مَنازيلُquick to dismount عَنfrom ظَهرِthe back of القَليلِthe few كَثيرُناour many
مَنازيلُ عَن ظَهرِ القَليلِ كَثيرُنا
إِذاwhen ماever دَعاcalled فيin المَجلِسِthe assembly المُتَرَدِّفُthe seeker of aid
إِذا ما دَعا في المَجلِسِ المُتَرَدِّفُ
Our many are quick to dismount from the backs of the few,
whenever a seeker of aid calls in the assembly.
قَلَفناwe scraped off الحَصىthe pebbles عَنهُfrom him الَّذيwhich فَوقَabove ظَهرِهِhis back
قَلَفنا الحَصى عَنهُ الَّذي فَوقَ ظَهرِهِ
بِأَحلامِwith the forbearance of جُهّالٍhotheads إِذاwhen ماever تَغَضَّفواthey massed together
بِأَحلامِ جُهّالٍ إِذا ما تَغَضَّفوا
We scraped from him the pebbles lying upon his back,
with the forbearance of hotheads, when they massed
عَلىin سَورَةٍa surge of fury حَتّىuntil كَأَنَّas though عَزيزَهاits champion
عَلى سَورَةٍ حَتّى كَأَنَّ عَزيزَها
تَرامىhurled بِهِhim along مِنfrom بَينِbetween نيقَينِtwo mountain peaks نَفنَفُa yawning void
تَرامى بِهِ مِن بَينِ نيقَينِ نَفنَفُ
in a surge of fury, until its champion seemed
flung through the void between two peaks.
وَجَهلٍand many a folly بِحِلمٍwith forbearance قَدindeed دَفَعناwe repelled جُنونَهُits madness
وَجَهلٍ بِحِلمٍ قَد دَفَعنا جُنونَهُ
وَماand not كانَwould have لَولاbut for حِلمُناour forbearance يَتَزَحلَفُwithdrawn
وَما كانَ لَولا حِلمُنا يَتَزَحلَفُ
And many a folly—we have repelled its madness with forbearance;
but for our forbearance, it would not have withdrawn.
رَجَحناwe outweighed بِهِمthem حَتّىuntil اِستَثابواthey regained حُلومَهُمtheir good sense
رَجَحنا بِهِم حَتّى اِستَثابوا حُلومَهُم
بِناthrough us بَعدَماafter كادَnearly القَناthe spears يَتَقَصَّفُsplintered
بِنا بَعدَما كادَ القَنا يَتَقَصَّفُ
We outweighed them until they recovered their senses
through us, after the spears had nearly splintered.
وَمَدَّتand stretched out بِأَيديهاtheir hands النِساءُthe women وَلَمand not يَكُنthere was
وَمَدَّت بِأَيديها النِساءُ وَلَم يَكُن
لِذيfor a man of حَسَبٍnoble lineage عَنfrom قَومِهِhis people مُتَخَلَّفُany holding back
لِذي حَسَبٍ عَن قَومِهِ مُتَخَلَّفُ
And the women stretched out their hands, and there was no
holding back from his people for a man of noble stock.
كَفَيناهُمُwe relieved them of ماwhat نابَهُمbeset them بِحُلومِناwith our forbearance
كَفَيناهُمُ ما نابَهُم بِحُلومِنا
وَأَموالِناand our wealth وَالقَومُwhile the men بِالنُبلِwith arrows دُلَّفُadvancing slowly
وَأَموالِنا وَالقَومُ بِالنُبلِ دُلَّفُ
We relieved them of what beset them, with our forbearance
and our wealth, while the men advanced with arrows,
وَقَدand already أَرشَدواthey guided الأَوتارَthe bowstrings أَفواقَto the nocks of نَبلِهِمtheir arrows
وَقَد أَرشَدوا الأَوتارَ أَفواقَ نَبلِهِم
وَأَنيابُand the fangs of نَوكاهُمtheir fools مِنَfrom الحَردِwrath تَصرِفُgnash
وَأَنيابُ نَوكاهُم مِنَ الحَردِ تَصرِفُ
and had guided the bowstrings into their arrows' nocks,
while their fools' fangs gnashed in wrath.
