قناةthe shaft العزof glory فيin تلكthose الرماحlances
قناة العز في تلك الرماح
وبينand among مضاربthe striking edges البيضof the white swords الصفاحthe broad-bladed ones
وبين مضارب البيض الصفاح
The shaft of glory lies in those lances,
The channel of glory is in those spears
And among the striking edges of white, broad-bladed swords.
And between the tents of the pure white
ومنand whoever طلبseeks المعاليhigh honors بالعواليwith the lofty spears
ومن طلب المعالي بالعوالي
إقامتهhis abode علىupon دركattaining النجاحsuccess
إقامته على درك النجاح
And whoever seeks high honors with lofty spears,
Whoever seeks the heights with heights
His abode is where success is won.
His dwelling is on the verge of success
وماand no خطبwooed العلاglory بالسيفwith the sword كفوworthy suitor
وما خطب العلا بالسيف كفو
فكانso was سوأهsomeone other than him اولىworthier بالنكاحof marriage
فكان سوأه اولى بالنكاح
No worthy suitor ever wooed glory with the sword
And the courage did not gain glory by the sword
Only for another to be worthier of marrying her.
So its worst was more deserving of marriage
نكاحa marriage لاnot شهادةtestimony فيهin it ترضىis accepted
نكاح لا شهادة فيه ترضى
بغيرwith anything other than المشرفيةthe Mashrafi swords والرماحand the spears
بغير المشرفية والرماح
A marriage in which no testimony is accepted
A marriage in which no testimony satisfies
Except that of Mashrafi swords and spears.
Other than gallantry and spears
ملاكthe foundation ملاكهof its marriage bond مهجthe lifeblood الأعاديof the enemies
ملاك ملاكه مهج الأعادي
وسبعand the seventh-day feast العرسof the wedding فيهin it دمthe blood الجراحof wounds
وسبع العرس فيه دم الجراح
Its marriage bond rests on the lifeblood of enemies,
A master whose essence wounds the enemies
And its seventh-day wedding feast is the blood of wounds.
And the lion of the wedding in it is the blood of wounds
ومنand whoever رامseeks العلاglory فليمشlet him walk فيهاin it
ومن رام العلا فليمش فيها
كمشىlike the stride الناصرof al-Nasir الملكthe king السماحthe magnanimous
كمشى الناصر الملك السماح
And whoever seeks glory, let him tread its path,
And whoever desires glory should walk in it
As al-Nasir, the magnanimous king, has trodden.
As Al-Nasir the generous king walked
تولىhe undertook ماwhat عناهconcerned him ولمand did not يقلهbear it
تولى ما عناه ولم يقله
عداةthe assailants الحربof war أبطالthe champions الكفاحof combat
عداة الحرب أبطال الكفاح
He undertook what concerned him, a burden not borne
He assumed what he intended and did not say it
By war's assailants, champions of combat,
The enemies of war, the heroes of struggle
بعزمwith a resolve كالقضاlike fate المحتومthe inevitable ماضunswerving
بعزم كالقضا المحتوم ماض
يردit turns back بواعثthe forces القدرof destiny المتاحthe allotted
يرد بواعث القدر المتاح
With an unswerving resolve like inevitable doom,
With determination like inevitable fate proceeding
That turns back the forces of allotted fate.
Repelling the motives of available destiny
وانand indeed العزمresolve أقتلis deadlier للاعاديto the enemies
وان العزم أقتل للاعادي
وأمضىand the keenest ماthat which يكونexists منamong السلاحweapons
وأمضى ما يكون من السلاح
Indeed, resolve is deadlier to enemies
Determination is most deadly to enemies
And the keenest of all weapons.
And most effective of weapons
طوىhe folded up بخيولهwith his cavalry بلدthe land الأعاديof the enemies
طوى بخيوله بلد الأعادي
كطيlike the folding صحيفةof a sheet رفعتlifted براحin a palm
كطي صحيفة رفعت براح
He folded up the enemy's land with his cavalry,
He folded the countries of enemies with his horses
Like the folding of a sheet lifted in a palm.
