ألاLo! قُلsay لِذىto one possessed of حمقfoolishness تسربلclothed himself بالغدرِin treachery
ألا قُل لِذى حمق تسربل بالغدرِ
وجانبand shunned أهلthe people of العدلjustice والفضلand virtue والقدرِand standing
وجانب أهل العدل والفضل والقدرِ
Lo, say to a fool who has cloaked himself in treachery
and shunned the people of justice, virtue, and standing:
تأهبprepare yourself لقدindeed جاشتsurged قريحةُthe poetic inspiration of ماهرٍa master
تأهب لقد جاشت قريحةُ ماهرٍ
عليكagainst you بأمواجwith waves تلاطَمُclashing together كالبحرِlike the sea
عليك بأمواج تلاطَمُ كالبحرِ
Prepare yourself: a master's poetic inspiration has surged
against you in waves that clash like the sea.
قوافٍrhymes كأمثالlike السيوفِswords قواطعاًkeen-edged
قوافٍ كأمثال السيوفِ قواطعاً
رجوماًpelting missiles لأهلِagainst the people of الغدرِtreachery والزيغand deviation والمكرِand deceit
رجوماً لأهلِ الغدرِ والزيغ والمكرِ
Rhymes like swords, keen-edged,
missiles against the people of treachery, deviation, and deceit.
ومنand whoever كانis ذاpossessed of حقدٍrancor فيسودُّthen turns black وجههhis face
ومن كان ذا حقدٍ فيسودُّ وجهه
ومنand whoever كانis ذاpossessed of وُدٍّaffection فيعرفُthen is recognized بالبِشْرِby cheerfulness
ومن كان ذا وُدٍّ فيعرفُ بالبِشْرِ
Whoever harbors rancor—his face turns black;
and whoever bears affection is known by his cheerfulness.
ويعرفand are known أخلاقُthe characters of الورىhumankind بسماعِهاby hearing them
ويعرف أخلاقُ الورى بسماعِها
وتبدىand reveal لناto us المكنونwhat is hidden فيin السرِّsecrecy والجهرِand openness
وتبدى لنا المكنون في السرِّ والجهرِ
People's characters are known when these rhymes are heard,
and they reveal to us what is hidden, in secret and in public.
فَذرْنىso leave me وهَجْوىand my satire للمخالفِagainst the dissenter والذيand him who
فَذرْنى وهَجْوى للمخالفِ والذي
يعنِّفُharshly rebukes أهلَthe people of العدلِjustice والدينand faith والذكرِand remembrance
يعنِّفُ أهلَ العدلِ والدين والذكرِ
So leave me to my satire against the dissenter and him
who harshly rebukes the people of justice, faith, and remembrance.
سأطلقI shall unleash أَمْراسىmy stout ropes عليهupon him سوابقاًracing ahead
سأطلق أَمْراسى عليه سوابقاً
تفتتُshatter منهof his أَعْظُمَthe bones of الظهرِthe back والصدرِand the chest
تفتتُ منه أَعْظُمَ الظهرِ والصدرِ
I shall loose my stout ropes upon him, racing ahead,
to shatter the bones of his back and chest.
فأرسلهاthen I shall send them سَهماas an arrow علىat أمِّthe crown of رأسهhis head
فأرسلها سَهما على أمِّ رأسه
فتهوِىthen they plunge بهwith him سفلاًdownward إلىto أعمقthe deepest القَعْرِdepth
فتهوِى به سفلاً إلى أعمق القَعْرِ
Then I shall send them as an arrow at the crown of his head,
and they will plunge him downward into the deepest abyss.
إذاwhen قرئتthey are recited يوماًone day لهto him وهوwhile he حاضرٌis present
إذا قرئت يوماً له وهو حاضرٌ
يقولُhe says لهمto them ياoh ليتنىif only I كنتُI was فيin القبرِthe grave
يقولُ لهم يا ليتنى كنتُ في القبرِ
When one day they are recited to him while he is present,
he will say to them, 'Oh, if only I were in the grave!'