فَماso no أَحَدٌone فيamong الناسِhumankind يَعدِلُstraightens دَرأَناour crookedness
فَما أَحَدٌ في الناسِ يَعدِلُ دَرأَنا
بِعِزٍّby might وَلاnor عِزٌّmight لَهُfor him حينَwhen نَجنَفُwe lean against him
بِعِزٍّ وَلا عِزٌّ لَهُ حينَ نَجنَفُ
So no one among men can straighten our crookedness
by might, nor has he might when we lean against him.
تَثاقَلُbear down أَركانٌpillars عَلَيهِupon him ثَقيلَةٌheavy
تَثاقَلُ أَركانٌ عَلَيهِ ثَقيلَةٌ
كَأَركانِlike the pillars of سَلمىSalma أَوor أَعَزُّmightier وَأَكثَفُand more massive
كَأَركانِ سَلمى أَو أَعَزُّ وَأَكثَفُ
Heavy pillars bear down upon him,
like Salma's pillars, or mightier and more massive.
سَيَعلَمُwill learn مَنwhoever سامىvied in greatness with تَميماًTamim إِذاwhen هَوَتplunged
سَيَعلَمُ مَن سامى تَميماً إِذا هَوَت
قَوائِمُهُhis legs فيinto البَحرِthe sea مَنwho يَتَخَلَّفُfalls behind
قَوائِمُهُ في البَحرِ مَن يَتَخَلَّفُ
Whoever vies with Tamim in greatness will learn, when down plunge
his legs into the sea, who is left behind.
فَسَعدٌfor Sa'd جِبالُthe mountains of العِزِّmight وَالبَحرُand the sea مالِكٌMalik
فَسَعدٌ جِبالُ العِزِّ وَالبَحرُ مالِكٌ
فَلاso not حَضَنٌHadan يُبلىwears away وَلاnor البَحرِthe sea يُنزَفُis drained
فَلا حَضَنٌ يُبلى وَلا البَحرِ يُنزَفُ
For Sa'd is the mountains of might, and Malik the sea;
so Hadan never wears away, nor is the sea drained.
وَبِاللَهِand by God لَولاwere it not أَنthat تَقولواyou would say تَكاثَرَتmassed in numbers
وَبِاللَهِ لَولا أَن تَقولوا تَكاثَرَت
عَلَيناagainst us تَميمٌTamim ظالِمينَacting unjustly وَأَسرَفواand they went too far
عَلَينا تَميمٌ ظالِمينَ وَأَسرَفوا
By God, were it not that you would say, 'There massed
against us Tamim, unjustly, and they went too far,'
لَماsurely not تُرِكَتwould have been left كَفٌّa hand تُشيرُpointing بِأُصبُعٍwith a finger
لَما تُرِكَت كَفٌّ تُشيرُ بِأُصبُعٍ
وَلاnor تُرِكَتwould have been left عَينٌan eye عَلىon الأَرضِthe earth تَطرِفُblinking
وَلا تُرِكَت عَينٌ عَلى الأَرضِ تَطرِفُ
no hand would have been left to point a finger,
nor any eye left on earth to blink.
لَناours is العِزَّةُthe might الغَلباءُall-conquering وَالعَدَدُand the multitude الَّذيwhich
لَنا العِزَّةُ الغَلباءُ وَالعَدَدُ الَّذي
عَلَيهِover it إِذاwhen عُدَّare counted الحَصىthe pebbles يُتَحَلَّفُoaths are sworn
عَلَيهِ إِذا عُدَّ الحَصى يُتَحَلَّفُ
Ours is all-conquering might, and the multitude
over which, when pebbles are counted, oaths are sworn.
وَلاand no عِزَّmight إِلّاbut عِزُّناour might قاهِرٌis dominant لَهُover it
وَلا عِزَّ إِلّا عِزُّنا قاهِرٌ لَهُ
وَيَسأَلُناand asks us النَصفَjustice الذَليلُthe lowly man فَيُنصَفُand so is treated fairly
وَيَسأَلُنا النَصفَ الذَليلُ فَيُنصَفُ
No might exists that ours does not conquer,
and the lowly man asks us for justice and is treated fairly.
Sol 6.1