وَمُذand since خَيَّمتُI pitched camp بِالخَضرَاءِin al-Khadra دَارَاas a home
وَمُذ خَيَّمتُ بِالخَضرَاءِ دَارَا
وَزَنتُI weighed بِشِسعِagainst the thong of نَعلِيmy sandal تَاجthe crown of دَارَاDara
وَزَنتُ بِشِسعِ نَعلِي تَاج دَارَا
And since I made my home in al-Khadra,
I weighed Dara’s crown against my sandal’s thong.
تَوَهَّمتُI imagined السَّمَاءَthe sky بِهَاin it مَحَلّيmy dwelling
تَوَهَّمتُ السَّمَاءَ بِهَا مَحَلّي
لأَنِّيbecause I لِلنُّجُومِto the stars أَقَمتُI settled جَارَاas a neighbor
لأَنِّي لِلنُّجُومِ أَقَمتُ جَارَا
I imagined the sky my dwelling there,
for I had settled as a neighbor to the stars—
لإِخوَانٍto brothers إِذَاwhenever فَكَّرتُI thought فِيهِمof them
لإِخوَانٍ إِذَا فَكَّرتُ فِيهِم
رَأَيتُI saw كِبَارَthe great among إِخوَانِيmy brothers صِغَارَاas small
رَأَيتُ كِبَارَ إِخوَانِي صِغَارَا
brothers: whenever I think of them,
I see the greatest of my brothers as small.
وَمَاand not قَالُواthey called لَهَاit الخَضرَاءَal-Khadra إِلاexcept
وَمَا قَالُوا لَهَا الخَضرَاءَ إِلا
لأَنbecause كَانَتit was لأَنجُمِهِمfor their stars مَدَارَاan orbit
لأَن كَانَت لأَنجُمِهِم مَدَارَا
They called it al-Khadra only
because it was an orbit for their stars.
وَمَنزِلُنَاand our lodging بِأَزرَقَbeside an azure stream كَوثَرِيٍّKawthar-like
وَمَنزِلُنَا بِأَزرَقَ كَوثَرِيٍّ
بِمَنزِلِat the home of أَزرَقٍa blue-eyed man مَاnot إِنemphatic particle يُجَارَاcan be rivaled
بِمَنزِلِ أَزرَقٍ مَا إِن يُجَارَا
Our lodging is beside a Kawthar-like azure stream,
at the home of a blue-eyed man beyond compare.
لَبِسنَاwe donned لِلغَدِيرِthe pool’s بِهِin it دُرُوعاًcoats of mail
لَبِسنَا لِلغَدِيرِ بِهِ دُرُوعاً
وَجَرَّدنَاand we unsheathed جَدَاوِلَهُits rivulets شِفَاراas blades
وَجَرَّدنَا جَدَاوِلَهُ شِفَارا
There we donned the pool’s coats of mail,
and unsheathed its rivulets as blades,
بِيَومٍon a day لَوif رَمَىshot الكُسَعِيُّal-Kusa‘i فِيهِduring it
بِيَومٍ لَو رَمَى الكُسَعِيُّ فِيهِ
رَأَىhe would have seen مِنfrom قَوسِهِhis bow سِرّاًa secret تَوَارَىthat lay hidden
رَأَى مِن قَوسِهِ سِرّاً تَوَارَى
on a day when, had al-Kusa‘i shot,
he would have seen his bow’s once-hidden secret;
وَلَيلٍand a night لَوif رَمَىshot الكُسَعِيُّal-Kusa‘i فِيهِduring it
وَلَيلٍ لَو رَمَى الكُسَعِيُّ فِيهِ
رَأىhe would have seen مِنfrom قَوسِهِhis bow سِرّاًa secret تَوَارَىthat lay hidden
رَأى مِن قَوسِهِ سِرّاً تَوَارَى
and on a night when, had al-Kusa‘i shot,
he would have seen his bow’s once-hidden secret.
وَرَوضٍand a garden رَاقَdelighted مَنظَرُهُits appearance وإِلاand if not
وَرَوضٍ رَاقَ مَنظَرُهُ وإِلا
فَلِمthen why خَلَعَcast off الحَمَامُthe doves بِهِin it العِذَاراthe bridle
فَلِم خَلَعَ الحَمَامُ بِهِ العِذَارا
And a garden delightful to behold—or else,
why did the doves there cast off their bridles?
وَطَارَحَهَاand it exchanged songs with them فَأَصغَتso they listened سَامِعَاتٍattentively
وَطَارَحَهَا فَأَصغَت سَامِعَاتٍ
وَهَزَّتand they swayed مِنsome of مَعَاطِفِهَاtheir supple flanks حَيَارَىbewildered
وَهَزَّت مِن مَعَاطِفِهَا حَيَارَى
And they sang to them; they bent to listen,
and swayed their supple flanks, bewildered.
