لَعَمريby my life لَقَدindeed أَمسىhas now become عَلىover الأَمرِthe affair سائِسٌa ruler
لَعَمري لَقَد أَمسى عَلى الأَمرِ سائِسٌ
بَصيرٌdiscerning بِماof what ضَرَّharms العَدُوَّthe enemy أَريبُshrewd
بَصيرٌ بِما ضَرَّ العَدُوَّ أَريبُ
By my life, a ruler now presides over affairs,
By my life, he has become well-versed in the matter,
Discerning what harms the enemy, shrewd;
Perceptive of what the sly enemy schemes.
جَريءٌbold عَلىin facing ماwhat يَكرَهُdislikes المَرءُa man صَدرَهُhis heart
جَريءٌ عَلى ما يَكرَهُ المَرءُ صَدرَهُ
وَلِلفاحِشاتِand of vile deeds المُندِياتِthat make one sweat with shame هَيوبُfearful
وَلِلفاحِشاتِ المُندِياتِ هَيوبُ
His heart is bold in facing what a man dreads,
Bold towards what a man's chest would dislike,
Yet fearful of vile deeds that make one sweat with shame.
And to disgraceful, shameless acts, bashful.
سَعيدٌSa'id وَماand whatever يَفعَلdoes سَعيدٌSa'id فَإِنَّهُthen indeed he is
سَعيدٌ وَما يَفعَل سَعيدٌ فَإِنَّهُ
نَجيبٌa thoroughbred فَلاهُweaned him فيin الرِباطِthe tethering-place نَجيبُa thoroughbred
نَجيبٌ فَلاهُ في الرِباطِ نَجيبُ
Sa'id—and whatever Sa'id does, he is indeed
Fortunate—and whatever fortunate men do,
A thoroughbred, weaned at the tether by a thoroughbred.
He is noble, so prisons cannot degrade him.
سَعيدٌSa'id فَلاso let not تَغرُركَdeceive you خِفَّةُthe spareness لَحمِهِhis flesh
سَعيدٌ فَلا تَغرُركَ خِفَّةُ لَحمِهِ
تَخَدَّدَhas wasted away عَنهُfrom him اللَحمُthe flesh فَهُوَyet he is صَليبُtough
تَخَدَّدَ عَنهُ اللَحمُ فَهُوَ صَليبُ
Sa'id—let not the spareness of his flesh deceive you;
Fortunate—let not his slender build delude you:
The flesh has wasted away from him, yet he is tough.
Flesh falls away from him, but he's like a cross.
إِذاwhen خافَfears إِصعاباًunruliness مِنَfrom الأَمرِthe affair صَدرُهُhis heart
إِذا خافَ إِصعاباً مِنَ الأَمرِ صَدرُهُ
عَلاهُhe mounts it فَباتَand becomes الأَمرُthe affair وَهُوَand it is رَكوبُa tractable mount
عَلاهُ فَباتَ الأَمرُ وَهُوَ رَكوبُ
When his heart fears an affair may turn unruly,
When his chest fears a harsh command,
He mounts it, and the affair becomes a tractable mount.
He rises above it and spends the night riding.
إِذاwhen غِبتَyou are absent عَنّاfrom us غابَis absent عَنّاfrom us رَبيعُناour springtime
إِذا غِبتَ عَنّا غابَ عَنّا رَبيعُنا
وَنُسقىand we are watered الغَمامَthe clouds الغُرَّbright white حينَwhen تَؤوبُyou return
وَنُسقى الغَمامَ الغُرَّ حينَ تَؤوبُ
When you leave us, our springtime leaves us;
When you're absent from us, our spring disappears,
And bright white clouds water us when you return.
And we're given bitter clouds to drink when you return.
فَنِعمَand how excellent الفَتىthe young man تَعشوyou seek your way at night إِلىtoward ضَوءِthe light نارِهِhis fire
فَنِعمَ الفَتى تَعشو إِلى ضَوءِ نارِهِ
إِذاwhen الريحُthe wind هَبَّتblows وَالمَكانُand the land جَديبُbarren
إِذا الريحُ هَبَّت وَالمَكانُ جَديبُ
And what a fine youth, whose firelight you seek in the dark,
So excellent is the young man who lives by the light of his fire
When the wind blows and the land is barren.
When the wind blows and the place is barren.
وَماand not زِلتَyou have ceased تُعطيyou give النَفسَthe self حَتّىuntil كَأَنَّماas though
وَما زِلتَ تُعطي النَفسَ حَتّى كَأَنَّما
يَظَلُّremain لِأَقوامٍto some people عَلَيكَbinding upon you نُحوبُvows
يَظَلُّ لِأَقوامٍ عَلَيكَ نُحوبُ
And you have never ceased giving of yourself, until it is as though
You have never ceased to give your soul until it seems
Vows to others remained binding upon you.
Misfortunes about some people hover over you.
إِلَيكَto you تَناهىultimately reaches كُلُّevery أَمرٍaffair يَنوبُناbefalls us
إِلَيكَ تَناهى كُلُّ أَمرٍ يَنوبُنا
وَعِندَand amid ظِلالِthe shadows المَوتِdeath أَنتَyou حَسيبُsufficient
وَعِندَ ظِلالِ المَوتِ أَنتَ حَسيبُ
Every affair that befalls us ultimately reaches you,
To you comes every matter that afflicts us,
And amid the shadows of death, you suffice.
And near the shadows of death, you are the trustworthy one.
Sol 6.1