لَعَمريby my life لَقَدindeed أَشرَفتُI came close يَومُon the day of عُنَيزَةٍʿUnayzah
لَعَمري لَقَد أَشرَفتُ يَومُ عُنَيزَةٍ
عَلىto رَغبَةٍa desire لَوif only شَدَّbraced نَفسيmy soul مَريرُهاits tightly twisted cord
عَلى رَغبَةٍ لَو شَدَّ نَفسي مَريرُها
By my life, on the day of ʿUnayzah I came close
By my life! On the day of Unayzah, I yearned
to what I desired, had its tightly twisted cord braced my soul.
For something, had I pursued my bitter desire,
وَلكِنَّbut ضُعفَthe weakness of الأَمرِan undertaking أَلّاnot to تُمَرَّهُyou twist it tight
وَلكِنَّ ضُعفَ الأَمرِ أَلّا تُمَرَّهُ
وَلاand no خَيرَgood فيin ذيone possessing مِرَّةٍfirm resolve لاnot يُغيرُهاtightens it
وَلا خَيرَ في ذي مِرَّةٍ لا يُغيرُها
But an undertaking's weakness lies in not twisting it tight,
But the weakness of the matter is not to go through with it
and no good lies in one with resolve who does not tighten it.
And no good is he who is spiteful and does not change it
تَبَيَّنُbecome clear أَدبارُthe ends of الأُمورِaffairs إِذاwhen مَضَتthey have passed
تَبَيَّنُ أَدبارُ الأُمورِ إِذا مَضَت
وَتُقبِلُand approach أَشباهاًin similar guises عَلَيكَtoward you صُدورُهاtheir beginnings
وَتُقبِلُ أَشباهاً عَلَيكَ صُدورُها
The ends of affairs become clear once they have passed,
The outcomes of matters become clear when they pass
while their beginnings approach you in similar guises.
And their fronts turn to you
تُرَجّىare made to hope for النُفوسُsouls الشَيءَa thing لاnot تَستَطيعُهُthey can attain it
تُرَجّى النُفوسُ الشَيءَ لا تَستَطيعُهُ
وَتَخشىand fear مِنَamong الأَشياءِthings ماwhat لاnot يَضيرُهاharms them
وَتَخشى مِنَ الأَشياءِ ما لا يَضيرُها
Souls are led to hope for what they cannot attain,
Souls desire what they cannot attain
and fear things that cannot harm them.
And fear what does no harm to them
أَلاtake heed إِنَّماonly يَكفيsuffices for النُفوسُsouls إِذاwhen اِتَّقَتthey are devout
أَلا إِنَّما يَكفي النُفوسُ إِذا اِتَّقَت
تُقىfear of اللَهِGod مِمّاfrom what حاذَرَتِthey dreaded فَيُجيرُهاso He shelters them
تُقى اللَهِ مِمّا حاذَرَتِ فَيُجيرُها
Take heed: when souls are devout, all they need
Know that it suffices souls when they are pious
is fear of God against what they dread; He grants them refuge.
To be protected by God from what they dread, so He will protect them
وَلاand no خَيرَgood فيin العيدانِwooden sticks إِلّاexcept صَلابُهاtheir sturdy ones
وَلا خَيرَ في العيدانِ إِلّا صَلابُها
وَلاnor ناهِضاتُthose taking wing الطَيرِbirds إِلّاexcept صُقورُهاtheir falcons
وَلا ناهِضاتُ الطَيرِ إِلّا صُقورُها
There is no good in sticks save their sturdy ones,
Of staffs, only their firmness is good
nor among birds that take wing save their falcons.
And of birds that hunt, only their falcons
وَمُستَنبِحٍand a caller for dogs' barks يَدعوcalling out وَقَدand already حالَstood as a barrier دونَهُin his way
وَمُستَنبِحٍ يَدعو وَقَد حالَ دونَهُ
مِنَof اللَيلِthe night سَجفاtwo curtains of ظُلمَةٍdarkness وَسُتورُهاand its veils
مِنَ اللَيلِ سَجفا ظُلمَةٍ وَسُتورُها
And many a traveler called for answering barks, his way barred
A caller who calls but the darkness of night prevents him
by night's two curtains of darkness and its veils.
With its heavy, black coverings
رَفَعتُI raised لَهُfor him ناريmy fire فَلَمّاthen when اِهتَدىhe found his way لَهاto it
رَفَعتُ لَهُ ناري فَلَمّا اِهتَدى لَها
زَجَرتُI restrained كِلابيmy dogs أَنlest يَهِرَّgrowl عَقورُهاtheir biting dog
زَجَرتُ كِلابي أَن يَهِرَّ عَقورُها
I raised my fire for him; when he found his way to it,
I raised my fire for him, so when he found his way to it
I restrained my dogs, lest their vicious one growl.
I scolded my dogs lest their howling terrify him
فَباتَso he spent the night وَقَدand already سَرىtraveled by night مِنَof اللَيلِthe night عُقبَةًa stretch
فَباتَ وَقَد سَرى مِنَ اللَيلِ عُقبَةً
بِلَيلَةٍin a night of صِدقٍgoodness غابَwas absent عَنهاfrom it شُرورُهاits evils
بِلَيلَةٍ صِدقٍ غابَ عَنها شُرورُها
So he passed the night, having traveled a stretch of it,
He spent the night traveling a distance of the night
a goodly night, with its evils gone.
