لاnot يَحمِلُbears الحِقدَrancor مَنwhoever تَعلوrise بِهِwith him الرُتَبُthe ranks
لا يَحمِلُ الحِقدَ مَن تَعلو بِهِ الرُتَبُ
وَلاnor يَنالُattains العُلاeminence مَنwhoever طَبعُهُhis nature الغَضَبُanger
وَلا يَنالُ العُلا مَن طَبعُهُ الغَضَبُ
He whom rank raises high bears no rancor.
He who is elevated in rank bears no malice,
Nor does one whose nature is anger attain eminence.
Nor does he who is quick to anger attain eminence.
وَمَنand whoever يِكُنis عَبدَa slave of قَومٍa people لاnot يُخالِفُهُمdefies them
وَمَن يِكُن عَبدَ قَومٍ لا يُخالِفُهُم
إِذاwhen جَفوهُthey shun him وَيَستَرضيand seeks to appease إِذاwhen عَتَبواthey reproach
إِذا جَفوهُ وَيَستَرضي إِذا عَتَبوا
And whoever is a slave to a people does not defy them
He who is subservient to a people, agreeing with them
When they shun him, and seeks to appease them when they reproach him.
When they are unjust and appeasing them when they complain,
قَدindeed كُنتُI was فيماin what مَضىpassed أَرعىI tend جِمالَهُمُtheir camels
قَد كُنتُ فيما مَضى أَرعى جِمالَهُمُ
وَاليَومَand today أَحميI protect حِماهُمtheir protected domain كُلَّماwhenever نُكِبواthey are afflicted
وَاليَومَ أَحمي حِماهُم كُلَّما نُكِبوا
I once tended their camels in days gone by;
I was once wont to pasture their camels,
And today I defend their domain whenever disaster strikes them.
But today I guard their honor, whenever they stumble.
لِلَّهِto God دَرُّexcellence (in praise) بَنيthe sons of عَبسٍ'Abs لَقَدindeed نَسَلواthey have begotten
لِلَّهِ دَرُّ بَني عَبسٍ لَقَد نَسَلوا
مِنَfrom among الأَكارِمِthe noblest ماwhat قَدmay تَنسُلُbeget العَرَبُthe Arabs
مِنَ الأَكارِمِ ما قَد تَنسُلُ العَرَبُ
God bless the sons of 'Abs! They have indeed begotten
Praise be to the clan of Abs! They are noble stock,
Noble men such as the Arabs may beget.
The noblest stock of Arabs.
لَئِنeven if يَعيبواthey fault سَواديmy blackness فَهوَthen it is ليfor me نَسَبٌlineage
لَئِن يَعيبوا سَوادي فَهوَ لي نَسَبٌ
يَومَon the day of النِزالِcombat إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle فاتَنيfails me النَسَبُlineage
يَومَ النِزالِ إِذا ما فاتَني النَسَبُ
Even if they fault my blackness, it is a lineage for me
If they blame my dark skin, it is to me a pedigree
On the day of combat, when lineage fails me.
When the war-fires blaze, if lineage fails me.
إِنif كُنتَyou are تَعلَمُyou know ياO نُعمانُNu'man أَنَّthat يَديmy hand
إِن كُنتَ تَعلَمُ يا نُعمانُ أَنَّ يَدي
قَصيرَةٌshort عَنكَfrom you فَالأَيّامُyet the days تَنقَلِبُturn
قَصيرَةٌ عَنكَ فَالأَيّامُ تَنقَلِبُ
If you know, O Nu'man, that my hand
If you know, O Nu'man, that against you my hand
Is too short to reach you—yet the days turn.
Falls short, time's turns may change.
