إِلىto القَرَمِthe noble chief الَّذيwho كانَتwere يَداهُhis two hands
إِلى القَرَمِ الَّذي كانَت يَداهُ
لِفِعلِfor doing الخَيرِgood سَطوَةَpower مَنone who يُنيلُbestows
لِفِعلِ الخَيرِ سَطوَةَ مَن يُنيلُ
To the noble chief whose two hands wielded
To the generous man whose hands
a giver’s power in doing good.
Were forces for doing good deeds
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle غالِيَcostly الحَمدِpraise اِشتَراهُhe bought it
إِذا ما غالِيَ الحَمدِ اِشتَراهُ
فَماthen not إِنemphatic particle يَستَقيلَseeks annulment وَلاnor يُقيلُgrants annulment
فَما إِن يَستَقيلَ وَلا يُقيلُ
Whenever he purchases costly praise,
When praise was expensive he bought it
he neither seeks nor grants cancellation of the bargain.
Never tiring or making others tired
أَمينُtrustworthy الصَدرِof heart يَحفَظُsafeguards ماwhatever تَوَلّىhe undertook
أَمينُ الصَدرِ يَحفَظُ ما تَوَلّى
بِماby what يَكفيmeets the need القَوِيُّthe strong man بِهِwith it النَبيلُthe noble
بِما يَكفي القَوِيُّ بِهِ النَبيلُ
Trustworthy at heart, he safeguards whatever he undertakes,
Trustworthy, he keeps what he was entrusted
by the means with which a strong, noble man fulfills his charge.
With what suffices the strong and noble
أَباO father of مَروانَMarwan أَنتَyou فَتىyoung man قُرَيشٍQuraysh
أَبا مَروانَ أَنتَ فَتى قُرَيشٍ
وَكَهلُهُمand their elder إِذاwhen عُدَّare counted الكُهولُthe elders
وَكَهلُهُم إِذا عُدَّ الكُهولُ
Abu Marwan, you are Quraysh’s young champion,
Abu Marwan, you are a young man of Quraysh
and their elder when the elders are counted.
And their elder when elders are counted
تَوَلّيهِentrusts him with العَشيرَةُthe clan ماwhatever عَناهاconcerns it
تَوَلّيهِ العَشيرَةُ ما عَناها
فَلاso neither ضَيقُnarrow الذِراعِof arm وَلاnor بَخيلُmiserly
فَلا ضَيقُ الذِراعِ وَلا بَخيلُ
The clan entrusts to him whatever concerns it,
The clan tasked him with what concerned them
for he is neither weak of arm nor miserly.
So neither stinginess of arm nor miserliness
إِلَيكَtoward you تُشيرُpoint أَيديهِمtheir hands إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle
إِلَيكَ تُشيرُ أَيديهِم إِذا ما
رُمواthey were attacked أَوor غالَهُمbeset them أَمرٌa matter جَليلُgrave
رُموا أَو غالَهُم أَمرٌ جَليلُ
Toward you their hands point whenever
To you their hands point when
they are attacked, or a grave affair besets them.
They intend or a grave matter befalls them
كِلاboth يَومَيهِhis two days بِالمَعروفِwith kindness طَلقٌopen-handed
كِلا يَومَيهِ بِالمَعروفِ طَلقٌ
وَكُلُّand all بِلائِهِhis service حَسَنٌgood جَميلُbeautiful
وَكُلُّ بِلائِهِ حَسَنٌ جَميلُ
On both his days he is open-handed with kindness,
Each of his days is open-handed with kindness
and all his service is good and beautiful.
And each of his afflictions is good and beautiful
تَمايَلَhe swayed فيat الذُؤابَةِthe crest مِنof قُرَيشٍQuraysh
تَمايَلَ في الذُؤابَةِ مِن قُرَيشٍ
ثَناهُbent him المَجدُglory وَالعِزُّand honor الأَثيلُdeep-rooted
ثَناهُ المَجدُ وَالعِزُّ الأَثيلُ
He swayed at the crest of Quraysh;
He swayed with glory among Quraysh
glory and deep-rooted honor bent him.
His glory and noble lineage erecting him
أُرومٌrootstock ثابِتٌfirm يَهتَزُّsways فيهِwithin it
أُرومٌ ثابِتٌ يَهتَزُّ فيهِ
بِأَكرَمِin the noblest مَنبِتٍgrowing-place فَرعٌa branch طَويلُtall
بِأَكرَمِ مَنبِتٍ فَرعٌ طَويلُ
A firm rootstock, within which there sways
A firm pillar that shakes wherein
in the noblest soil a lofty branch.
Is the branch of the most generous growth
Sol 6.1