رَبعٌa dwelling تَعَفَّتhave been effaced بِاللِوىat al-Liwā عُهُودُهits old traces
رَبعٌ تَعَفَّت بِاللِوى عُهُودُه
وَأَصبَحَتand have become مُنهَجَةًthreadbare بُرُودُهits cloaks
وَأَصبَحَت مُنهَجَةً بُرُودُه
A dwelling at al-Liwā, its old traces effaced,
And its cloaks have grown threadbare.
عُجناwe turned aside بِهِto it كَأَنَّناas though we نُعُودُهwere visiting it in sickness
عُجنا بِهِ كَأَنَّنا نُعُودُه
فَلَمso did not نَزَلwe cease دُمُوعُناour tears تَجُودُهwater it copiously
فَلَم نَزَل دُمُوعُنا تَجُودُه
We turned aside to it as though visiting it in sickness,
And we went on, our tears showering it,
حَتّىuntil اِرتَوَتdrank their fill مِنfrom تَحتِناbeneath us نُجُودُهits uplands
حَتّى اِرتَوَت مِن تَحتِنا نُجُودُه
وَمَهمَهٍand a trackless wilderness مُمحِلَةٍbarren حُدُودُهits reaches
وَمَهمَهٍ مُمحِلَةٍ حُدُودُه
Until its uplands beneath us drank their fill.
And a trackless wilderness whose reaches were barren,
كَأَنَّماas though أَرقَمُهُits speckled serpent أُخدُودُهits furrow
كَأَنَّما أَرقَمُهُ أُخدُودُه
يَصعَدُrises فيin ريحِwind الصَباthe east wind صَعيدُهits dust
يَصعَدُ في ريحِ الصَبا صَعيدُه
As though its speckled serpent were a furrow in it;
Its dust rises in the east wind,
طاوِيَةٌempty-bellied آسادُهُits lions وَسِيدُهand its wolf
طاوِيَةٌ آسادُهُ وَسِيدُه
ماnot طَلَّهُhas sprinkled it الغَيثُthe rain بِماwith what يَجُودُهshowers upon it generously
ما طَلَّهُ الغَيثُ بِما يَجُودُه
Its lions and its wolf are hollow with hunger.
No rain had moistened it with its generous showers,
فَغَبَّso withered مَرعاهُits pasture وَجَفَّand dried عُودُهits wood
فَغَبَّ مَرعاهُ وَجَفَّ عُودُه
وَذَمَّهُand disparaged it ِللحَيِّto the tribe مَنwhoever يَرُودُهscouts it for pasture
وَذَمَّهُ ِللحَيِّ مَن يَرُودُه
So its pasture withered and its wood grew dry,
And whoever scouted it spoke ill of it to the tribe.
فَحينَthen when ماتَتdied بِيضُهُits white ones وَسُودُهand its black ones
فَحينَ ماتَت بِيضُهُ وَسُودُه
وَأَصبَحَتand had become غائِرَةًreceded underground جُدُودُهits wells
وَأَصبَحَت غائِرَةً جُدُودُه
Then, when its creatures, white and black, had died,
And the water in its wells had receded,
باكَرَهُcame to it at dawn مُصطَخِبٌclamorous رُعُودُهits thunderclaps
باكَرَهُ مُصطَخِبٌ رُعُودُه
تَسُوقُهُdrives it الجَنُوبُthe south wind أَوor تَقُودُهleads it
تَسُوقُهُ الجَنُوبُ أَو تَقُودُه
A cloud with clamorous thunder came to it at dawn,
The south wind driving it onward, or leading it;
يَكادُalmost أَنto يَحرِقَهُburn it وَقُودُهits blaze
يَكادُ أَن يَحرِقَهُ وَقُودُه
فَاِنتُثِرَتso were scattered عَلىupon الثَرىthe earth عُقُودُهits necklaces
فَاِنتُثِرَت عَلى الثَرى عُقُودُه
Its blaze all but burned it up,
Then its necklaces scattered upon the earth,
كَأَنَّماas though جودُthe bounty of المُعِزّal-Muʿizz جُودُهits bounty
كَأَنَّما جودُ المُعِزّ جُودُه
مُتَوَّجٌa crowned one إِحسانُهُhis kindness قُيودُهhis fetters
مُتَوَّجٌ إِحسانُهُ قُيودُه
As though its bounty were al-Muʿizz's bounty.