As folding a paper raised by the wind
وصبحand struck at dawn نقعهاtheir dust واديthe valley زبيدof Zabid
وصبح نقعها وادي زبيد
فحلso befell بأهلهاits people سوءthe evil الصباحof the morning
فحل بأهلها سوء الصباح
Their dust struck the valley of Zabid at dawn,
And the morning of their valley Zabeed awoke
And an evil morning befell its people.
So its people met an evil morning
وأهدتand they bestowed لابنupon Ibn مهدىMahdi البلاياcalamities
وأهدت لابن مهدى البلايا
وقدand already سبحتswam يديهhis two hands علىupon سباحa swift steed
وقد سبحت يديه على سباح
They brought calamities as gifts to Ibn Mahdi,
And it gifted to the son of Mahdi afflictions
While his hands swam upon a swift steed.
As his hands swam over the swimmer
وماand not بعدwas distant ببعدانin Ba'dan عليهاfor them
وما بعد ببعدان عليها
فعرضتهso they exposed him بهاthere للاجتناحto capture (uncertain reading)
فعرضته بها للاجتناح
Nor was he beyond their reach in Ba'dan,
It was not far from him so I exposed it to him
So there they left him open to capture [reading uncertain].
For ravaging
وماand not السيرىal-Siri حينwhen يهمhe ventures شيءanything of account
وما السيرى حين يهم شيء
فيذكرso that he is mentioned فيin فسادharm أوor صلاحgood
فيذكر في فساد أو صلاح
Al-Siri, when he ventures, is of no account,
The blind man, when he angrily wants something
To be mentioned for either harm or good.
Mentioning corruption or reform
تعدىhe overstepped طورهhis bounds المسكينthe wretch جهلاin ignorance
تعدى طوره المسكين جهلا
وأبديand displayed وجهa face مرفوعraised high وقاحshameless
وأبدي وجه مرفوع وقاح
The wretch ignorantly overstepped his bounds,
Exceeds his limit, poor out of ignorance
And displayed a haughty, shameless face.
And shows an arrogant and shameless face
وانفقand spent كسبهhis earnings فيon غيرother than شيءanything worthwhile
وانفق كسبه في غير شيء
وكسبand the earnings أبيهof his father فيon عللrepeated draughts الاداحthe cups (uncertain reading)
وكسب أبيه في علل الاداح
He spent his earnings on nothing,
And spends his earnings and his father's earnings wastefully
And his father's earnings on repeated draughts from cups [reading uncertain].
On the illnesses of the wastrel
فقدfor indeed أمسىhe has become يمدstretching out يديهhis two hands حزناin sorrow
فقد أمسى يمد يديه حزنا
علىover صرفspending المنقشةthe engraved coins الصحاحthe sound ones
على صرف المنقشة الصحاح
Now he stretches out both hands in grief
So he ended up extending his hands in sorrow
Over the spending of sound, engraved coins.
Over spending engraved and good coins
خلتwere emptied عنهاof them يداهhis two hands فإنso if بكاهاhe weeps for them
خلت عنها يداه فإن بكاها
فليسthen there is not عليهupon him فيهاconcerning them منany جناحblame
فليس عليه فيها من جناح
His hands are empty of them; if he weeps for them,
His hands are empty of them, so if he cries over them
No blame rests on him for that.
There is no blame upon him for that
يذكرهreminds him بهاof them عهدan attachment قديمold
يذكره بها عهد قديم
وكدand toil فيin الغدوthe mornings وفيand in الرواحthe evenings
وكد في الغدو وفي الرواح
An old attachment reminds him of them,
It reminds him of an old covenant
And toil in the mornings and evenings.
And effort in the mornings and evenings
وماand not اجتمعتwere amassed لهfor him وأبيهand his father الاexcept
وما اجتمعت له وأبيه الا
بتقتيرthrough stinting وأخلاقand habits شحاحmiserly
بتقتير وأخلاق شحاح
They were amassed for him and his father only
And only stinginess and miserly morals
Through stinting and miserly habits.
Gathered for him and his father
يهونis slight المالwealth قدراin worth عندto ملكa king
يهون المال قدرا عند ملك
يجودhe is generous بهwith it بصدرwith a heart ذىpossessing انشراحopenness
يجود به بصدر ذى انشراح
Wealth counts for little with a king
Wealth becomes insignificant to a king
Who gives it with an open heart.
