لِمَنِwhose الدِيارُthe dwellings بِقُنَّةِon the summit of الحِجرِal-Hijr
لِمَنِ الدِيارُ بِقُنَّةِ الحِجرِ
أَقوَينَhave become deserted مِنfor حِجَجِyears وَمِنand for شَهرِa month
أَقوَينَ مِن حِجَجِ وَمِن شَهرِ
Whose are the dwellings on the summit of al-Hijr,
deserted for years and a month?
لَعِبَtoyed الزَمانُtime بِهاwith them وَغَيَّرَهاand changed them
لَعِبَ الزَمانُ بِها وَغَيَّرَها
بَعديsince I left سَوافيsweeping winds المورِdust وَالقَطرِand rain
بَعدي سَوافي المورِ وَالقَطرِ
Time has toyed with them; they have been changed,
since I left, by sweeping gusts of dust and rain.
قَفراًdesolate بِمُندَفَعِat the outflow of النَحائِتِal-Naha'it مِنfrom
قَفراً بِمُندَفَعِ النَحائِتِ مِن
ضَفوىDafwa أُلاتِpossessing الضالِwild lote trees وَالسِدرِand sidr trees
ضَفوى أُلاتِ الضالِ وَالسِدرِ
Desolate, at the outflow of al-Naha'it, from
Dafwa, with its wild lote and sidr trees.
دَعleave ذاthat وَعَدِّand turn القَولَthe discourse فيto هَرَمٍHaram
دَع ذا وَعَدِّ القَولَ في هَرَمٍ
خَيرِbest of البُداةِthe nomads وَسَيِّدِand lord of الحَضرِthe settled folk
خَيرِ البُداةِ وَسَيِّدِ الحَضرِ
Leave that; turn your words to Haram,
best of the nomads and lord of the settled folk.
تَاللَهِby God قَدindeed عَلِمَتknew سَراةُthe chiefs of بَنيthe sons of
تَاللَهِ قَد عَلِمَت سَراةُ بَني
ذُبيانَDhubyan عامَin the year of الحَبسِdearth وَالأَصرِand distress
ذُبيانَ عامَ الحَبسِ وَالأَصرِ
By God, it was well known to the chiefs of the sons of
Dhubyan, in the year of dearth and distress,
أَنthat نِعمَexcellent is مُعتَرَكُthe gathering-place of الجِياعِthe hungry إِذاwhen
أَن نِعمَ مُعتَرَكُ الجِياعِ إِذا
خَبَّhastens السَفيرُthe windblown leaves وَسابِئُand the buyer of الخَمرِwine
خَبَّ السَفيرُ وَسابِئُ الخَمرِ
that you are a fine gathering-place for the hungry, when
windblown leaves scurry, and the wine-buyer hastens.
وَلَنِعمَand excellent indeed is حَشوُthe wearer of الدِرعِthe coat of mail أَنتَyou إِذاwhen
وَلَنِعمَ حَشوُ الدِرعِ أَنتَ إِذا
دُعِيَتis called نَزالِcome to battle! وَلُجَّand matters are pressed فيamid الذُعرِterror
دُعِيَت نَزالِ وَلُجَّ في الذُعرِ
And how well you fill a coat of mail, when
the cry 'To battle!' is raised and terror rages.
حاميdefender of الذِمارِhonor عَلىwith مُحافَظَةِvigilance over الthe
حامي الذِمارِ عَلى مُحافَظَةِ ال
جُلّىgravest crisis أَمينُtrustworthy مُغَيَّبِwhat is hidden in الصَدرِthe breast
جُلّى أَمينُ مُغَيَّبِ الصَدرِ
Defender of honor, vigilant in the
gravest crisis, trustworthy in your heart's hidden depths.
حَدِبٌcompassionate عَلىtoward المَولىthe dependent ally الضَريكِthe destitute إِذاwhen
حَدِبٌ عَلى المَولى الضَريكِ إِذا
نابَتbefell عَلَيهِhim نَوائِبُthe calamities of الدَهرِtime
نابَت عَلَيهِ نَوائِبُ الدَهرِ
Compassionate toward the destitute dependent, when
the calamities of time befall him.
وَمُرَهَّقُand thronged at النيرانِthe fires يُحمَدُis praised فيin الthe
وَمُرَهَّقُ النيرانِ يُحمَدُ في ال
لَأواءِhardship غَيرُnot مَلَعَّنِmuch cursed القِدرِthe cooking pot
لَأواءِ غَيرُ مَلَعَّنِ القِدرِ
And your fires are thronged; you are praised amid
hardship, your cooking pot never cursed.
