أينwhere السهولthe plains منcompared with جبالthe mountains of عاملAmil
أين السهول من جبال عامل
حكتrivaled مناطthe hanging place of الشهبthe shooting stars بالكواهلwith the shoulders
حكت مناط الشهب بالكواهل
What are the plains beside the mountains of Amil?
Where are the plains compared to the mountains of Aamal
Their shoulders rival the perch of shooting stars.
The meteors told of their heroic shoulders
اخاشبٍrugged mountains رواسبٍfirmly rooted شوامخlofty
اخاشبٍ رواسبٍ شوامخ
بواذخٍtowering فوارعsoaring مواثلstanding tall
بواذخٍ فوارع مواثل
Rugged mountains, firmly rooted, lofty,
Stout clubs, deep roots, towering heights
towering, soaring, standing tall.
With gushing springs, parallel roads
عاديَّةٍancient as Ad بلrather قبلbefore عادٍAd رسختtook firm root
عاديَّةٍ بل قبل عادٍ رسخت
معاقلاstrongholds للفضلfor excellence والفواضلand noble deeds
معاقلا للفضل والفواضل
Ancient as Ad—rather, rooted before Ad—
Ordinary, nay beyond ordinary they took root
as strongholds of excellence and noble deeds.
As bastions of virtue and excellence
لوif رامsought اسكندرAlexander سدَّto block شعبهاtheir ravines
لو رام اسكندر سدَّ شعبها
لانشعبتthey would split apart بالملكaround the king الحُلاحلmighty
لانشعبت بالملك الحُلاحل
Had Alexander sought to block their ravines,
If Alexander had tried to dam its valleys
they would have split asunder around the mighty king.
It would not have yielded to the great conqueror
يحجبconceals قرنthe rim of الشمسthe sun مشمخرهاtheir towering height
يحجب قرن الشمس مشمخرها
حتىuntil ترىyou see الهجيرthe noonday heat كالاصائلlike late afternoons
حتى ترى الهجير كالاصائل
Their towering height conceals the sun's rim,
Its towering peaks hiding the sun
until noonday's heat seems to you like evening.
Until the migrant seems like lightning bugs
منfrom كلevery طودgreat mountain شامخlofty عطودٍmassive
من كل طود شامخ عطودٍ
خوىstooped علىover العيوقCapella بالكلاكلwith its broad breasts
خوى على العيوق بالكلاكل
From every towering, massive mountain
From every towering dune, curved hills
that leans its mighty chest over Capella,
Swooping down on the ravines with rings
كالكوكبlike the star الشرقيeastern قيin (apparent typo) شروقهِits rising
كالكوكب الشرقي قي شروقهِ
بالجانبon the side الغىبيwestern (apparent typo) فيin المناهلthe watering places
بالجانب الغىبي في المناهل
like the eastern star as it rises,
Like the morning star at its rise
in the watering pools upon the western side.
On the west side among the springs
كأنas though منfrom بطنانهاtheir hollows ظهرانهاtheir ridges
كأن من بطنانها ظهرانها
تحدرpour down سيلاًa flood عرماraging للسائلfor the seeker
تحدر سيلاً عرما للسائل
As though their ridges, out of their hollows,
As if its insides and its outsides
pour down a raging flood for the seeker.
Poured a torrent for the questioner
اذاwhen النسيمthe breeze استنَّruns freely فيthrough ربوعهاtheir dwelling grounds
اذا النسيم استنَّ في ربوعها
صحَّrecovers سقيمthe ailing part of الروضthe garden فيamid الخمائلthe leafy groves
صحَّ سقيم الروض في الخمائل
When the breeze runs freely through their dwelling grounds,
When the breeze whiffed through its expanses
the ailing garden revives amid the leafy groves.
It cured the sickly in the gardens
اجيلI let roam طرفيmy gaze بمجالacross the expanse of وشحهاher sashes
اجيل طرفي بمجال وشحها
كأنهاas though she ذاتa woman with الوشاحthe sash الجائلswaying
كأنها ذات الوشاح الجائل
I sweep my gaze across the expanse of her sashes,
I turn my gaze to its plains and aridity
as though she were a woman with a swaying sash.
As if it is the one with the flowing wrap
اصغيI listen ولاand not يرنُّrings ليfor me خلخالهاher anklet
اصغي ولا يرنُّ لي خلخالها
ماwhat بالis the matter with ذاتthe woman with الخالthe beauty mark والخلاخلand the anklets
ما بال ذات الخال والخلاخل
I listen, yet her anklet does not ring for me.
I listen and its anklets do not ring for me
What ails the woman with the beauty mark and anklets?
Why so for she who has moles and anklets?
