مَعاذَrefuge إلهيmy God كانَhe was واللّهِby God سَيِّداًa chief
مَعاذَ إلهي كانَ واللّهِ سَيِّداً
جَواداًgenerous عَلىdespite العِلاّتِhardships جَمّاًabundant نوافِلُهْhis gifts
جَواداً عَلى العِلاّتِ جَمّاً نوافِلُهْ
I seek refuge in my God! By God, he was a chief,
My protector, by God he was a generous lord
Generous despite hardships, abundant in his gifts;
Openhanded with supererogatory deeds
أَغَرَّradiant خَفاجياًa Khafaji يَرىhe regards البُخْلَmiserliness سُبَّةًa disgrace
أَغَرَّ خَفاجياً يَرى البُخْلَ سُبَّةً
تَحَلَّبُflow with كَفّاهُhis two palms النَّدىbounty وأَنامِلُهْand his fingertips
تَحَلَّبُ كَفّاهُ النَّدى وأَنامِلُهْ
A radiant Khafaji who deemed miserliness a disgrace;
He urged his mount with a whip just for show
His palms and fingertips streamed with bounty.
His palms dripping with the morning dew and reins
عَفِيفاًchaste بعِيدَfar-reaching الهمِّambition صُلْباًfirm قناتُهُhis spear shaft
عَفِيفاً بعِيدَ الهمِّ صُلْباً قناتُهُ
جميلاًbeautiful مُحَيَّاهُhis countenance قَلِيلاًfew غوائِلُهْhis acts of malice
جميلاً مُحَيَّاهُ قَلِيلاً غوائِلُهْ
Chaste, far-reaching in ambition, with a firm spear shaft;
Chaste, far from worries, firm in purpose
Fair of face, with few acts of malice.
Beautiful in greeting, few his defects
وكانَand he was إذاwhen ماemphatic particle الضَّيْفُthe guest أرْغىmade bellow بَعِيرَهُhis camel
وكانَ إذا ما الضَّيْفُ أرْغى بَعِيرَهُ
لَدَيْهِin his presence أَتاهُcame to him نَيْلُهُhis gifts وفَواضِلُهْand his bounties
لَدَيْهِ أَتاهُ نَيْلُهُ وفَواضِلُهْ
And whenever a guest made his camel bellow
If ever a guest made his camel kneel
Before him, the guest received his gifts and bounty.
His date palms and overflowing generosity came to him
وقَدْand indeed عَلِمَknew الجوعُhunger الذيwhich باتَspent the night سارِياًroaming by night
وقَدْ عَلِمَ الجوعُ الذي باتَ سارِياً
عَلىupon الضَّيفِthe guest والجيرانِand the neighbors أَنَّكَthat you قاتلُهْits slayer
عَلى الضَّيفِ والجيرانِ أَنَّكَ قاتلُهْ
And hunger knew, as it roamed through the night
Hunger that passed the night raging
Among guest and neighbors, that you were its slayer;
Over the guest and neighbors knows you as its killer
وأَنَّكَand that you رَحْبُbroad الباعِarmspan ياO تَوْبُTawb بالقِرىin hospitality
وأَنَّكَ رَحْبُ الباعِ يا تَوْبُ بالقِرى
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle لئيمُthe miser القَوْمِthe tribe ضاقَتْbecame cramped منازِلُهْhis dwellings
إذا ما لئيمُ القَوْمِ ضاقَتْ منازِلُهْ
And that, O Tawb, your reach in hospitality was wide,
You whose abode is most ample, repent, in the lands
Whenever the tribe’s miser found his dwellings too cramped.
When the vile among the people are straitened in dwellings
يَبِيتُspends the night قَرِيرَcontented العَيْنِthe eye مَنْwhoever باتَspent the night جارُهُhis neighbor
يَبِيتُ قَرِيرَ العَيْنِ مَنْ باتَ جارُهُ
ويُضْحيand greets the morning بخَيْرٍin well-being ضَيْفُهُhis guest ومُنازِلُهْand his fellow lodger
ويُضْحي بخَيْرٍ ضَيْفُهُ ومُنازِلُهْ
Whoever spends the night as his neighbor sleeps with contented eyes,
He whose neighbor is you sleeps with delighted eye
And his guest and fellow lodger greet the morning in comfort.
His guest and dwellings fare well in the morning
Sol 6.1