إِنif يُظعِنِdrives away الشَيبُgray hair الشَبابَyouth فَقَدthen indeed تُرىmay be seen
إِن يُظعِنِ الشَيبُ الشَبابَ فَقَد تُرى
لَهُfor him لِمَّةٌshoulder-length hair لَمnot يُرمَbe driven off عَنهاfrom it غُرابُهاits raven
لَهُ لِمَّةٌ لَم يُرمَ عَنها غُرابُها
If gray hair drives youth away, yet once one could see
Though old age makes youth decline
him with a mane whose raven had not been driven off.
Still some fire in him shines
لَئِنif indeed أَصبَحَتhas become نَفسيmy soul تُجيبُresponds لَطالَfor long indeed ماlinking particle
لَئِن أَصبَحَت نَفسي تُجيبُ لَطالَ ما
أَقَرَّتbrought delight بِعَينيto my eye أَنthat يُغيمَgrow dark سَحابُهاits clouds
أَقَرَّت بِعَيني أَن يُغيمَ سَحابُها
If my soul has now grown compliant, for long
Long has my soul at dawn replied
it delighted my eye to see its clouds grow dark.
Though bleared my eyes that cloud should hide
وَأَصبَحتُand I have become مِثلَlike النَسرِthe vulture أَصبَحَhas become واقِعاًgrounded
وَأَصبَحتُ مِثلَ النَسرِ أَصبَحَ واقِعاً
وَأَفناهُand has worn him away مِنthrough كَرِّthe recurrence of اللَياليthe nights ذَهابُهاtheir passing
وَأَفناهُ مِن كَرِّ اللَيالي ذَهابُها
And I have become like a vulture, now grounded,
I’ve been as eagle whom his might
worn away by the passing of nights that return again and again.
Of nightly years did not alight
وَمايِرَةِand one with swaying الأَعضادِupper forelegs قَدalready أَجهَضَتshe miscarried لَهاof hers
وَمايِرَةِ الأَعضادِ قَد أَجهَضَت لَها
نَتيجَa calf خِداجٍof premature birth وَهيَwhile she is ناجٍswift هَبابُهاher rush
نَتيجَ خِداجٍ وَهيَ ناجٍ هَبابُها
And a she-camel with swaying forelegs, who had miscarried
The pregnant camel though she tossed
a premature calf of hers, yet swift in her rush—
At midmost cook a youngling lost
تَعالَلتُهاI kept her going بِالسَوطِwith the whip بَعدَafter اِلتِياثِهاher faltering
تَعالَلتُها بِالسَوطِ بَعدَ اِلتِياثِها
بِمُقوَرَّةِacross one with rounded الأَعلامِhills يَطفوfloats سَرابُهاits mirage
بِمُقوَرَّةِ الأَعلامِ يَطفو سَرابُها
I kept her going with the whip after she had faltered,
I lashed her flanks when past the line
across a plain of rounded hills, where its mirage floats.
On floats of standards clouds recline
فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her زوريvisit بِلالاًBilal فَإِنَّهُfor he is
فَقُلتُ لَها زوري بِلالاً فَإِنَّهُ
إِلَيهِtoward him مِنَfor الحاجاتِthe needs تُنضىare worn thin رِكابُهاtheir riding camels
إِلَيهِ مِنَ الحاجاتِ تُنضى رِكابُها
So I said to her, “Visit Bilal, for he is the one
I said “seek Bilal, he will yet
to whom the mounts of need are ridden until worn thin.”