فَإِنthen if مَرَّpassed النَّسِيمُthe breeze بِهِthrough it عَلِيلاًailing
فَإِن مَرَّ النَّسِيمُ بِهِ عَلِيلاً
تَكَلَّفَتِthey strained القِيَامَto rise لَهُfor it سُكَارَىdrunken
تَكَلَّفَتِ القِيَامَ لَهُ سُكَارَى
If the breeze passed through it, ailing,
they strained to rise for it, though drunken.
وَطَودٍand a mountain لَوif تُزَاحِمُwere to jostle مَنكِبَاهُits two shoulders
وَطَودٍ لَو تُزَاحِمُ مَنكِبَاهُ
نِظَامَthe string of النَّجمِstars لانتَثَرَit would surely scatter انتِثَارَاutterly
نِظَامَ النَّجمِ لانتَثَرَ انتِثَارَا
And a mountain whose shoulders, were they to jostle
the string of stars, would send it scattering.
سَمَاit rose high فَتَشَوَّقَتso they yearned زهرُthe radiant الدَّرَارِيbrilliant stars
سَمَا فَتَشَوَّقَت زهرُ الدَّرَارِي
إِلَيهِtoward it فنَكَّسَthen it lowered الرَّأسَits head احتِقَارَاin disdain
إِلَيهِ فنَكَّسَ الرَّأسَ احتِقَارَا
It towered, and the radiant stars yearned
toward it; it lowered its head in disdain.
وَقَدand indeed شَمَخَrose high الوَقَارُdignity بِهِwith it وَلَكِنbut
وَقَد شَمَخَ الوَقَارُ بِهِ وَلَكِن
وَقَارُthe dignity of ذَوِيهِits people عَلَّمَهُtaught it الوَقَارَاdignity
وَقَارُ ذَوِيهِ عَلَّمَهُ الوَقَارَا
And dignity had raised it high, and yet
the dignity of its people taught it dignity.
أولَئِكَthose مَعشَرٌare a people قَهَرواvanquished اللَّيَالِيthe nights
أولَئِكَ مَعشَرٌ قَهَروا اللَّيَالِي
وَرَدُّوهاand brought them back لِحُكمِهِمunder their rule اضطِرَارَاby force
وَرَدُّوها لِحُكمِهِم اضطِرَارَا
Those are a people who vanquished the nights
and forced them back beneath their rule.
وَقَامَand he undertook بِعبءِthe burden of مَجدِهِمُtheir glory اضطِلاعاًably
وَقَامَ بِعبءِ مَجدِهِمُ اضطِلاعاً
فَأَنجَدَso he went upland فِيin العَلاءِglory كَمَاjust as أَغَارَاhe went lowland
فَأَنجَدَ فِي العَلاءِ كَمَا أَغَارَا
And he ably shouldered the burden of their glory,
and ranged through glory’s highlands and lowlands alike—
أَبوAbu (father of) عَمرو‘Amr بنِibn (son of) حَسُّونَHassun الَّذِيwho لاnot
أَبو عَمرو بنِ حَسُّونَ الَّذِي لا
تَشُقُّcan cleave النَّيِّراتُthe radiant stars لَهُfor him غُبَارَاdust
تَشُقُّ النَّيِّراتُ لَهُ غُبَارَا
Abu ‘Amr ibn Hassun: not even
the radiant stars can cleave his trail of dust.
فَتىًa youth فِيin السِّنِّyears كَهلٌa mature man فِيin المَعَالِيlofty attainments
فَتىً فِي السِّنِّ كَهلٌ فِي المَعَالِي
صَغِيرٌa youngster زَيَّفَproved counterfeit النَّاسَpeople الكِبَارَاthe great
صَغِيرٌ زَيَّفَ النَّاسَ الكِبَارَا
Young in years, mature in lofty deeds,
a youngster who proved the great men counterfeit.
وَلاand no عَجَبٌwonder بِسُؤدَدِهِat his eminence صَغِيراًwhile young
وَلا عَجَبٌ بِسُؤدَدِهِ صَغِيراً
فَإِنَّfor indeed الخَيلَhorses أَنجَبَتِhave bred nobly المِهَارَاfoals
فَإِنَّ الخَيلَ أَنجَبَتِ المِهَارَا
Nor is his eminence in youth a wonder,
for steeds have bred noble foals.
وَإِنَّand indeed السَّهمَthe arrow وَهوَthough it is أَدَقُّthe slenderest شَيءٍthing
وَإِنَّ السَّهمَ وَهوَ أَدَقُّ شَيءٍ
يَفُوتُoutstrips الرُّمحَthe spear سَبقاًin speed وَابتِدَارَاand swift advance
يَفُوتُ الرُّمحَ سَبقاً وَابتِدَارَا
And the arrow, though the slenderest of things,
outstrips the spear in speed and swift advance.
Sol 6.1