اليَومَtoday تَعلَمُyou know ياO نُعمانُNu'man أَيَّwhat kind of فَتىًa youth
اليَومَ تَعلَمُ يا نُعمانُ أَيَّ فَتىً
يَلقىfaces أَخاكَyour brother الَّذيwhom قَدindeed غَرَّهُdeluded him العُصَبُthe bands of men
يَلقى أَخاكَ الَّذي قَد غَرَّهُ العُصَبُ
Today you will know, O Nu'man, what kind of youth
Today, O Nu'man, you will know what man
Faces your brother, whom the bands of men have deluded.
Faces your brother, whom passion has led astray.
إِنَّindeed الأَفاعيthe vipers وَإِنand even though لانَتare soft مَلامِسُهاtheir surfaces
إِنَّ الأَفاعي وَإِن لانَت مَلامِسُها
عِندَupon التَقَلُّبِturning فيin أَنيابِهاtheir fangs العَطَبُdeath
عِندَ التَقَلُّبِ في أَنيابِها العَطَبُ
Indeed, vipers, though soft to the touch,
Verily, serpents, though smooth to the touch,
When they turn, carry death in their fangs.
When they writhe have sharp fangs.
فَتىًa youth يَخوضُwades into غِمارَthe depths of الحَربِwar مُبتَسِماًsmiling
فَتىً يَخوضُ غِمارَ الحَربِ مُبتَسِماً
وَيَنثَنيand turns back وَسِنانُand the point of الرُمحِthe spear مُختَضِبُdyed with blood
وَيَنثَني وَسِنانُ الرُمحِ مُختَضِبُ
A youth who wades into the depths of war, smiling,
A warrior plunging into the fray with a smile,
And turns back with the spearhead dyed in blood.
Though the spear-heads tear his flesh.
إِنif سَلَّhe draws صارِمَهُhis keen sword سالَتflowed مَضارِبُهُits cutting edges
إِن سَلَّ صارِمَهُ سالَت مَضارِبُهُ
وَأَشرَقَand shone الجَوُّthe air وَاِنشَقَّتand split apart لَهُfor him الحُجُبُthe veils
وَأَشرَقَ الجَوُّ وَاِنشَقَّت لَهُ الحُجُبُ
If he draws his keen sword, its cutting edges stream;
When he unsheathes his sword, his strokes flash light,
And the air shines, and the veils split apart before him.
The air glows red and the darkness splits.
وَالخَيلُand the horses تَشهَدُbear witness ليfor me أَنّيthat I أُكَفْكِفُهَاI hold them back
وَالخَيلُ تَشهَدُ لي أَنّي أُكَفْكِفُهَا
وَالطَعنُand spear-thrusting مِثلُlike شَرارِsparks of النارِfire يَلتَهِبُblazes
وَالطَعنُ مِثلُ شَرارِ النارِ يَلتَهِبُ
And the horses bear witness for me that I hold them back,
My charger bears me witness that I plunge into the foe,
While spear-thrusts blaze like sparks of fire.
My stabbing is like the spark's glowing ember.
إِذاwhen اِلتَقَيتَyou meet الأَعاديthe foes يَومَon the day of مَعرَكَةٍa battle
إِذا اِلتَقَيتَ الأَعادي يَومَ مَعرَكَةٍ
تَرَكتُI left جَمعَهُمُtheir host المَغرورَthe deluded يُنتَهَبُis plundered
تَرَكتُ جَمعَهُمُ المَغرورَ يُنتَهَبُ
When you meet the foes on a day of battle,
When I meet the foe on the battlefield,
I leave their deluded host to be plundered.
I leave their deluded throng to be plundered.
لِيَfor me النُفوسُthe souls وَلِلطَيرِand for the birds اللُحومُthe flesh
لِيَ النُفوسُ وَلِلطَيرِ اللُحومُ
وَلِلوَحشِand for the wild beasts العِظامُthe bones وَلِلخَيّالَةِand for the horsemen السَلَبُthe spoils
وَلِلوَحشِ العِظامُ وَلِلخَيّالَةِ السَلَبُ
The souls are mine, and the flesh is for the birds,
Mine are the souls, the birds have the flesh,
And the bones for wild beasts, and the spoils for the horsemen.