In a truthful night, free of any evil
وَقَدand indeed عَلِمَhave learned الأَضيافُthe guests أَنthat قِراهُمُtheir guest-meal
وَقَد عَلِمَ الأَضيافُ أَن قِراهُمُ
شِواءُroast meat of المُتاليshe-camels with young عِندَناwith us وَقَديرُهاand their stewed meat
شِواءُ المُتالي عِندَنا وَقَديرُها
And the guests have learned that their welcome-meal
The guests knew that their lodging with us
with us is roast meat of she-camels with young, and their stewed meat.
Is roasted meat and its cooking pot
إِذاwhen اِفتَخَرَتِboasts سَعدُSaʿd بنُson of ذيبانُDhībān لَمdid not يَجدِfind
إِذا اِفتَخَرَتِ سَعدُ بنُ ذيبانُ لَم يَجدِ
سِوىexcept ماwhat بَنيناwe have built ماanything that يَعِدُّcounts فَخورُهاits boaster
سِوى ما بَنينا ما يَعِدُّ فَخورُها
When Saʿd ibn Dhībān boasts, nothing is found
If Saad boasts, he will find nothing
for its boaster to count except what we have built.
Except what we built, which he counts as pride
وَإِنّيand indeed I لَتَرّاكُsurely one who readily forsakes الضَغينَةِrancor قَدalready بَداhas appeared
وَإِنّي لَتَرّاكُ الضَغينَةِ قَد بَدا
ثَراهاits traces مِنَfrom المَولىa kinsman فَلاso not أَستَثيرُهاI stir it up
ثَراها مِنَ المَولى فَلا أَستَثيرُها
And I readily leave rancor alone, though
And I hold back my hatred which has appeared
its traces have appeared in a kinsman; I do not stir it up,
From my Master, so I do not provoke it
مَخافَةَfor fear أَنthat تَجنيit brings harm عَلَيَّupon me وَإِنَّماand only
مَخافَةَ أَن تَجني عَلَيَّ وَإِنَّما
يَهيجُrouses كَبيراتِthe great ones of الأُمورِaffairs صَغيرُهاtheir small ones
يَهيجُ كَبيراتِ الأُمورِ صَغيرُها
for fear it should harm me; it is only
Fearing it will bring me harm, though only
small affairs that stir up great ones.
Minor matters provoke momentous ones
إِذاwhen قيلَتِis uttered العَوراءُan offensive word وَلّيتُI turn over سَمعَهاthe hearing of it
إِذا قيلَتِ العَوراءُ وَلّيتُ سَمعَها
سِوايَsomeone other than me وَلَمand did not أَسمَعI listen بِهاto it ماwhat دَبيرُهاits ending
سِوايَ وَلَم أَسمَع بِها ما دَبيرُها
When an offensive word is spoken, I leave its hearing
If the blind says “I wish” I hear it
to someone else, and do not listen to the rest of it.
By myself and do not hear her secret
وَحاجَةِand many a desire of نَفسٍa soul قَدindeed بَلَغتُI have attained وَحاجَةٍand another desire
وَحاجَةِ نَفسٍ قَد بَلَغتُ وَحاجَةٍ
تَرَكتُI left إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle النَفسُthe soul شَحَّgrew covetous ضَميرُهاits inner heart
تَرَكتُ إِذا ما النَفسُ شَحَّ ضَميرُها
And many a soul's desire I have attained, and many another
I fulfilled a soul’s need and left another
I have left, when the soul grew grasping at heart,
When the soul was stingy and narrowed its breast
حَياءًout of modesty وَصَبراًand patience فيin المَواطِنِsituations إِنَّنيindeed I
حَياءً وَصَبراً في المَواطِنِ إِنَّني
حَيِيُّmodest لَدىbefore أَمثالِthe likes of تِلكَthose سَتيرُهاone who conceals them
حَيِيُّ لَدى أَمثالِ تِلكَ سَتيرُها
out of modesty and patience in such situations; indeed, I
Modestly and patiently in precarious places, I
am modest before such things, and keep them veiled.
Am modest with the likes of those and cover it
وَأَحبِسُand I restrain فيin الحَقِّrightful duty الكَريمَةِthe noble soul إِنَّماonly
وَأَحبِسُ في الحَقِّ الكَريمَةِ إِنَّما
يَقومُrises بِحَقِّto the demands of النائِباتِcalamities صَبورُهاtheir steadfast bearer
يَقومُ بِحَقِّ النائِباتِ صَبورُها
And I devote my noble soul to duty; only
And restrain noble deeds, though only
the steadfast bearer of calamities meets their demands.
The patient stand by the rights of deputies
أُحابيI favor بِهاwith it الحَيَّthe clan الَّذيwhich لاnot تُهِمُّهُtroubles it
أُحابي بِها الحَيَّ الَّذي لا تُهِمُّهُ
وَأَحسابَand the honors of أَمواتٍdead men تُعَدُّare counted قُبورُهاtheir graves
وَأَحسابَ أَمواتٍ تُعَدُّ قُبورُها
With it I favor the clan, which it does not trouble,
I befriend the living who are not concerned by them
and the honors of dead men whose graves are counted.
And count the dead whose graves are their homes
أَلَمhave you not تَرَseen أَنّاthat we are نورُthe light of قَومٍa people وَإِنَّماand only
أَلَم تَرَ أَنّا نورُ قَومٍ وَإِنَّما
يُبَيِّنُshines clearly فيin الظُلماءِdarkness لِلنّاسِfor people نورُهاtheir light
يُبَيِّنُ في الظُلماءِ لِلنّاسِ نورُها
Have you not seen that we are a people's light? It is only
Do you not see that we are a people's light even though
their light that shines out for people in darkness.
Our light makes clear to people in the darkness?
Sol 6.1