لاno فَضلُfavor إِلّاexcept فَضلُthe favor of أُمٍّa mother عَلىtoward اِبنِهاher son
لا فَضلُ إِلّا فَضلُ أُمٍّ عَلى اِبنِها
كَفَضلِlike the favor of أَبيAbu (father of) الأَشبالِal-Ashbal (the cubs) عِندَtoward الفَرَزدَقِal-Farazdaq
كَفَضلِ أَبي الأَشبالِ عِندَ الفَرَزدَقِ
No favor, save a mother's favor to her son,
There is no merit but a mother's merit over her son
equals Abu al-Ashbal's favor toward al-Farazdaq.
Like the merit of the father of cubs to Al-Farazdaq
تَدارَكَنيhe rescued me مِنfrom هُوَّةٍan abyss كانَwas قَعرُهاits bottom
تَدارَكَني مِن هُوَّةٍ كانَ قَعرُها
ثَمانينَeighty باعاًarm-spans لِلطَويلِof a tall man العَشَنَّقِlanky
ثَمانينَ باعاً لِلطَويلِ العَشَنَّقِ
He rescued me from an abyss whose depth was
She saved me from a pit whose bottom
eighty arm-spans of a tall, lanky man.
Was eighty armspans down for the tall long-necked one
إِذاif ماemphatic particle تَرامَتhurl down بِاِمرِئٍwith a man مُشرِفاتُهاits towering edges
إِذا ما تَرامَت بِاِمرِئٍ مُشرِفاتُها
إِلىinto قَعرِهاits depths لَمnot يَدرِhe knows مِنfrom أَينَwhere يَرتَقيhe can climb up
إِلى قَعرِها لَم يَدرِ مِن أَينَ يَرتَقي
If its towering edges hurl a man
When its precipices concur against a person
into its depths, he knows not where to climb out.
He wouldn't know from where to climb
طَليقُthe freedman of أَبيAbu (father of) الأَشبالِal-Ashbal (the cubs) أَصبَحتُI have become شاكِراًgrateful
طَليقُ أَبي الأَشبالِ أَصبَحتُ شاكِراً
لَهُfor him شِعرُverse نُعمىa blessing فَضلُهاits bounty لَمnot يُرَنَّقِbe clouded
لَهُ شِعرُ نُعمى فَضلُها لَم يُرَنَّقِ
Freed by Abu al-Ashbal, I have become grateful;
Emancipated by my father the cubs, grateful have I become
his is my verse for a blessing whose bounty was never clouded.
To him, my gratitude's poetry did not feign
أَبَعدَafter ...? الَّذيwhat حَطَّمتَyou shattered عَنّيoff me وَبَعدَماand after
أَبَعدَ الَّذي حَطَّمتَ عَنّي وَبَعدَما
رَأَيتُI saw المَناياthe deaths فَوقَabove عَينَيَّmy two eyes تَلتَقيconverge
رَأَيتُ المَنايا فَوقَ عَينَيَّ تَلتَقي
After what you shattered off me, and after
After you broke what distanced me, and after I saw
I saw the deaths converge above my eyes?
Death's imminence over my eyes converge
حَطَمتَyou shattered قُيوديmy fetters حَطمَةًa shattering blow لَمnot تَدَعleave لَهاfor them
حَطَمتَ قُيودي حَطمَةً لَم تَدَع لَها
بِساقَيَّon my two shins إِذwhen حَطَّمتَهاyou shattered them مِنany مُعَلَّقِhanging remnant
بِساقَيَّ إِذ حَطَّمتَها مِن مُعَلَّقِ
You shattered my fetters so utterly that you left them
You broke my shackles with a smashing that left
no remnant hanging on my shins when you broke them.
No trace on my legs when you smashed the suspended
لَعَمريby my life لَئِنif indeed حَطَّمتَyou shattered قَيديmy chain لَطالَماfor so long indeed
لَعَمري لَئِن حَطَّمتَ قَيدي لَطالَما
مَشَيتُI walked بِقَيديin my chain راسِفاًshuffling in fetters غَيرَnot مُطلَقِset free
مَشَيتُ بِقَيدي راسِفاً غَيرَ مُطلَقِ
By my life, though you have shattered my chain, for so long
By my life, if you smashed my shackle, for long have I
I walked in my chain, shuffling, not set free.
