لَعَمروُby the life of أَبيكِyour father الخَيرِthe good ياO شَعثَShaʿth ماnever نَباfailed
لَعَمروُ أَبيكِ الخَيرِ يا شَعثَ ما نَبا
عَلَيَّfor me لِسانيmy tongue فيin الحُروبِwars وَلاnor يَديmy hand
عَلَيَّ لِساني في الحُروبِ وَلا يَدي
By your good father's life, O Shaʿth, never has
my tongue failed me in wars, nor my hand.
لِسانيmy tongue وَسَيفيand my sword صارِمانِtwo keen blades كِلاهُماboth of them
لِساني وَسَيفي صارِمانِ كِلاهُما
وَيَبلُغُand reaches ماwhat لاnot يَبلُغُreaches السَيفُthe sword مِذوَديmy defending tongue
وَيَبلُغُ ما لا يَبلُغُ السَيفُ مِذوَدي
My tongue and my sword are both keen blades,
And my defending tongue reaches where the sword cannot.
وَإِنand if أَكُI am ذاpossessed of مالٍwealth كَثيرٍabundant أَجُدI am generous بِهِwith it
وَإِن أَكُ ذا مالٍ كَثيرٍ أَجُد بِهِ
وَإِنand if يُعتَصَرis pressed عوديmy wood عَلىunder الجَهدِhardship يُحمَدِit is praised
وَإِن يُعتَصَر عودي عَلى الجَهدِ يُحمَدِ
And if I possess abundant wealth, I give it freely;
And if my wood is pressed in hardship, it earns praise.
فَلاso not المالِwealth يُنسينيmakes me forget حَيائيmy modesty وَحِفظَتيand my sense of honor
فَلا المالِ يُنسيني حَيائي وَحِفظَتي
وَلاnor وَقَعاتُthe blows of الدَهرِtime يَفلُلنَblunt مِبرَديmy file
وَلا وَقَعاتُ الدَهرِ يَفلُلنَ مِبرَدي
So wealth does not make me forget my modesty or my sense of honor,
Nor do the blows of time blunt my file.
أُكَثِّرُI enlarge أَهليmy household مِنwith عِيالٍdependents سِواهُمُother than them
أُكَثِّرُ أَهلي مِن عِيالٍ سِواهُمُ
وَأَطويand I go hungry عَلىon الماءِwater القَراحِpure المُبَرَّدِcooled
وَأَطوي عَلى الماءِ القَراحِ المُبَرَّدِ
I enlarge my household with dependents not of my kin,
And go hungry on pure, cooled water,
إِذاwhen كانَis ذوthe man of البُخلِmiserliness الذَميمَةُdisgraceful بَطنُهُhis belly
إِذا كانَ ذو البُخلِ الذَميمَةُ بَطنُهُ
كَبَطنِlike the belly of الحِمارِthe donkey فيin الخَلاءِthe open المُقَيَّدِthe tethered
كَبَطنِ الحِمارِ في الخَلاءِ المُقَيَّدِ
While the contemptible miser's belly is
Like the belly of a donkey tethered in the open.
وَإِنّيand indeed I لَمُعطيsurely a giver of ماwhatever وَجَدتُI have found وَقائِلٌand one who says
وَإِنّي لَمُعطي ما وَجَدتُ وَقائِلٌ
لِموقِدِto the lighter of ناريmy fire لَيلَةَon the night of الريحِthe wind أَوقِدِkindle!
لِموقِدِ ناري لَيلَةَ الريحِ أَوقِدِ
And I surely give whatever I find, and say
To my fire-lighter on a windy night, "Kindle it!"
وَإِنّيand indeed I لَقَوّالٌsurely one who often says لِذيto one with البَثِّdistress مَرحَباًwelcome
وَإِنّي لَقَوّالٌ لِذي البَثِّ مَرحَباً
وَأَهلاًand make yourself at home إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle جاءَhe comes مِنfrom غَيرِother than مَرصَدِprior expectation
وَأَهلاً إِذا ما جاءَ مِن غَيرِ مَرصَدِ
And I often say to one in distress, "Welcome,
And make yourself at home!" when he arrives unexpectedly.
