أَعاذِلَO reproacher لَيسَis not سَمعيmy hearing لِلمَلامِfor reproach
أَعاذِلَ لَيسَ سَمعي لِلمَلامِ
عَفَفتُI abstained عَنِfrom الغَوانيbeautiful women وَالمُدامِand wine
عَفَفتُ عَنِ الغَواني وَالمُدامِ
O reproacher, I lend no ear to blame.
I do not listen to blame, blame has no place for my ear,
I have abstained from beautiful women and wine.
I refrained from passion and wine,
وَبِنتُand I parted عَنِfrom الشَبابِyouth فَلَيسَso it is not مِنّيof me
وَبِنتُ عَنِ الشَبابِ فَلَيسَ مِنّي
وَآخِرُand the end of كُلُّevery شَيءٍthing لِاِنصِرامِfor dissolution
وَآخِرُ كُلُّ شَيءٍ لِاِنصِرامِ
And I have parted from youth; it is mine no more.
And turned away from youth—it's no more my own.
And all things end in dissolution.
In the end all things pass away.
رَأَيتُI saw الدَهرَtime يُنقِصُdiminish كُلَّevery يَومٍday
رَأَيتُ الدَهرَ يُنقِصُ كُلَّ يَومٍ
قُوىthe strands of حَبلِthe rope of البَقاءِlife وَكُلَّand every عامِyear
قُوى حَبلِ البَقاءِ وَكُلَّ عامِ
I have seen time diminish, day by day,
I saw time diminishing daily
The strands of life's rope, year after year.
The strength of continuity’s rope and every year.
يُقَتَّلُare slain بَعضُناsome of us بِأَكُفِّby the hands of بَعضٍothers
يُقَتَّلُ بَعضُنا بِأَكُفِّ بَعضٍ
وَيُشحَذُand is sharpened بَينَناamong us سَيفُthe sword of الحِمامِdeath
وَيُشحَذُ بَينَنا سَيفُ الحِمامِ
Some of us are slain by others' hands,
Some of us are killed by others’ palms
And death's sword is sharpened in our midst.
And between us the sword of defenders is sharpened.
وَحَربٍand many a battle قَدindeed قَرَنتُI coupled المَوتَdeath فيهاin it
وَحَربٍ قَد قَرَنتُ المَوتَ فيها
بِجَيشٍwith an army يَهمُرُdeluging الهَيجاthe fray لُهامِvast
بِجَيشٍ يَهمُرُ الهَيجا لُهامِ
And in many a battle I have coupled death
And in battles where I married death
With a vast army deluging the fray,
To an army raging, wildly attacking,
وَفِتيانٍand young men يُجيبونَanswer المَناياdeath's summons
وَفِتيانٍ يُجيبونَ المَنايا
إِذاwhen غَضِبواthey grow angry بِأَنفُسِهِمwith their own lives كِرامِnoble
إِذا غَضِبوا بِأَنفُسِهِم كِرامِ
And young men who answer death's summons,
And young men answering the fates
When angered, with their own lives—noble men.
When they're angry with their noble selves.
وَطِرفٍand a noble steed كَالهِراوَةِlike a cudgel أَعوَجِيٍّof A‘wajī stock
وَطِرفٍ كَالهِراوَةِ أَعوَجِيٍّ
حَثيثِswift السَيرِof pace يَرقىrises فيagainst اللِجامِthe bridle
حَثيثِ السَيرِ يَرقى في اللِجامِ
And an A‘wajī steed, like a cudgel,
And a gazelle, crooked, swerving,
Swift of pace, straining upward against the bridle.
Quick striding, rising on the reins—
وَهاجِرَةٍand many a midday heat يَصُدُّrepels العَيسَthe pale camels فيهاin it
وَهاجِرَةٍ يَصُدُّ العَيسَ فيها
حَرورٌscorching heat مِنfrom لَوافِحَsearing gusts كَالضِرامِlike blazing fire
حَرورٌ مِن لَوافِحَ كَالضِرامِ
And many a midday heat in which pale camels are checked
An immigrant the stallions defend against,
By scorching heat from gusts like blazing fire.
Zebras from the meadows like ostriches.
تُقيمُit sets عَلىabove رُؤوسِthe heads of الرَكبِthe riders شَمساًa sun
تُقيمُ عَلى رُؤوسِ الرَكبِ شَمساً
كَصولِlike the assault of القِرنِthe adversary بِالذَكَرِwith the hard-steeled الحُسامِkeen-edged sword
كَصولِ القِرنِ بِالذَكَرِ الحُسامِ
It sets a sun above the riders' heads,
Raising over the riders’ heads a sun
Like a foe's assault with a hard, keen-edged sword.
Like the horns’ points with the sharp swords.
قَطَعتُI crossed هَجيرَهَits midday heat بِذَواتِon she-camels possessing صَبرٍendurance
قَطَعتُ هَجيرَهَ بِذَواتِ صَبرٍ
عَلىagainst أَمثالِهاits like وَاليَومُwhile the day حاميis scorching
عَلى أَمثالِها وَاليَومُ حامي
I crossed its midday heat on she-camels that endure
I cut its talk with patient beings
The like of it, while the day blazed.
The like of which exist, and the day grows hot.
يُصافِحنَthey clasp hands with الظِلالَthe shadows بِكُلِّin every خَرقٍwide desert
يُصافِحنَ الظِلالَ بِكُلِّ خَرقٍ
مُصافَحَةَthe handclasp of المُحَيّاone greeted بِالسَلامِwith a greeting of peace
مُصافَحَةَ المُحَيّا بِالسَلامِ
They clasp hands with shadows in every wide desert,
They greet the shadows at every tear
As one clasps hands with someone greeted with peace.
Like the winkers greeting peace.
رَمَتflung أَرضٌone land بِهَwith it أَرضاًanother land فَأَرضاًthen another land
رَمَت أَرضٌ بِهَ أَرضاً فَأَرضاً
كَنَبذِlike the casting of القَومِthe men صائِبَةَtrue-flying السِهامِarrows
كَنَبذِ القَومِ صائِبَةَ السِهامِ
One land flung it to another, then another,
Earth flung it at earth then earth
As men cast arrows that strike true.
Like the tribe's casting of arrows.
أَبَيتُI refused الضَيمَhumiliation بَأسَstrength of يَدٍhand وَصَبرٍand endurance
أَبَيتُ الضَيمَ بَأسَ يَدٍ وَصَبرٍ
إِذاwhen اِلتَقَتِmet المَحاميthe defenders بِالمُحاميwith the defender
إِذا اِلتَقَتِ المَحامي بِالمُحامي
I refused humiliation with strength of hand and endurance,
I refused injustice—the power of a hand and patience
When defender clashed with defender.
When the protector meets protector.
بِأَنَّbecause مَكانَthe place of بَيتيmy house فيamong المَعاليlofty honors
بِأَنَّ مَكانَ بَيتي في المَعالي
مَكانَthe place of السِلكِthe thread فيamong خَرَزِthe beads of النِظامِthe necklace
مَكانَ السِلكِ في خَرَزِ النِظامِ
For my house's place among lofty honors
That my house is in the heights
Is the thread's place among a necklace's beads.
Where the wire fits in sequence’s beads.
Sol 6.1