ذَهَبَhas gone الشَبابُyouth وَكُدِّرَand was clouded العُمرُlife
ذَهَبَ الشَبابُ وَكُدِّرَ العُمرُ
فيin صَبوَةٍyouthful passion وَعَلىand rose (contextual reading) لَكَfor you الأَمرُauthority
في صَبوَةٍ وَعَلى لَكَ الأَمرُ
Youth has gone, and life has been clouded
Youth has passed and life has become bleak
in youthful passion, while authority rose for you,
In my prime and yet power was beyond my reach
حَتّىuntil بَلَغتَyou attained السُؤلَthe desired end مِنهُfrom it فَهَلso, has…?
حَتّى بَلَغتَ السُؤلَ مِنهُ فَهَل
حانَthe time has come اِلتَقىpiety (contextual reading) لَكَfor you وَاِنجَلىand became manifest الشُكرُgratitude
حانَ اِلتَقى لَكَ وَاِنجَلى الشُكرُ
until you attained your desire from it—so has
Until you attained all that you wished
the time for piety come for you, and has gratitude become manifest?
Is it not time that gratitude you preached?
وَلَرُبَّماand often رَوّاكَquenched your thirst مِنwith قُبَلٍkisses
وَلَرُبَّما رَوّاكَ مِن قُبَلٍ
ظَبيٌa gazelle مُجاجَةُthe outflow ريقِهِof his saliva خَمرُwine
ظَبيٌ مُجاجَةُ ريقِهِ خَمرُ
And often you were quenched with kisses
Sometimes, a gazelle with mouth red with wine
by a gazelle whose spittle was wine,
Would pass by wary of the watching eyes
مُتَلَفِّتٌglancing about حَتّىuntil أَتاكَhe came to you وَقَدand already
مُتَلَفِّتٌ حَتّى أَتاكَ وَقَد
خافَhe feared الرَقيبَthe watcher وَهَزَّهُand shook him الذُعرُterror
خافَ الرَقيبَ وَهَزَّهُ الذُعرُ
glancing about until he came to you, already
It came to you terrified and filled with fright
afraid of the watcher and shaken by terror.
Fear shook its body, dread filled its cries
إِسلَمbe well أَميرَCommander المُؤمِنينَthe Faithful وَدُمand remain
إِسلَم أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ وَدُم
فيin غِبطَةٍbliss وَلِيَهنِكَand may it gladden you النَصرُvictory
في غِبطَةٍ وَلِيَهنِكَ النَصرُ
Be well, Commander of the Faithful, and remain
Surrender, O Commander of the Faithful, let
in bliss, and may victory gladden you.
Joy overcome you and taste the sweetness of triumph
فَلَرُبَّfor many a حادِثَةٍcrisis نَهَضتَyou rose بِهاto face it
فَلَرُبَّ حادِثَةٍ نَهَضتَ بِها
مُتَقَدِّماًadvancing فَتَأَخَّرَand so fell back الدَهرُTime
مُتَقَدِّماً فَتَأَخَّرَ الدَهرُ
For many a crisis you rose to meet,
For in many an incident, you took the lead
advancing, and so Time fell back.
While time itself lagged behind and relapsed
لَيثٌa lion فَرائِسُهُhis prey الكُماةُarmored warriors فَماso no
لَيثٌ فَرائِسُهُ الكُماةُ فَما
يَبيَضُّturns white مِنfrom دَمِهاtheir blood لَهُof his ظِفرُa claw
يَبيَضُّ مِن دَمِها لَهُ ظِفرُ
A lion whose prey are armored warriors; no
A lion whose prey are the brave; never once
claw of his shows white beneath their blood.
Did the blood of its victims bring it disgrace
سَحبَclouds (contextual reading) الجُيوشِthe armies فَكَمso how many بِهاby them فُتِحَتwere conquered
سَحبَ الجُيوشِ فَكَم بِها فُتِحَت
بَعدَafter التَمَنُّعِresistance بَلدَةٌa town بِكرُvirgin
بَعدَ التَمَنُّعِ بَلدَةٌ بِكرُ
Clouds of armies—how many were conquered by them:
You marched the armies and opened the gates
virgin towns, after holding out!
Of many a stubborn citadel that you could replace
ماnever رَدَّhe withdrew عَنfrom مُتَحَصِّنٍone entrenched يَدَهُhis hand
ما رَدَّ عَن مُتَحَصِّنٍ يَدَهُ
إِلّاexcept وَقَلعَتُهُand his fortress لَهُfor him قَبرُa grave
إِلّا وَقَلعَتُهُ لَهُ قَبرُ
He never withdrew his hand from one entrenched
None withstood you, whose hands did not falter
unless that man's fortress was his grave.
Without you razing them into their own grave
مُستَأسِدٌlionlike فيin الحَربِwar هِمَّتُهُhis ambition
مُستَأسِدٌ في الحَربِ هِمَّتُهُ
قُدّامَهُbefore him وَالقَتلُand killing وَالأَسَرُand capture
قُدّامَهُ وَالقَتلُ وَالأَسَرُ
Lionlike in war, his ambition
In war, you are a lion with courage and might
goes before him, with killing and capture.
Before you are death, captivity, and plight
وَعِقابُهُand his punishment عَدلٌjust وَعَزمَتُهُand his resolve
وَعِقابُهُ عَدلٌ وَعَزمَتُهُ
كَالمَشرِفِيِّlike a Mashrafi sword وَوَعدُهُand his promise نَذرُa vow
كَالمَشرِفِيِّ وَوَعدُهُ نَذرُ
And his punishment is just, and his resolve
Your punishment is justice, your resolve is firm
is like a Mashrafi sword, and his promise is a vow.
Like fate itself, and your vow is as sacred as a shrine
Sol 6.1