قُلْتُI said لِعَبْدِto Abd اللَّهِAllah مِنْout of تَوَدُّدِيmy affection
قُلْتُ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ مِنْ تَوَدُّدِي
قَدْalready كُنْتI had been أَرْجُوكَhoping in you وَلَمَّاand not yet تُولَدِyou were born
قَدْ كُنْت أَرْجُوكَ وَلَمَّا تُولَدِ
I said to Abd Allah, out of my affection:
I said to Abdullah from my affection
I had placed my hopes in you before you were even born.
I used to hope for you before you were born
فَكُنْتُso I was وَاللَّهby God الأَجَلّthe most exalted الأَمْجَدِthe most glorious
فَكُنْتُ وَاللَّه الأَجَلّ الأَمْجَدِ
أُدْنِيكَI drew you close مِنْto قَصِّيmy breast وَلَمَّاand not yet تَقْعُدِyou could sit
أُدْنِيكَ مِنْ قَصِّي وَلَمَّا تَقْعُدِ
So I would—by God, the most exalted, most glorious—
By God, you were the most splendid and glorious
Draw you close to my breast before you could sit,
I brought you close from my lyre before you could sit
تَخَفُّشَhuddling الهَيْفِthe lean one انْحَنَىbent down لِلْمَمْهَدِtoward the prepared bed
تَخَفُّشَ الهَيْفِ انْحَنَى لِلْمَمْهَدِ
أَقُولُI say يَكْفِينِيhe shields me from اعْتِداءَthe aggression of المُعْتَدِيthe aggressor
أَقُولُ يَكْفِينِي اعْتِداءَ المُعْتَدِي
Huddled like a lean one bent toward a prepared bed.
Al-Khalil bent his tall spear towards the cradle
I say: he will shield me from the aggressor's assault,
I say the transgressor's assault suffices me
وَأَسَدٌand a lion إِنْif شَدَّhe charges لَمْnot يُعَرِّدِhe retreats
وَأَسَدٌ إِنْ شَدَّ لَمْ يُعَرِّدِ
كَأَنَّهُas though he فيin لِبَدٍfelt وَلِبَدِand felt
كَأَنَّهُ في لِبَدٍ وَلِبَدِ
And he is a lion who, when he charges, never retreats.
A lion, even if unleashed, does not attack
As though clad in felt upon felt,
As if clothed in coats of mail made of emerald
مِنْof حَلِسٍa saddlecloth أَنْمَرَmottled فِيin تَرَبُّدِa dusky hue
مِنْ حَلِسٍ أَنْمَرَ فِي تَرَبُّدِ
مُدَّرِعٍclad in armor فِيin قِطَعٍpieces مِنْof بُرْجُدِcoarse cloth
مُدَّرِعٍ فِي قِطَعٍ مِنْ بُرْجُدِ
Of mottled saddlecloth, darkened in hue,
From the brownish hide of a vigilant old lion
Armored in pieces of coarse cloth.
Armored in pieces of yellow hyacinth
لِرِزِّهِfor his growl مِنْfrom جُرْءَةٍboldness التَوَحُّدِbeing alone
لِرِزِّهِ مِنْ جُرْءَةٍ التَوَحُّدِ
وَهْسٌa pounding كَإِجْلابِlike the clamor of الجُبَيْلthe little mountain الأَصْلَدِrock-hard
وَهْسٌ كَإِجْلابِ الجُبَيْل الأَصْلَدِ
His growl, born of the boldness of solitude,
Brave in his solitude and uniqueness
Has a pounding like the clamor of a rock-hard hill.
Silent like the bringing together of solid mountains
يَعْتَزُّhe overpowers أَقْرانrivals الأُسُودthe lions الأُسَّدِthe fierce
يَعْتَزُّ أَقْران الأُسُود الأُسَّدِ
بِالزَجْرِwith snarls قَبْلbefore الأَخْذِseizing وَالتَهَدُّدِand threatening
بِالزَجْرِ قَبْل الأَخْذِ وَالتَهَدُّدِ
He overpowers his rivals, the fierce lions,
Who prides himself before the lions of lions
With snarls, before seizing and threatening.
With a roar before grasping and threatening
وَقُلْتُand I said قَوْلاًa statement لَيْسَis not بِالمُفَنَّدِdiscredited
وَقُلْتُ قَوْلاً لَيْسَ بِالمُفَنَّدِ
قَدْalready كُنْتI used to أَسْقِيكَgive you to drink مِنout of التفَقُّدِwatchful care
قَدْ كُنْت أَسْقِيكَ مِن التفَقُّدِ
And I spoke words not to be discredited:
And I spoke words that cannot be refuted
I used to give you to drink, out of watchful care,
I used to water you from my care
مَحْضاًpure milk وَإِنand even if أَبْكَأَyielded little كُلُّevery مِرْفَدِdrinking bowl
مَحْضاً وَإِن أَبْكَأَ كُلُّ مِرْفَدِ
وَأَشْبرُand I measure in handspans المِقْياسَthe measure مِنْout of تَعَهُّدِيmy attentive care
وَأَشْبرُ المِقْياسَ مِنْ تَعَهُّدِي
Pure milk, even when every drinking bowl yielded little.
