أَجَدَّكَAre you in earnest? لاnot تُلِمُّdo you call وَلاnor تَزورُvisit
أَجَدَّكَ لا تُلِمُّ وَلا تَزورُ
وَقَدand already بانَتhave departed بُرهنِكُمwith your heart's pledge الخُدورُthe curtained litters
وَقَد بانَت بُرهنِكُم الخُدورُ
Do you truly neither call nor visit?
And the curtained litters have departed with your heart's pledge.
كَأَنَّas though عَلىupon الجِمالِthe camels نِعاجَwild does قَوٍّQaww
كَأَنَّ عَلى الجِمالِ نِعاجَ قَوٍّ
كَوانِسَsheltering in coverts حُسّراًuncovered عَنهاfrom them السُتورُthe curtains
كَوانِسَ حُسّراً عَنها السُتورُ
As though upon the camels were wild does of Qaww,
Sheltering in coverts, with the curtains drawn away from them.
وَأَبكارٌand maidens نَواعِمُtender أَلحَقَتنيbrought me up
وَأَبكارٌ نَواعِمُ أَلحَقَتني
بِهُنَّwith them جُلالَةٌa tall she-camel أُجُدُّstrongly built عَسيرُheadstrong
بِهُنَّ جُلالَةٌ أُجُدُّ عَسيرُ
And tender maidens—I was brought
To them by a tall, sturdy, headstrong she-camel.
فَلَمّاthen when أَن(emphatic particle) تَسايَرناwe traveled together قَليلاًa little
فَلَمّا أَن تَسايَرنا قَليلاً
أَذِنَّthey listened إِلىto الحَديثِthe conversation فَهُنَّso they صُورُinclined toward it
أَذِنَّ إِلى الحَديثِ فَهُنَّ صُورُ
When we had traveled together a little,
They listened to the conversation, leaning toward it.
لَقَدcertainly أَوصَيتُI charged رِبعيَّRib‘i بِنَson of عَمروٍ‘Amr
لَقَد أَوصَيتُ رِبعيَّ بِنَ عَمروٍ
إِذاwhen حَزَبَتbeset عَشيرَتَكَyour clan الأُمورُtroubles
إِذا حَزَبَت عَشيرَتَكَ الأُمورُ
I charged Rib‘i son of ‘Amr:
When troubles beset your clan,
بِأَنthat لاdo not تُفسِدَنever destroy ماwhat قَدalready سَعَيناwe strove for
بِأَن لا تُفسِدَن ما قَد سَعَينا
وَحِفظُand preserving السورَةِthe rank العُلياhighest كَبيرُis momentous
وَحِفظُ السورَةِ العُليا كَبيرُ
Do not destroy what we have striven for;
Preserving the highest rank is a weighty task.
وَإِنَّand indeed المَجدَglory أَوَّلُهُits beginning وعورٌrugged ground
وَإِنَّ المَجدَ أَوَّلُهُ وعورٌ
وَمَصدَرُand the outcome غِبِّهِof its aftermath كَرَمٌnobility وَخِيرُand good
وَمَصدَرُ غِبِّهِ كَرَمٌ وَخِيرُ
Glory's beginning is rugged ground,
But its eventual outcome is nobility and good.
وَإِنَّكَand you indeed لَنwill never تَنالَattain المَجدَglory حَتّىuntil
وَإِنَّكَ لَن تَنالَ المَجدَ حَتّى
تَجودَyou give freely بِماwith what يَضنُّis reluctant to part بِهِwith it الضَميرُthe inner self
تَجودَ بِما يَضنُّ بِهِ الضَميرُ
And you will never attain glory until
You freely give what the heart is loath to yield:
بِنَفسِكَwith your life أَوor بِمالِكwith your wealth فيin أُمورٍventures
بِنَفسِكَ أَو بِمالِك في أُمورٍ
يَهابُfears رُكوبَهاundertaking them الوَرِعُthe timid man الدَثورُsluggish
يَهابُ رُكوبَها الوَرِعُ الدَثورُ
Your life or your wealth, in ventures
The timid, sluggish man fears to undertake.
