وَلَستُand I am not بِناسٍforgetting فَضلَthe favor of مَروانَMarwan ماas long as دَعَتcalls
وَلَستُ بِناسٍ فَضلَ مَروانَ ما دَعَت
حَمامَةُa dove أَيكٍa thicket فيamong الحَمامِthe doves الهَواتِفِthe cooing ones
حَمامَةُ أَيكٍ في الحَمامِ الهَواتِفِ
And I shall not forget Marwan's favor as long as
I am not one who prefers Marwan when
a dove of the thicket calls among the cooing doves.
The cooing dove in the baths calls to her loved ones.
وَكانَand it was لِمَنfor one to whom رَدَّhe restored الحَياةَlife وَنَفسُهُwhile his soul
وَكانَ لِمَن رَدَّ الحَياةَ وَنَفسُهُ
عَلَيهاover it بَواكٍmourners بِالعُيونِwith eyes الذَوارِفِstreaming tears
عَلَيها بَواكٍ بِالعُيونِ الذَوارِفِ
And his favor was for one whose life he restored, while his soul
And he who brought back life and himself
had mourners weeping over it with streaming eyes.
To weep for it with flowing eyes.
وَماand not أَحَدٌanyone مُعطىًgranted عَطاءًa gift كَنَفسِهِlike his own life
وَما أَحَدٌ مُعطىً عَطاءً كَنَفسِهِ
إِذاwhen نَشِبَتit became ensnared مَكظومَةٌstifled بِالخَوائِفِby terrors
إِذا نَشِبَت مَكظومَةٌ بِالخَوائِفِ
And no one is granted a gift like his own life,
None gives a gift like his own soul
when it is caught, stifled by terrors.
When terrors close in.
حُتوفُthe dooms of المَناياdeath قَدalready أَطَفنَhad encircled بِنَفسِهِhis soul
حُتوفُ المَنايا قَد أَطَفنَ بِنَفسِهِ
وَأَشلاءِand the limbs of مَحبوسٍa prisoner عَلىbefore المَوتِdeath واقِفِstanding
وَأَشلاءِ مَحبوسٍ عَلى المَوتِ واقِفِ
The dooms of death had already surrounded his soul
Death has extinguished itself with his soul,
and the limbs of a prisoner awaiting death.
And a prisoner's limbs stand halted before death,
وَماand not زالَceased فيكُمamong you آلَO house of مَروانُMarwan مُنعِمٌa benefactor
وَما زالَ فيكُم آلَ مَروانُ مُنعِمٌ
عَلَيَّupon me بِنُعمىwith a favor بادِئٍone who gives first ثُمَّthen عاطِفِone who gives again
عَلَيَّ بِنُعمى بادِئٍ ثُمَّ عاطِفِ
And among you, house of Marwan, there has always been a benefactor
Still the Marwanid house lavishes bounty upon me
bestowing favors on me, first granting them and then renewing them.
At first, then redoubles.
فَإِنso if أَكُI am مَحبوساًimprisoned بِغَيرِwithout جَريرَةٍan offense
فَإِن أَكُ مَحبوساً بِغَيرِ جَريرَةٍ
فَقَدthen indeed أَخَذونيthey seized me آمِناًsecure غَيرَnot خائِفِafraid
فَقَد أَخَذوني آمِناً غَيرَ خائِفِ
So if I am imprisoned without an offense,
If I am imprisoned though innocent
they surely seized me secure and unafraid.
They seized me in confidence, unafraid.
وَماand not سَجَنونيthey imprisoned me غَيرَexcept أَنّيthat I am اِبنُthe son of غالِبٍGhalib
وَما سَجَنوني غَيرَ أَنّي اِبنُ غالِبٍ
وَأَنّيand that I am مِنَamong الأَثرَينِthe wealthy غَيرِnot الزَعانِفِthe rabble
وَأَنّي مِنَ الأَثرَينِ غَيرِ الزَعانِفِ
And they imprisoned me only because I am Ghalib's son,
They imprisoned me only because I am Ghālib's son,
and because I am among the wealthy, not the rabble,
Because I am of the clashing ones, not the quailing,
وَأَنّيand that I am الَّذيthe one whom كانَتit used to تَعُدُّreckon upon لِثَغرِهاfor its frontier
وَأَنّي الَّذي كانَت تَعُدُّ لِثَغرِها
تَميمٌTamim لِأَبياتِagainst the verses of العَدُوِّthe enemy المَقاذِفِthe far-flung
تَميمٌ لِأَبياتِ العَدُوِّ المَقاذِفِ
and because I am the one kept ready for its frontier
Because I am he whose mouth they used to reckon,
by Tamim, against the enemy's far-flung verses.