وَإِنّيand indeed I لَيَدعونيsurely calls me النَدىgenerosity فَأُجيبُهُso I answer it
وَإِنّي لَيَدعوني النَدى فَأُجيبُهُ
وَأَضرِبُand I strike بَيضَthe helmets of العارِضِthe host المُتَوَقِّدِthe blazing
وَأَضرِبُ بَيضَ العارِضِ المُتَوَقِّدِ
And generosity indeed calls me, and I answer it;
And I strike the helmets of the blazing host.
وَإِنّيand indeed I لَحُلوٌsurely sweet تَعتَرينيcomes over me مَرارَةٌbitterness
وَإِنّي لَحُلوٌ تَعتَريني مَرارَةٌ
وَإِنّيand indeed I لَتَرّاكٌsurely one who readily forsakes لِماof what لَمnot أُعَوَّدِI have been habituated to
وَإِنّي لَتَرّاكٌ لِما لَم أُعَوَّدِ
And I am sweet, though bitterness comes over me;
And I readily shun what I have not been accustomed to.
وَإِنّيand indeed I لَمِزجاءُsurely a driver of المَطِيِّriding camels عَلىdespite الوَجاsore feet
وَإِنّي لَمِزجاءُ المَطِيِّ عَلى الوَجا
وَإِنّيand indeed I لَتَرّاكُsurely one who often leaves الفِراشِthe bed المُمَهَّدِwell-prepared
وَإِنّي لَتَرّاكُ الفِراشِ المُمَهَّدِ
And I drive riding camels onward despite their sore feet;
And I readily forsake the well-prepared bed.
وَأُعمِلُand I work hard ذاتَthe one with اللَوثِstrength حَتّىuntil أَرُدَّهاI leave her
وَأُعمِلُ ذاتَ اللَوثِ حَتّى أَرُدَّها
إِذاwhen حُلَّis unfastened عَنهاfrom her رَحلُهاher saddle لَمnot تُقَيَّدِshe is tethered
إِذا حُلَّ عَنها رَحلُها لَم تُقَيَّدِ
And I work the sturdy she-camel until I leave her so spent
That, when her saddle is removed, she needs no tether.
تَرىyou see أَثَرَthe marks of الأَنساعِthe girth-straps فيهاon her كَأَنَّهاas though they were
تَرى أَثَرَ الأَنساعِ فيها كَأَنَّها
مَوارِدُchannels ماءٍof water مُلتَقاهاtheir meeting place بِفَدفَدِon a barren plain
مَوارِدُ ماءٍ مُلتَقاها بِفَدفَدِ
You see the marks of girth-straps on her, as though they were
Watercourses converging on a barren plain.
أُكَلِّفُهاI task her أَنto تُدلِجَtravel by night اللَيلَthe night كُلَّهُall of it
أُكَلِّفُها أَن تُدلِجَ اللَيلَ كُلَّهُ
تَروحُshe goes at evening إِلىto بابِthe door of اِبنِson of سَلمىSalma وَتَغتَديand she goes at dawn
تَروحُ إِلى بابِ اِبنِ سَلمى وَتَغتَدي
I make her travel through the entire night;
She goes to Ibn Salma's door at evening and at dawn.
تَزورُshe visits اِمرَأًa man أَعطىgave عَلىin return for الحَمدِpraise مالَهُhis wealth
تَزورُ اِمرَأً أَعطى عَلى الحَمدِ مالَهُ
وَمَنand whoever يُعطِpays أَثمانَthe prices of المَحامِدِpraiseworthy deeds يُحمَدِis praised
وَمَن يُعطِ أَثمانَ المَحامِدِ يُحمَدِ
She visits a man who has given his wealth for praise;
And whoever pays the price of praiseworthy deeds is praised.
