وَاذْكُرْand recall لَهُto his credit ذَوداًa defense مَجِيداًglorious صَادِقاًsincere
وَاذْكُرْ لَهُ ذَوداً مَجِيداً صَادِقاً
بِسِنَانِwith the spearpoint of ذَاكَthat المِرْقَمِpen العَسَّالِquivering
بِسِنَانِ ذَاكَ المِرْقَمِ العَسَّالِ
And remember him for a glorious, sincere defense,
And recall, to his credit, a glorious, sincere defense
made with the point of that ornate, honey-flowing pen.
With the spearpoint of that quivering pen,
إِذْwhen جَاءَcame رُزْفَلْتُRoosevelt الْكِنَانَةَEgypt, the Quiver زَائِراًas a visitor
إِذْ جَاءَ رُزْفَلْتُ الْكِنَانَةَ زَائِراً
وَرَمَىand shot at لِشُكْرٍin thanks صَدْرَهَاher breast بِنِبَالِwith arrows
وَرَمَى لِشُكْرٍ صَدْرَهَا بِنِبَالِ
when Roosevelt came as a visitor to Egypt—the Quiver—
When Roosevelt came as a visitor to Egypt, the Quiver,
and shot her breast with arrows, by way of your thanks.
And, by way of thanks, shot arrows into her breast.
فَتَعاظَمَتْهُso it overwhelmed him جُرْأَةُthe audacity of الْعَادِيthe aggressor بِلاَwithout
فَتَعاظَمَتْهُ جُرْأَةُ الْعَادِي بِلاَ
عُذْرٍexcuse وَقُدْرَتُهُand his power عَلَىto الإِبْطَالِundoing
عُذْرٍ وَقُدْرَتُهُ عَلَى الإِبْطَالِ
He found the aggressor’s audacity monstrous and without
So he was appalled by the aggressor's audacity, without
excuse, as he did his power to destroy.
Excuse, and by his power to undo.
وَأَهَمَّهand it troubled him شَأْنَthe conduct of امْرِيءٍa man بِمَقَامِهِof his standing
وَأَهَمَّه شَأْنَ امْرِيءٍ بِمَقَامِهِ
فِيin الْغَرْبِthe West يُؤْثَرُis reported عَنْهُfrom him كُلُّevery مَقَالِutterance
فِي الْغَرْبِ يُؤْثَرُ عَنْهُ كُلُّ مَقَالِ
The case of a man of his station troubled him,
And he was troubled by the conduct of a man of such standing
for in the West every word of his is quoted.
In the West, whose every utterance is reported.
أَمُعَلِّمُdoes the teacher of النَّاسِthe people الشَّجاعَةَcourage يَغْتَدِيbecome
أَمُعَلِّمُ النَّاسِ الشَّجاعَةَ يَغْتَدِي
فِيin مِصْرَEgypt وَهْوَwhile he is مُعَلِّمُa teacher of الأَوْجَالِfears
فِي مِصْرَ وَهْوَ مُعَلِّمُ الأَوْجَالِ
Can one who teaches humankind courage appear
Does he who teaches the people courage become
in Egypt as a teacher of terrors?
In Egypt a teacher of fear?
وَرَئِيسُand the leader of أَوْسَعِmost expansive أُمَّةa nation حُرِّيَّةًin freedom
وَرَئِيسُ أَوْسَعِ أُمَّة حُرِّيَّةً
يُغْرِيurges أُبَاةَthose who spurn الضَّيمِoppression بِالإِذْلاَلِtoward humiliation
يُغْرِي أُبَاةَ الضَّيمِ بِالإِذْلاَلِ
And can the president of the nation widest in freedom
And does the leader of the freest nation
entice those who spurn oppression into humiliation?
Urge those who spurn oppression to submit to humiliation?
أَلْفَيْتُI found أَحْمَدَAhmad لاَnot يَقَرُّsettles قَرَارُهُhis repose
أَلْفَيْتُ أَحْمَدَ لاَ يَقَرُّ قَرَارُهُ
فِيin يَوْمِهِhis day مِنْfrom شِدَّةِthe intensity of البَلْبَالِdistress
فِي يَوْمِهِ مِنْ شِدَّةِ البَلْبَالِ
I found Ahmad unable to sit still
I found Ahmad unable to rest
that day, so fierce was his agitation.
That day, so intense was his distress,
يُجْرِيsets flowing يَرَاعَتَهُhis reed pen بِبَثٍwith an outpouring رَائِعٍstirring
يُجْرِي يَرَاعَتَهُ بِبَثٍ رَائِعٍ
أَوْor يَسْتَتِمُّcompletes بَيَانَهُhis discourse بِأَمَالِيwith dictations
أَوْ يَسْتَتِمُّ بَيَانَهُ بِأَمَالِي
He set his reed pen flowing in a splendid outpouring,
Setting his reed pen flowing with a stirring outpouring,
or brought his eloquence to completion through dictation.
Or completing his discourse through dictation.
يَسْتَنْفِرُrallies الأَقْلاَمَthe pens بَيْنَbetween خَفِيفَةٍlight ones
يَسْتَنْفِرُ الأَقْلاَمَ بَيْنَ خَفِيفَةٍ
لِلذَّبِّto defend عَنْon behalf of شَرَفِthe honor of الحِمَىthe homeland وَثِقَالِand heavy ones
لِلذَّبِّ عَنْ شَرَفِ الحِمَى وَثِقَالِ
He called the pens to arms, some light,
He rallies the pens, both light
to defend the homeland’s honor, and some weighty.