The beasts get the bones, the horsemen the booty.
لاmay not أَبعَدَkeep far away اللَهُGod عَنfrom عَينيmy eye غَطارِفَةًnoble lords
لا أَبعَدَ اللَهُ عَن عَيني غَطارِفَةً
إِنساًhumans إِذاwhen نَزَلواthey dismount جِنّاًjinn إِذاwhen رَكِبواthey ride
إِنساً إِذا نَزَلوا جِنّاً إِذا رَكِبوا
May God never keep noble lords far from my sight—
God forfend from my eyes the sight of Ghatarif
Humans when they dismount, jinn when they ride.
On foot they are devils, demons when mounted.
أُسودُlions غابٍa forest وَلَكِنbut لاno نُيوبَfangs لَهُمfor them
أُسودُ غابٍ وَلَكِن لا نُيوبَ لَهُم
إِلّاexcept الأَسِنَّةُthe spearheads وَالهِندِيَّةُand the Indian القُضُبُkeen blades
إِلّا الأَسِنَّةُ وَالهِندِيَّةُ القُضُبُ
Lions of the forest, yet they have no fangs
Black hyenas, though no leopards they,
Except spearpoints and keen Indian blades.
With monkey-paws and lances of bamboo.
تَحدوcarry onward بِهِمwith them أَعوَجِيّاتٌA'waj-bred mares مُضَمَّرَةٌconditioned and lean
تَحدو بِهِم أَعوَجِيّاتٌ مُضَمَّرَةٌ
مِثلُlike السَراحينِthe wolves فيin أَعناقِهاtheir necks القَبَبُleanness
مِثلُ السَراحينِ في أَعناقِها القَبَبُ
Lean A'waj-bred mares carry them onward,
Against them hobble piebalds bandy-legged
Like wolves, with slender necks.
With leg bracelets round their necks like turbans.
ماnot زِلتُI have ceased أَلقىI meet صُدورَthe chests of الخَيلِthe horses مُندَفِقsurging forward
ما زِلتُ أَلقى صُدورَ الخَيلِ مُندَفِق
بِالطَعنِwith spear-thrusts حَتّىuntil يَضِجَّgroans السَرجُthe saddle وَاللَبَبُand the breast-strap
بِالطَعنِ حَتّى يَضِجَّ السَرجُ وَاللَبَبُ
I have not ceased to meet the horses' chests, surging forward
Never have I ceased to plunge into the horsemen's breasts,
With spear-thrusts, until the saddle and breast-strap groan.
Stabbing till saddle and saddle-cloth squelch with blood.
فَالعُميُso the blind لَوif كانَit were فيin أَجفانِهِمtheir eyelids نَظَرواthey would see
فَالعُميُ لَو كانَ في أَجفانِهِم نَظَروا
وَالخُرسُand the mute لَوif كانَit were فيin أَفواهِهِمtheir mouths خَطَبواthey would deliver speeches
وَالخُرسُ لَو كانَ في أَفواهِهِم خَطَبوا
So the blind, were it in their eyelids, would see;
Had the blind but eyes to see, the mute but mouths to speak,
And the mute, were it in their mouths, would deliver speeches.
The deaf to hear the horses' hoof-beats on the day of pursuit,
وَالنَقعُand the battle-dust يَومَon the day of طِرادَcharging الخَيلِthe horses يَشهَدُbears witness ليfor me
وَالنَقعُ يَومَ طِرادَ الخَيلِ يَشهَدُ لي
وَالضَربُand striking وَالطَعنُand spear-thrusting وَالأَقلامُand the pens وَالكُتُبُand the books
وَالضَربُ وَالطَعنُ وَالأَقلامُ وَالكُتُبُ
And the dust on the day of cavalry charges bears witness for me,
The slashes, stabs, pens and books would bear me witness.
As do blows and spear-thrusts, and pens and books.
Partial English translation: 37 of 38 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1