لَولاwere it not for المُؤَيَّدُal-Mu’ayyad مَدَّmay prolong اللَهُGod مُدَّتَهُhis life
لَولا المُؤَيَّدُ مَدَّ اللَهُ مُدَّتَهُ
ماnot كانَwould have been ليfor me فيin سِوىother than بَغدادَBaghdad مِنany أَربِdesire
ما كانَ لي في سِوى بَغدادَ مِن أَربِ
Were it not for al-Mu’ayyad—may God prolong his life—
I would have no desire for any place but Baghdad.
فَلَمso not أَكُنI was وَسِوىwhile somewhere other than بَغدادَBaghdad ليfor me أَمَلٌa hope
فَلَم أَكُن وَسِوى بَغدادَ لي أَمَلٌ
فيهاin it كَماjust as كُنتُI was فيamong أَهليmy own people بِمُغتَربِa stranger
فيها كَما كُنتُ في أَهلي بِمُغتَربِ
So I was not—with my hopes set somewhere other than Baghdad—
A stranger there, any more than I was among my own people.
وَإِنand if نَبَتbecame inhospitable حِمصُHoms بيto me وَاللَهُand God يَعصِمُهاmay protect it
وَإِن نَبَت حِمصُ بي وَاللَهُ يَعصِمُها
رَكِبتُهاI shall ride it عَزمَةًa firm resolve تَشأىoutstrips الكَواكِبthe stars بيwith me
رَكِبتُها عَزمَةً تَشأى الكَواكِب بي
And if Homs grows inhospitable to me—may God protect it—
I shall ride a resolve that carries me beyond the stars.
وَللمُؤَيّدand al-Mu’ayyad has مَدَّmay prolong اللَّهُGod مُدَّتَهُhis life
وَللمُؤَيّد مَدَّ اللَّهُ مُدَّتَهُ
رَأيٌa judgment يُغالِطُoutwits شُهبَthe bright stars اللَيلِthe night فيat القُطُبِthe pole
رَأيٌ يُغالِطُ شُهبَ اللَيلِ في القُطُبِ
And al-Mu’ayyad—may God prolong his life—has
A judgment that outwits the bright stars of night at the pole.
لَمnot يَنتَقِبveiled itself وَجهُهُhis face لِلسُمرِbefore the brown-shafted spears مشرعةًleveled
لَم يَنتَقِب وَجهُهُ لِلسُمرِ مشرعةً
وَإِنَّهُand indeed he مِنfrom حَياءِmodesty الوَجهِthe face فيin نُقُبِveils
وَإِنَّهُ مِن حَياءِ الوَجهِ في نُقُبِ
His face never veiled itself before leveled, brown-shafted spears,
Yet, out of modesty of countenance, he is wrapped in veils.
يَشأىoutstrips المُساجِلthe rival فيin بَأسٍvalor وَفيand in كَرَمgenerosity
يَشأى المُساجِل في بَأسٍ وَفي كَرَم
وَيَملَأُand fills الدَلوَthe bucket فيin العَلياnoble deeds إِلىup to الكَرَبِthe bucket’s binding-rope
وَيَملَأُ الدَلوَ في العَليا إِلى الكَرَبِ
He outstrips the rival in valor and generosity,
And in noble deeds fills the bucket up to its binding-rope.
تَراهُyou see him إِنif تَدعُهُyou summon him يَومَيon the two days of نَدىbounty وَوَغىًand battle
تَراهُ إِن تَدعُهُ يَومَي نَدى وَوَغىً
النارfire فيin عَرفَجٍ‘arfaj brushwood وَالماءand water فيon صَبَبِa downward slope
النار في عَرفَجٍ وَالماء في صَبَبِ
You see him, if you summon him on days of bounty and battle,
As fire in ‘arfaj brushwood, and water down a slope.
إِلَيكَto you مِنّيfrom me أَعَزَّmay strengthen اللَهُGod نَصرَكَyour victory ماwhat
إِلَيكَ مِنّي أَعَزَّ اللَهُ نَصرَكَ ما
أَبقَتهُhave spared it أَيديthe hands السّرىnight travel وَالبيدِand deserts وَالنُوَبِand calamities
أَبقَتهُ أَيدي السّرى وَالبيدِ وَالنُوَبِ
To you, from me—may God strengthen your victory—comes what
The hands of night travel, deserts, and calamities have spared.
جاءَتكَcame to you ترقصُdance أَردانthe sleeves الكَلامِspeech بِهِwith it
جاءَتكَ ترقصُ أَردان الكَلامِ بِهِ
سَوابِحswimming steeds تَأكُلُdevour الغَبراءَthe dusty earth بِالخَبَبِat a trot
سَوابِح تَأكُلُ الغَبراءَ بِالخَبَبِ
To you came—the sleeves of speech dancing with it—
Swimming steeds that devour the dusty earth at a trot.
Sol 6.1