كَمhow many لِلمَنازِلِfor the dwellings مِنof عامٍa year وَمِنand of زَمَنٍan age
كَم لِلمَنازِلِ مِن عامٍ وَمِن زَمَنٍ
لِآلِof the household of أَسماءَAsma بِالقُفَّينِat al-Quffayn فَالرُكُنِand then al-Rukun
لِآلِ أَسماءَ بِالقُفَّينِ فَالرُكُنِ
How many years and ages have passed over the dwellings
For how many years have homes stood, and what times
of Asma's household at al-Quffayn and then al-Rukun!
Have passed for houses called Al-Quffayn and Al-Rukn!
لِآلِof the household of أَسماءَAsma إِذwhen هامَwas love-stricken الفُؤادُthe heart بِهاwith love for her
لِآلِ أَسماءَ إِذ هامَ الفُؤادُ بِها
حيناًfor a time وَإِذand when هِيَshe لَمhad not تَظعَنjourneyed away وَلَمand had not تَبِنِdeparted
حيناً وَإِذ هِيَ لَم تَظعَن وَلَم تَبِنِ
Of Asma's household, when my heart was mad with love for her
For houses my heart was inflamed with love
for a time, and when she had neither journeyed away nor departed;
Once, when they were unadorned and unbuilt.
وَإِذand when كِلاناboth of us إِذاwhenever حانَتcame due مُفارَقَةٌa parting
وَإِذ كِلانا إِذا حانَت مُفارَقَةٌ
مِنَfrom الدِيارِthe dwellings طَوىfolded كَشحاًa flank عَلىover حَزَنِsorrow
مِنَ الدِيارِ طَوى كَشحاً عَلى حَزَنِ
and when each of us, whenever parting came
Whenever we had to leave a home, we would fold
from the dwellings, folded a flank over sorrow.
Our sadness like a cloak upon our sorrow.
فَقُلتُso I said وَالدِيارُwhile the dwellings أَحياناًsometimes يَشُطُّcarries far away بِهاwith them
فَقُلتُ وَالدِيارُ أَحياناً يَشُطُّ بِها
صَرفُthe sway of الأَميرِthe ruler عَلىfor مَنone who كانَwas ذاpossessed of شَجَنِgrief
صَرفُ الأَميرِ عَلى مَن كانَ ذا شَجَنِ
So I said—though at times the dwellings are driven far away
I used to say: “The prince’s disposition makes homes
by the ruler's sway, for one burdened with grief—
Joyful at times for whoever is full of yearning.”
لِصاحِبَيَّto my two companions وَقَدand already زالَhad declined النَهارُthe day بِناover us
لِصاحِبَيَّ وَقَد زالَ النَهارُ بِنا
هَلdo تُؤنِسانِyou two discern بِبَطنِin the hollow of الجَوِّal-Jaww مِنany ظُعُنِwomen in camel-litters
هَل تُؤنِسانِ بِبَطنِ الجَوِّ مِن ظُعُنِ
to my two companions, as the day declined over us:
I said to my two companions, when the day left us:
Do you two discern any women in camel-litters in the hollow of al-Jaww?
“Will you cheer me with your company in the thick air?”
قَدindeed نَكَّبَتhas skirted ماءَthe watering-place of شَرجٍSharj عَنaway from شَمائِلِهاtheir left sides
قَد نَكَّبَت ماءَ شَرجٍ عَن شَمائِلِها
وَجَوُّand the plain of سَلمىSalma عَلىon أَركانِهاtheir flanks اليُمُنِright-hand
وَجَوُّ سَلمى عَلى أَركانِها اليُمُنِ
They have left Sharj's watering-place to their left,
The water of Sharj turned away from its channels,
with Jaww Salma on their right flanks.
And the atmosphere of Salma hung over its soft dunes.
يَقطَعنَthey cross أَميالَmiles of أَجوازِthe middle reaches of الفَلاةِthe wilderness كَماas
يَقطَعنَ أَميالَ أَجوازِ الفَلاةِ كَما
يَغشىenters النَواتيthe sailors غِمارَthe depths of اللُجِّthe open sea بِالسُفُنِin ships
يَغشى النَواتي غِمارَ اللُجِّ بِالسُفُنِ
They cross miles through the heart of the wilderness, as
They cross miles of the empty quarter’s expanses
sailors enter the depths of the open sea in ships.