A crowned king whose kindness binds like fetters,
مَهَّدَتِhave smoothed الدُنياthe world لَناfor us جُهُودُهhis efforts
مَهَّدَتِ الدُنيا لَنا جُهُودُه
بَحرٌa sea وَلَكِنَّand yet النَدىgenerosity مُدُودُهits tides
بَحرٌ وَلَكِنَّ النَدى مُدُودُه
His efforts have smoothed the world for us.
A sea, yet its tides are generosity;
طابَis sweet لِمَنfor whoever شَرَعَهreaches its waters وَرُودُهcoming to its waters
طابَ لِمَن شَرَعَه وَرُودُه
جَمُّabundant in النَدىgenerosity يُبدِيهِhe displays it أَوor يُعيدُهrepeats it
جَمُّ النَدى يُبدِيهِ أَو يُعيدُه
Sweet is the approach for whoever reaches its waters.
Abundant in bounty, whether displaying it or renewing it,
يَغرَمُhe pays out ماwhat تَغنَمُهُgain it وُفُودُهhis visiting delegations
يَغرَمُ ما تَغنَمُهُ وُفُودُه
كَأَنَّماas though سائِلُهُhis petitioner عَقيدُهhis sworn ally
كَأَنَّما سائِلُهُ عَقيدُه
He pays out what his visiting delegations gain,
As though his petitioner were his sworn ally.
يَرفَعُهُraises him بِذَمِّهِby disparaging him حَسُودُهhis envier
يَرفَعُهُ بِذَمِّهِ حَسُودُه
كَأَنَّماas though نزُولُهُhis descent صُعُودُهhis ascent
كَأَنَّما نزُولُهُ صُعُودُه
His envier raises him by disparaging him,
As though his descent were his ascent.
نَزيدُهُwe give him more حَمداًpraise وَنَستَزيدُهand ask him for more
نَزيدُهُ حَمداً وَنَستَزيدُه
ياO مَلِكاًking أَملاكُناour kings عَبيدُهhis slaves
يا مَلِكاً أَملاكُنا عَبيدُه
We give him more praise and ask him for more.
O king whose slaves are our kings,
وَياand O فَتىًyouth ناجِزَةٌpromptly fulfilled وَعُودُهhis promises
وَيا فَتىً ناجِزَةٌ وَعُودُه
عِندَكَwith you يَلقىfinds الخَيرَgood مَنwhoever يُريدُهdesires it
عِندَكَ يَلقى الخَيرَ مَن يُريدُه
And O youth whose promises are promptly fulfilled,
With you, whoever seeks good finds it,
وَكُلُّand every فَضلٍbounty مِنكَfrom you نَستَفيدُهwe gain it
وَكُلُّ فَضلٍ مِنكَ نَستَفيدُه
فَاسلَمso remain safe وَلاand may not كادَكَplot against you مَنwhoever تَكيدُهyou plot against him
فَاسلَم وَلا كادَكَ مَن تَكيدُه
And every bounty we receive comes from you.
So live in safety; may none you plot against plot against you.
فَالحَمدُfor praise رَكبٌa caravan وَفِناكَand your courtyard بِيدُهits deserts
فَالحَمدُ رَكبٌ وَفِناكَ بِيدُه
وَمَنطَقيand my speech عِقدٌa necklace وَأَنتَand you جيدُهits neck
وَمَنطَقي عِقدٌ وَأَنتَ جيدُه
For praise is a caravan, and your courtyard its desert expanses,
And my speech is a necklace, and you the neck it adorns.
Sol 6.1