أمِنْis it from جانِبِthe direction of الغَرْبِيِّthe west نَفْحَةُa gust of بارِحٍscorching wind
أمِنْ جانِبِ الغَرْبِيِّ نَفْحَةُ بارِحٍ
سَرَتْit coursed بتَبارِيحِwith the torments of الجَوىconsuming love فيthrough الجَوارِحِthe limbs
سَرَتْ بتَبارِيحِ الجَوى في الجَوارِحِ
Is this a gust of scorching wind from the western quarter,
coursing through the limbs with love's consuming torments?
قَدَحَتْit struck بِهاwithin them زَنْدَthe fire-stick of الغَرامِpassion وإنّماand only
قَدَحَتْ بِها زَنْدَ الغَرامِ وإنّما
تجافَيْتُI gave ground فيin دينِthe creed of السّلوِّforgetting لِقادِحِto an assailant
تجافَيْتُ في دينِ السّلوِّ لِقادِحِ
It struck love's fire-stick within them; I only
gave ground, in the creed of forgetting, to one who assailed it.
وماand not هيَit إلاexcept نَسْمَةٌa breeze حاجِريّةٌfrom Hajir
وما هيَ إلا نَسْمَةٌ حاجِريّةٌ
رَمىshot الشّوْقُlonging منْهاfrom it كلَّevery قَلْبٍheart بِجارِحِwith a wounding shaft
رَمى الشّوْقُ منْها كلَّ قَلْبٍ بِجارِحِ
And it is nothing but a breeze from Hajir,
from which longing struck every heart with a wounding shaft.
رَجَحْناwe swayed لهاin response to 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 gracious qualities of al-Sharif Ibn Rajih's character.
فَتَىthe young champion of هاشِمٍHashim سَبْقاًoutstripping الىtoward كلِّevery غايةٍgoal
فَتَى هاشِمٍ سَبْقاً الى كلِّ غايةٍ
وصَبْراًand in endurance مُغارَtightly twisted الحَبْلِthe rope فيin كلِّevery فادِحِcrushing trial
وصَبْراً مُغارَ الحَبْلِ في كلِّ فادِحِ
Hashim's young champion, first toward every goal,
and steadfast, his rope tightly twisted in every crushing trial.
أصيلُdeep-rooted in العُلَىglory جَمُّabundant in السّيادةِlordship ذِكْرُهُhis name
أصيلُ العُلَى جَمُّ السّيادةِ ذِكْرُهُ
طِرازُembroidery of نُضارٍpure gold فيupon بُرودِthe mantles of المَدائِحِpraise poems
طِرازُ نُضارٍ في بُرودِ المَدائِحِ
Deep-rooted in glory, rich in lordship; his name
is pure-gold embroidery upon the mantles 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 solace
حَبا اللهُ منْهُ كلَّ صَدْرٍ بِشارِحِ
and a criterion of glory, whose light cleaves doubt;
through him God has granted every breast a source of solace.
وفارِسُand a knight of مَيْدانِthe arena of البَيانِeloquence إذاwhen انتَضَىhe unsheathed
وفارِسُ مَيْدانِ البَيانِ إذا انتَضَى
صَحائِفَهُhis pages أنْسَتْthey made one forget مَضاءَthe keenness of الصّفائحِsword blades
صَحائِفَهُ أنْسَتْ مَضاءَ الصّفائحِ
And a knight in the arena of eloquence: when he unsheathes
his pages, they make one forget the keenness of blades.
رَقيقٌdelicate كماjust as راقَتْكَit delighted you نَغْمَةُthe note of ساجعٍa cooing bird
رَقيقٌ كما راقَتْكَ نَغْمَةُ ساجعٍ
وجَزْلٌand forceful كماjust as راعَتْكَit awed you صَوْلَةُthe onslaught of جارِحِa predator
وجَزْلٌ كما راعَتْكَ صَوْلَةُ جارِحِ
Delicate, as a cooing bird's note delights you,
and forceful, as a predator's onslaught awes you.
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle احْتَبَىhe sat clasping his knees مُسْحَنْفِراًpressing swiftly onward فيin بَلاغَةٍeloquence
إذا ما احْتَبَى مُسْحَنْفِراً في بَلاغَةٍ
وخِيضَand was traversed خِضمُّthe deep ocean of القَولِspeech منْهُfrom him بسابِحِby a swimmer
وخِيضَ خِضمُّ القَولِ منْهُ بسابِحِ
When he sits clasping his knees, pressing onward in eloquence,
and speech's deep ocean is crossed by a swimmer of his,
وقدْand already شُرِعَتْwere leveled فيin مَجْمَعِthe gathering of الحَقْلِthe field نَحْوَهُtoward him
وقدْ شُرِعَتْ في مَجْمَعِ الحَقْلِ نَحْوَهُ
أسِنّةُspearheads of حَرْبٍwar للعُيونِbelonging to the eyes اللّوامِحِthat flash
أسِنّةُ حَرْبٍ للعُيونِ اللّوامِحِ
while, in the gathering on the field, there are leveled toward him
the war-spearheads of flashing eyes,
فَماyet not ضَعْضَعَتْdid they unsettle منْهُanything in him لصَوْلَةِat the onslaught of صادِحِa declaimer
فَما ضَعْضَعَتْ منْهُ لصَوْلَةِ صادِحِ
ولاnor ذهَبَتْdid they depart منْهُfrom him بحكْمَةِwith the wisdom of ناصِحِa counselor
ولا ذهَبَتْ منْهُ بحكْمَةِ ناصِحِ
yet they do not shake him before a declaimer's onslaught,
nor strip him of a counselor's wisdom—
تذكّرْتُI recalled قُسّاًQuss قائِماًstanding فيat عُكاظِهِhis Ukaz
تذكّرْتُ قُسّاً قائِماً في عُكاظِهِ
وقدْand already غَصّit was packed بالشُّمِّwith the lofty الأنوفِnoses الجَحاجِحُmighty chiefs
وقدْ غَصّ بالشُّمِّ الأنوفِ الجَحاجِحُ
I recall Quss standing at his Ukaz,
when it was packed with proud-nosed, mighty chiefs.
