سبقتI outstripped إلىto الآدابletters and learning أبناءsons دهرناour age
سبقت إلى الآداب أبناء دهرنا
فبؤتso I gained بعاديwith an ancient legacy علىbeyond الدهرtime أقدمolder
فبؤت بعادي على الدهر أقدم
I outstripped the sons of our age in letters,
The people of our time have surpassed literature
So I gained an ancient legacy, older than time.
So I have become estranged in an ancient age
وليستand it is not كماlike what أبقتleft behind ضبيعةḌubayʿah اضخمAḍkham
وليست كما أبقت ضبيعة اضخم
وليستand it is not كماas سادتheld sway قبائلtribes جرهمJurhum
وليست كما سادت قبائل جرهم
Nor is it like what Ḍubayʿah Aḍkham left behind,
Yet my legacy is not a vast wasteland
Nor like the sway held by the tribes of Jurhum,
Nor a tribe that dominated Jarham
ولكنbut طوداًa mighty mountain لمnot (past negation) يحلحلbe shaken رسيهits firm base
ولكن طوداً لم يحلحل رسيه
وفارعةand a lofty height قعساءimpregnable لمnot (past negation) تتسنمbe scaled
وفارعة قعساء لم تتسنم
But a mighty mountain whose firm base has not been shaken,
Rather, a towering mountain unmoved
And a lofty, impregnable height that has not been scaled.
And an unyielding summit unclimbed
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle بناءa building شادهraised it الفضلvirtue والتقىand piety
إذا ما بناء شاده الفضل والتقى
تهدمتfell to ruin الدنياthe world ولمand did not يتهدمcrumble
تهدمت الدنيا ولم يتهدم
When virtue and piety raise a building,
When a structure is built by merit and piety
The world may crumble, yet that building will not.
The world may crumble but it will not crumble
Sol 6.1