منwho رأَىhas seen المجدَglory يُثيرrouses القِلاصاthe young she-camels
من رأَى المجدَ يُثير القِلاصا
والعُلاand eminence تُزجىdrives onward العِتاقَthe thoroughbreds الخِماصاthe lean ones
والعُلا تُزجى العِتاقَ الخِماصا
Who has seen glory rouse the young she-camels,
He who saw glory inciting the brave,
and eminence drive the lean thoroughbreds?
And loftiness donning the garb of courage,
والقِبابَand the domed tents البيضَwhite قدalready وعَدُوهاthey promised them
والقِبابَ البيضَ قد وعَدُوها
بالمعالىwith lofty stations فاستطالتْso they rose tall خِراصاas spearshafts
بالمعالى فاستطالتْ خِراصا
And the white domed tents—they promised them
And white domes which were promised
lofty stations, so they rose tall as spearshafts.
High glories, so they wore long robes,
بعميدwith ʿAmīd الدولةِal-Dawla (of the State) الأرضُthe earth تُطوَىis folded up
بعميد الدولةِ الأرضُ تُطوَى
حينwhen لاdo not ترجوhope for النجومُthe stars خَلاصاescape
حين لا ترجو النجومُ خَلاصا
With ʿAmīd al-Dawla the earth is folded up,
With the pillar of state the land folds up
when the stars have no hope of escape.
When the stars have no hope of deliverance,
وفجِاجُand the broad paths السعىof endeavor بينbetween يديهhis hands
وفجِاجُ السعى بين يديه
تشترِىbuy الآمالَhopes منهfrom him رِخاصاcheaply
تشترِى الآمالَ منه رِخاصا
And the broad paths of endeavor before him
And the ardors of endeavor before him
buy hopes from him cheaply.
Buy from him hopes cheaply,
مذsince رأيناهُwe saw him سحاباas a cloud عجِبناwe wondered
مذ رأيناهُ سحابا عجِبنا
كيفhow يحتلُّhe settles ويأوِىand dwells العِراصاthe open courtyards
كيف يحتلُّ ويأوِى العِراصا
Since we saw him as a cloud, we wondered:
Since we saw him as a cloud we marveled
how does he settle and dwell in courtyards?
How he settles and houses the bare hills,
كرمٌgenerosity فاضَoverflowed فماso it did not اختصَّsingle out أرضاa land
كرمٌ فاضَ فما اختصَّ أرضا
دونto the exclusion of أرضٍanother land بنداهwith its bounty اختصاصاexclusively
دون أرضٍ بنداه اختصاصا
Generosity overflowed, favoring no land
Generosity overflowed so no land
to another's exclusion with its bounty.
Was set apart for him by limitation,
منwhoever يحبّloves العزّhonor يَدأبْshould strive إليهtoward him
من يحبّ العزّ يَدأبْ إليه
وكذاand likewise منwhoever طلبsought الدُّرَّpearls غاصاdived
وكذا من طلب الدُّرَّ غاصا
Whoever loves honor should strive toward him;
Whoever loves glory keeps at it
likewise, whoever sought pearls dived.
And likewise whoever seeks pearls will dive,
قرّتfound delight الأعينُthe eyes بالقربِin nearness منهto him
قرّت الأعينُ بالقربِ منه
فأرادso sought البعدُdistance منهاfrom them القِصاصاretribution
فأراد البعدُ منها القِصاصا
Eyes found delight in being near him,
Eyes were delighted being near him
so distance sought retribution from them.
So distance from them sought revenge,
لوif مَلكناwe possessed الأرضَthe earth أوor لوif أطقناwe were able
لو مَلكنا الأرضَ أو لو أطقنا
لسَددناwe would surely block برُباهاwith its hills الخَصاصاthe gaps
لسَددنا برُباها الخَصاصا
If we owned the earth, or if we had the power,
If we owned the land or if we could endure
we would block the gaps with its hills,
We would block its passes with barriers,
وعقَلناand we would hobble الناجياتِthe swift she-camels خلاءًbalking
وعقَلنا الناجياتِ خلاءً
وربَطناand we would tether المُقْرَباتِthe treasured steeds ارتهاصاhoof-bruising
وربَطنا المُقْرَباتِ ارتهاصا
and hobble the swift she-camels into balking,
And we tied up the neighborly relations
and tether the treasured steeds, bruising their hooves.
