إِنِّيindeed I وَلَيْسَand is not الحَقُّtruth بِالتَوْقِيعmere guesswork
إِنِّي وَلَيْسَ الحَقُّ بِالتَوْقِيع
لاnot أَبْتَغِيI seek فضْلbounty امْرِئٍa man لَكُوعِcontemptible
لا أَبْتَغِي فضْل امْرِئٍ لَكُوعِ
Indeed I—and truth is not guesswork—
I do not seek the favor of the submissive
do not seek the bounty of a contemptible man,
Nor is truth obtained through mere submission.
جَعْدِtight-fisted اليَدَيْنِboth hands لَحِزٍmiserly مَنُوعِwithholding
جَعْدِ اليَدَيْنِ لَحِزٍ مَنُوعِ
سَدَّhe closed وِكاءَthe fastening cord مالِهِhis wealth المَجْمُوعِamassed
سَدَّ وِكاءَ مالِهِ المَجْمُوعِ
tight-fisted, miserly, withholding,
With hands outstretched begging from the stingy
who has fastened shut the cord of his amassed wealth,
Who hoards his wealth and guards it closely.
وَهوَand he بِدارِin the abode of العاجِزِthe helpless المُضِيعِthe squanderer
وَهوَ بِدارِ العاجِزِ المُضِيعِ
تَرَاهُyou see him عِنْدَamid الطَمَعِgreed الطَمُوعِinsatiable
تَرَاهُ عِنْدَ الطَمَعِ الطَمُوعِ
and dwells in the abode of the helpless squanderer.
While he remains ensconced in his abode
You see him amid insatiable greed,
You will find him eager and ambitious
لَيْسَis not بِمُسْتَحيٍashamed وَلاand not مُخْدُوعِdeceived
لَيْسَ بِمُسْتَحيٍ وَلا مُخْدُوعِ
وَلاand not يُجِيبُhe answers رُقْيَةَthe healing spell of المَصْرُوعِthe seizure-stricken
وَلا يُجِيبُ رُقْيَةَ المَصْرُوعِ
neither ashamed nor deceived,
Neither ashamed nor deceived is he
nor answering the healing spell for the seizure-stricken:
He pays no heed to the wailing of the wretched.
أَصَمَّdeaf مِجْذاماًresolute عَلَىin التَضْيِيِعِwastefulness
أَصَمَّ مِجْذاماً عَلَى التَضْيِيِعِ
يَأْرِزُhe shrinks back عِنْدbeside الأَمَةِthe slave-woman الرَضُوعِnursing
يَأْرِزُ عِنْد الأَمَةِ الرَضُوعِ
deaf, resolute in wastefulness.
Deaf as a boulder to compassion
He shrinks back beside the nursing slave-woman,
He gloats among the groveling masses
كَالأَقْطَعِlike the amputee الكَفِّthe hand اتَّقَىhe shielded himself بِالكُوعِwith the wrist
كَالأَقْطَعِ الكَفِّ اتَّقَى بِالكُوعِ
شارَكَhe shared أَهْلَthe people of النارِthe Fire فيin الضَرِيعِbitter thorn-food
شارَكَ أَهْلَ النارِ في الضَرِيعِ
like a man with a severed hand, shielding himself with his wrist.
Like a one-armed leper who got by on begging
He shares with the people of the Fire their thorny food,
He shares with the people of Hell their misery
مُعْتَرِفاًacknowledging بِحَسْرَةٍto anguish وَنُوعِand hunger
مُعْتَرِفاً بِحَسْرَةٍ وَنُوعِ
وَأَنَاand I إِذْwhen مَتَّعَنِيhe gladdened me تَمْتِيعِيmy full enjoyment
وَأَنَا إِذْ مَتَّعَنِي تَمْتِيعِي
acknowledging anguish and hunger.
Admitting to regret and grief
And I, when I was granted my full delight
While I have been gifted the rise of praise
بِشْرٌBishr بِرَفْعِby raising المِدْحَةِthe praise-poem الطَلُوعِsoaring
بِشْرٌ بِرَفْعِ المِدْحَةِ الطَلُوعِ
وَمِدْحَتِيand my praise-poem أَقْوَىstronger مِنthan النُطُوعِleather mats
وَمِدْحَتِي أَقْوَى مِن النُطُوعِ
by Bishr, through raising the soaring praise-poem—
My praise stronger than mere flattery
and my praise-poem is tougher than leather mats—
You who came at the start of spring
عَنْبَسَʿAnbas أَنْتَyou أَوَّلُthe first of الرَبِيِعِspring
عَنْبَسَ أَنْتَ أَوَّلُ الرَبِيِعِ
عَلَيَّupon me غَيْثاًa shower ناضِرَverdant المَرِيِعِthe fertile pasture
عَلَيَّ غَيْثاً ناضِرَ المَرِيِعِ
ʿAnbas, you are spring's first rain
Upon me a pouring rain on the meadow
upon me, a shower with lush, green pastures.
