تمنَّىhe wished رافعٌRafiʿ بالغيبِin absence مَدحِيmy praise
تمنَّى رافعٌ بالغيبِ مَدحِي
وكلمنيand he spoke to me منfrom أعنانِthe far reaches of السُّكَاكِthe upper air
وكلمني من أعنانِ السُّكَاكِ
Rafiʿ wished for my praise in my absence,
A man of great ambition wished for my praise
And spoke to me from the far reaches of the upper air.
And spoke to me from the reins of leadership
فقلتُso I said عَسىperhaps أبوAbu (father of) درعٍDirʿ (shield) دَعانيhe summoned me
فقلتُ عَسى أبو درعٍ دَعاني
ليقعدنيto seat me علىupon عرشِthe throne of السِّمَاكِal-Simak
ليقعدني على عرشِ السِّمَاكِ
So I said: perhaps Abu Dirʿ has summoned me
So I said, perhaps Abu Dar’a has called me
To seat me upon the throne of al-Simak.
To seat me upon the throne of high command
وبلَّغَand he brought up to بالمنىwith wishes عشرينَtwenty أَلفاًthousand
وبلَّغَ بالمنى عشرينَ أَلفاً
وذلكَand that بيعُselling عِرضىmy honor بالهَلاكِfor ruin
وذلكَ بيعُ عِرضى بالهَلاكِ
And with wishes he reached twenty thousand—
And with wishes he reached twenty thousand
And that is selling my honor for ruin.
Selling his honor for destruction
فتىa young man منfrom سِرِّthe noblest stock of قَيسٍQays قدمتهَاits ancient lineage (reading uncertain)
فتى من سِرِّ قَيسٍ قدمتهَا
الىto غيلانهاits Ghaylan قَدthe length of الشرَاكِthe sandal-strap
الى غيلانها قَد الشرَاكِ
A youth of Qays's noblest stock; its ancient lineage
A man from the elite of Qais who presented himself
To its Ghaylan is a sandal-strap's length.
To their clubs though unfit to enter
توسطَhe took a central place منamong عبادةَʿUbada حيثُwhere أرسىstood firmly
توسطَ من عبادةَ حيثُ أرسى
صميمُthe very core العزِّof might والحَسبِand ancestral honor الضِناكِsubstantial
صميمُ العزِّ والحَسبِ الضِناكِ
He took his place among ʿUbada, where there stood firm
He centered himself in Abadah when he stayed
The very core of might and substantial ancestral honor.
At the essence of honor and fine pedigree
أَصُدُّI turn away عنfrom المطامعِtempting gains منfrom سَبوبٍa reviler
أَصُدُّ عن المطامعِ من سَبوبٍ
رأَىhe saw هدفَa target الحِبالةِthe snare والشِّبَاكِand the nets
رأَى هدفَ الحِبالةِ والشِّبَاكِ
I turn away from a reviler's tempting offers,
I repel from greed one who saw
Who saw a target for the snare and nets.
The target of rope and net
تُهَضَّمُis diminished نَبوَةُthe harshness الأيَّامِof the days منهby him
تُهَضَّمُ نَبوَةُ الأيَّامِ منه
فتيتcrumbs المسكof musk يسحقُare crushed بالمَدَاكِwith the grinding stone
فتيت المسك يسحقُ بالمَدَاكِ
The harshness of the days is diminished by him;
Prophecy of days crumbles through him
Crumbs of musk are crushed with the grinding stone.
As musk is crushed at the mortar
اذاwhen حَسَرَhe drew back القِناعthe veil وعلّand another draught was taken منهfrom him
اذا حَسَرَ القِناع وعلّ منه
خَبَاwaned ضوءُthe light الغزالةِof the sun وهوwhile he ذاكِburns bright
خَبَا ضوءُ الغزالةِ وهو ذاكِ
When he draws back the veil and another draught is taken from him,
When the veil lifts and he teaches
The sun's light wanes, while he burns bright.
The gazelle’s light dims and that is him
Sol 6.1