And secured the friendly connections,
فهِمتْthey understood ماwhat حمَلتْthey carried فيon ذُراهاtheir crests
فهِمتْ ما حمَلتْ في ذُراها
منof جمالٍbeauty فارتقصنَso they danced ارتقاصاa dance
من جمالٍ فارتقصنَ ارتقاصا
They understood what they bore upon their backs
It understood what beauty it carried
of beauty, and danced exuberantly.
In its flowers, so it swayed gently,
ماجدٌa noble man إنif خافhe feared أسهمَarrows ذمٍّof blame
ماجدٌ إن خاف أسهمَ ذمٍّ
لبسhe donned الجودَgenerosity عليهover himself دِلاصاgleaming mail
لبس الجودَ عليه دِلاصا
A noble man: if he feared the arrows of blame,
Majid, if afraid of reproach’s arrows,
he clad himself in generosity as gleaming mail.
Wore generosity over them as armor,
أدواتُthe instruments الفخرِof glory ألقَّنَunclear verb in source فيهin him
أدواتُ الفخرِ ألقَّنَ فيه
حسَباancestral honor عِداًّinexhaustible وعِرقاand lineage مُصاصاpure
حسَبا عِداًّ وعِرقا مُصاصا
The instruments of glory [unclear verb] within him:
The tools of pride cast in him
inexhaustible ancestral honor and a pure lineage.
Enough lineage and lifeblood absorbed,
رُبَّmany a عزمٍresolve إif (truncated in source) يُحَكَّمْis given sway لهfor him لمnot
رُبَّ عزمٍ إ يُحَكَّمْ له لم
تجدfind الأقدارُthe decrees of fate عنهfrom it مَناصاan escape
تجد الأقدارُ عنه مَناصا
Many a resolve—if given sway for him—never
Many resolves which no one can dissuade
lets the decrees of fate find escape from it.
The fates cannot find any way out,
ساهرwakeful القلبat heart إذاwhen رامَhe seeks عُظمَىa great deed
ساهر القلب إذا رامَ عُظمَى
إنeven if كَرىdrowsiness النومِof sleep للأعينِfor the eyes حاصاstitched shut
إن كَرى النومِ للأعينِ حاصا
Wakeful at heart whenever he seeks a great deed,
Sleep’s drowsiness, if the heart seeks glory,
even if sleep's drowsiness has stitched eyes shut.
The eyes repel though it craves repose,
قذفتْcast forth منهfrom him اللياليthe nights بِقرنٍwith a formidable opponent
قذفتْ منه الليالي بِقرنٍ
تنكُصrecoil ألأبطالُthe heroes عنهfrom him انتكاصاin retreat
تنكُص ألأبطالُ عنه انتكاصا
The nights have brought forth in him a formidable opponent,
The nights cast at him a horn that makes
from whom heroes recoil in retreat.
The valiant recoil and draw back,
محسنٌskillful بالرأيwith judgment ضرباin striking وطعناand thrusting
محسنٌ بالرأي ضربا وطعنا
يُخجلshames البيضَthe bright swords ويُخزِىand disgraces الخِراصاthe spears
يُخجل البيضَ ويُخزِى الخِراصا
Skillful in striking and thrusting with his judgment,
Handsome in judgment, in words and in lance,
he shames bright swords and disgraces spears.
Shames the whites and disgraces the blacks,
ساحرan enchanter الألفاظof words ولوand if شاءhe wished for ظبياa gazelle
ساحر الألفاظ ولو شاء ظبيا
أسرhe would capture الوحشwild beasts بهنَّwith them اقتناصاby hunting
أسر الوحش بهنَّ اقتناصا
An enchanter of words—and if he desired a gazelle,
Charmer of lyrics, if he wished, a gazelle,
he would hunt wild beasts with them and take them captive.
He could captivate wild beasts to hunt,
كلماwhenever أبصرَهbeheld him حاسدوهthose who envy him
كلما أبصرَه حاسدوه
كُلِّلتْwere wreathed تلكthose العيونُeyes حُصَاصاsaffron-yellow dye
كُلِّلتْ تلك العيونُ حُصَاصا
Whenever those who envy him behold him,
Whenever his enviers saw him
those eyes are wreathed in saffron yellow.
Their eyes brimmed over with tears,
كشعاعlike the rays الشمسِof the sun ترجِعturn back عنهfrom him
كشعاع الشمسِ ترجِع عنه
مَضْرِحيّاتُeagle-like العيونeyes عِماصاrheumy
مَضْرِحيّاتُ العيون عِماصا
As from the sun's rays, there turn back from him
Like the sun’s rays they turn back from him
eagle-like eyes, now rheumy.