Against their enemies' vituperations,
وَكَمand how many مِنof عَدُوٍّan enemy دونَهُمin their defense قَدindeed فَرَستُهُI mauled him
وَكَم مِن عَدُوٍّ دونَهُم قَد فَرَستُهُ
إِلىto المَوتِdeath لَمnot يَسطَعcould إِلىreach السُمِّthe poison رائِفِa compassionate person
إِلى المَوتِ لَم يَسطَع إِلى السُمِّ رائِفِ
And many an enemy I have mauled in their defense
And many's the foe, less than they, I have sent
to death; no compassionate man could reach the poison.
To death, unable to attain the heights of valor.
وَكُنتُand I would مَتىwhenever تَعلَقcatch حِباليmy ropes قَرينَةًa rival
وَكُنتُ مَتى تَعلَق حِبالي قَرينَةً
إِذاwhen عَلِقَتthey caught أَقرانَهاtheir rivals بِالسَوالِفِby the sides of the neck
إِذا عَلِقَت أَقرانَها بِالسَوالِفِ
And whenever my ropes caught a rival,
Whenever my ropes were coupled to another's,
when they seized their rivals by the sides of the neck,
Coupled to its match by twining,
مَدَدتُI stretched عَلابِيَّthe neck sinews of القَرينِthe rival وَزِدتَهُand gave him more
مَدَدتُ عَلابِيَّ القَرينِ وَزِدتَهُ
عَلىbeyond المَدِّthe stretching جَذباًa tug لِلقَرينِat the rival المُخالِفِthe defiant one
عَلى المَدِّ جَذباً لِلقَرينِ المُخالِفِ
I stretched the rival's neck sinews, and gave him still more:
I would surge ahead, outpacing that mate,
beyond the stretching, a tug at the defiant rival.
Pulling taut against the resisting partner.
وَإِنّيand I am لِأَعداءِagainst the enemies of الخَنادِفِthe Khanadif مِدرَهٌa champion
وَإِنّي لِأَعداءِ الخَنادِفِ مِدرَهٌ
بِذَحلٍin a blood-feud with غَنِيٍّGhani بِالنَوائِبِfor calamities كالِفِeager
بِذَحلٍ غَنِيٍّ بِالنَوائِبِ كالِفِ
And I am a champion against the enemies of the Khanadif,
To the foes of the perfidious I am a club
in the blood-feud with Ghani, eager for calamities.
Rich in strokes of calamity, binding fast.
لِجامُa bridle شَجىًa choking obstruction بَينَbetween اللَهاتَينِthe two palates مَنwhoever يَقَعit falls
لِجامُ شَجىً بَينَ اللَهاتَينِ مَن يَقَع
لَهُto him فيin فَمٍa mouth يَركَبrides سَبيلَthe path of المَتالِفِdestruction
لَهُ في فَمٍ يَركَب سَبيلَ المَتالِفِ
A choking bridle between the two palates: whoever receives it
Between these two encampments goes a cup of anguish—
in his mouth rides the path to destruction.
An agony for him who falls into conforming.
وَإِنand if غِبتُI am absent كانواthey would be بَينَamong راوٍa reciter وَمُحتَبٍand one sitting with knees clasped
وَإِن غِبتُ كانوا بَينَ راوٍ وَمُحتَبٍ
وَبَينَand among مُعيبٍa faultfinder قَلبُهُhis heart بِالشَنائِفِwith hatred
وَبَينَ مُعيبٍ قَلبُهُ بِالشَنائِفِ
And if I am absent, some recite and some sit with knees clasped,
Though absent, they were amid backbiting narrators
and some find fault, their hearts full of hatred.
And spiteful hearts busied with imprecations,
وَبِالأَمسِand yesterday ماindeed قَدalready حاذَرواthey dreaded وَقعَthe impact of صَولَتيmy assault
وَبِالأَمسِ ما قَد حاذَروا وَقعَ صَولَتي
فَصَيَّفَso swerved aside عَنهاfrom it كُلُّevery باغٍaggressor وَقاذِفِand slanderer
فَصَيَّفَ عَنها كُلُّ باغٍ وَقاذِفِ
And only yesterday they dreaded the impact of my assault,
Only yesterday they guarded against my attack—
so every aggressor and slanderer swerved away from it.
From it recoiled every censurer and detractor.
وَقَدand indeed عَلِمَknows المَقرونُthe one yoked بيto me أَنَّthat رَأسَهُhis head
وَقَد عَلِمَ المَقرونُ بي أَنَّ رَأسَهُ
سَيَذهَبُwill be lost أَوor يُرمىbe hurled بِهِwith it فيinto النَفانِفِthe chasms
سَيَذهَبُ أَو يُرمى بِهِ في النَفانِفِ
And whoever is yoked to me knows that his head
My companion in chains knows well that his head
will be lost, or hurled into the chasms.
Will perish or be flung into the fires.
Sol 6.1