ضَمانٌa pledge عَلىupon عَينَيَّmy two eyes سَقيُwatering دِيارِكِyour dwellings
ضَمانٌ عَلى عَينَيَّ سَقيُ دِيارِكِ
وَإِنand even if لَمnot تَكونيyou were تَعلَمينَknowing بِذَلِكِof that
وَإِن لَم تَكوني تَعلَمينَ بِذَلِكِ
My eyes are pledged to water your dwellings,
Tears upon my eyes are guarantors of watering your home,
even if you do not know it.
Even if you don't know that.
وَقُلتُand I said لِأَصحابيto my companions اِنظُرواlook هَلwhether بَداappeared لَكُمto you
وَقُلتُ لِأَصحابي اِنظُروا هَل بَدا لَكُم
ضَميرُthe interior بِلادٍof a land غَيَّبَتhid أُمَّmother of مالِكِMalik
ضَميرُ بِلادٍ غَيَّبَت أُمَّ مالِكِ
And I said to my companions, “Look—has there come into view
And I said to my friends, look, does it seem to you
the heart of a land that has hidden Umm Malik?”
The conscience of a country has concealed the mother of its ruler?
كَأَنَّas though المَطاياthe riding camels إِنif غَدَونَthey set out in the morning بِسُحرَةٍat dawn
كَأَنَّ المَطايا إِن غَدَونَ بِسُحرَةٍ
تَرَكنَthey left أَفاحيصَnesting hollows القَطاof sandgrouse فيin المَبارِكِthe kneeling places
تَرَكنَ أَفاحيصَ القَطا في المَبارِكِ
It is as though the riding camels, when they set out at dawn,
It's as if the horses, when they set out at dawn
left sandgrouse nesting hollows where they had knelt.
Left the leopards' cubs in the blessed places.
فَلاso no جَزَعٌdismay إِنif رابَcaused unease دَهرٌtime بِصَرفِهِwith its vicissitudes
فَلا جَزَعٌ إِن رابَ دَهرٌ بِصَرفِهِ
وَبَدَّلَand changed حالاًa condition فَالخَطوبُfor calamities كَذَلِكِare like that
وَبَدَّلَ حالاً فَالخَطوبُ كَذَلِكِ
So no dismay if time brings trouble with its vicissitudes
So don't be distraught if time's vicissitudes with its changes
and alters one's state; calamities are like that.
Altered a state - such are tribulations.
لَناwe have إِبِلٌcamels مِلءُfilling الفَضاءِthe open expanse كَأَنَّماas though
لَنا إِبِلٌ مِلءُ الفَضاءِ كَأَنَّما
حَمَلنَthey bore التِلاعَthe hills الحُوَّthe dark ones فَوقَabove الحَوارِكِthe withers
حَمَلنَ التِلاعَ الحُوَّ فَوقَ الحَوارِكِ
We have camels filling the open expanse, as though
We have camels, filling up the horizon, as if they
they bore dark hills above their withers.
Carried the hillocks above the ruins.
وَلَكِنand yet إِذاwhen اِغبَرَّgrew dust-gray الزَمانُthe age تَرَوَّحَتthey returned at evening
وَلَكِن إِذا اِغبَرَّ الزَمانُ تَرَوَّحَت
فَجاءَتand so they came عَلَيهِagainst it بِالعُروقِwith the veins السَوافِكِpouring out blood
فَجاءَت عَلَيهِ بِالعُروقِ السَوافِكِ
But when the age turns dust-gray, they return at evening
But when the days became dusty, they were scared away,
and meet it with veins that pour out blood.
And swooped down upon them with deadly claws.
أَبَرُّmore formidable عَلىagainst الأَعداءِthe enemies مِنّيthan me اِبنُa son حُرَّةٍof a free woman
أَبَرُّ عَلى الأَعداءِ مِنّي اِبنُ حُرَّةٍ
جَرِيٌّbold عَلىin the face of الشَحناءِenmity عَفُّupright المَسالِكِthe ways
جَرِيٌّ عَلى الشَحناءِ عَفُّ المَسالِكِ
Is any son of a free woman more formidable against enemies than I—
More dutiful to the enemies than me is the son of Hurra,
bold in enmity, upright in his ways?
Speedy in dangerous places, shunning the roads.
أَقَمتُI set up لَهُمfor them سوقَthe market of الجِلادِcombat بِمُنصِليwith my sword
أَقَمتُ لَهُم سوقَ الجِلادِ بِمُنصِلي
وَعَلَّمتُهُمand I taught them طَعنَpiercing الكُلىthe kidneys بِالنَيازِكِwith short spears
وَعَلَّمتُهُم طَعنَ الكُلى بِالنَيازِكِ
I set up for them the market of combat with my sword,
I set up for them the market of execution with my swords
and taught them to pierce kidneys with short spears.
And taught them to stab the kidneys with the spears.
وَماand not العَيشُlife إِلّاbut مُدَّةٌa span سَوفَwill تَنقَضيcome to an end
وَما العَيشُ إِلّا مُدَّةٌ سَوفَ تَنقَضي
وَماand not المالُwealth إِلّاbut هالِكٌa perishable thing عِندَin the keeping of هالِكِone who perishes
وَما المالُ إِلّا هالِكٌ عِندَ هالِكِ
Life is nothing but a span that will come to an end,
For life is but a duration that will soon end
and wealth is only a perishable thing in a mortal's keeping.
And wealth is fleeting, lost with the one who's lost.
Sol 6.1