هلwould لكَfor you فيهِin him ياO ابنَson of حمدٍHamd كماas
هل لكَ فيهِ يا ابنَ حمدٍ كما
تؤثرُyou prefer منof بسطslackening ومنand of قَبضِtightening
تؤثرُ من بسط ومن قَبضِ
Would you have him, O son of Hamd, as
Do you have, O son of Hamad, as you like
you prefer, in slackening and tightening?
To extend or retract as you wish?
كأَنَّas though هاديهِhis neck اذاwhen عِجتَهyou turn him
كأَنَّ هاديهِ اذا عِجتَه
يَرغَبُinclines بالبعضِtoward one part عنaway from البعضِthe other part
يَرغَبُ بالبعضِ عن البعضِ
It is as though his neck, when you turn him,
As if when his guide hurries him
prefers one part to another.
He longs for some over others
فكلَّماand whenever زدتَyou increase الىtoward جيدِهhis neck
فكلَّما زدتَ الى جيدِه
عِنَانَهhis rein ذادَكhe drives you back فيin الركضِthe gallop
عِنَانَه ذادَك في الركضِ
And whenever you let out farther toward his neck
So whenever you give his reins
his rein, he thrusts you back as he gallops.
More slack he races you faster
طوراًat one time وطوراًand at another زيغُthe swerving مُرانِهِof his spear-shaft
طوراً وطوراً زيغُ مُرانِهِ
تلعبُyou play بالتثقيفِwith straightening والعَضِّand biting
تلعبُ بالتثقيفِ والعَضِّ
Now one way, now another, his spear-shaft swerves;
Now and then his training swerves
you play with straightening and biting.
You toy with spur and lash
كأَنهas though he were البرقُlightning اذاwhen رِعتَهyou startle him
كأَنه البرقُ اذا رِعتَه
أَوor هربُflight السهمِof the arrow مِنَfrom النبضِthe bowstring's twang
أَو هربُ السهمِ مِنَ النبضِ
He is like lightning when you startle him,
As if he were lightning you startled
or an arrow's flight from the bowstring's twang.
Or an arrow recoiling from the bowstring
منfrom آلthe house of حلابٍHallab سَرىran عِرقُهhis bloodline
من آل حلابٍ سَرى عِرقُه
فنالَand attained أَقصىthe furthest سِرّهاits inner essence المَحضِpure
فنالَ أَقصى سِرّها المَحضِ
His bloodline runs from the house of Hallab,
Of the family of Hilab his pedigree stems
and reaches the utmost of its pure essence.
Reaching the utmost of their pure breed
منغَمِسٌimmersed فيin مائِهاits water منقعُthoroughly soaked
منغَمِسٌ في مائِها منقعُ
يعطيكَhe gives you أَوor يَجزيكَhe repays you بالقَرضِfor a loan
يعطيكَ أَو يَجزيكَ بالقَرضِ
Immersed in its water, thoroughly steeped,
Immersed in its water, fully soaked
he gives to you, or repays you for a loan.
To give or reward you with a loan
تذعرُtake fright منهat him ناشِطاتُroaming antelopes المَلاthe open plain
تذعرُ منه ناشِطاتُ المَلا
بكوكبٍby a star فيin الجَوِّthe sky منقَضِّplunging down
بكوكبٍ في الجَوِّ منقَضِّ
The roaming antelopes of the open plain take fright at him,
The celestial spheres are startled by him
as at a star plunging through the sky.
Like a shooting star darting through space
مطرداتٌdriven in succession ككعبوبِlike a reed-joint القَناthe spear-shafts
مطرداتٌ ككعبوبِ القَنا
أَوor لُؤلُؤٍpearls فيon السلكِthe string مُرفَضِّscattering
أَو لُؤلُؤٍ في السلكِ مُرفَضِّ
Driven in succession like the joints of spear-shafts,
Galloping like a stud of horses
or pearls on a string, scattering loose.
