لَيسَis not السَوادblackness ناقِصيdiminishing me ماas long as دامَremains ليfor me
لَيسَ السَواد ناقِصي ما دامَ لي
هذاthis اللِسانُtongue إِلىtogether with فُؤادheart ثابِتsteadfast
هذا اللِسانُ إِلى فُؤاد ثابِت
My blackness does not diminish me, so long as I have
Blackness is no defect as long as I have
this tongue, together with a steadfast heart.
This eloquent tongue and steadfast heart.
منwhoever كانَis تَرفَعهraises him منابِتroots أَصلِهِhis ancestry
من كانَ تَرفَعه منابِت أَصلِهِ
فَبُيوتthen the verses اِشعاريmy poems جَعَلنthey formed منابِتيmy roots
فَبُيوت اِشعاري جَعَلن منابِتي
If a man is raised by the roots of his ancestry,
He whose pride springs from his origin
then the verses of my poems have formed my roots.
Has made my poems spring from my roots.
كَمhow much بَينَbetween اسودَa black man ناطِقspeaking بِبَيانِهِwith his eloquence
كَم بَينَ اسودَ ناطِق بِبَيانِهِ
ماضيresolute الجِنانof heart وَبَينَand between ابيَضَa white man صامِتsilent
ماضي الجِنان وَبَينَ ابيَضَ صامِت
How great the difference between a black man eloquent in speech,
How far between the black man, fluent in his speech,
resolute of heart, and a white man who is silent!
Refined in spirit, and the silent white man!
انّيindeed I لِيحسُدنيsurely envies me الرَفيعِthe lofty one بِناؤُهhis edifice
انّي لِيحسُدني الرَفيعِ بِناؤُه
منbecause of فَضلexcellence ذاكَthat وَلَيسَand there is not بيover me منany شامِتone who gloats
من فَضل ذاكَ وَلَيسَ بي من شامِت
Indeed, the man whose edifice is lofty envies me
The high-born man may envy me for the merit
for that excellence, and no one gloats over me.
Of my works, though he feels no joy for me.
Sol 6.1