وَجارِيَand my neighbor لاdo not تُهينَنهُever dishonor him وَضَيفيand my guest
وَجارِيَ لا تُهينَنهُ وَضَيفي
إِذاwhen أَمسىis there at evening وَراءَbehind البَيتِthe tent كورُa camel-saddle
إِذا أَمسى وَراءَ البَيتِ كورُ
And do not dishonor my neighbor, nor my guest,
When a camel-saddle lies behind the tent at dusk.
يَؤُوبُhe returns إِلَيكَto you أِشعَثَdisheveled جَرَّفَتهُhas ravaged him
يَؤُوبُ إِلَيكَ أِشعَثَ جَرَّفَتهُ
عَوانٌa recurring war لاnot يُنهنِهُهاrestrains it الفُتورُweariness
عَوانٌ لا يُنهنِهُها الفُتورُ
He returns to you disheveled, ravaged by
A recurring war that no weariness can check.
أَصِبهُtreat him بِالكَرامَةِwith honor وَاِحتَفِظهُand safeguard him
أَصِبهُ بِالكَرامَةِ وَاِحتَفِظهُ
عَلَيكَwith you فَإِنَّfor indeed مَنطِقَهُhis speech يَسيرُtravels
عَلَيكَ فَإِنَّ مَنطِقَهُ يَسيرُ
Treat him with honor and keep him
Close to you, for his words travel.
وَإِنَّand indeed مِنَfrom الصَديقِa friend عَلَيكَagainst you ضِغناًresentment
وَإِنَّ مِنَ الصَديقِ عَلَيكَ ضِغناً
بَداhas appeared ليto me إِنَّنيindeed I رَجُلٌa man بَصيرُdiscerning
بَدا لي إِنَّني رَجُلٌ بَصيرُ
And a friend's resentment against you
Has become plain to me; I am a man well versed
بِأَدواءَin the ailments الرِجالِof men إِذاwhen اِلتَقَيناwe meet
بِأَدواءَ الرِجالِ إِذا اِلتَقَينا
وَماand what تَخفيconceal مِنَof الحَسَكِthe thorns of rancor الصُدورُthe breasts
وَما تَخفي مِنَ الحَسَكِ الصُدورُ
In men's ailments whenever we meet,
And in the thorns their breasts conceal.
فَإِنso if رَفَعواthey raise الأَعِنَّةَthe reins فَاِرفَعَنهاthen surely raise them
فَإِن رَفَعوا الأَعِنَّةَ فَاِرفَعَنها
إِلىtoward العُلياthe heights وَأَنتَand you بِهاof them جَديرٌare worthy
إِلى العُليا وَأَنتَ بِها جَديرٌ
If they raise the reins, then raise yours
Toward the heights—you are worthy of them.
وَإِنand if جَهَدواthey press hard عَلَيكَagainst you فَلاthen do not تَهَبهُمfear them
وَإِن جَهَدوا عَلَيكَ فَلا تَهَبهُم
وَجاهِدهُمand fight them إِذاwhen حَميgrows hot القَتيرُthe mail-rivets
وَجاهِدهُم إِذا حَمي القَتيرُ
And if they press you hard, do not fear them;
Fight them when the mail-rivets grow hot.
فَإِنso if قَصَدواthey aim straight لِمُرِّfor the bitterness of الحَقِّjustice فَاِقصِدthen aim straight
فَإِن قَصَدوا لِمُرِّ الحَقِّ فَاِقصِد
وَإِنand if جارواthey act unjustly فَجُرthen act unjustly حَتّىuntil يَصيرواthey return
وَإِن جاروا فَجُر حَتّى يَصيروا
If they seek justice, bitter though it be, seek it;
And if they act unjustly, do likewise until they return.
وَقَومٍand many a group يَنظُرونَlook إِلَيَّat me شَزراًaskance
وَقَومٍ يَنظُرونَ إِلَيَّ شَزراً
عُيونُهُمtheir eyes مِنَfrom البَغضاءِhatred عورُone-eyed
عُيونُهُم مِنَ البَغضاءِ عورُ
And many are the folk who look askance at me,
Their eyes half-blind with hatred.
قَصَدتI aimed لَهُمat them بِمُخزِيَةٍwith a shaming taunt إِذاwhen ما(emphatic particle)
قَصَدت لَهُم بِمُخزِيَةٍ إِذا ما
أَصاخَlistened intently القَومُthe people وَاِستُمِعَand was heard النَقيرُthe faintest sound
أَصاخَ القَومُ وَاِستُمِعَ النَقيرُ
I aimed a shaming taunt at them, when
The people listened closely and the faintest sound was heard.