ليهْنِكَmay it gladden you شَمْسَShams (Sun of) الدّينِal-Din (the Faith) ماwhat حُزْتَyou attained منْof عُلَىglory
ليهْنِكَ شَمْسَ الدّينِ ما حُزْتَ منْ عُلَى
خَواتِمُهاtheir endings موْصولَةٌare joined بالفَوائِحِto wafting fragrances
خَواتِمُها موْصولَةٌ بالفَوائِحِ
May you rejoice, Shams al-Din, in the glories you have won,
whose endings are joined to wafting fragrance.
رَعىmay guard اللهُGod رَكْباًa caravan أطْلعَmade rise الصُّبْحَthe dawn مُسْفِراًradiant
رَعى اللهُ رَكْباً أطْلعَ الصُّبْحَ مُسْفِراً
بمَرْآكَat the sight of you منْfrom فَوْقِabove الرُّبىthe hills والأباطِحِand gravelly flats
بمَرْآكَ منْ فَوْقِ الرُّبى والأباطِحِ
May God guard the caravan that made dawn rise radiant
at the sight of you above the hills and gravelly flats.
وللّهِand to God belongs ماwhat أهْدَتْهُshe brought it as a gift كَوْماءُa high-humped she-camel أوضَعَتْshe sped
وللّهِ ما أهْدَتْهُ كَوْماءُ أوضَعَتْ
برَحْلِكَwith your saddle فيthrough قَفْرٍa wilderness عنِfrom الأُنْسِhuman company نازِحِfar removed
برَحْلِكَ في قَفْرٍ عنِ الأُنْسِ نازِحِ
And, God be praised, what a gift a high-humped she-camel brought, speeding
with your saddle through a wilderness far from human company!
أقولُI say لقَوْميto my people عندَماwhen حُطَّwas set down كورُهاher saddle
أقولُ لقَوْمي عندَما حُطَّ كورُها
وساعَدَهاand sustained her السّعْدانُthe sa'dan plant وسْطَamid المَسارِحِthe pastures
وساعَدَها السّعْدانُ وسْطَ المَسارِحِ
I say to my people, when her saddle is set down
and sa'dan plants sustain her amid the pastures:
ذَروهاleave her وأرْضَand the earth of اللهِGod لاdo not تَعْرِضواinterfere لَهاwith her
ذَروها وأرْضَ اللهِ لا تَعْرِضوا لَها
بمَعْرِضِin a manner of سُوءٍharm فهْيَfor she is ناقَةُthe she-camel of صالِحِSalih
بمَعْرِضِ سُوءٍ فهْيَ ناقَةُ صالِحِ
"Leave her free on God's earth; do not approach her
with ill intent, for she is Salih's she-camel."
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle أرَدْناwe wished القوْلَto speak فيهاof her فمَنْthen who لَناfor us
إذا ما أرَدْنا القوْلَ فيها فمَنْ لَنا
بطَوْعِwith the obedience of القَوافيrhymes وانْبِعاثِand the awakening of القَرائِحِpoetic faculties
بطَوْعِ القَوافي وانْبِعاثِ القَرائِحِ
When we wish to speak of her, who can secure for us
obedient rhymes and the awakening of poetic gifts?
بَقيتَmay you remain مُنَىthe desire of نَفْسٍa soul وتُحْفَةَand a treasured gift for قادِمٍone arriving
بَقيتَ مُنَى نَفْسٍ وتُحْفَةَ قادِمٍ
ومَوْرِدَand a watering place for ظَمْآنٍa thirsty one وكعبَةَand a Kaaba for مادِحِa praise-poet
ومَوْرِدَ ظَمْآنٍ وكعبَةَ مادِحِ
May you remain a soul's desire and a newcomer's treasured gift,
a watering place for the thirsty and a panegyrist's Kaaba.
ولازِلْتَand may you always تَلْقىfind السّهْلَease والرّحْبَand open welcome حيثُماwherever
ولازِلْتَ تَلْقى السّهْلَ والرّحْبَ حيثُما
أرَحْتَyou gave rest to السُّرَىnight travel منْfrom كُلِّevery غادٍmorning traveler ورائِحِand evening traveler
أرَحْتَ السُّرَى منْ كُلِّ غادٍ ورائِحِ
And may you always find ease and open welcome wherever
you halt your night journey—from every morning and evening wayfarer.
Sol 6.1