سَلِask النيَابَةَthe deputyship عَانَاهَاhe grappled with it وَنَدْوَتُهَاand its assembly
سَلِ النيَابَةَ عَانَاهَا وَنَدْوَتُهَا
شَمْلٌa gathering كَمَاjust as شَاءَتِwilled الأَوَاءُhardship مُنْقَسِمُdivided
شَمْلٌ كَمَا شَاءَتِ الأَوَاءُ مُنْقَسِمُ
Ask the deputyship—he grappled with it while its assembly
Ask the representatives about their troubles and gatherings
Was a gathering divided as hardship willed.
A nation divided as the winds willed
جَمَاعَةٌa company جَهِلُواthey were ignorant of مِنْof قَدْرِworth أَنْفُسِهِمْtheir own selves
جَمَاعَةٌ جَهِلُوا مِنْ قَدْرِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ
مَاthat which كَانَwas يَهْزَأُscoffs بِالأَقْدَارِat fate لَوْif عَلِمُواthey knew
مَا كَانَ يَهْزَأُ بِالأَقْدَارِ لَوْ عَلِمُوا
A company ignorant of their own worth,
A group who did not know their own worth
Which would have scoffed at fate, had they known it.
Had they known fate's decree they would not have mocked
ماnot زَالَceased بِالطُّرُقِby the methods المُثْلَىbest يُقَوِّمُهُمْhe sets them straight
ما زَالَ بِالطُّرُقِ المُثْلَى يُقَوِّمُهُمْ
حَتَّىuntil اسْتَقَامُواthey became upright وَبَاتَand became الأُمْرُthe command أَمْرَهُمُtheir command
حَتَّى اسْتَقَامُوا وَبَاتَ الأُمْرُ أَمْرَهُمُ
He kept setting them straight by the best of methods,
He kept guiding them to the straight path
Until they grew upright and command became theirs.
Until they became upright and their affair was in their hands
فَبَاءَso he returned بِالخسْرِwith loss مَنْwhoever بِالبُطْلِwith falsehood نَاوَأَهُمْhe opposed them
فَبَاءَ بِالخسْرِ مَنْ بِالبُطْلِ نَاوَأَهُمْ
وَصَادَمَand clashed with الْحَقَّthe truth فِيهِمْin them مَنْwhoever بِهِwith him اصْطَدَمُواthey clashed
وَصَادَمَ الْحَقَّ فِيهِمْ مَنْ بِهِ اصْطَدَمُوا
So whoever opposed them with falsehood came away with loss,
So loss befell those who opposed them in vain
And whoever they clashed with confronted the truth in them.
And truth within them collided with those who collided with it
تِلْكَthose المَنَاصِبُoffices فِيin مَبْنَىedifice زَعَامَتِهِhis leadership
تِلْكَ المَنَاصِبُ فِي مَبْنَى زَعَامَتِهِ
أُسa foundation أُقِيمَwas erected عَلَىupon أَنْضَادِهِits courses أُطُمُa fortress
أُس أُقِيمَ عَلَى أَنْضَادِهِ أُطُمُ
Those offices, in the edifice of his leadership,
Those positions in the edifice of his leadership
Are a foundation upon whose courses a fortress was raised:
A foundation erected on its pillars blindly
حِصْنٌa fortress يَذُودُhe wards off بِهِwith it عَنْfrom قَوْمِهِhis people بَطَلٌa hero
حِصْنٌ يَذُودُ بِهِ عَنْ قَوْمِهِ بَطَلٌ
بِالحَقِّfrom truth مُعْتَضِدٌdrawing support بِالعَدْلِin justice مُعْتَصِمُtaking refuge
بِالحَقِّ مُعْتَضِدٌ بِالعَدْلِ مُعْتَصِمُ
A fortress with which a hero defends his people,
A fortress protecting its people, manned by a hero
Drawing strength from truth, taking refuge in justice.
Supported by truth and adhering to justice
لِحَادِثَاتِfor the calamities اللَّيَالِيthe nights فِيin أَنَامِلِهِhis fingertips
لِحَادِثَاتِ اللَّيَالِي فِي أَنَامِلِهِ
يَرَاعَةٌa reed pen وَلأَحْكَامِand for the rulings القَضَاءِthe judiciary فَمُa mouth
يَرَاعَةٌ وَلأَحْكَامِ القَضَاءِ فَمُ
For the calamities of the nights, in his fingers
For the events of the nights, his fingers
Is a reed pen, and for the courts’ rulings, a mouth.
Are observant, and for the rulings of fate, his mouth
Sol 6.1