فَماso ... not بَلَغَتthey arrived حَتّىuntil حَماهاspared them كَلالُهاtheir weariness
فَما بَلَغَت حَتّى حَماها كَلالُها
إِذاwhen عُرِّيَتwere bared أَصلابُهاtheir backs أَنto تُقَيَّداbe tethered
إِذا عُرِّيَت أَصلابُها أَن تُقَيَّدا
So they had scarcely arrived when their weariness spared them,
She had not reached full growth when her decline began,
Once their backs were bared, from being tethered.
Her loins were stripped that they might be chained.
تَشابَهتُماyou two resembled one another حِلماًforbearance وَعَدلاًand justice وَنائِلاًand bounty
تَشابَهتُما حِلماً وَعَدلاً وَنائِلاً
وَحَزماًand resolve إِذاwhen أَمرٌa matter أَقامَmade people rise وَأَقعَداand made them sit
وَحَزماً إِذا أَمرٌ أَقامَ وَأَقعَدا
You two are alike in forbearance, justice, and bounty,
You both were alike in wisdom, justice, attainment,
And in resolve when a matter makes people rise and sit.
Firmness when a matter had been decided and executed.
تَنازَعتُماyou two shared نَفسَينِtwo souls هَذىthis one كَهَذِهِlike this one
تَنازَعتُما نَفسَينِ هَذى كَهَذِهِ
عَلىupon أًصلroot عِرقٍlineage كانَwas أَفخَرُnoblest مُتلَداancestral inheritance
عَلى أًصل عِرقٍ كانَ أَفخَرُ مُتلَدا
You two share two souls, this one like the other,
Two souls disputed within you, this and that,
Rooted in a lineage that was the noblest inheritance.
About a rootstock that had been the proudest lineage.
كَماjust as قاسَmeasured نَعلاًa sandal حَضرَمِيّاًa Hadrami فَقَدَّهاthen cut it
كَما قاسَ نَعلاً حَضرَمِيّاً فَقَدَّها
عَلىto match أُختهاits sister لَمdid not يَألُspare effort أَنto يَتَجَوَّداcraft well
عَلى أُختها لَم يَألُ أَن يَتَجَوَّدا
As a Hadrami measured a sandal, then cut it
As he measured out a Hadhrami sandal and lost it,
To match its sister, sparing no effort to craft it well.
He was not satisfied to lavish gifts upon its mate.
بِسَبعينَwith seventy أَلفاًthousand شَدَّstrengthened ظَهريmy back وَراشَنيand feathered me (enriched me)
بِسَبعينَ أَلفاً شَدَّ ظَهري وَراشَني
أَبوكَyour father وَقَدand indeed عايَنتَyou witnessed مِنof ذاكَthat مَشهَداa scene
أَبوكَ وَقَد عايَنتَ مِن ذاكَ مَشهَدا
With seventy thousand, he strengthened my back and gave me plumage—
With seventy thousand he fortified my back and garrisoned me,
Your father—and you yourself witnessed that scene.
Your father, and you have witnessed some of that castle.
وَإِنّيand indeed I أَميرَO Commander of المُؤمِنينَthe Faithful لَواثِقٌsurely confident
وَإِنّي أَميرَ المُؤمِنينَ لَواثِقٌ
بِأَنof the fact that لاnot يُرىis seen شَربيmy draught لَدَيكَwith you مُصَرَّداstinted
بِأَن لا يُرى شَربي لَدَيكَ مُصَرَّدا
And I am indeed confident, O Commander of the Faithful,
Indeed I, the Commander of the Faithful, am confident
That my draught with you will not be found stinted.
That you will not be seen as one withholding his wine.
Sol 6.1