وَكائِنand how many مِنof مَضيفٍa narrow pass لاnot تَرانيyou see me
وَكائِن مِن مَضيفٍ لا تَراني
أُعَرِّسُI halt for the night فيهِin it تَسفَعُنيscorches me الحَرورُthe hot wind
أُعَرِّسُ فيهِ تَسفَعُني الحَرورُ
And many a narrow pass—you will not see me
Halt there at night, the hot wind scorching me,
عَلىupon أَقتادِthe saddle-frames of ذِعلِبَةٍa nimble she-camel إِذاwhen ما(emphatic particle)
عَلى أَقتادِ ذِعلِبَةٍ إِذا ما
أُدِيثَتshe is gently ridden مَيَّثَتwears down أُخرىanother camel حَسيرُexhausted
أُدِيثَت مَيَّثَت أُخرى حَسيرُ
On the saddle-frames of a nimble she-camel that, when
Gently ridden, leaves another camel exhausted.
وَلَوand if أَنّيI أَشاءُwished كَنَنتُI would shelter جِسميmy body
وَلَو أَنّي أَشاءُ كَنَنتُ جِسمي
وَغادانيand would greet me at dawn شِواءٌroast meat أَوor قَديرُstewed meat
وَغاداني شِواءٌ أَو قَديرُ
And had I wished, I could have sheltered my body,
And roast meat or stew would have greeted me at dawn;
وَلاعَبَنيand would play with me عَلىupon الأَنماطِpatterned rugs لَعسٌdark-lipped women
وَلاعَبَني عَلى الأَنماطِ لَعسٌ
عَلَيهنَّupon them المَجاسِدُsaffron-dyed garments وَالحَريرُand silk
عَلَيهنَّ المَجاسِدُ وَالحَريرُ
And dark-lipped women would have played with me on patterned rugs,
Wearing saffron-dyed garments and silk.
وَلَكِنّيbut I إِلىtoward تَرِكاتِthe legacies of قَومٍa people
وَلَكِنّي إِلى تَرِكاتِ قَومٍ
هُمُthey الرُؤساءُthe chiefs وَالنَبَلُand the nobles البُحورُseas of generosity
هُمُ الرُؤساءُ وَالنَبَلُ البُحورُ
But I aspire to the legacies of a people
Who are the chiefs, the nobles, the seas of bounty:
سُمَيٌّSumayy وَالأَشَدُّand al-Ashadd فَشَرَّفانيso both ennobled me
سُمَيٌّ وَالأَشَدُّ فَشَرَّفاني
وَعَلّىand raised me high الأَهَتَمُal-Ahtam المُوفيthe promise-keeper المُجيرُthe giver of refuge
وَعَلّى الأَهَتَمُ المُوفي المُجيرُ
Sumayy and al-Ashadd—both ennobled me;
And al-Ahtam raised me high, faithful giver of refuge.
تَميمٌTamim يَومon the day هَمّتshe intended أَنto تَفانىdestroy one another
تَميمٌ يَوم هَمّت أَن تَفانى
وَدانىand brought close بَينَbetween جَمعَيهاher two hosts المَسيرُthe march
وَدانى بَينَ جَمعَيها المَسيرُ
On the day Tamim sought mutual destruction,
And the march drew their two hosts together,
بِوادٍin a valley مِنof ضَرِيَّةَDariyya كانَthere was فيهِin it
بِوادٍ مِن ضَرِيَّةَ كانَ فيهِ
لَهُfor him يَومٌa day كَوَاكِبُهُits stars تَسيرُwere moving
لَهُ يَومٌ كَوَاكِبُهُ تَسيرُ
In a valley of Dariyya—there
He had a day whose stars went coursing:
فَأَصلَحَso he made peace بَينَهاamong her people فيin الحَربِthe war مِمّاfrom what
فَأَصلَحَ بَينَها في الحَربِ مِمّا
أَلَمَّhad descended بِهاupon her أَخوa man of ثِقَةٍtrustworthiness جَسورُvaliant
أَلَمَّ بِها أَخو ثِقَةٍ جَسورُ
He brought peace among them in war, saving them from what
Had befallen them—a trustworthy, valiant man.
Sol 6.1