My branches flourished and turned green
أَدْجَنَgrew cloud-dark فَاخْضَرَّتْand so turned green لَهُbecause of it فُرُوعِيmy branches
أَدْجَنَ فَاخْضَرَّتْ لَهُ فُرُوعِي
بَعْدَafter ابْتِراءِstripping away السَنَةِthe drought-year السَفُوعِscorching
بَعْدَ ابْتِراءِ السَنَةِ السَفُوعِ
It came cloud-dark, and my branches grew green beneath it,
After last year's drought and sterility
after the scorching drought-year had stripped them bare.
You have relieved my restless nights
عَنْبَسَʿAnbas قَدْindeed سَكَّنْتَyou calmed مِنْsome of تَرْوِيعِيmy fright
عَنْبَسَ قَدْ سَكَّنْتَ مِنْ تَرْوِيعِي
بَعْدَafter احْتِضَارِthe coming of السَهَرِsleeplessness التَقْرِيعِscourging
بَعْدَ احْتِضَارِ السَهَرِ التَقْرِيعِ
ʿAnbas, you have eased my terror,
After the vigil's rebuke and censure
after the coming of tormenting sleeplessness.
The trimmed reeds regrew
فَعَادَso returned رِيشُthe plumage of القَصَبِthe quills المَتْرُوعِwell-filled
فَعَادَ رِيشُ القَصَبِ المَتْرُوعِ
فِيin ناهِضٍa fledgling ready to fly مُنْتَعِشٍrevived مَرْفُوعِraised
فِي ناهِضٍ مُنْتَعِشٍ مَرْفُوعِ
Then the plumage of well-filled quills returned,
On a tall, invigorated, elevated stalk
on a fledgling, revived and lifted high.
What a noble and righteous governor you are
نِعْمَexcellent is عَمِيدُthe chief of الحَسَبِancestral honor المَتْبُوعِfollowed by others
نِعْمَ عَمِيدُ الحَسَبِ المَتْبُوعِ
أَنْتyou إِذَاwhen ماever (emphasis) عُدَّis counted ذُوone possessing الدَسِيعِlavish generosity
أَنْت إِذَا ما عُدَّ ذُو الدَسِيعِ
An excellent chief of honored lineage, whom others follow,
When the era of tyranny is recounted
are you, whenever the lavishly generous are counted.
You made the desolate plains fertile again
تَنمِيyou grow مِنfrom الأَعْياصِthe thickets فِيin مَنِيعِan unassailable stock
تَنمِي مِن الأَعْياصِ فِي مَنِيعِ
مُثْرِيrich in الأُصُولthe roots أَيِّدِmighty in الفُرُوعِthe branches
مُثْرِي الأُصُول أَيِّدِ الفُرُوعِ
You grow from thickets, in an unassailable tree,
Propagating strong roots and new branches
rich in roots and mighty in branches.
You did not attain glory through deception
فَماso not انْتَجَبْتَyou plucked المَجْدَglory مِنْfrom بَدِيعِa new source
فَما انْتَجَبْتَ المَجْدَ مِنْ بَدِيعِ
فَاسْمَعْso hear ثَناءًpraise لَيْسَis not بِالتَسْمِيعِfor empty show
فَاسْمَعْ ثَناءً لَيْسَ بِالتَسْمِيعِ
So you have not plucked glory from some new source.
So listen to praise not mere ingratiation
So hear praise that is no empty show,
For the noble deeds you have done
بِمَاfor what صَنَعْتَyou have done أَكْرَمَthe noblest الصَنِيعِbenefaction
بِمَا صَنَعْتَ أَكْرَمَ الصَنِيعِ
وَسَنَةٍand a famine-year كَاللَهَبِlike the flame السَفُوعِscorching
وَسَنَةٍ كَاللَهَبِ السَفُوعِ
for the noblest benefaction you have bestowed.
