أَضحَت بِمَروِ الشاهِجانِ مَنادِحي
وَلِأَهلِ مَروِ الشاهِجانِ مَدائِحي
My avenues of relief now lie in Marw al-Shahijan,
My hopes have become attached to Marw al-Shahijan
and my praises belong to the people of Marw al-Shahijan.
And for the people of Marw al-Shahijan are my praises
وَصَلَوا جَناحي بِالنَوالِ وَآمَنوا
مِن خَوفِ أَحداثِ الزَمانِ جَوانِحي
They mended my wing with bounty and sheltered
They joined my wings through gifts and believed
my breast from fear of time's calamities.
My passionate youth would be safe from the times
كَم مِن يَدٍ بَيضاءَ أَشكُرُ غِبَّها
مِنهُم وَفيهِم مِن أَخٍ لِيَ صالِحِ
How many a gracious favor, for whose lasting good I am grateful,
How many white hands do I thank for their generosity
have I received from them—and how many a worthy brother I have among them!
Among them and in them is a brother to me, righteous
فَاللَهُ جارُ أَبي عَلِيٍّ إِنَّهُ
أُنسُ الصَديقِ وَغَيظُ صَدرِ الكاشِحِ
May God be Abu Ali's protector: he is
For God is the protector of my father Ali
a friend's solace and the rage in a spiteful foe's breast.
The friend of the truthful and anger of the frowning mocker
شَيخُ الأَمانَةِ وَالدِيانَةِ موجِفٌ
في مَذهَبٍ أَمَمٍ وَحِلمٍ راجِحِ
A master of trustworthiness and piety, pressing onward
The sheikh of loyalty and faith, dignified
on a straight course, with weighty forbearance.
In the doctrine of a resolute and wise tribe
ذو عُروَةٍ في الأَعجَمَينِ وَثيفَةٍ
وَأَرومَةٍ مَرؤومَةٍ في واشِحِ
He has a stout bond among the two non-Arab peoples,
With a bond among the non-Arabs and a piercing sharpness
and cherished ancestral roots in Washih.
And a spearhead that stabs the lightly-clad warriors
نَفسي فِداءُ خَلائِقٍ لَكَ حُرَّةٍ
وَزِنادِ مَجدٍ في يَمينِكَ قادِحِ
My soul be ransom for your noble qualities,
My soul is sacrificial to people of free spirits like you
and glory's firesteel, striking sparks in your right hand.
And the striking sparks of glory in your right hand
إِنّي أَقولُ وَما أَقولُ مُعَرِّضاً
في ذِكرِ مَكرُمَةٍ بِعَبثَةِ مازِحِ
Indeed I speak, and I do not speak in veiled hints
Truly I say, and I do not say to digress
of a noble deed, with a jester's frivolity.
In mentioning an honored man in jest
ماذا تَرى في مُدمَجٍ عَبلِ الشَوى
مِن نَسلِ أَعوَجَ كَالشِهابِ اللائِحِ
What do you think of a well-knit steed, stout of limb,
What do you think of the hybrid of twisted morality
of A'waj's lineage, like a gleaming meteor?
From a crooked lineage like a flashing comet?
لا تِربُهُ الجَذَعُ الَّذي يَعتاقُهُ
وَهنُ الكَلالِ وَلَيسَ كُلَّ القارِحِ
The young colt is no age-mate of his, hindered
Its trunk cannot be upright if it twists
by fatigue's weakness; nor is he quite full-grown.
And it is weak in determination, not every attacker
عُنُقٌ كَقائِمَةِ القَليبِ تَعَطَّفَت
أَوَداً وَرَأسٌ مِثلُ قَعوِ الماتِحِ
A neck like a well's upright post, bending
A neck like a tent pole bent
in a curve, and a head like a water-drawer's pulley.
Or a head like a matured date palm
يَختالُ في شِيَةٍ يَموجُ ضِياؤُها
مَوجَ القَتيرِ عَلى الكَمِيِّ الرامِحِ
He prances in a coat whose radiance ripples
Strutting in a shawl, its light rippling
like mail-rings rippling on an armored spearman.
Like the waves of sand over the hills of al-Qatir
لَو يَكرَعُ الظَمآنُ فيهِ لَم يُمِل
طَرفاً إِلى عَذبِ الزُلالِ السائِحِ
Were a thirsty man to drink from it, he would not turn
If the thirsty were to drink from it, he would not cease
an eye toward sweet, clear, flowing water.
Turning to the sweet flowing pure water
أَهدَيتُهُ لِتَروحَ أَبيَضَ واضِحاً
مِنهُ عَلى جَذلانَ أَبيَضَ واضِحِ
I gave him to you, that you might ride out white and radiant,
I gifted it to you so it would go about white and shining
thanks to him, upon a joyous steed, white and radiant.
From it over the white and shining Jadhlans
فَتَكونَ أَوَّلَ سُنَّةٍ مَأثورَةٍ
أَن يَقبَلَ المَمدوحُ رِفدَ المادِحِ
So may this become the first custom handed down:
So it would become the first established tradition
that the praised man accepts the praiser's gift.
That the praised one accepts the gift of the praiser
Sol 6.1