حَيّاmay greet مَحَلَّthe dwelling of الحاجِبِيَّةِal-Hajibiyya بِالحِمىin the preserve
حَيّا مَحَلَّ الحاجِبِيَّةِ بِالحِمى
وَالسَفحَand the hillside سَفحُthe downpour of مُدَلَّحٍa heavily laden cloud سَحّاحِpouring abundantly
وَالسَفحَ سَفحُ مُدَلَّحٍ سَحّاحِ
May al-Hajibiyya’s dwelling in the preserve be greeted,
and the hillside, by a laden cloud’s streaming downpour,
حَتّىuntil تُصاحِبَkeep company with حِسلَهُits young lizard حَيّاتُهُits snakes
حَتّى تُصاحِبَ حِسلَهُ حَيّاتُهُ
وَيُضاحِكَand exchanges smiles with الحَوذانُbuttercups حُسنَthe beauty of أَقاحِdaisies
وَيُضاحِكَ الحَوذانُ حُسنَ أَقاحِ
until its snakes keep company with its young lizard,
and buttercups exchange smiles with the beauty of daisies.
سُحبٌclouds يُوَشّحُهاgirdles them لموحٌflashing lightning مُلقِحٌfertilizing
سُحبٌ يُوَشّحُها لموحٌ مُلقِحٌ
وَيَحُفُّand rustles حافِلُهاtheir laden mass حَفيفَwith the rustling of رِياحِwinds
وَيَحُفُّ حافِلُها حَفيفَ رِياحِ
Clouds girdled by flashing, fertilizing lightning,
their laden mass rustling as winds rustle.
حَمّالَةٌheavily laden حَنّانَةٌplaintively moaning فَحَنينُهاso their moaning
حَمّالَةٌ حَنّانَةٌ فَحَنينُها
وَالريحُand the wind تحفِزُهاdrives them onward حَنينُthe moaning of رَزاحِexhausted camels
وَالريحُ تحفِزُها حَنينُ رَزاحِ
Heavy-laden and plaintive—their moaning,
as the wind drives them on, is the moan of exhausted camels.
تُحييthey revive المُصَوّحَthe withered vegetation وَالمَحيلَand the barren land فسَحُّهاso their downpour
تُحيي المُصَوّحَ وَالمَحيلَ فسَحُّها
كَحياlike the rain of أَبيAbu (father of) الفَتحِal-Fath (victory) السَحوحِthe profuse giver الساحيthe lavish giver
كَحيا أَبي الفَتحِ السَحوحِ الساحي
They revive the withered and the barren; their downpour
is like the rain of Abu al-Fath, the lavish, open-handed giver,
المُحتَويwho wins بِسَماحِهِthrough his generosity وَحُسامِهِand his sword
المُحتَوي بِسَماحِهِ وَحُسامِهِ
مَدحَthe praise of الفَصيحِthe eloquent speaker وَحُلَّةَand the robe of الجَحجاحِthe mighty chieftain
مَدحَ الفَصيحِ وَحُلَّةَ الجَحجاحِ
who wins through his generosity and his sword
the eloquent speaker’s praise and the mighty chieftain’s robe.
الأَريَحِيُّthe open-handed السَمحُthe generous وَالرَحبُand ample in الحِباgifts
الأَريَحِيُّ السَمحُ وَالرَحبُ الحِبا
أَضحىhas become حِماهُhis sanctuary مَحَطَّةَa resting place for المُجتاحِthe disaster-stricken
أَضحى حِماهُ مَحَطَّةَ المُجتاحِ
Open-handed, generous, and lavish in gifts,
his sanctuary has become a resting place for the disaster-stricken.
وَمُحالِفُand an ally of الإِحسانِkindness يَمحوerases حلمُهُhis forbearance
وَمُحالِفُ الإِحسانِ يَمحو حلمُهُ
أَحقادَهُhis grudges وَالحُلمُand forbearance أَحسَنُthe best ماحِeraser
أَحقادَهُ وَالحُلمُ أَحسَنُ ماحِ
An ally of kindness, his forbearance erases
his grudges; forbearance is the finest eraser.