And heavy, to defend the homeland's honor.
عَجَبٌa wonder تَبَجُّحthe swagger of ذَلِكَthat الضَّيفِguest الَّذِيwho
عَجَبٌ تَبَجُّح ذَلِكَ الضَّيفِ الَّذِي
أَضْحَىhas become تَبَجُّحهُhis swagger مِنَamong الأَمْثَالِproverbial sayings
أَضْحَى تَبَجُّحهُ مِنَ الأَمْثَالِ
How astonishing the boasting of that guest, whose
Astonishing is the swagger of that guest whose
boastfulness has become proverbial!
Swagger has become proverbial.
أَيْO صَائِدَhunter of اللَّيْثِthe lion الْهَصُورِfierce بِغَابَةٍin a forest
أَيْ صَائِدَ اللَّيْثِ الْهَصُورِ بِغَابَةٍ
أَتُرَىdo you suppose وَجَدْتَyou found هُنَاhere كِنَاسَthe hiding place of غَزَالِa gazelle
أَتُرَى وَجَدْتَ هُنَا كِنَاسَ غَزَالِ
O hunter of the fierce lion in its forest,
O hunter of the fierce lion in a forest,
do you think you have found a gazelle’s lair here?
Do you suppose you have found a gazelle's hiding place here?
مَاwhat مِصْرُEgypt مَاwhat أَحْوَالُهَاher circumstances مَاwhat قَوْمُهَاher people
مَا مِصْرُ مَا أَحْوَالُهَا مَا قَوْمُهَا
يَاO مَنْyou who أَقَامَstayed بِهَاin her ثَلاثَthree لَيَالِnights
يَا مَنْ أَقَامَ بِهَا ثَلاثَ لَيَالِ
What do you know of Egypt—her condition, her people—
What is Egypt, what are her circumstances, who are her people,
you who stayed in her but three nights?
O you who stayed in her for three nights?
عَلَّمْتَهَاyou taught her عِلْمَthe science of الْفَنَاءِannihilation مُدَاوِياًas a healer
عَلَّمْتَهَا عِلْمَ الْفَنَاءِ مُدَاوِياً
مَاwhat صِحَّةthe health of الأَقْوَامِpeoples بَعْدَafter زَوَالِextinction
مَا صِحَّة الأَقْوَامِ بَعْدَ زَوَالِ
You taught her the science of annihilation while playing healer—
You taught her the science of annihilation, as a healer—
what health can nations have once they have passed away?
What health can peoples have after extinction?
لاَnot يَقْنِصُhunts العَبْدُthe slave الأُسُودَlions تَلَهِّياًfor amusement
لاَ يَقْنِصُ العَبْدُ الأُسُودَ تَلَهِّياً
دَعْهُleave him يُوَاسِtend جِرَاحَهُhis wounds وَيُوَالِيand continue
دَعْهُ يُوَاسِ جِرَاحَهُ وَيُوَالِي
The black slave does not hunt merely for sport;
The slave does not hunt lions for amusement;
let him soothe his wounds and continue tending them.
Leave him to tend his wounds and keep at it.
أَوْor فَاقْرَعِthen crack السَّوْطَthe whip الَّذِيwhich فِيin صَوْتِهِits sound
أَوْ فَاقْرَعِ السَّوْطَ الَّذِي فِي صَوْتِهِ
إِيقَاظُawakening of غَافِلِهِone heedless of it وَبَعْثُand revival of الْبَاليthe worn-out
إِيقَاظُ غَافِلِهِ وَبَعْثُ الْبَالي
Or crack the whip, within whose sound there lies
Or else crack the whip whose sound brings
an awakening of the heedless and revival of the worn-out.
Awakening to one heedless of it, and revival to the worn-out.
غَوْثُaid to اللَّهِيفِthe distressed أَبَرُّkinder فِيat مِيقَاتِهِits due time
غَوْثُ اللَّهِيفِ أَبَرُّ فِي مِيقَاتِهِ
مِنْthan وَعْدِهِpromising him بِغِنًىwith wealth بَعِيدِdistant مَنَالِattainment
مِنْ وَعْدِهِ بِغِنًى بَعِيدِ مَنَالِ
Timely succor for the anguished is kinder
Timely aid to the distressed is kinder
than promising him riches that are hard to attain.
Than promising him wealth far beyond reach.
وَأَشَدُّand the gravest خَطْبٍcalamity أَنْthat يُمَنَّىis promised عَاثِرٌone who has stumbled
وَأَشَدُّ خَطْبٍ أَنْ يُمَنَّى عَاثِرٌ
بِإِقَالَةٍwith help back up وَيَظَلُّand remains غَيْرَnot مُقَالِhelped back up
بِإِقَالَةٍ وَيَظَلُّ غَيْرَ مُقَالِ
And the cruelest plight is for a stumbling man to be promised
And the gravest calamity is for one who has stumbled to be promised
relief, yet remain unrelieved.
Help back to his feet, yet remain fallen.
Sol 6.1