبَحَتناwould surely overtake us at dawn وَوُقيناand may we be spared شَرَّهاits evil
لَأَصبَحَتنا وَوُقينا شَرَّها
ظَلماءُthe darkness أَمرٍof an ordeal لاnot تَكونُyou are فَجرَهاits dawn
ظَلماءُ أَمرٍ لا تَكونُ فَجرَها
At dawn we would surely be overtaken—may we be spared its evil—
Safety for us, protection from their stride
by the darkness of an ordeal whose dawn you are not.
Darkened command no dawn can guide
Sol 6.1