وَمُسامِحٌand forgiving حُلوُsweet in الحَديثِspeech مُحَبَّبٌbeloved
وَمُسامِحٌ حُلوُ الحَديثِ مُحَبَّبٌ
فَضحَput to shame الصَباحَthe morning بِحُسنِهِwith his beauty الوَضّاحِradiant
فَضحَ الصَباحَ بِحُسنِهِ الوَضّاحِ
And forgiving, sweet-spoken, beloved,
he puts the morning to shame with his radiant beauty.
فَحَديثُهُfor his speech السِحرُmagic الحَلالُlawful وَمَدحُهُand praise of him
فَحَديثُهُ السِحرُ الحَلالُ وَمَدحُهُ
مَحضُthe pure essence of الصَحيحِtruth وَحَلَّةُand the robe of المُدّاحِpanegyrists
مَحضُ الصَحيحِ وَحَلَّةُ المُدّاحِ
For his speech is lawful magic, and praise of him
is pure truth and a robe for panegyrists.
مُتَحَرِّجٌscrupulous حاميdefender of الحَقيقَةِhonor حافِظٌa guardian
مُتَحَرِّجٌ حامي الحَقيقَةِ حافِظٌ
حُشِيَتwere filled حَشاthe innards of حُسادِهِhis enviers بِجِراحِwith wounds
حُشِيَت حَشا حُسادِهِ بِجِراحِ
Scrupulous, a defender of honor, a guardian—
his enviers’ innards are filled with wounds.
حاشاfar be it لِحَبوَتِهِfor his knee-wrap تُحَلُّto be loosened بِجِدَّةٍby novelty
حاشا لِحَبوَتِهِ تُحَلُّ بِجِدَّةٍ
كَحُبىًlike knee-wraps تُحَلُّthat are loosened بِجِدَّةٍby novelty وَطِماحِand headstrong pride
كَحُبىً تُحَلُّ بِجِدَّةٍ وَطِماحِ
Far be it that novelty should loosen his knee-wrap,
as knee-wraps are loosened by novelty and headstrong pride.
وَمُحافِظٌand steadfast in duty حسنُgracious in الحَديثِspeech مُنَجَّحٌgranted success
وَمُحافِظٌ حسنُ الحَديثِ مُنَجَّحٌ
حَيثُwherever اِنتَحىhe turns نَحوَtoward الحَياthe rain الفَيّاحِabundant
حَيثُ اِنتَحى نَحوَ الحَيا الفَيّاحِ
And steadfast in duty, gracious in speech, granted success
wherever he turns toward abundant rain.
مُتَوَضِّحٌradiant حَيثُwhere الحتوفdeaths كَوالِحٌbaring their teeth
مُتَوَضِّحٌ حَيثُ الحتوف كَوالِحٌ
مَحشودَةٌmustered بِصَفائِحٍwith sword-blades وَرِماحِand spears
مَحشودَةٌ بِصَفائِحٍ وَرِماحِ
Radiant where deaths bare their teeth,
mustered with sword-blades and spears.
فَلَأَحسِمَنَّso I shall surely silence الحاسِدينَthe envious بِمَدحَةٍwith a poem of praise
فَلَأَحسِمَنَّ الحاسِدينَ بِمَدحَةٍ
لمُمَدَّحٍfor a much-praised man نَحوَtoward الحِباgiving مُرتاحِeagerly inclined
لمُمَدَّحٍ نَحوَ الحِبا مُرتاحِ
So I shall surely silence the envious with a poem of praise
for a much-praised man who delights in giving,
مُتَحَمِّلٍbearing حيفَthe injustice of الحَميمِa close friend لِحاجَةٍbecause of a need
مُتَحَمِّلٍ حيفَ الحَميمِ لِحاجَةٍ
فَدَحَتthat weighed heavily وَحَتفٍand a doom لِلحَسودِfor the envious مُتاحِheld ready
فَدَحَت وَحَتفٍ لِلحَسودِ مُتاحِ
who bears a close friend’s injustice because of a need
that weighs heavily—and is himself doom awaiting the envious.
Sol 6.1