سقياًa prayer for rain لهاfor her منas اربعdwelling grounds مربعةٍspring-green
سقياً لها من اربع مربعةٍ
بكلby every ربعيspring-rain-like in الندىbounty منfrom عاملAmil
بكل ربعي الندى من عامل
May rain bless her—those spring-green dwelling grounds—
I water it from its four squares
by each man of Amil whose bounty is spring rain:
With dew from Aamal in each of my hands
كالبحرlike the sea الاexcept انهthat it is مغلولبٌoutdone (unclear form)
كالبحر الا انه مغلولبٌ
طاغيsurging with العبابbillows مالهhe has no منany ساحلshore
طاغي العباب ماله من ساحل
like the sea, except that the sea is outdone,
It is like the sea except that it is fettered
his billows surge, and he has no shore.
Overflowing, frothing, having no coast
ياoh هلdo ترىyou see مساجلاًa rival لهto him وهلand is there
يا هل ترى مساجلاً له وهل
للبحرto the sea ذيpossessing التيارthe current منany مساجلrival
للبحر ذي التيار من مساجل
Oh, do you see a rival to him—and is there
Do you see it has anyone to duel it? Does the sea
a rival to the sea with its current?
Of currents have any to duel?
امor هلdo ترىyou see مشاكلاًan equal لهto him وهلand is there
ام هل ترى مشاكلاً له وهل
لزبرقانto the full moon of الأفقthe horizon منany مشاكلequal
لزبرقان الأفق من مشاكل
Or do you see his equal—and is there
Or do you see anyone to equal it? Do
an equal to the full moon on the horizon?
The two horizons have any to equal?
يضمُّenfolds مجداglory قشعمياًhoary with age بردهhis cloak الthe (continued in line 32)
يضمُّ مجدا قشعمياً برده ال
ضافيample and flowing وماand he has not اتمَّcompleted سنَّthe age of بازلa mature camel
ضافي وما اتمَّ سنَّ بازل
His cloak enfolds a glory hoary with age—
It harbors ancient glory in its coldness
ample and flowing—though he has not reached a mature camel's age.
Inviting yet no easier to obtain
اروعa splendid man انif هزّbrandishes يراعهhis reed pen انبرىhe sets about
اروع ان هزّ يراعه انبرى
ينفثbreathes فيinto الأطراسthe pages سحرthe magic of بابلBabylon
ينفث في الأطراس سحر بابل
A splendid man: if he brandishes his reed pen, he sets about
How great if it shook its domains and rose
breathing the magic of Babylon into the pages.
It would breathe magic into Babel’s zithers
خضارمmen of boundless bounty منwhoever قاسهمcompares them بغيرwith others than همthem
خضارم من قاسهم بغير هم
قاسcompares البحارthe seas الفعمbrimming بالجداولwith streams
قاس البحار الفعم بالجداول
Men of boundless bounty—whoever compares them with others
Verdant yet harsher than those who clashed with them
compares brimming seas with streams.
Harsher than seas sculpted by rivers
اجادلfalcons among الطيرthe birds وياand oh شتانhow far apart ماemphatic particle
اجادل الطير ويا شتان ما
بينbetween بغاثthe feeble ones of الطيرthe birds والاجادلand the falcons
بين بغاث الطير والاجادل
Falcons among birds—oh, how vast the difference
I contend with the birds, oh what a difference
between the feeble birds and the falcons!
Between bird chirping and contention!
اكرمhow noble بهمthey are منas عامليينmen of Amil غدواhave become
اكرم بهم من عامليين غدوا
بالعلمwith learning طعانينexpert thrusting fighters لاnot العواملthe spears
بالعلم طعانين لا العوامل
How noble these men of Amil, who have become
I honor, more than any Aamali
fighters who thrust with learning, not with spears.
Those who became piercing with knowledge, not riches
عواقدٌknotted علىaround الحجىreason حباهمtheir knee-wraps
عواقدٌ على الحجى حباهم
وانand even if همُthey themselves حلُّواuntie حباthe knee-wraps of المناضلthe opponent
وان همُ حلُّوا حبا المناضل
Their knee-wraps are knotted around reason,
Ties to wisdom - it granted them -
even if they themselves untie their opponent's knee-wraps.
And if they dissolved, the bonds of struggle
قلsay فيof القضاءthe judgment الفصلdecisive مهماwhenever نطقواthey speak
قل في القضاء الفصل مهما نطقوا
وانand if تشأyou wish قلsay فيof الجرازthe keen sword الفاصلcleaving
وان تشأ قل في الجراز الفاصل
Call it decisive judgment whenever they speak,
Say: judgment’s decision, however they speak
and, if you wish, call it a keen, cleaving sword.
And if you wish, say: the separator is decisive
تحلُّهمlodges them اكرومةthe nobility of الفضلexcellence ذرىon summits
تحلُّهم اكرومة الفضل ذرى
عيطابهاtowering, where (joined words) تزلُّslips رجلthe foot of الناعلthe shod man
عيطابها تزلُّ رجل الناعل
The honor of excellence lodges them on summits,
The honor of excellence makes them glow
towering—where even a shod man's foot slips.
