سوايَsomeone other than me استمالتْهُbeguiled him الظّباءُthe gazelles الأوانِسُthe companionable ones
سوايَ استمالتْهُ الظّباءُ الأوانِسُ
وغيريand someone other than me لهfor him فيin غيرother than مجدglory تنافُسrivalry
وغيري له في غير مجد تنافُس
The companionable gazelles have beguiled someone other than me;
Our cousins! When they walk, they smell the heights, and time bows down.
Another, not I, vies for something other than glory.
Our cousins! They are the first to be guided when the lost camel wanders in the expanse of desert and gloomy night.
سقىmay water الوَدْقُthe rain منamong أبناءthe sons of هاشمHashim نبعةًa tree-shoot
سقى الوَدْقُ من أبناء هاشم نبعةً
نمتناraised us إِلىto العلياءthe heights of glory منهاfrom it مغارسُplanted stocks
نمتنا إِلى العلياء منها مغارسُ
May the rain water a shoot among the sons of Hashim,
Our cousins! They are the foremost whose mention has scented the gatherings in the pulsating hearts.
Whose planted stock has raised us to the heights.
Our cousins! Patience over time, for I see that time is hostile to the free.
فلمso did not نتخذwe take غيرother than السماكSimak مُنادِماًa drinking companion
فلم نتخذ غير السماك مُنادِماً
وماand not راقناpleased us غيرother than الثريّاthe Pleiades مُجالِسُa companion
وما راقنا غير الثريّا مُجالِسُ
So we have taken none but Simak as a drinking companion,
So we are not of those whose glory diminishes when destitute, or held cheap by days when impoverished.
And only the Pleiades have pleased us as company.
Rather we are the chiefs of Hashim, for whom plaited hair ornaments are adorned.
ولمand did not تُصْبِناcaptivate us الأقمارُthe moons وهيthough they are كواملfull
ولم تُصْبِنا الأقمارُ وهي كوامل
ولمand did not تُصْمِناslay us الألحاظthe glances وهيthough they are نواعسlanguid
ولم تُصْمِنا الألحاظ وهي نواعس
And the moons have not captivated us, though they are full,
The memory of them delights us whenever the morning of darkness splits open its eyelids at dawn.
Nor have glances slain us, though they are languid.
As the tidings delighted with the coming of the most generous, that valiant, red knight.
ولمand did not يفَreach full stature مناamong us غيرother than شهمٍa gallant man غشمشمdauntless
ولم يفَ منا غير شهمٍ غشمشم
يفوقُtowers علىabove الجوزاءOrion حينَwhen يقايَسُis compared
يفوقُ على الجوزاء حينَ يقايَسُ
And none among us has reached full stature but a gallant, dauntless man,
Noble upon the summit, dressed in clothes of awe.
Who towers above Orion when compared.
The clouds of sky mime his gait, and the lion of the thicket resembles him while seated.
تهونُbecome easy to bear عليناfor us النائباتmisfortunes شهامةthrough courage
تهونُ علينا النائبات شهامة
وتفترand abate حيثwhere الجوّthe sky أغبرdust-gray عابسfrowning
وتفتر حيث الجوّ أغبر عابس
Misfortunes are easy for us to bear through courage,
He has the fragrance of lineage and beauty of character, and his morals are a meadow wherein the branch is bending.
And they abate where the sky is dust-gray and frowning.
Rather, what meadows adorned with flowers bowing over, lit by the light of its Lord without shadows.
فلاso not نعتبwe reproach الأيامthe days والدهرthough Time حاسدٌis envious
فلا نعتب الأيام والدهر حاسدٌ
ولاand not نشكرwe thank الخطيّthe Khatti spear واللّهwhile God حارسis a guardian
ولا نشكر الخطيّ واللّه حارس
So we do not reproach the days, though Time is envious,
It rises with the falling dew at dawn, and we drink from it at dusk, worries gone.
Nor thank the Khatti spear, for God is our guardian.
It has a stream like white, gleaming leather, and when the sun sets it is yellow and flowing.