Walked in shackles, not freed
سَتَسمَعُyou will hear ماwhat أُثنيI praise عَلَيكَof you إِذاwhen اِلتَقَتcome together
سَتَسمَعُ ما أُثني عَلَيكَ إِذا اِلتَقَت
غَرائِبُrare verses تَأتيreach كُلَّevery غَربٍwest وَمَشرِقِand east
غَرائِبُ تَأتي كُلَّ غَربٍ وَمَشرِقِ
You will hear how I praise you when there gather
You will hear what I praise you with when
rare verses that reach every west and east.
Strangers from every west and east converge
فَأَنتَso you سَواءٌalike وَالسِماكُand al-Simak (the star) إِذاwhen اِلتَقىit encounters
فَأَنتَ سَواءٌ وَالسِماكُ إِذا اِلتَقى
عَلىon مُمحِلٍa parched waste بِالوائِلِwith a refuge-seeker المُتَعَسِّقِgroping his way
عَلى مُمحِلٍ بِالوائِلِ المُتَعَسِّقِ
You and al-Simak are alike when it encounters
You're equal whether the elevation when converged on
a refuge-seeker groping his way on a parched waste.
By the wailers on a litter of the miserable one
وَلَستُand I am not بِناسٍone who forgets فَضلُthe bounty of رَبّيmy lord وَنِعمَةًand a blessing
وَلَستُ بِناسٍ فَضلُ رَبّي وَنِعمَةً
خَرَجتُI escaped بِهاthrough it مِنfrom كُلِّevery مَوتٍdeath مُحَدِّقِlooming
خَرَجتُ بِها مِن كُلِّ مَوتٍ مُحَدِّقِ
And I do not forget my lord's bounty and the blessing
I'm not people whose Lord's merit and bounty
by which I escaped every looming death.
I left every death with converging
وَماand not مِنany بَلاءٍbenefaction مِثلُlike نَفسٍa soul رَدَدتَهاyou restored it
وَما مِن بَلاءٍ مِثلُ نَفسٍ رَدَدتَها
إِلىto حَيثُwhere كانَتit had been وَهيَwhile it عِندَat المُخَنَّقِthe choking point
إِلى حَيثُ كانَت وَهيَ عِندَ المُخَنَّقِ
And no benefaction equals a soul you restored
No ordeal's like a soul you returned
to where it had been, when it was at the choking point.
To where it was when choked
وَإِنَّand indeed أَباAbu (father of) الأَشبالِal-Ashbal (the cubs) أَلبَسَنيhe clothed me لَهُhis
وَإِنَّ أَبا الأَشبالِ أَلبَسَني لَهُ
عَلَيَّupon me رِداءَa mantle الأَمنِof safety لَمnot يَتَخَرَّقِbe torn
عَلَيَّ رِداءَ الأَمنِ لَم يَتَخَرَّقِ
And Abu al-Ashbal has clothed me in his
Father of cubs clothed me in it
mantle of safety, which has never torn upon me.
The gown of safety that did not rip
وَفَضلُand the favor of أَبيAbu (father of) الأَشبالِal-Ashbal (the cubs) عِنديto me كَوابِلٌlike a downpour
وَفَضلُ أَبي الأَشبالِ عِندي كَوابِلٌ
عَلىin أَثَرِthe wake of الوَسمِيِّthe first autumn rain لِلأَرضِfor the earth مُغدِقِabundantly drenching
عَلى أَثَرِ الوَسمِيِّ لِلأَرضِ مُغدِقِ
And Abu al-Ashbal's favor to me is like a downpour
And father of cubs' merit to me like cables
following the first autumn rain, lavishly drenching the earth.
Over the tattooist's trace on earth streaming
وَإِنَّand indeed أَباthe father of أُمّيmy mother وَجَدّيand my grandfather أَباthe father of أَبيmy father
وَإِنَّ أَبا أُمّي وَجَدّي أَبا أَبي
وَلَيلىand Layla عَلَواrose high بيwith me ساعِدَيthe two forearms of كُلَّevery مُرتَقيclimber
وَلَيلى عَلَوا بي ساعِدَي كُلَّ مُرتَقي
And indeed, my mother's father and my grandfather, my father's father,
And my maternal and paternal grandfather and Layla
and Layla raised me above the forearms of every climber.
Raised their arms with me, every climber
Sol 6.1