As clouds cover the stars with their dense fog.
يَخفِضُهاlowers them الآلُthe mirage طَوراًat times ثُمَّthen يَرفَعُهاraises them
يَخفِضُها الآلُ طَوراً ثُمَّ يَرفَعُها
كَالدَومِlike doum palms يَعمِدنَthey head لِلأَشرافِtoward the heights أَوor قَطَنِQatan
كَالدَومِ يَعمِدنَ لِلأَشرافِ أَو قَطَنِ
At times the mirage lowers them, then raises them,
The camels lower them at times then raise them up
like doum palms, heading for the heights or Qatan.
Like the cubic blocks set down or lifted to heights.
أَلَمhave you not تَرَseen اِبنَthe son of سِنانٍSinan كَيفَhow فَضَّلَهُhas exalted him
أَلَم تَرَ اِبنَ سِنانٍ كَيفَ فَضَّلَهُ
ماwhat يَشتَريhe purchases فيهِwith it حَمدَthe praise of الناسِthe people بِالثَمَنِat a price
ما يَشتَري فيهِ حَمدَ الناسِ بِالثَمَنِ
Have you not seen Ibn Sinan, how he has been exalted
Have you not seen Ibn Sinan, how excellent
by his buying people's praise at a price,
Are the things his money buys, people’s praise his price,
وَحَبسُهُand his holding نَفسَهُhimself فيin كُلِّevery مَنزِلَةٍposition
وَحَبسُهُ نَفسَهُ في كُلِّ مَنزِلَةٍ
يَكرَهُهاdread it الجُبَناءُthe cowards الضاقَةُlimited in العَطَنِendurance
يَكرَهُها الجُبَناءُ الضاقَةُ العَطَنِ
and by holding his ground in every position
How he keeps himself in every valued place
that cowards of scant endurance dread?
The cowardly and tight-fisted find confined and narrow,
حَيثُwhere تُرىare seen الخَيلُthe horses بِالأَبطالِwith champions عابِسَةًgrim-faced
حَيثُ تُرى الخَيلُ بِالأَبطالِ عابِسَةً
يَنهَضنَthey advance بِالهُندُوانِيّاتِwith Indian swords وَالجُنَنِand shields
يَنهَضنَ بِالهُندُوانِيّاتِ وَالجُنَنِ
Where horses are seen grim-faced, bearing champions,
Where you see the horses snarling with the heroes
advancing with Indian swords and shields,
Charging with the slender Indian swords unsheathed,
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen ماan emphatic particle اِلتَقىmet الجَمعانِthe two hosts وَاِختَلَفواand exchanged
حَتّى إِذا ما اِلتَقى الجَمعانِ وَاِختَلَفوا
ضَرباًblows كَنَحتِlike the hewing of جُذوعِtrunks of النَخلِthe date palms بِالسَفَنِwith adzes
ضَرباً كَنَحتِ جُذوعِ النَخلِ بِالسَفَنِ
until, when the two hosts meet and exchange
Until the two assemblies meet and do battle,
blows like the hewing of palm trunks with adzes,
Striking like palm trunks clashing with the ships at sea,
يُغادِرُhe leaves القِرنَthe opponent مُصفَرّاًyellowed أَنامِلُهُhis fingertips
يُغادِرُ القِرنَ مُصفَرّاً أَنامِلُهُ
يَميلُhe sways فيon الرُمحِthe spear مَيلَlike the swaying of المائِحِthe bucket-filler in a well الأَسِنِdizzy from foul well-air
يَميلُ في الرُمحِ مَيلَ المائِحِ الأَسِنِ
he leaves his opponent with yellowed fingertips,
The spear makes its wrist wither and turn yellow,
swaying on the spear like a well-water drawer dizzy from foul air.
Inclining in the spear-shaft like the bending branch.