وَأَلفَيتُهُand I found him بَحراًa sea كَثيراًabundant فُضولُهُhis bounties
وَأَلفَيتُهُ بَحراً كَثيراً فُضولُهُ
جَواداًgenerous مَتىwhenever يُذكَرis mentioned لَهُto him الخَيرُgoodness يَزدَدِhe grows more generous
جَواداً مَتى يُذكَر لَهُ الخَيرُ يَزدَدِ
And I found him a sea whose bounties are abundant,
A generous man who grows more so whenever goodness is mentioned to him.
فَلاso do not تَعجَلَنbe hasty ياO قَيسُQays وَاِربَعand hold back فَإِنَّماfor only
فَلا تَعجَلَن يا قَيسُ وَاِربَع فَإِنَّما
قُصارُكَyour ultimate end أَنto تُلقىbe met بِكُلِّwith every مُهَنَّدِIndian-forged
قُصارُكَ أَن تُلقى بِكُلِّ مُهَنَّدِ
So do not rush, Qays; hold back, for
Your only prospect is to face every Indian-forged,
حُسامٍkeen-edged sword وَأَرماحٍand spears بِأَيديin the hands of أَعِزَّةٍmighty men
حُسامٍ وَأَرماحٍ بِأَيدي أَعِزَّةٍ
مَتىwhenever تَرَهُمyou see them ياO اِبنَson of الخَطيمِal-Khatim تَبَلَّدِyou grow bewildered
مَتى تَرَهُم يا اِبنَ الخَطيمِ تَبَلَّدِ
Keen-edged sword, and spears in mighty men's hands.
When you see them, son of al-Khatim, you will be bewildered:
لُيوثٍlions لَدىbeside الأَشبالِthe cubs مُحمىًprotected عَرينُهاtheir lair
لُيوثٍ لَدى الأَشبالِ مُحمىً عَرينُها
مَداعيسُfierce thrusters بِالخَطِيِّwith Khatti spears فيin كُلِّevery مَشهَدِbattlefield
مَداعيسُ بِالخَطِيِّ في كُلِّ مَشهَدِ
Lions beside their cubs, their lair protected,
Fierce thrusters with Khatti spears on every battlefield.
فَقَدfor indeed ذاقَتِhas tasted الأَوسُthe Aws القِتالَbattle وَطُرِّدَتand were put to flight
فَقَد ذاقَتِ الأَوسُ القِتالَ وَطُرِّدَت
وَأَنتَwhile you لَدىwith الكَنّاتِthe kinsmen's wives كُلَّevery مُطَرَّدِrout
وَأَنتَ لَدى الكَنّاتِ كُلَّ مُطَرَّدِ
For the Aws have tasted battle and been put to flight,
While you stayed among the womenfolk at every rout,
تُناغيyou coo to لَدىby الأَبوابِthe doorways حوراًdark-eyed women نَواعِماًdelicate
تُناغي لَدى الأَبوابِ حوراً نَواعِماً
وَكَحِّلand line with kohl مَآقيكَyour inner eye-corners الحِسانَthe pretty بِإِثمِدِwith antimony
وَكَحِّل مَآقيكَ الحِسانَ بِإِثمِدِ
Cooing by the doorways to soft, dark-eyed women.
And line the corners of your pretty eyes with antimony kohl!
نَفَتكُمhas banished you all عَنِfrom العَلياءِhigh honor أُمٌّa mother لَئيمَةٌbase
نَفَتكُم عَنِ العَلياءِ أُمٌّ لَئيمَةٌ
وَزَندٌand a firestick مَتىwhenever تُقدَحis struck بِهِwith it النارُfire يَصلُدِit yields no spark
وَزَندٌ مَتى تُقدَح بِهِ النارُ يَصلُدِ
You have all been barred from high honor by a base mother,
And by a firestick that gives no spark whenever it is struck for fire.
Sol 6.1