وَيَقيكَand protects you ماwhat وَقّىhas protected الأَكارِمَthe noble مِنfrom
وَيَقيكَ ما وَقّى الأَكارِمَ مِن
حوبٍguilt تُسَبُّyou are reviled بِهِfor it وَمِنand from غَدرِtreachery
حوبٍ تُسَبُّ بِهِ وَمِن غَدرِ
And what has protected the noble protects you from
guilt for which you would be reviled, and from treachery.
وَإِذاand when بَرَزتَyou come forth بِهِto meet him بَرَزتَyou come forth إِلىtoward
وَإِذا بَرَزتَ بِهِ بَرَزتَ إِلى
ضافيample in الخَليقَةِcharacter طَيِّبِgood in الخُبرِtested character
ضافي الخَليقَةِ طَيِّبِ الخُبرِ
And when you come out to meet him, you come before
a man of generous nature and proven goodness,
مُتَصَرِّفٍresourceful لِلمَجدِin seeking glory مُعتَرِفٍsteadfast in facing
مُتَصَرِّفٍ لِلمَجدِ مُعتَرِفٍ
لِلنائِباتِadversities يَراحُrejoices لِلذِكرِin renown
لِلنائِباتِ يَراحُ لِلذِكرِ
resourceful in pursuing glory, steadfast
in facing calamities, rejoicing in renown,
جَلدٍstout-hearted يَحُثُّurges عَلىtoward الجَميعِunity إِذاwhen
جَلدٍ يَحُثُّ عَلى الجَميعِ إِذا
كَرِهَshrinks from الظَنونُthe irresolute man جَوامِعَthe weighty concerns of الأَمرِaffairs
كَرِهَ الظَنونُ جَوامِعَ الأَمرِ
stout-hearted, urging unity, when
the irresolute man shrinks from weighty affairs.
فَلَأَنتَfor you indeed تَفريcut to shape ماwhat خَلَقتَyou measured out وَبَعضُand some of
فَلَأَنتَ تَفري ما خَلَقتَ وَبَعضُ
القَومِthe people يَخلُقُmeasure out ثُمَّthen لاdo not يَفريcut
القَومِ يَخلُقُ ثُمَّ لا يَفري
For you cut out what you have measured, while some
men measure, then never cut.
وَلَأَنتَand you indeed أَشجَعُare braver حينَwhen تَتَّجِهُface one another الthe
وَلَأَنتَ أَشجَعُ حينَ تَتَّجِهُ ال
أَبطالُchampions مِنthan لَيثٍa lion أَبيfather of أَجريcubs
أَبطالُ مِن لَيثٍ أَبي أَجري
And you are braver, at the encounter of the
champions, than a lion, father of cubs,
وَردٍtawny عُراضِbroad in الساعِدينَboth forelegs حَديدِsharp in
وَردٍ عُراضِ الساعِدينَ حَديدِ
النابِfang بَينَamong ضَراغِمٍlions غُثرِdust-gray
النابِ بَينَ ضَراغِمٍ غُثرِ
tawny, broad in both forelegs, sharp of
fang, among dust-gray lions.
يَصطادُhunts أَحدانَlone individuals among الرِجالِmen فَماso never
يَصطادُ أَحدانَ الرِجالِ فَما
تَنفَكُّcease to be أَجريهِhis cubs عَلىwith ذُخرِstored provisions
تَنفَكُّ أَجريهِ عَلى ذُخرِ
He hunts lone men, so never
do his cubs lack stored provisions.
وَالسِترُand a veil دونَbefore الفاحِشاتِshameful deeds وَماbut no
وَالسِترُ دونَ الفاحِشاتِ وَما
يَلقاكَmeets you دونَbefore الخَيرِgoodness مِنany سِترِveil
يَلقاكَ دونَ الخَيرِ مِن سِترِ
A veil stands before shameful deeds, but no
veil bars your path to goodness.
أُثنيI bestow praise عَلَيكَupon you بِماfor what عَلِمتُI know وَماand what
أُثني عَلَيكَ بِما عَلِمتُ وَما
سَلَّفتَyou have done before فيin النَجَداتِdeeds of valor وَالذِكرِand renown
سَلَّفتَ في النَجَداتِ وَالذِكرِ
I praise you for what I know, and for what
you have done before in deeds of valor and renown.
لَوif كُنتَyou were مِنof شَيءٍanything سِوىother than بَشَرٍa human
لَو كُنتَ مِن شَيءٍ سِوى بَشَرٍ
كُنتَyou would be المُنَوِّرَthe illuminator لَيلَةَon the night of البَدرِthe full moon
كُنتَ المُنَوِّرَ لَيلَةَ البَدرِ
Had you been anything other than human,
you would have been the light of the full-moon night.
Sol 6.1