Eyes of maidens blinking blindly,
ففداهso may ... ransom him كلُّevery جَهمgrim المُحيَّاof face
ففداه كلُّ جَهم المُحيَّا
مانعٌwithholding عسجدَهhis gold والرَّصاصاand lead
مانعٌ عسجدَه والرَّصاصا
So may every grim-faced man be his ransom,
May each hotheaded hater sacrifice himself
withholding his gold and lead,
Blocking those who would shoot at him,
كالشَّموسِlike a restive horse الصَّعبِthe unruly one إنif ذلَّلوهthey tame him
كالشَّموسِ الصَّعبِ إن ذلَّلوه
زادهمincreased their ذُعراfear ولَجَّand persisted قِماصاin bucking
زادهم ذُعرا ولَجَّ قِماصا
like a restive, unruly horse: if they tame him,
Like the formidable sun, if they tried to humble him,
he frightens them more and persists in bucking.
It increased their fright and their shirt fronts cracked,
مستهامٌbesotted بالغوانىwith beautiful women إذاwhen ماemphatic particle
مستهامٌ بالغوانى إذا ما
صقَلتْshe polished خداًّa cheek وأرختْand she let down عِقاصاbraids
صقَلتْ خداًّ وأرختْ عِقاصا
Besotted with beautiful women whenever
Imperious in amours, when he frowns
one polishes a cheek and lets down her braids.
And loosens a tress and reveals a dimple,
أينwhere تبغىdo you seek قدalready زحَمتَyou have jostled الثريّاthe Pleiades
أين تبغى قد زحَمتَ الثريّا
فيin مَداهاtheir reach وانتعلتَand you wore as sandals النَّشاصاthe lofty clouds
في مَداها وانتعلتَ النَّشاصا
Where do you seek to go? You have jostled the Pleiades
Where do you want to go, crowding the doe
in their reach and shod yourself with lofty clouds.
Into her range, wearing the slippers of one who limps,
غايةٌa goal لوif ذوone possessing جَناحٍa wing إليهاtoward it
غايةٌ لو ذو جَناحٍ إليها
طارflew لاعتاصتit would prove elusive عليهto him اعتياصاutterly
طار لاعتاصت عليه اعتياصا
A goal that, if a winged creature toward it
A goal, if one had wings to reach it,
flew, would prove utterly beyond its reach.
He would fly but desires would cling to him,
أنتمُyou آلُthe house جَهِيرٍof Jahīr عديدٌa multitude
أنتمُ آلُ جَهِيرٍ عديدٌ
لاmay ... not رأتْsee فيهin it البنانُthe fingertips انتقاصاany decrease
لا رأتْ فيه البنانُ انتقاصا
You, the house of Jahīr, are a multitude;
You are the many scions of Juheir
may the fingers never see its numbers diminished.
In whom time never noticed a decrease,
كلّماwhenever قيلit is said الرحيلُdeparture قريبٌis near
كلّما قيل الرحيلُ قريبٌ
غَصَّchoked بالبادرon the welling tears حَلْقىmy throat اغتصاصاwith severe choking
غَصَّ بالبادر حَلْقى اغتصاصا
Whenever it is said, 'Departure is near,'
Whenever it is said the departure is near
my throat chokes hard on the welling tears.
My throat is blocked with suppressed sobs,
وأرىand I see قلبيmy heart سيقتصُّwill trace إمّاif
وأرى قلبي سيقتصُّ إمّا
سرتَyou depart آثارَthe tracks المطىِّof the riding camels اقتصاصاstep by step
سرتَ آثارَ المطىِّ اقتصاصا
And I see my heart will follow—if
And I see my heart will claim compensating
you depart—the riding camels' tracks, step by step.
If you erased the tracks of the riding beasts,
اِقْضِdecide فيregarding أمريmy affair بماaccording to what أنتَyou قاضٍwill decree
اِقْضِ في أمري بما أنتَ قاضٍ
فبأنعامكfor through your favors أرجوI hope for الخَلاصاdeliverance
فبأنعامك أرجو الخَلاصا
Decide my affair however you will decree,
Fulfill in my affair what you are judge of
for through your favors I hope for deliverance.
Through your favors I hope for deliverance,
ردَّكmay ... return you اللهGod إليناto us سليماunharmed
ردَّك الله إلينا سليما
بكconcerning you أيامُthe days الزمانof time تَواصَىcounsel one another
بك أيامُ الزمان تَواصَى
May God return you to us unharmed;
May God restore you to us unharmed,
the days of time commend you to one another.
Through you the days of time endure,
Sol 6.1