لَعَمْرُby the life of أَبِيAbu (father of) الْعَطَاءِal-‘Ata’ (generosity) لَئِنْif indeed تَوَلّىhe departed
لَعَمْرُ أَبِي الْعَطَاءِ لَئِنْ تَوَلّى
لَنِعْمَindeed excellent مُعَرَّجُa halting place for الرَّكْبِthe riders الطِّلاحِthe weary
لَنِعْمَ مُعَرَّجُ الرَّكْبِ الطِّلاحِ
By the life of Abu al-‘Ata’, though he has departed,
For the life of my father al-'Ata, if he turns away
how fine a halting place he was for weary riders!
How excellent a climbing place for the litter's company,
ونعمand how excellent أبوa father to الضيوفthe guests إذاwhen أطاحتswept away
ونعم أبو الضيوف إذا أطاحت
بيوتthe dwellings of الحيthe clan عاصفةa gale of الرياحthe winds
بيوت الحي عاصفة الرياح
And how fine a father to guests when swept away
And how excellent a host when the rain
were the clan’s dwellings by the raging winds!
Casts down the tent pegs of the tribe,
وَنِعْمَand how excellent الْمُوضِحُthe clarifier of الْعَميْاءَobscure matters رَأْياًthrough counsel
وَنِعْمَ الْمُوضِحُ الْعَميْاءَ رَأْياً
وَقَدْand already كَثُرَhad grown rife التَّمادِيobstinate persistence وَالتَّلاحِيand mutual quarrelling
وَقَدْ كَثُرَ التَّمادِي وَالتَّلاحِي
And how fine at clarifying dark matters with his counsel,
And how excellent a clear-sighted counselor
when obstinacy and quarrelling had grown rife!
When stubbornness and dispute have multiplied,
وَنِعْمَand how excellent مُفَرِّجُthe dispeller of الْغَمَراتِgrave ordeals عَزَّتْproved intractable
وَنِعْمَ مُفَرِّجُ الْغَمَراتِ عَزَّتْ
عَلَىfor سَوْمِthe onslaught of الأَسِنَّةِthe spearheads وَالصِّفاحِand sword blades
عَلَى سَوْمِ الأَسِنَّةِ وَالصِّفاحِ
And how fine a dispeller of ordeals that defied
And how excellent a reliever of distress when it weighs down
the onslaught of spearheads and sword blades!
On the tongues’ venom and back-stabbing,
يَعَزُّit is painful عَلَيَّto me أَنْto أُهْدِيoffer رِثائِيmy elegy
يَعَزُّ عَلَيَّ أَنْ أُهْدِي رِثائِي
إِلَيْكَto you بِغِبِّjust after شُكْرِيmy thanks وَامْتِداحِيand my praise
إِلَيْكَ بِغِبِّ شُكْرِي وَامْتِداحِي
It pains me to offer my elegy
I find it hard to dedicate my elegy to you
to you so soon after my thanks and praise.
With my gratitude so meager and my praise so brief,
وَكُنْتُand I used to إِذاwhenever أَتَيْتُكَI came to you مَسْتَمِيحاًseeking bounty
وَكُنْتُ إِذا أَتَيْتُكَ مَسْتَمِيحاً
لِمَكْرُمَةٍfor a generous favor نَزَلْتَyou acceded عَلَىto اقْتِراحِيmy request
لِمَكْرُمَةٍ نَزَلْتَ عَلَى اقْتِراحِي
And whenever I came to you as a supplicant,
Yet whenever I came to you seeking favor
seeking a generous favor, you granted my request.
You would grant my request without hesitation.
سَأَبْكِيI shall weep والْقَوافِيand the rhymes مُسْعِداتِيmy companions in mourning
سَأَبْكِي والْقَوافِي مُسْعِداتِي
بِنَدْبٍwith a lament مِنْfrom ثَنائِكَpraise of you أَوْor مَناحِlamentation
بِنَدْبٍ مِنْ ثَنائِكَ أَوْ مَناحِ
I shall weep, with rhymes as my companions in mourning,
I shall cry while the rhymes delight me
with a lament drawn from praise of you, or a dirge.
With weeping over your praise or consolation,
إذاif ماever (emphatic) خانَنِيfail me دَمْعٌtears بَلِيدٌsluggish
إذا ما خانَنِي دَمْعٌ بَلِيدٌ
بَكَيْتُI shall weep بأَدْمُعِwith the tears of الشِّعْرِpoetry الْفِصاحِeloquent
بَكَيْتُ بأَدْمُعِ الشِّعْرِ الْفِصاحِ
If ever sluggish tears should fail me,
And when a sluggish tear fails me
I shall weep with the eloquent tears of verse.
I shall weep with the eloquent tears of poetry
جَزاءًin repayment عَنْfor جَمِيلٍkindness مِنْكَfrom you والَتْkept supplying
جَزاءً عَنْ جَمِيلٍ مِنْكَ والَتْ
يَداكَyour two hands بِهِwith it ادِّراعِيmy donning armor وَاتِّشاحِيand my wearing a cloak
يَداكَ بِهِ ادِّراعِي وَاتِّشاحِي
In repayment for kindness from you, with which
In return for kindness from you - may
your hands kept clothing me in armor and cloak.
Your hands be wrapped in my mantle and my turband.
فَلاso may never بَرِحَتْcease تَجُودُكَshower abundantly upon you كُلَّevery يُوْمٍday
فَلا بَرِحَتْ تَجُودُكَ كُلَّ يُوْمٍ
مَدامِعُweeping eyes مُزْنَةٍa rain cloud ذاتُpossessed of انْسِفاحِcopious outpouring
مَدامِعُ مُزْنَةٍ ذاتُ انْسِفاحِ
So may there never cease to shower upon you each day
Without cease each day your munificence pours forth
the weeping eyes of a rain cloud pouring in torrents,
Abundant tears like rain from laden clouds,
تَرُوحُbecome at evening بِهاwith it فُرُوعُthe boughs of الرَّوْضِthe garden سَكْرىdrunken
تَرُوحُ بِها فُرُوعُ الرَّوْضِ سَكْرى
تَمِيدُsway كَأَنَّماas though مُطِرَتْwere showered بِراحِwith wine
تَمِيدُ كَأَنَّما مُطِرَتْ بِراحِ
with which the garden’s boughs grow drunk at evening,
The garden's branches intoxicated and languid
swaying as though they had been showered with wine,
As though showered with gentle rain,
إِلىuntil أَنْthat يَغْتَدِيit becomes at dawn وَكَأَنَّand as though فِيهِwithin it
إِلى أَنْ يَغْتَدِي وَكَأَنَّ فِيهِ
مَخايِلَtraces مِنْof خَلائِقِكَyour character traits السِّجاحِgentle
مَخايِلَ مِنْ خَلائِقِكَ السِّجاحِ
until, come morning, it seems to show
Until it is sated as if in it
traces of your gentle character.
Are the visions of your noble, generous nature.
Sol 6.1