Or pearls strung on a necklace
وهيand they اذاwhen طالَlengthens بهاfor them طيلُهاtheir tether
وهي اذا طالَ بها طيلُها
كأَنماas though تفخرُthey boast فيin رَبضِa resting crouch
كأَنما تفخرُ في رَبضِ
And when their tether lets them range far,
And when she lengthens her path with him
they seem to boast in a resting crouch.
It's as if she boasts in her resting place
اذاwhen سماrises فيin صَيَدٍa stiff, proud tilt رأسهِhis head
اذا سما في صَيَدٍ رأسهِ
أكرمتُI spared فوديهِboth sides of his head عنfrom العضِbiting
أكرمتُ فوديهِ عن العضِ
When his head rises with a stiff, proud tilt,
When his head rises to noble game
I spare both sides of his head the bite.
I ransom my love from the hunt
تقريبُهhis canter أَدبُthe bearing خداريةٍof a dark female eagle
تقريبُه أَدبُ خداريةٍ
الىtoward سليلٍa fledgling خَدِرِsluggish النهضِin rising
الى سليلٍ خَدِرِ النهضِ
His canter is the bearing of a dark female eagle,
Bringing him near is the discipline of nurses
approaching a fledgling too sluggish to rise.
To a cub numb from rising
لاno عيبfault فيهin him غيرَexcept تيسيرهhis ease of handling
لا عيب فيه غيرَ تيسيره
وأَنهand that he يمشيwalks علىupon الأرضِthe earth
وأَنه يمشي على الأرضِ
He has no flaw except his tractability,
He has no fault but his docility
and that he walks upon the earth.
And that he walks upon the earth
لعلهperhaps he ينعلُstrikes with his hooves فيamid نقعهhis dust
لعله ينعلُ في نقعه
قوماًpeople تلافيتَyou rescued منfrom الدَّحضِslipping
قوماً تلافيتَ من الدَّحضِ
Perhaps, amid his dust, he will strike with his hooves
Maybe horseshoes on his hooves
folk whom you rescued from slipping.
Will protect some from slipping away
لكyours الذيthat which فيin العَظمِthe bone منof نَقيهمtheir marrow
لك الذي في العَظمِ من نَقيهم
وماand what علىupon العَظمِthe bone منof النحضِthe flesh
وما على العَظمِ من النحضِ
Yours is the marrow within their bones,
Yours is the essence of their elite
and the flesh upon the bone,
And what clings to that essence
منfrom among هادمٍa destroyer ينبيكَrepels you أوor ناقضٍan unraveler
من هادمٍ ينبيكَ أو ناقضٍ
ينشُجُweaves ماwhat أَوليتَyou bestowed بالنقضِby unraveling
ينشُجُ ما أَوليتَ بالنقضِ
be it a destroyer who repels you or an unraveler
No destroyer can alarm you or critic
who weaves what you bestowed by unraveling.
Rend what you tied with a bond
عسىmay ظلومٌan oppressor جارَacted unjustly فيin حكمهِhis judgment
عسى ظلومٌ جارَ في حكمهِ
يقضيrules عليهagainst him بالذيby what يَقضيhe rules
يقضي عليه بالذي يَقضي
May an oppressor, unjust in his judgment,
Perhaps an unjust ruler in his rule
rule against him as he himself rules.
Will pass judgment on him for what he judges
للهpraise to God وافٍa loyal man جارُهhis neighbor منهfrom him فيin
لله وافٍ جارُه منه في
ظلٍّshade ظليلٍdeeply sheltering وجَنىand fruit غَضِّfresh
ظلٍّ ظليلٍ وجَنى غَضِّ
God bless a loyal man whose neighbor lives, through him, in
God protects his neighbor from him in
deep shade and tender fruit.
Shady, shaded refuge and harvest
نالattained العلاeminence بالكدِّthrough toil منfrom عيشهِhis livelihood
نال العلا بالكدِّ من عيشهِ
والخفضُand ease يدنيكَbrings you near منto الخفضِlowliness
والخفضُ يدنيكَ من الخفضِ
He reached the heights through the toil of his life,
He reached glory by striving in his life
while ease brings you nearer to lowliness.