وتعصفهمand they buffet them عصفَthe buffeting of الرياحِthe winds بشدةwith force
وتعصفهم عصفَ الرياحِ بشدة
فتتركهمthen they leave them صَرْعىstruck down علىupon الأرضthe ground بالقَمْرِby overpowering
فتتركهم صَرْعى على الأرض بالقَمْرِ
They buffet them as fiercely as the winds,
and leave them fallen upon the ground, vanquished.
أحاطَsurrounded بهمthem فيin دهرهمtheir lifetime سوءُthe evil of مكرهمtheir plotting
أحاطَ بهم في دهرهم سوءُ مكرهم
وأكثرand most ماwhat أغوتهمُled them astray نخوةُthe haughtiness of الكِبْرِarrogance
وأكثر ما أغوتهمُ نخوةُ الكِبْرِ
The evil of their plotting has surrounded them in their lifetime,
and, above all, swaggering pride has led them astray.
ولوand had فكرواthey thought فيabout أمرهمtheir affairs لتدبَّرُواthey would have reflected
ولو فكروا في أمرهم لتدبَّرُوا
ولكنهمbut they حَمْقَىare fools تعَامواthey willfully shut their eyes عنto الفِكرِthought
ولكنهم حَمْقَى تعَاموا عن الفِكرِ
Had they thought about their affairs, they would have reflected;
but they are fools who willfully shut their eyes to thought.
فتبّاًso ruin وخسراناًand loss لهمbe theirs ضلَّwent astray سعيُهمtheir striving
فتبّاً وخسراناً لهم ضلَّ سعيُهم
ودارتand turned عليهمagainst them دائراتٌcalamities مِنfrom الدهرِtime
ودارت عليهم دائراتٌ مِن الدهرِ
So ruin and loss be theirs! Their striving has gone astray,
and the calamities of time have turned upon them.
قدindeed استحوذَgained mastery الشيطانSatan جهلاthrough ignorance عليهمُover them
قد استحوذَ الشيطان جهلا عليهمُ
فأنساهُمُso he made them forget ذكرَremembrance of القيامةِJudgment Day والنشْرِand resurrection
فأنساهُمُ ذكرَ القيامةِ والنشْرِ
Satan has gained mastery over them through ignorance,
and made them forget the remembrance of Judgment Day and resurrection.
فحادُواso they strayed وخانُواand they betrayed واشرأبُّواand they craned their necks وخالفواand they defied
فحادُوا وخانُوا واشرأبُّوا وخالفوا
وباتُواand they passed the night ونامواand they slept واستقامُواand they persisted علىin النُّكرِwickedness
وباتُوا وناموا واستقامُوا على النُّكرِ
So they strayed, betrayed, craned their necks, and defied,
and passed their nights and slept, persisting in wickedness.
فماso not نفعتهمbenefited them رأفةٌcompassion ولطافةٌand gentleness
فما نفعتهم رأفةٌ ولطافةٌ
وهلand does ينفعavail المقباسُthe firebrand فيin ظلمةِthe darkness of القبرِthe grave
وهل ينفع المقباسُ في ظلمةِ القبرِ
So compassion and gentleness availed them nothing;
and can a firebrand help in the darkness of the grave?
ولسْنَاand we do not نُبالىcare باللئامِabout the base وطعنهمand their attacks
ولسْنَا نُبالى باللئامِ وطعنهم
عليناagainst us وفيناwhile among us سيدُthe lord of البَدْوnomads والحضْرِand townsfolk
علينا وفينا سيدُ البَدْو والحضْرِ
We care nothing for the base and their attacks
against us, while among us is the lord of nomads and townsfolk.