In a year like climbing flames
And a famine-year, like a scorching flame,
That burn or cover the dust of hunger
تُحْرِقُit burns أَوْor تَكْسُوit clothes غُبارَthe dust of الجُوعِhunger
تُحْرِقُ أَوْ تَكْسُو غُبارَ الجُوعِ
حَصَّاءَbarren تُبْدِيit exposes حَدَبَthe bowed ridges of الضُلُوعِthe ribs
حَصَّاءَ تُبْدِي حَدَبَ الضُلُوعِ
burning, or clothing people in hunger's dust,
Pebbled ground that exposes protruding ribs
barren, exposing the ribs' bowed ridges—
You crossed over it with returning rains
عَبَّرْتَهاyou traversed it بِالناضِحِwith the water-carrier المَرْجُوعِsent back again
عَبَّرْتَها بِالناضِحِ المَرْجُوعِ
مِنْfrom سَحِّthe gushing of وَبْلٍheavy rain لَيْسَis not بالتَنْقِيعِmere pooling
مِنْ سَحِّ وَبْلٍ لَيْسَ بالتَنْقِيعِ
you traversed it with the water-carrier sent back again,
Not just sprinkles or scattered drops
from a gush of heavy rain, not water merely pooled.
You are the son of every lofty principle
أَنْتَyou ابْنُthe son of كُلِّevery مُنْتَضىًchosen قَرِيعِchieftain
أَنْتَ ابْنُ كُلِّ مُنْتَضىً قَرِيعِ
تَمَّbecame complete تَمامَthe fullness of البَدْرِthe full moon فِيin سَنِيعِlofty eminence
تَمَّ تَمامَ البَدْرِ فِي سَنِيعِ
You are the son of every chosen chieftain,
Your perfection complete in this valuable era
complete as the full moon, in lofty eminence,
It flourishes under your wise leadership
يَسْتَنُّhe races فيthrough مُنْتَقَدٍa chosen course وَسِيعِwide
يَسْتَنُّ في مُنْتَقَدٍ وَسِيعِ
كَالنِيلِlike the Nile يَعْمِيit surges blindly مِنْfrom جِبالِthe mountains of الرِيعِthe uplands
كَالنِيلِ يَعْمِي مِنْ جِبالِ الرِيعِ
racing through a broad, chosen course,
Like the Nile obscuring mountains of sand
like the Nile, surging blindly from highland mountains.
When it rises high carried by the current
إِذَاwhen تَسامَىit rose high اسْتَنَّit raced بِالصَرِيعِwith fallen timber
إِذَا تَسامَى اسْتَنَّ بِالصَرِيعِ
يَرْمِيit pelts جِنابَيْthe two sides of مِسْحَلٍa watercourse مُطِيعِyielding
يَرْمِي جِنابَيْ مِسْحَلٍ مُطِيعِ
When it rises high, it races with fallen timber,
It hurls the smooth boulders effortlessly
pelting both sides of a yielding watercourse,
And its crossing sweeps over the sand dunes
وَعُرْضَand the breadth of عِبْرَيْهِits two banks مِنَfrom الضُجُوعِthe low-lying ground
وَعُرْضَ عِبْرَيْهِ مِنَ الضُجُوعِ
بِالغَرْقَدِwith boxthorn الطافِيfloating وَبِالجُذُوعِand with tree trunks
بِالغَرْقَدِ الطافِي وَبِالجُذُوعِ
and the breadth of its two banks, from low-lying ground,
With floating logs and tree trunks
with floating boxthorn and with tree trunks;
And foaming surges that smash the thickets
وَيَنْتَمِيand it rises بِالعَرْعَرِwith juniper المَقْلُوعِuprooted
وَيَنْتَمِي بِالعَرْعَرِ المَقْلُوعِ
مَوْجٌa wave يَكُبtopples الأَثْلَthe tamarisks بِالتَخْزِيعِby tearing apart
مَوْجٌ يَكُب الأَثْلَ بِالتَخْزِيعِ
and rises with uprooted juniper—
When it reaches the banks and earthen dikes
a wave that topples tamarisks by tearing them apart.
I presented it while people watched in crowds
إِذاwhen انْتَهَىit reaches فِيin الغَرْفِthe scooping وَالقَرُوعِand the great bowls
إِذا انْتَهَى فِي الغَرْفِ وَالقَرُوعِ
ناهَبْتُهُI vied to plunder it أَرْبَىit surpassed عَلَىbeyond الجُمُوعِthe gathered hosts
ناهَبْتُهُ أَرْبَى عَلَى الجُمُوعِ
When it comes to scooping and the great bowls,
I vied to plunder it; it outdid all the gathered hosts.
Partial English translation: 46 of 48 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1