And humility brings you closer to humility
لاdoes not يَفطِمwean الدالقthe quick-slipping blade منfrom جَفنِهِits sheath
لا يَفطِم الدالق من جَفنِهِ
ويَفطِمُand he weans العينَthe eye منfrom الغَمضِsleep
ويَفطِمُ العينَ من الغَمضِ
He does not wean the quick-slipping blade from its sheath,
Sleeplessness does not wean an eyelid
but weans the eye from sleep.
And wakefulness weans the eye from slumber
لمwas not يُتبدلْchanged والدهhis father أَوقاتُهhis times
لم يُتبدلْ والده أَوقاتُه
تبدلُsubstitutes مسوداًa blackened one بمبيضَّfor a whitened one
تبدلُ مسوداً بمبيضَّ
His father remained unchanged; his times
His times have not changed from his father's
replace white with black.
Exchanging blackness for whiteness
فالبؤسso hardship كالنعمةِlike prosperity فيin جسمهِhis body
فالبؤس كالنعمةِ في جسمهِ
والحُبُّand love فيin عينيهhis two eyes كالبُغْضِlike hatred
والحُبُّ في عينيه كالبُغْضِ
So hardship is like prosperity to his body,
So misery in his body is like bliss
and love in his eyes is like hatred.
And love in his eyes like hatred
تجاوزَsurpassed الوصفَdescription فتىًa youth لطفُهhis subtle skill
تجاوزَ الوصفَ فتىً لطفُه
يُخْرِجُbrings out زُبدَbutter الماءِwater بالمَخضِby churning
يُخْرِجُ زُبدَ الماءِ بالمَخضِ
A youth has surpassed description; his subtle skill
A youth whose charm surpasses description
draws butter from water by churning.
Can extract water's foam by churning
ليسhe is not بمحدودٍa bounded thing اذاwhen قِستَهُyou measure him
ليس بمحدودٍ اذا قِستَهُ
يُعلمُis known منهof him الكلُّthe whole بالبعضِthrough a part
يُعلمُ منه الكلُّ بالبعضِ
He is not a bounded thing that, when you measure him,
He cannot be measured if compared
lets his whole be known through a part.
The whole is known by the part
كيفhow يقيسُmeasures الفلكَthe celestial sphere المعتلىlofty
كيف يقيسُ الفلكَ المعتلى
مَنْone whose طرفُهhis gaze يُنضىis wearied ولاand not يَنضيwearies
مَنْ طرفُه يُنضى ولا يَنضي
How can the lofty celestial sphere be measured
How can the revolving celestial sphere be measured
by one whose gaze is wearied but cannot weary it,
Whose edge twists but does not twist
ومَنْand one who اذاwhen حلhalts بديمومةٍin a trackless desert
ومَنْ اذا حل بديمومةٍ
لمdid not يعرفِrecognize الطولَlength منfrom العَرضِbreadth
لم يعرفِ الطولَ من العَرضِ
and by one who, on halting in a trackless desert,
And when it lingers aimlessly
cannot tell length from breadth?
It knows no length from width
ياO ناقَshe-camel سِيريjourney on وذريand leave وادياًa valley
يا ناقَ سِيري وذري وادياً
مرتعُهُits pasture يُسرعُquickly consumes فيinto العرضِhonor
مرتعُهُ يُسرعُ في العرضِ
O she-camel, journey on and leave behind a valley
O camel of my travels, make my way a valley
whose pasture swiftly consumes one's honor.
Whose pasture hastens across its width
انَّindeed مرادَthe pasture العِزِّof glory ترعينَهyou graze it
انَّ مرادَ العِزِّ ترعينَه
خيرٌbetter منthan الخُلَّةِsweet herbage والحَمضِand salty herbage
خيرٌ من الخُلَّةِ والحَمضِ
Surely the pasture of glory that you graze
The wish of glory is to pasture it
is better than sweet herbage and salty herbage.
Better than swamp plants and sour fruit
Sol 6.1