Purely even if every cloud poured down
And in my care I took the measure in handspans
The span of my devotion is the length of your youth
طُولَكَyour height مِنْfrom مَغْدِtender growth الشَبابyouth الأَمْغَدِlush and supple
طُولَكَ مِنْ مَغْدِ الشَباب الأَمْغَدِ
انْظُرْconsider جَزاءَthe recompense of عَوْدِكَyour elder المُعَوَّدِwell-seasoned
انْظُرْ جَزاءَ عَوْدِكَ المُعَوَّدِ
Of your height in the lush growth of supple youth.
From the plentiful spring of flourishing youth
Consider the recompense for your seasoned elder:
See the reward for your familiar return
مِثْلاًlike بِمِثْلfor like أَوْor تَفَضَّلْgive more generously تُحْمَدِyou will be praised
مِثْلاً بِمِثْل أَوْ تَفَضَّلْ تُحْمَدِ
وَلاand do not تَكُونَنَّever be مَكَانin the place of الأَبْعَدِthe estranged one
وَلا تَكُونَنَّ مَكَان الأَبْعَدِ
Like for like—or give more generously, and be praised.
In kind, or excel to be praised
And never take the place of one estranged.
And do not be in the place of the most distant
إِنَّكَindeed you لاnot تَدْرِيknow غَداًtomorrow ماwhat فِيin غَدِtomorrow
إِنَّكَ لا تَدْرِي غَداً ما فِي غَدِ
وَلَيْلَةٍand many a night تَطْرُدُyou pursue إِنْif لَمْnot تُطْرَدِyou are pursued
وَلَيْلَةٍ تَطْرُدُ إِنْ لَمْ تُطْرَدِ
Indeed, you do not know tomorrow—what tomorrow holds.
You really do not know what tomorrow holds
And many a night you pursue, unless you are pursued,
And a night expels if it is not expelled
وَالقَوْمُand the people يَهْوُونَrush headlong حِيالَtoward المَوْرِدِthe watering place
وَالقَوْمُ يَهْوُونَ حِيالَ المَوْرِدِ
واللَّهُand God لاnot يُخْلِفُfails to keep وَقْتَthe time of المَوْعِدِthe appointment
واللَّهُ لا يُخْلِفُ وَقْتَ المَوْعِدِ
And the people rush headlong toward the watering place.
And the people plunge towards the watering place
And God never misses the appointed time.
And God does not break the time of appointment
وَالمَرْءُand man مَرْقُوبٌwatched بِكُلِّat every مَرْصَدِlookout
وَالمَرْءُ مَرْقُوبٌ بِكُلِّ مَرْصَدِ
يَرُوحُhe goes at evening فِيin حَبْلِthe tether of البِلَاdecay وَيَغْتَدِيand goes at dawn
يَرُوحُ فِي حَبْلِ البِلَا وَيَغْتَدِي
And man is watched at every lookout,
Man is spied upon by every watcher
Going at evening in decay's tether, and at dawn.
He walks in the rope of affliction and transgresses
وَمِنand from أَمامahead of المَرْءِman مَرْدَاهُhis downfall الرَدِيfatal
وَمِن أَمام المَرْءِ مَرْدَاهُ الرَدِي
وَاصْدُقْand speak truth اِذَاwhen ماan emphatic particle قُلْتَyou speak قوْلاًwords وَاقْصِدِand keep the right course
وَاصْدُقْ اِذَا ما قُلْتَ قوْلاً وَاقْصِدِ
And ahead of man lies his fatal downfall.
And ahead of man is his own harm
And speak truth whenever you speak, and keep the right course.
And be truthful when you speak a word and intend
فَلَيْسَfor ... is not مَنْwhoever جَارَstrays كَهَادٍlike a guide يَهْتَدِيfinds the right way
فَلَيْسَ مَنْ جَارَ كَهَادٍ يَهْتَدِي
إِنَّindeed السَعِيدَthe fortunate عامِلٌa worker لِلأَسْعَدِfor the more fortunate
إِنَّ السَعِيدَ عامِلٌ لِلأَسْعَدِ
For one who strays is not like a guide who finds his way.
So one who is ignorant cannot be guided
Indeed, the fortunate man labors for the more fortunate.
Indeed the fortunate is one who works for the most fortunate
وَالرُشْدُand right guidance فَاعْلَمْهُso know it طَرِيقthe path of الأَرْشَدِthe best guided
وَالرُشْدُ فَاعْلَمْهُ طَرِيق الأَرْشَدِ
وَزادُand provision تَقْوَىpiety أَفْضَلthe best التَزَوُّدِprovisioning oneself
وَزادُ تَقْوَى أَفْضَل التَزَوُّدِ
And right guidance—know it—is the path of the best guided.
And guidance - know it is the path of right guidance
And piety is the best provision to take.
And extra provision is the best stock
إِنِّيindeed I رَأَيْتُhave seen الدَهْرَtime بِالتَرَدُّدِthrough recurring turns
إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ الدَهْرَ بِالتَرَدُّدِ
يَنْقُضَunravels إِمْرارَthe tight twist of الشَبابyouth الأَجْرَدِsmooth-skinned
يَنْقُضَ إِمْرارَ الشَباب الأَجْرَدِ
Indeed, I have seen time, through its recurring turns,
I saw time in hesitation
Unravel the tight twist of smooth-skinned youth,
Tearing down the passing of smooth youth
نَقْضَكَyour unraveling إِمْرارَthe tight twist of المِرَارِthe rope المُحْصَدِfirmly plied
نَقْضَكَ إِمْرارَ المِرَارِ المُحْصَدِ
As you unravel the twist of a firmly plied rope.
Like your tearing down the passing of reaped bitterness
Sol 6.1