فذاكَfor that is إمامُthe Imam of المسلمينthe Muslims بلعربٍBilʿarab
فذاكَ إمامُ المسلمين بلعربٍ
سلالةthe scion of سلطانSultan الفتىthe young man المرتضَىthe esteemed الذَّمْرthe valiant
سلالة سلطان الفتى المرتضَى الذَّمْر
That is the Muslims' Imam, Bilʿarab,
Sultan's scion, the esteemed, valiant youth.
جوادٌgenerous لهhe has كفٌّa hand إذاwhen انهلَّpours forth جودُهhis bounty
جوادٌ له كفٌّ إذا انهلَّ جودُه
علىupon الخلقcreation أغْناهمfrees them from need عنof الغيثِrain والقَطْرِand showers
على الخلق أغْناهم عن الغيثِ والقَطْرِ
Generous is he: when his bounty pours from his hand
upon humankind, it frees them from need of rain or showers.
أياديهhis favors لاnot تُحصىcan be counted عداداًin number وكثرةًand abundance
أياديه لا تُحصى عداداً وكثرةً
تجلُّare too great عنfor الإحصاءِreckoning والعدّand counting والحصرِand enumeration
تجلُّ عن الإحصاءِ والعدّ والحصرِ
His favors cannot be counted in their number and abundance;
they defy reckoning, counting, and enumeration.
يقيسونهthey compare him بالبحرِto the sea والبحرُyet the sea مالحُis salty
يقيسونه بالبحرِ والبحرُ مالحُ
وقدand indeed يصفونthey describe البحرthe sea بالمدِّby its flow والجزرِand ebb
وقد يصفون البحر بالمدِّ والجزرِ
They compare him to the sea, yet the sea is salty,
and they speak of the sea's flow and ebb.
لهhis is الشرفُthe honor الأعلَىhighest علىabove كلevery باذخٍlofty one
له الشرفُ الأعلَى على كل باذخٍ
ولاand may not زالَcease فيin يسرٍease وقاليهand his hater فيin عُسرِhardship
ولا زالَ في يسرٍ وقاليه في عُسرِ
His is the highest honor, above every lofty man;
may he ever enjoy ease, and his hater hardship.
ولاand may not زالَcease فيin مجدٍglory وعزٍّand might ورِفعةٍand eminence
ولا زالَ في مجدٍ وعزٍّ ورِفعةٍ
مدىthroughout العمرlife منصورَgranted victory الكتائبthe battalions بالنَّصرِwith triumph
مدى العمر منصورَ الكتائب بالنَّصرِ
May he ever abide in glory, might, and eminence,
throughout his life, with battalions granted victory.
ولاand may not زالَcease منwhoever والاهُis loyal to him فيin الأمنsecurity راتعاًliving at ease
ولا زالَ من والاهُ في الأمن راتعاً
وأعداؤُهand his enemies فيin البُؤسِmisery والذُّلِّand humiliation والْخُسْرِand loss
وأعداؤُه في البُؤسِ والذُّلِّ والْخُسْرِ
May whoever is loyal to him ever live at ease in safety,
and his enemies in misery, humiliation, and loss.
إمامَO Imam of الهدىguidance خذهاtake them قوافىَrhymes ضمنتْcontain
إمامَ الهدى خذها قوافىَ ضمنتْ
معانىَmeanings of محضِpure الودِّaffection والحمدِand praise والشُّكرِand gratitude
معانىَ محضِ الودِّ والحمدِ والشُّكرِ
Imam of guidance, accept these rhymes, which hold
sentiments of pure affection, praise, and gratitude.
وعشْand live أبدfor all the duration of الدنياthe world مليكاًas a king مخلّداًimmortal
وعشْ أبد الدنيا مليكاً مخلّداً
ودمْand endure وابقَand remain دهراًfor ages مالكَpossessing النهْىِthe power to forbid فيin الأمرِcommand
ودمْ وابقَ دهراً مالكَ النهْىِ في الأمرِ
And live as long as the world endures, an immortal king,
and endure and remain for ages, with authority to forbid as you rule.
Sol 6.1