تَاللَهِby God قَدindeed عَلِمَتhas known قَيسٌQays إِذاwhen قَذَفَتhurled
تَاللَهِ قَد عَلِمَت قَيسٌ إِذا قَذَفَت
ريحُthe wind of الشِتاءِwinter بُيوتَthe tents of الحَيِّthe tribe بِالعُنَنِwith crosswise blasts
ريحُ الشِتاءِ بُيوتَ الحَيِّ بِالعُنَنِ
By God, Qays has indeed learned, when
By God, Qays knew well when the wintry blast
the winter wind buffets the tribe's tents with crosswise blasts,
Pelted the tribe’s houses with burning hot coal
أَنthat نِعمَexcellent is مُعتَرَكُa gathering-place for الحَيِّthe tribe الجِياعِthe hungry إِذاwhen
أَن نِعمَ مُعتَرَكُ الحَيِّ الجِياعِ إِذا
خَبَّscurried السَفيرُthe dry fallen leaves وَمَأوىand a refuge for البائِسِthe wretched one البَطِنِthe famished one
خَبَّ السَفيرُ وَمَأوى البائِسِ البَطِنِ
that a splendid gathering-place for hungry tribesfolk, when
That the welcome fray for the hungry tribe occurred
dry leaves scurry—and a refuge for the wretched and famished—
When the envoy despaired and the pauper’s stomach clenched,
مَنone who لاnot يُذابُis melted لَهُfor him شَحمُthe fat of النَصيبِthe allotted share إِذاwhen
مَن لا يُذابُ لَهُ شَحمُ النَصيبِ إِذا
زارَvisited الشِتاءُwinter وَعَزَّتand grew dear أَثمُنُthe prices of البُدُنِfattened camels
زارَ الشِتاءُ وَعَزَّت أَثمُنُ البُدُنِ
is he for whom no fat from his allotted share is melted,
When no fat from the rich man’s share would be melted
when winter visits and the prices of fattened camels soar.
For him if winter came and food prices were dear,
يَطلُبُhe pursues بِالوِترِfor blood-vengeance أَقواماًpeoples فَيُدرِكُهُمand so overtakes them
يَطلُبُ بِالوِترِ أَقواماً فَيُدرِكُهُم
حيناًin time وَلاand not يُدرِكُattain victory الأَعداءُthe enemies بِالدِمَنِthrough old grudges
حيناً وَلا يُدرِكُ الأَعداءُ بِالدِمَنِ
He pursues peoples for vengeance and overtakes them
When he seeks men by night and finds them,
in time; enemies cannot prevail through old grudges.
While enemies cannot be found by blood-price during day.
وَمَنand whoever يُحارِبfights يَجِدهُfinds him غَيرَnot مُضطَهَدٍoverpowered
وَمَن يُحارِب يَجِدهُ غَيرَ مُضطَهَدٍ
يُربيhe surpasses عَلىbeyond بِغضَةِthe hatred of الأَعداءِthe enemies بِالطَبَنِthrough shrewdness
يُربي عَلى بِغضَةِ الأَعداءِ بِالطَبَنِ
And whoever fights him finds him unsubdued,
And he who is fought will be found not downtrodden,
outmatching his enemies' hatred with shrewdness.
Nurtured in enmity for enemies openly.
هَنّاكَmay He gladden you رَبُّكَyour Lord ماwhat أَعطاكَHe has given you مِنof حَسَنٍgoodness
هَنّاكَ رَبُّكَ ما أَعطاكَ مِن حَسَنٍ
وَحَيثُماand wherever يَكُthere is أَمرٌa matter صالِحٌgood فَكُنِthen be there
وَحَيثُما يَكُ أَمرٌ صالِحٌ فَكُنِ
May your Lord give you joy in the good He has given you,
There, your Lord did not give you any goodness
and wherever there is a good cause, be there.
Wherever a proper matter was, be involved.
إِنif تُؤتِهِyou give him النُصحَsincere counsel يوجَدhe is found لاnot يُضَيِّعُهُhe neglects it
إِن تُؤتِهِ النُصحَ يوجَد لا يُضَيِّعُهُ
وَبِالأَمانَةِand in matters of trust لَمhas not يَغدُرacted treacherously وَلَمand has not يَخُنِbetrayed
وَبِالأَمانَةِ لَم يَغدُر وَلَم يَخُنِ
If you give him sincere counsel, he is found not to neglect it;
If you give him advice, you will find he does not waste it,
and in matters of trust, he has neither acted treacherously nor betrayed.
With trust he will not betray, or be disloyal.
Sol 6.1