غإِنِّيindeed I وَإِنْand even if كَانَwas ابْنُson عَمِّيmy paternal uncle كاشِحاًbearing ill will
غإِنِّي وَإِنْ كَانَ ابْنُ عَمِّي كاشِحاً
لَمُزاحِــمٌsurely contending مِـنْfrom دُونِـهِbefore him وَوَرائِهِand behind him
لَمُزاحِــمٌ مِـنْ دُونِـهِ وَوَرائِهِ
Indeed I—even if my paternal cousin harbors rancor—
Indeed I, though my paternal cousin bears me ill will,
am surely one who contends for him, before him and behind him.
surely contend in his defense, before him and behind him.
وَمُمِـدُّهُand supplying him نَصـْرِيmy support وَإِنْand even if كَانَwas امْرَأًa man
وَمُمِـدُّهُ نَصـْرِي وَإِنْ كَانَ امْرَأً
مُتَزَحْزِحـاًkeeping aloof فِـيin أَرْضـِهِhis earth وَسَمائِهِand his sky
مُتَزَحْزِحـاً فِـي أَرْضـِهِ وَسَمائِهِ
And I extend him my aid, even if he is a man
And I lend him my support, though he be a man
unsettled throughout his own earth and sky.
who keeps aloof in his earth and his sky.
وَأَكُـونُand I am مَـأْوىa refuge سـِرِّهِhis secret وَأَصـُونُهُand I safeguard it
وَأَكُـونُ مَـأْوى سـِرِّهِ وَأَصـُونُهُ
حَتَّـىَuntil يَحِـقَّbecomes due عَلَـيَّupon me يَـوْمُthe day أَدائِهِof delivering it
حَتَّـىَ يَحِـقَّ عَلَـيَّ يَـوْمُ أَدائِهِ
I am a refuge for his secret, and I preserve it
And I am a refuge for his secret, and I safeguard it,
until the day for delivering it becomes binding upon me.
until the day comes when I must deliver it.
وَإِذاand when أَتـىhe comes مِـنْfrom غَيْبِهِhis absence بِطَرِيفَةٍwith something new
وَإِذا أَتـى مِـنْ غَيْبِهِ بِطَرِيفَةٍ
لَـمْdid not أَطَّلِـعْI pry مَاذَاwhat وَراءَbehind خِبائِهِhis tent
لَـمْ أَطَّلِـعْ مَاذَا وَراءَ خِبائِهِ
And if he returns from his absence with something novel,
And when he returns from his absence with something new,
I do not peer into what lies behind his tent-curtain.
I do not pry into what lies behind his tent.
وَإِذاand when تَحَيَّفَـتِate away at الْحَـوادِثُmisfortunes مَالَهُhis wealth
وَإِذا تَحَيَّفَـتِ الْحَـوادِثُ مَالَهُ
قُرِنَـتْwas joined صـَحِيحَتُناour healthy she-camel إِلىto جَرْبائِهِhis mangy she-camel
قُرِنَـتْ صـَحِيحَتُنا إِلى جَرْبائِهِ
And if misfortunes eat away at his wealth,
And when misfortunes eat away at his wealth,
our healthy beast is coupled with his mange-stricken one.
our healthy she-camel is joined to his mangy one.
وَإِذاand when تَرَيَّـشَgrew prosperous فِـيin غِناهُhis riches وَفَرْتُهُI left him undiminished
وَإِذا تَرَيَّـشَ فِـي غِناهُ وَفَرْتُهُ
وَإِذاand when تَصـَعْلَكَbecame destitute كُنْتُI was مِنْamong قُرَنائِهِhis companions
وَإِذا تَصـَعْلَكَ كُنْتُ مِنْ قُرَنائِهِ
And if he grows feathered in his wealth, I leave him unburdened;
And when he grows feathered in his riches, I leave him undiminished,
and if he becomes destitute, I am among his peers.
and when he becomes destitute, I am among his companions.
وَإِذاand when غَداhe set out يَوْماًone day لِيَرْكَبَto ride مَرْكَباًa mount
وَإِذا غَدا يَوْماً لِيَرْكَبَ مَرْكَباً
صـَعْباًhard to ride قَعَـدْتُI sat لَهُfor him عَلىupon سِيسائِهِits backbone
صـَعْباً قَعَـدْتُ لَهُ عَلى سِيسائِهِ
And if one day he sets out to ride a mount
And when one day he sets out to ride a mount
that is hard, I take my seat for him upon the ridge of its back.
that is hard to master, I sit for him upon its backbone.
Sol 6.1