To wants of you bring sources wet”
حَلَفتُI swore وَمَنand whoever يَأثَمsins فَإِنَّthen indeed يَمينَهُhis oath
حَلَفتُ وَمَن يَأثَم فَإِنَّ يَمينَهُ
إِذاif أَثِمَتit is sinful لاقيهِwill meet him مِنهاfrom it عَذابُهاits punishment
إِذا أَثِمَت لاقيهِ مِنها عَذابُها
I swore—and whoever sins in swearing, his oath,
I sware, and sware who sinn’d, his lot
if false, brings its punishment to meet him—
Should be, when sin itself shall not,
لَئِنif indeed بَلَّwets ليfor me أَرضيmy land بِلالٌBilal بِدَفقَةٍwith a gush
لَئِن بَلَّ لي أَرضي بِلالٌ بِدَفقَةٍ
مِنَof الغَيثِrain فيin يُمنىthe right one of يَدَيهِhis two hands اِنسِكابُهاits outpouring
مِنَ الغَيثِ في يُمنى يَدَيهِ اِنسِكابُها
if Bilal wets my land for me with a gush
If Bilal sends on me a shower
of rain whose outpouring is in his right hand,
In happy augury from his right hand downpour
أَكُنI shall be كَالَّذيlike the one whose صابَfell upon الحَياlife-giving rain أَرضَهُhis land الَّتيwhich
أَكُن كَالَّذي صابَ الحَيا أَرضَهُ الَّتي
سَقاهاwatered it وَقَدand already كانَتhad been جَديباًbarren جَنابُهاits surroundings
سَقاها وَقَد كانَت جَديباً جَنابُها
I shall be like one whose land was visited by rain,
I’ll be as one who lightning wrath
which watered it when its surroundings had been barren.
Burnt his tilth land, no aftermath
فَأَصبَحَso he became قَدalready رَوّاهُhad drenched him مِنfrom كُلِّevery جانِبٍside
فَأَصبَحَ قَد رَوّاهُ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ
لَهُfor him مَطَراتٌshowers مُستَهَلٌّpouring forth رَبابُهاtheir clouds
لَهُ مَطَراتٌ مُستَهَلٌّ رَبابُها
So now he has been drenched on every side,
Yet that land saved he did water
with showers for him, their cloudbanks pouring rain.
Till bloomed with growth from every quarter
فَتىًa youth تَقصُرُfall short الفِتيانُthe youths دونَshort of فَعالِهِhis deeds
فَتىً تَقصُرُ الفِتيانُ دونَ فَعالِهِ
وَكانَand would بِهِthrough him لِلحَربِof war يَخبوgrow dim شِهابُهاits firebrand
وَكانَ بِهِ لِلحَربِ يَخبو شِهابُها
A youth whose deeds other youths cannot reach,
A youth whose deeds excel in worth
and through him war's firebrand would grow dim.
The prime; in him war glories birth
هُوَhe المُشتَريthe buyer بِالسَيفِwith the sword أَفضَلَthe finest of ماwhat غَلاis costly
هُوَ المُشتَري بِالسَيفِ أَفضَلَ ما غَلا
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle رَحىthe millstone of الحَربِwar اِستَدَرَّpours forth ضِرابُهاits blows
إِذا ما رَحى الحَربِ اِستَدَرَّ ضِرابُها
He buys with the sword the finest of all that is costly,
Who by the sword enhanced the trail
when the blows of war's millstone pour thick and fast.
When grinds the battle, of its flail
أَبىwould not allow لِبِلالٍfor Bilal أَنَّthat كَفَّيهِhis two palms فيهِماin them both
أَبى لِبِلالٍ أَنَّ كَفَّيهِ فيهِما
حَياlife-giving rain الأَرضَthe earth يَسقيwaters كُلَّevery مَحلٍdrought حَبابُهاits foam
حَيا الأَرضَ يَسقي كُلَّ مَحلٍ حَبابُها
Bilal cannot be equaled: his two palms contain
Bilal refused that both his hands
the earth's rain, whose foam waters every parched place.
Should vivify the thirsty lands
هُوَhe اِبنُson of أَبيAbu (father of) موسىMusa الَّذيwho كانَwas عِندَهُwith him
هُوَ اِبنُ أَبي موسى الَّذي كانَ عِندَهُ
لِحاجاتِfor the needs of أَصحابِthe companions of الرَسولِthe Messenger كِتابُهاtheir record
لِحاجاتِ أَصحابِ الرَسولِ كِتابُها
He is the son of Abu Musa, who kept with him
He was Mohammed’s clerk, and he
the record of the needs of the Messenger's companions.
Wrote his commands for all to see
رَأَيتُI saw بِلالاًBilal إِذwhen جَرىhe raced جاءَcame سابِقاًin first
رَأَيتُ بِلالاً إِذ جَرى جاءَ سابِقاً
وَذَلَّتand were subdued بِهِby him لِلحَربِof war قَسراًby force صِعابُهاits hardships
وَذَلَّت بِهِ لِلحَربِ قَسراً صِعابُها
I saw Bilal, when he raced, come in first,
I saw when Bilal came and raced
and through him war's hardships were forcibly tamed.
