وَأَرضُand the land of شِلبٍShilb وَماand what شِلبٌShilb وَإِنand though وَلَدَتit has borne
وَأَرضُ شِلبٍ وَما شِلبٌ وَإِن وَلَدَت
غِمارَthrongs of ناسٍpeople فَناسٌyet people غَيرُnot أَغمارِignorant folk
غِمارَ ناسٍ فَناسٌ غَيرُ أَغمارِ
And the land of Shilb—what a place Shilb is! Though it has borne
The land of Shalib, though Shalib is naught,
throngs of people, they are no ignorant folk.
If it bore throngs of men, the men are not the land.
عُرفُthe customary manner التَحاوُرِof conversation مِنfrom تِلقاءِthe promptings of أَلسُنِهِمtheir tongues
عُرفُ التَحاوُرِ مِن تِلقاءِ أَلسُنِهِم
كَأَنَّماas though نَشَأواthey grew up فيin غَيرِother than أَمصارِcities
كَأَنَّما نَشَأوا في غَيرِ أَمصارِ
The customary manner of conversation springs naturally from their tongues,
Their converse betrayed their gentle nurturing,
as though they had grown up outside cities.
As though they grew up not in settlements.
يُلقُونَthey utter بِالقَولِin speech مَوزُوناًmetrical وَماand not قَصَدواthey intended
يُلقُونَ بِالقَولِ مَوزُوناً وَما قَصَدوا
كَأَنَّas though ذلِكَthat مِنهُمof theirs عَقدُa firm resolve إِضمارِof inward intention
كَأَنَّ ذلِكَ مِنهُم عَقدُ إِضمارِ
They utter metrical speech without intending it,
They speak composed verse, though unintentional,
as though it were an inward resolve of theirs.
As though it were their habit to speak in riddles.
إيهٍgo on! وَهَلand is there مَعَwith إيهٍgo on! ياO أَباfather of عُمَرٍUmar
إيهٍ وَهَل مَعَ إيهٍ يا أَبا عُمَرٍ
مِنany تُحفَةٍgift غَيرِother than إِعظامٍreverence وَإِكبارِand veneration
مِن تُحفَةٍ غَيرِ إِعظامٍ وَإِكبارِ
'Go on!' And with that 'go on,' O Abu Umar,
Alas! Along with my sigh, O Abu Umar,
what gift is there but reverence and veneration,
Is there any gift but esteem and honor?
وَغَيرِand other than عَقدِa bond صَفاءٍof pure affection قَدindeed قَسَمتُI have apportioned لَكُمto you
وَغَيرِ عَقدِ صَفاءٍ قَد قَسَمتُ لَكُم
مَعينَهُits clear-flowing water بَينَbetween إِعلانٍopen declaration وَإِسرارِand secrecy
مَعينَهُ بَينَ إِعلانٍ وَإِسرارِ
and a bond of pure affection? I have shared with you
Other than the bond of purity I have shared with you
its clear-flowing waters, both openly and in secret.
Its spring, overt and covert.
عَجِبتُI marveled مِنat مَعشَرٍa people تُمطيyou set astride مَآثِرَهُمtheir noble deeds
عَجِبتُ مِن مَعشَرٍ تُمطي مَآثِرَهُم
مِنَfrom الثَناءِpraise عَلَيهاof them ظَهرَthe back of طَيّارِa flying mount
مِنَ الثَناءِ عَلَيها ظَهرَ طَيّارِ
I marveled at a people whose noble deeds you set
I'm astonished at a people whose merits
on the back of a flying mount fashioned from praise of them.
Are obscured by praise of them the winged rumor carried.
ماwhat بالُهُمails them رَقَدواthey slept فيamid لِينِthe ease of عَيشِهِمُtheir livelihood
ما بالُهُم رَقَدوا في لِينِ عَيشِهِمُ
عَنheedless of جارِهِمtheir neighbor وَهوَwhile he is مَحبوسٌheld captive بِإِقتارِby poverty
عَن جارِهِم وَهوَ مَحبوسٌ بِإِقتارِ
Why have they slept amid the ease of their lives,
Why did they slumber in the softness of their lives
heedless of their neighbor, held captive by poverty?
To their neighbor who is shackled in poverty?
ماhow كانَwere أَقدَرَهُمcapable they were أَنto يَأخُذواtake لَكُمُfor you
ما كانَ أَقدَرَهُم أَن يَأخُذوا لَكُمُ
عَلىon البَديهِthe spur of the moment مِنَfrom الأَيّامِthe days بِالثارِin vengeance
عَلى البَديهِ مِنَ الأَيّامِ بِالثارِ
How easily they could have exacted for you
How could they not avenge you
vengeance from the days, on the spur of the moment!
Against the vicissitudes of time?
وَالحُرُّand the free man أَكثَرُmost ماwhat يُزريbrings discredit بِحاجَتِهِupon his plea
وَالحُرُّ أَكثَرُ ما يُزري بِحاجَتِهِ
تَوَسُّطٌmediation مِنby خَبيثِfoul النَفسِof soul خَوّارِa weakling
تَوَسُّطٌ مِن خَبيثِ النَفسِ خَوّارِ
And what most disgraces a free man's plea
The freeman is frequently debased by his need
is mediation by a base-souled weakling.
For mediation from the mean and treacherous.
صَونُsafeguarding الفَتىa young man وَجهَهُhis face أَبقىmore lasting لِهِمَّتِهِfor his resolve
صَونُ الفَتى وَجهَهُ أَبقى لِهِمَّتِهِ
وَالرِزقُand sustenance جارٍflowing عَلىaccording to حَدٍّa limit وَمِقدارِand a measure
وَالرِزقُ جارٍ عَلى حَدٍّ وَمِقدارِ
A young man's safeguarding his face better preserves his resolve;
The young man’s dignity preserved augments his zeal,
and sustenance flows within a fixed limit and measure.
While sustenance flows in measured portions.
قَنِعتُI was content وَاِمتَدَّand grew vast ماليmy wealth فَالسَماءُso the sky يَدِيmy hand
قَنِعتُ وَاِمتَدَّ مالي فَالسَماءُ يَدِي
وَنَجمُهاand its star دِرهَميmy dirham وَالشَمسُand the sun ديناريmy dinar
وَنَجمُها دِرهَمي وَالشَمسُ ديناري
I was content, and my wealth grew vast: the sky is my hand,
I sufficed and my money stretched, so the heavens are my hand
and its star is my dirham, and the sun my dinar.
And its stars my dirham and the sun my dinar.
Sol 6.1