Who gives generously with a cheerful heart
تجودgives freely بهof it يدa hand تجبىare collected إليهاto it
تجود به يد تجبى إليها
خراجthe tribute الأرضof the earth منfrom كلevery النواحquarter
خراج الأرض من كل النواح
A hand gives it freely, to which are brought
The hand that collects from all regions
The earth's revenues from every quarter.
The land's taxes gives generously
يهزsways الجودgenerosity عطفيهhis two shoulders فيسخوso he gives freely
يهز الجود عطفيه فيسخو
ويبذلهand bestows it بشوقwith eagerness وارتياحand delight
ويبذله بشوق وارتياح
Generosity sways his shoulders, and he gives freely,
Generosity shakes his shoulders so he gives freely
Bestowing it with eagerness and delight.
And grants with passion and comfort
فقدfor indeed أصحاهsobered him منfrom سكرthe intoxication الأمانيof hopes
فقد أصحاه من سكر الأماني
عزيمةthe resolve ضيغمof a lion وافيfully supplied with السلاحweapons
عزيمة ضيغم وافي السلاح
What sobered him from the drunkenness of hopes was
He has indeed awakened from the intoxication of wishes
The resolve of a lion fully armed.
With the determination of Thigham, loyal in arms
وبانand became clear لهto him وقدwhile already أصغيhe inclined his ear استماعاto listen
وبان له وقد أصغي استماعا
مزياتthe merits الصهيلof neighing علىover النباحbarking
مزيات الصهيل على النباح
And, as he listened closely, there became clear to him
And it became clear to him, as he listened closely
The merits of neighing over barking.
The advantages of neighing over barking
ولماand when شمhe smelled ريحthe scent الموتof death أضحىhe began
ولما شم ريح الموت أضحى
يراسلhe corresponded فيabout الرضىapproval والاصطلاحand reconciliation
يراسل في الرضى والاصطلاح
When he smelled the scent of death, he began
And when he smelled the scent of death he spent
Corresponding to seek favor and reconciliation.
Corresponding in consent and reconciliation
إذاwhen سمعتheard بهof him الأعداءthe enemies طارتthey took flight
إذا سمعت به الأعداء طارت
لذكراهat his mention باجنحةon the wings الرياحof the winds
لذكراه باجنحة الرياح
When enemies hear of him, they take flight
When the enemies heard of him, they flew
At his mention, on the wings of the winds.
At the mention of him on the wings of the winds
كريمgenerous لاnot تزالcease لهfor him عطاياًgifts
كريم لا تزال له عطاياً
تنادىcalling الوفدthe delegation حيcome علىto السماحbounty
تنادى الوفد حي على السماح
A generous man, whose gifts never cease
A generous one, whose gifts never cease
Calling the delegations: 'Come to bounty!'
Calling the delegation, long live the clement!
عروساa bride منfrom بناتthe daughters الفكرof thought زفتwas escorted
عروسا من بنات الفكر زفت
إليكto you بملكwith lawful possession عقدa contract لاnot سفاحillicit intercourse
إليك بملك عقد لا سفاح
A bride from the daughters of thought has been escorted
A bride of the daughters of thought was brought to you
To you by a marriage contract, not illicit union.
With the bond of a marriage without any shame
منfrom الغيدthe graceful maidens الحسانthe beautiful ones أتتكshe came to you تزهوexulting
من الغيد الحسان أتتك تزهو
ببهجتهاin her splendor علىover اللكنthe inarticulate ones القباحthe ugly ones
ببهجتها على اللكن القباح
From among the graceful beauties she comes to you, exulting
She came to you from the beautiful, handsome ones
In her splendor over the ugly, inarticulate ones.
Showing off her radiance over the ugly ones
فقابلهاso greet her بوجهكwith your face فهوfor it is وجهa face
فقابلها بوجهك فهو وجه
يضئilluminates بهاؤهits splendor وجهthe face الصباحof the morning
يضئ بهاؤه وجه الصباح
So greet her with your face, for it is a face
So receive her with your face, for it is a face
Whose radiance lights the face of morning.
That illuminates with its brilliance the face of morning
Sol 6.1