وحسبُand enough الفتىa young man منfrom دهرهhis lifetime طيبُnobility of محتدٍancestral stock
وحسبُ الفتى من دهره طيبُ محتدٍ
وإِحرازand attainment of آدابrefinement وَخِلٌand a friend مجانسlike-minded
وإِحراز آداب وَخِلٌ مجانس
Enough for a young man in his lifetime is noble stock,
It ran above pebbles that stir beneath it, as worries stirred among the ribs.
And the attainment of refinement, and a congenial friend.
And it was girdled with the ears of branches in its meadow, pendant fruits to the flowers congregated.
بنيO sons of عمناour uncle نحنwe السَرَاةُthe nobles إِذاwhen مشواthey walk
بني عمنا نحن السَرَاةُ إِذا مشوا
يشمّواthey hold their heads high إِلىtoward العلياءthe heights of glory والدهرwhile Time ناكِسُhangs its head
يشمّوا إِلى العلياء والدهر ناكِسُ
Our cousins, we are the nobles who, when they walk,
With the most fragrant character and creation, in a state of which no companions sang.
Lift their heads toward glory, though Time hangs its head.
O you who has in every glory an appointed lofty mansion on the Shu'ra plateau that arrests,
بنيO sons of عمناour uncle نحنwe الأولىthose who يُهْتَديis guided بهمby them
بني عمنا نحن الأولى يُهْتَدي بهم
ضليلُa lost wanderer القَطاsandgrouse فيin القفرthe wilderness والليلwhile the night دامِسُis pitch-dark
ضليلُ القَطا في القفر والليل دامِسُ
Our cousins, we are those who guide
To you from a mind full of intrepidity this poem has come, steeds of words briskly charging.
Lost sandgrouse in the wilderness, when the night is pitch-dark.
Pure Arabism, alive as the loveliness of a canal, has been brought to you as a bride is brought to her equal.
بنيO sons of عمناour uncle نحنwe الأولىthose who قدindeed تعطّرتhave been perfumed
بني عمنا نحن الأولى قد تعطّرت
بذكرهمby their remembrance فيin الخافقينEast and West المجالسthe gatherings
بذكرهم في الخافقين المجالس
Our cousins, we are those who have perfumed
You have remained for the heights the destination of its ode throughout time, not encumbered by schools.
The gatherings in East and West with their remembrance.
بنيO sons of عمناour uncle صَبْراًpatience! علىwith الدهرTime فالذيfor what
بني عمنا صَبْراً على الدهر فالذي
أراهI see it بأنthat الدهرTime للحرto the noble man ضارسis biting
أراه بأن الدهر للحر ضارس
Our cousins, bear Time patiently, for what
I see is that Time bites the noble man.
فماso not نحنwe ممنamong those who عزّwas honored إِذwhen هوhe موسرٌwas wealthy
فما نحن ممن عزّ إِذ هو موسرٌ
وهانand was held cheap علىto الأيامthe days إِذwhen هوhe بائسwas destitute
وهان على الأيام إِذ هو بائس
We are not among those honored while wealthy,
And held cheap by the days when destitute.
وماand not نحنwe إِلاّexcept منamong صناديدthe foremost warriors of هاشمHashim
وما نحن إِلاّ من صناديد هاشم
لناwe have شَمَمٌlofty pride تزدانُare adorned منهby it المعاطِسُthe noses
لنا شَمَمٌ تزدانُ منه المعاطِسُ
We are none but Hashim's foremost warriors;
Ours is a proud loftiness that adorns our noses.
تَلذُّis sweet لناto us ذكرَاهُمُtheir remembrance كلّماwhenever بَداappears
تَلذُّ لنا ذكرَاهُمُ كلّما بَدا
صباحُa dawn دجىdarkness تنشقّsplits apart عنهaway from it الحَنادسdeep darknesses
صباحُ دجى تنشقّ عنه الحَنادس
Their remembrance is sweet to us whenever there appears
A dawn from the gloom, from which deep darkness parts,
كماjust as لذّتwas sweet البشرىthe glad tidings بأكرمof the noblest قادمnewcomer
كما لذّت البشرى بأكرم قادم
وذاكand that one هوhe الشهمthe gallant man السُّمَيْدَعُthe noble chief فارسFaris
وذاك هو الشهم السُّمَيْدَعُ فارس
Just as the tidings of the noblest newcomer were sweet;
And that is the gallant, noble chief, Faris.
