تُعَنِّفُنيshe rebukes me زَبيبَةُZabibah فيin المَلامِreproach
تُعَنِّفُني زَبيبَةُ في المَلامِ
عَلىfor الإِقدامِbold advance فيon يَومِday الزَحامِthe melee
عَلى الإِقدامِ في يَومِ الزَحامِ
Zabibah reproaches me harshly,
My darling Zubaida chides me for daring
For charging forward on the day of the fray.
To venture out on crowded days.
تَخافُshe fears عَلَيَّfor me أَنthat أَلقىI meet حِماميmy death
تَخافُ عَلَيَّ أَن أَلقى حِمامي
بِطَعنِby a thrust الرُمحِthe spear أَوor ضَربِa stroke الحُسامِthe keen sword
بِطَعنِ الرُمحِ أَو ضَربِ الحُسامِ
She fears for me, lest I meet my death
She fears I'll lose my life
By a spear-thrust or a stroke of the keen sword.
To spear or sword in battle's fray.
مَقالٌa saying لَيسَnot يَقبَلُهُaccepts it كِرامٌnoble people
مَقالٌ لَيسَ يَقبَلُهُ كِرامٌ
وَلاand not يَرضىis content بِهِwith it غَيرُother than اللِئامِthe ignoble
وَلا يَرضى بِهِ غَيرُ اللِئامِ
A saying that noble people do not accept,
My words none of the noble will heed
And none but the ignoble approve of it.
Nor any but the base acclaim.
يَخوضُwades الشَيخُthe old man فيinto بَحرِsea المَناياdeadly fates
يَخوضُ الشَيخُ في بَحرِ المَنايا
وَيَرجِعُand he returns سالِماًunharmed وَالبَحرُand the sea طاميsurging
وَيَرجِعُ سالِماً وَالبَحرُ طامي
The old man wades into the sea of death,
The old man dares death's stormy sea
And returns unharmed, though the sea is surging.
And returns unharmed through the foamy main,
وَيَأتيand visits المَوتُdeath طِفلاًan infant فيin مُهودٍcradles
وَيَأتي المَوتُ طِفلاً في مُهودٍ
وَيَلقىand it meets حَتفَهُits death قَبلَbefore الفِطامِweaning
وَيَلقى حَتفَهُ قَبلَ الفِطامِ
And death visits an infant in its cradle,
While death an infant comes for one in swaddling clothes
And it meets its end before weaning.
And meets his end before he's weaned.
فَلاso do not تَرضَbe content بِمَنقَصَةٍwith disgrace وَذُلٍّand humiliation
فَلا تَرضَ بِمَنقَصَةٍ وَذُلٍّ
وَتَقنَعand be content بِالقَليلِwith a little مِنَof الحُطامِworldly dross
وَتَقنَع بِالقَليلِ مِنَ الحُطامِ
So do not accept disgrace and humiliation,
Do not accept disgrace or humiliation,
Nor settle for a little worldly dross.
Or be content with meager crumbs.
فَعَيشُكَso your life تَحتَbeneath ظِلِّthe shade العِزِّhonor يَوماًfor a day
فَعَيشُكَ تَحتَ ظِلِّ العِزِّ يَوماً
وَلاand not تَحتَbeneath المَذَلَّةِhumiliation أَلفَa thousand عامِyear
وَلا تَحتَ المَذَلَّةِ أَلفَ عامِ
So let your life be one day beneath the shade of honor,
One day's life of honor under glory's shade
And not a thousand years beneath humiliation.
Not a thousand years under disgrace's reign.
Sol 6.1