أمِنْis it from جانِبِthe side of الغَرْبِيِّthe west نَفْحَةُa gust of بارِحٍa scorching wind
أمِنْ جانِبِ الغَرْبِيِّ نَفْحَةُ بارِحٍ
سَرَتْit coursed بتَبارِيحِwith the torments of الجَوىburning longing فيin الجَوارِحِthe limbs
سَرَتْ بتَبارِيحِ الجَوى في الجَوارِحِ
Was it a scorching gust from the western quarter
that coursed through the limbs with longing's torments?
قَدَحَتْit struck sparks بِهاin them زَنْدَthe firestick of الغَرامِpassion وإنّماand only
قَدَحَتْ بِها زَنْدَ الغَرامِ وإنّما
تجافَيْتُI turned away فيin دينِthe creed of السّلوِّforgetting love لِقادِحِbecause of a detractor
تجافَيْتُ في دينِ السّلوِّ لِقادِحِ
It struck passion's firestick within them, and I only
turned from the creed of forgetting because of a detractor.
وماand not هيَit إلاexcept نَسْمَةٌa breeze حاجِريّةٌfrom Hajir
وما هيَ إلا نَسْمَةٌ حاجِريّةٌ
رَمىstruck الشّوْقُlonging منْهاfrom it كلَّevery قَلْبٍheart بِجارِحِwith a wounding dart
رَمى الشّوْقُ منْها كلَّ قَلْبٍ بِجارِحِ
Yet it is only a breeze from Hajir,
from which longing struck every heart with a wounding dart.
رَجَحْناwe swayed لهاto it منْfrom غَيْرِother than سُكْرٍdrunkenness كأنّهاas though it were
رَجَحْنا لها منْ غَيْرِ سُكْرٍ كأنّها
شَمائِلُthe qualities of أخْلاقِthe character of الشّريفِthe Sharif ابْنِson of راجِحِRajih
شَمائِلُ أخْلاقِ الشّريفِ ابْنِ راجِحِ
We swayed to it without drunkenness, as though it were
the virtues in the character of the Sharif Ibn Rajih.
فَتَىthe young champion of هاشِمٍHashim سَبْقاًin outstripping الىtoward كلِّevery غايةٍgoal
فَتَى هاشِمٍ سَبْقاً الى كلِّ غايةٍ
وصَبْراًand in patience مُغارَtightly twisted الحَبْلِthe rope فيin كلِّevery فادِحِcrushing trial
وصَبْراً مُغارَ الحَبْلِ في كلِّ فادِحِ
Hashim's young champion, foremost at every goal,
and steadfast as a tightly twisted rope in every crushing trial.
أصيلُdeep-rooted in العُلَىeminence جَمُّabundant in السّيادةِnobility ذِكْرُهُhis renown
أصيلُ العُلَى جَمُّ السّيادةِ ذِكْرُهُ
طِرازُembroidery of نُضارٍpure gold فيin بُرودِthe robes of المَدائِحِpraises
طِرازُ نُضارٍ في بُرودِ المَدائِحِ
Deep-rooted in eminence, abundant in nobility, his renown
is pure-gold embroidery on the robes of praise.
وفُرْقانُand a criterion of مَجْدٍglory يَصْدَعُcleaves الشّكَّdoubt نورُهُits light
وفُرْقانُ مَجْدٍ يَصْدَعُ الشّكَّ نورُهُ
حَباbestowed اللهُGod منْهُfrom him كلَّevery صَدْرٍbreast بِشارِحِwith heart-opening relief
حَبا اللهُ منْهُ كلَّ صَدْرٍ بِشارِحِ
And a criterion of glory whose light cleaves doubt;
through him God has granted every breast relief.
وفارِسُand a knight of مَيْدانِthe arena of البَيانِeloquence إذاwhen انتَضَىhe unsheathed
وفارِسُ مَيْدانِ البَيانِ إذا انتَضَى
صَحائِفَهُhis pages أنْسَتْthey made one forget مَضاءَthe sharpness of الصّفائحِthe swords
صَحائِفَهُ أنْسَتْ مَضاءَ الصّفائحِ
And a knight in the arena of eloquence: when he unsheathes
his pages, they make one forget the sharpness of swords.
رَقيقٌdelicate كماjust as راقَتْكَcharmed you نَغْمَةُthe note of ساجعٍa cooing bird
رَقيقٌ كما راقَتْكَ نَغْمَةُ ساجعٍ
وجَزْلٌand forceful كماjust as راعَتْكَawed you صَوْلَةُthe onslaught of جارِحِa bird of prey
وجَزْلٌ كما راعَتْكَ صَوْلَةُ جارِحِ
Delicate, as a cooing bird's note charms you,
and forceful, as a bird of prey's onslaught awes you.