Its clouds slipping from the sandal strap
سلask عاملاAmil تنبئكit will tell you عنهمabout them أنهمthat they
سل عاملا تنبئك عنهم أنهم
همthey لذويfor those with السؤالpetitions والمسائلand questions
هم لذوي السؤال والمسائل
Ask Amil; it will tell you of them that
Ask Aamal, it will tell you about them, that they
they stand ready for those with petitions and questions.
Are for the questioners and the probers
همthey المقيلونthe pardoners of slips المنيلونthe bestowers of gifts وهلand is there
هم المقيلون المنيلون وهل
سواهمanyone besides them لعثرةfor a stumble ونائلand a gift
سواهم لعثرة ونائل
They pardon slips and bestow gifts—and is there
They are the sheltering, the attainers, and who
anyone but them to right a stumble and grant a gift?
Other than them for stumbling and goals?
همthey يمنعونward off الضيمoppression عنfrom جارهمtheir neighbor
هم يمنعون الضيم عن جارهم
انif ركبواthey ride forth فيamid الازمthe crises النوازلbefalling
ان ركبوا في الازم النوازل
They shield their neighbor from oppression,
They prevent injustice upon their neighbor
if they ride forth amid descending calamities.
If fateful events befell
وهمand they يروّونdrench الثرىthe soil فيin واكفٍa pouring shower
وهم يروّون الثرى في واكفٍ
يستنبتmakes sprout الأرضthe earth بعامin a year ماbarren (first part of ماحل) حلcompletion of ماحل ('barren')
يستنبت الأرض بعام ما حل
And they drench the soil in a pouring shower
They water the soil in dry years
that makes the earth sprout in a barren year.
The land sprouts in a barren year
اذاwhen اعترىcomes to طارقa visitor by ليلnight حيهمtheir encampment
اذا اعترى طارق ليل حيهم
لاnot يبذلونthey offer الشاءsheep بالمطافلin place of she-camels with young
لا يبذلون الشاء بالمطافل
When a nighttime visitor comes to their encampment,
If a night raider disturbs their neighborhood
they do not offer sheep in place of nursing she-camels.
They do not trade the sheep for the swords
قبائلٌtribes لمnot ترَyou have seen فيin قبالهاcomparison with them
قبائلٌ لم ترَ في قبالها
قبائلاًtribes منof تغلبٍTaghlib ووائلand Wa'il
قبائلاً من تغلبٍ ووائل
Tribes you have never seen equaled
Tribes who have never seen
by tribes of Taghlib and Wa'il.
Tribes like Taghlib and Wael equal them
غطارفٌnoble chiefs وغيرهمand others besides them زعانفٌriffraff
غطارفٌ وغيرهم زعانفٌ
ينتهزونthey seize فرصopportunities for الغوائلtreacherous harm
ينتهزون فرص الغوائل
Noble chiefs are they; others are riffraff,
Ghatarif and others like fins
seizing opportunities for treacherous harm.
Seizing chances of ghuael
لمnot تحوِhave harbored غلَthe rancor of كاشحa secret foe صدورهمtheir breasts
لم تحوِ غلَ كاشح صدورهم
تلكthose سجاياthe traits of العربthe Arabs الاوائلof old
تلك سجايا العرب الاوائل
Their breasts have never harbored a foe's rancor;
No hatred has turned their chests
such are the traits of the Arabs of old.
Those are the ways of early Arabs
يعرفis recognized عتقthe nobility of النجرthe stock فيin سماتهمtheir features
يعرف عتق النجر في سماتهم
كذاlikewise اختيارthe selection of السبَّقthe swift الصواهلthe neighing horses
كذا اختيار السبَّق الصواهل
The nobility of their stock is known by their features,
You know the lineage of the purebred in their traits
just so are swift, neighing steeds selected.
Just like the selection of swift steeds
تعربproclaim عنabout هجانهاtheir pure breeding الشياةthe markings (apparent typo) فيin
تعرب عن هجانها الشياة في
تحجيلهاtheir white leg-markings والغررand the forehead blazes السوائلlong and flowing
تحجيلها والغرر السوائل
Their markings proclaim their pure breeding in
Their liveliness expresses in their
their white stockings and long, flowing blazes.
Adornment and gentle traits
لاmay ... not غبَّهمvisit them intermittently قطرthe rain of غمامٍa cloud باكرearly
لا غبَّهم قطر غمامٍ باكر
صبَّحّgreets at dawn قطريهمtheir two regions بغيثٍwith rain وابلdrenching
صبَّحّ قطريهم بغيثٍ وابل
May the rain of an early cloud never fail them,
No early cloud let fall on them a shower
greeting their two regions at dawn with a drenching shower.
That greeted their morn with rain and hail
Sol 6.1