And war before him vainly faced
بِهِthrough him يَطمَئِنُّfind reassurance الخائِفونَthe fearful وَغَيثُهُand his rain
بِهِ يَطمَئِنُّ الخائِفونَ وَغَيثُهُ
بِهِthrough it مِنof بِلادِthe lands of المَحلِdrought يَحياcomes alive تُرابُهاtheir soil
بِهِ مِن بِلادِ المَحلِ يَحيا تُرابُها
Through him the fearful find peace; and his rain—
By him the timorous were calmed, his rain
through it, the soil of drought-stricken lands comes alive.
Gives life in every tribal domain
أَبَيتَyou refuse عَلىdespite الناهيكَthe one restraining you إِلّاanything but تَدَفُّقاًpouring forth
أَبَيتَ عَلى الناهيكَ إِلّا تَدَفُّقاً
كَماjust as اِنهَلَّpoured down مِنfrom نَوءِthe rain-season of الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades سَحابُهاits clouds
كَما اِنهَلَّ مِن نَوءِ الثُرَيّا سَحابُها
Despite the one who would restrain you, you insist on pouring forth,
You poured despite who said “Refrain”
as the clouds of the Pleiades' rain-season pour down.
As from Al-Thurayya poured its rain
رَحَلتُI journeyed مِنَfrom الدَهناal-Dahna إِلَيكَto you وَبَينَناand between us
رَحَلتُ مِنَ الدَهنا إِلَيكَ وَبَينَنا
فَلاةٌa desert وَأَنياهٌand wastes تَعاوىhowled to one another ذِئابُهاtheir wolves
فَلاةٌ وَأَنياهٌ تَعاوى ذِئابُها
I journeyed from al-Dahna to you, while between us
I travelled from the fortress brown
lay a desert and wastes whose wolves howled to one another,
To you, and between jaclals renown
لِأَلقاكَto meet you وَاللاقيكَand whoever meets you يَعلَمُknows أَنَّهُthat he
لِأَلقاكَ وَاللاقيكَ يَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ
سَيَملَأُwill fill كَفَّيthe two palms of ساعِدَيهِhis two forearms ثَوابُهاits reward
سَيَملَأُ كَفَّي ساعِدَيهِ ثَوابُها
to meet you; whoever meets you knows that
To find you; who finds you will know
its reward will fill both palms at the ends of his forearms.
His hands with bounty overflow
نَماكَraised you أَبوAbu (father of) موسىMusa أَبوكَyour father كَماas نَمىraised
نَماكَ أَبو موسى أَبوكَ كَما نَمى
وُعولاًibexes بِأَعلىon the heights of صاحَتَينِSahatayn هِضابُهاits uplands
وُعولاً بِأَعلى صاحَتَينِ هِضابُها
Abu Musa, your father, raised you, as
Abu Musa trained you, as one trains
Sahatayn's uplands raised ibexes on their heights.
Colts on a pasture’s topmost plains
وَكُلُّand every يَمانٍYemeni أَنتَyou جُنَّتُهُhis shield الَّتيwhich
وَكُلُّ يَمانٍ أَنتَ جُنَّتُهُ الَّتي
بِهاwith it تُتَّقىprotection is sought لِلحَربِagainst war إِذwhen فُرَّwas bared نابُهاits fang
بِها تُتَّقى لِلحَربِ إِذ فُرَّ نابُها
And every Yemeni has you as his shield,
You are the Yemen garment, you
with which war is warded off when its fang is bared.
We don when war strikes, to ensue
وَأَنتَand you اِمرُؤٌa man تُعطيgives يَمينُكَyour right hand ماwhat غَلاis costly
وَأَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ تُعطي يَمينُكَ ما غَلا
وَإِنand if عاقَبَتit punishes كانَتwould be شَديداًsevere عِقابُهاits punishment
وَإِن عاقَبَت كانَت شَديداً عِقابُها
And you are a man whose right hand gives what is costly;
A man who gives with open hand
and if it punishes, its punishment is severe.
However hard your niggard band
Sol 6.1