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle احْتَبَىhe sat with knees clasped مُسْحَنْفِراًrushing onward فيin بَلاغَةٍeloquence
إذا ما احْتَبَى مُسْحَنْفِراً في بَلاغَةٍ
وخِيضَand was traversed خِضمُّthe vast ocean of القَولِspeech منْهُfrom him بسابِحِby a swimmer
وخِيضَ خِضمُّ القَولِ منْهُ بسابِحِ
When he sat with knees clasped, charging forth in eloquence,
and the vast ocean of speech was crossed by a swimmer of his,
وقدْwhile already شُرِعَتْwere leveled فيin مَجْمَعِthe assembly of الحَقْلِthe field نَحْوَهُtoward him
وقدْ شُرِعَتْ في مَجْمَعِ الحَقْلِ نَحْوَهُ
أسِنّةُspearpoints of حَرْبٍwar للعُيونِbelonging to the eyes اللّوامِحِglancing
أسِنّةُ حَرْبٍ للعُيونِ اللّوامِحِ
while at the field's assembly there were leveled toward him
the warlike spearpoints of glancing eyes—
فَماso not ضَعْضَعَتْthey weakened منْهُin him لصَوْلَةِfor the force of صادِحِa ringing speaker
فَما ضَعْضَعَتْ منْهُ لصَوْلَةِ صادِحِ
ولاnor ذهَبَتْthey went off منْهُfrom him بحكْمَةِwith the wisdom of ناصِحِa sincere adviser
ولا ذهَبَتْ منْهُ بحكْمَةِ ناصِحِ
which neither weakened his force as a ringing speaker
nor robbed him of a counselor's wisdom—
تذكّرْتُI recalled قُسّاًQuss قائِماًstanding فيat عُكاظِهِhis Ukaz
تذكّرْتُ قُسّاً قائِماً في عُكاظِهِ
وقدْwhile already غَصّwas thronged بالشُّمِّwith the lofty الأنوفِnoses الجَحاجِحُmighty chieftains
وقدْ غَصّ بالشُّمِّ الأنوفِ الجَحاجِحُ
I recalled Quss standing at his Ukaz,
as it teemed with lofty-nosed, mighty chieftains.
ليهْنِكَmay it gladden you شَمْسَShams الدّينِal-Din ماwhat حُزْتَyou won منْof عُلَىeminence
ليهْنِكَ شَمْسَ الدّينِ ما حُزْتَ منْ عُلَى
خَواتِمُهاtheir endings موْصولَةٌlinked بالفَوائِحِto wafting fragrances
خَواتِمُها موْصولَةٌ بالفَوائِحِ
May the honors you have won gladden you, Shams al-Din,
their endings joined to wafting fragrances.
رَعىmay he guard اللهُGod رَكْباًa caravan أطْلعَbrought forth الصُّبْحَthe dawn مُسْفِراًradiant
رَعى اللهُ رَكْباً أطْلعَ الصُّبْحَ مُسْفِراً
بمَرْآكَat the sight of you منْfrom فَوْقِabove الرُّبىthe hills والأباطِحِand the gravelly flats
بمَرْآكَ منْ فَوْقِ الرُّبى والأباطِحِ
May God guard a caravan that made the dawn rise radiant
at the sight of you above the hills and gravelly flats.
وللّهِand to God, in admiration ماwhat أهْدَتْهُshe brought as a gift كَوْماءُa high-humped she-camel أوضَعَتْshe sped
وللّهِ ما أهْدَتْهُ كَوْماءُ أوضَعَتْ
برَحْلِكَwith your saddle فيin قَفْرٍa wilderness عنِfrom الأُنْسِhuman company نازِحِfar removed
برَحْلِكَ في قَفْرٍ عنِ الأُنْسِ نازِحِ
And praise be to God for what a high-humped she-camel brought, speeding
with your saddle through a wilderness far from human company.
أقولُI say لقَوْميto my people عندَماwhen حُطَّwas taken off كورُهاher saddle
أقولُ لقَوْمي عندَما حُطَّ كورُها
وساعَدَهاand sustained her السّعْدانُthe sa'dan fodder plant وسْطَamid المَسارِحِthe grazing grounds
وساعَدَها السّعْدانُ وسْطَ المَسارِحِ
I say to my people when her saddle is taken off
and sa'dan sustains her amid the grazing grounds:
ذَروهاleave her وأرْضَand the earth of اللهِGod لاdo not تَعْرِضواaccost لَهاher
ذَروها وأرْضَ اللهِ لا تَعْرِضوا لَها
بمَعْرِضِin a manner of سُوءٍharm فهْيَfor she is ناقَةُthe she-camel of صالِحِSalih
بمَعْرِضِ سُوءٍ فهْيَ ناقَةُ صالِحِ
Let her roam God's earth; do not accost her
with ill treatment, for she is Salih's she-camel.
إذاif ماemphatic particle أرَدْناwe wished القوْلَspeech فيهاabout her فمَنْthen who لَناfor us
إذا ما أرَدْنا القوْلَ فيها فمَنْ لَنا
بطَوْعِwith the obedience of القَوافيrhymes وانْبِعاثِand the awakening of القَرائِحِpoetic gifts
بطَوْعِ القَوافي وانْبِعاثِ القَرائِحِ
If we wish to speak of her, who can secure for us
obedient rhymes and the awakening of poetic gifts?
بَقيتَmay you remain مُنَىthe wishes of نَفْسٍa soul وتُحْفَةَand the treasure of قادِمٍa newcomer
بَقيتَ مُنَى نَفْسٍ وتُحْفَةَ قادِمٍ
ومَوْرِدَand the watering-place of ظَمْآنٍa thirsty one وكعبَةَand the Kaaba of مادِحِa panegyrist
ومَوْرِدَ ظَمْآنٍ وكعبَةَ مادِحِ
May you remain a soul's desire and a newcomer's treasure,
and a thirsty man's watering-place and a panegyrist's Kaaba.
ولازِلْتَand may you continue تَلْقىto meet السّهْلَease والرّحْبَand spacious welcome حيثُماwherever
ولازِلْتَ تَلْقى السّهْلَ والرّحْبَ حيثُما
أرَحْتَyou brought to rest السُّرَىnight travel منْfrom كُلِّevery غادٍmorning wayfarer ورائِحِand evening wayfarer
أرَحْتَ السُّرَى منْ كُلِّ غادٍ ورائِحِ
And may you ever find ease and a spacious welcome wherever
you bring your night journey to rest—from every morning and evening wayfarer.
Sol 6.1