كريمgenerous علىupon هامthe crowns of السماكينthe two Simak stars نازلalighting
كريم على هام السماكين نازل
وقورdignified لأثوابin robes of المهابةawe لابسُclothed
وقور لأثواب المهابة لابسُ
A generous man alighting on the crowns of the two Simak stars,
Dignified, wearing the robes of awe.
تحاكيهimitate him سُحْبthe clouds of الجوthe sky حالduring مسيرهhis journey
تحاكيه سُحْب الجو حال مسيره
وتشبههُand resemble him أُسْدُthe lions of الشَرىShara وهوwhile he is جالِسُseated
وتشبههُ أُسْدُ الشَرى وهو جالِسُ
The clouds of the sky imitate him as he travels,
And the lions of Shara resemble him as he sits.
لهhe has طيبُnobility of أعراقancestral roots وحُسْنُand beauty of خلائقqualities
له طيبُ أعراق وحُسْنُ خلائق
وأخلاقهand his character روضٌa garden بهin it الغُصْنُthe branch مائسُswaying
وأخلاقه روضٌ به الغُصْنُ مائسُ
His ancestral roots are noble and his qualities fair,
And his character is a garden where the branch sways.
بلىindeed ماnot رياضٌgardens كلَّلcrowned الزهرthe blossoms دَوْحَهاtheir spreading trees
بلى ما رياضٌ كلَّل الزهر دَوْحَها
ونورand the blossoms of ربُاهاtheir knolls ماnot تغشاهcover it لامِسone who touches
ونور ربُاها ما تغشاه لامِس
Indeed, no gardens—whose spreading trees are crowned with blossoms,
And whose hilltop blossoms no hand has touched,
تَعُلُّdrink again بسَقطwith falling drops of الطَلّdew عندat بكورهاtheir early morning
تَعُلُّ بسَقط الطَلّ عند بكورها
وننهلهاand we give them a first draught عندat العشيّevening البواجسgushing waters
وننهلها عند العشيّ البواجس
Which drink again of falling dew in the early morning,
And which we give a first draught of gushing water at evening,
لهاthey have جدولa stream كالأديمlike a hide أبيضwhite ناصِعgleaming
لها جدول كالأديم أبيض ناصِع
وعندand at سقوطthe sinking of الشمسthe sun أصفرyellow وارسwars-dyed
وعند سقوط الشمس أصفر وارس
With a stream like a hide, white and gleaming,
And at sunset, yellow as wars-dye,
جرىflowed فوقover حصباءpebbles تُقلقَلare stirred تحتهbeneath it
جرى فوق حصباء تُقلقَل تحته
كماas قلقلتwere stirred بينbetween الضلوعthe ribs الهواجسanxious thoughts
كما قلقلت بين الضلوع الهواجس
Flowing over pebbles stirred beneath it,
As anxious thoughts are stirred between the ribs,
ونيطتand were hung بآذانfrom the ears of الغصونthe branches بدَوْحهاin their spreading trees
ونيطت بآذان الغصون بدَوْحها
شنوفearrings سقيطfallen dew للزهورwith the blossoms تجانسharmonize
شنوف سقيط للزهور تجانس
And where, from the ears of branches in their spreading trees, hang
Dewdrop earrings matching the blossoms—
بأطيبَany sweeter منهthan him أوْor بأبهىany more splendid خلائقاًin character
بأطيبَ منه أوْ بأبهى خلائقاً
وخلقاًand in form بحالin any way ماas long as تغنتsing أوانسcompanionable maidens
وخلقاً بحال ما تغنت أوانس
Are sweeter than he, or more splendid in character
And form, at all, as long as companionable maidens sing.
أياO منyou who لهfor him فيin كلevery مجدglory موثَّلfirmly rooted
أيا من له في كل مجد موثَّل
رواقa pavilion علىabove الشعْرىShi‘ra الغميْصاءthe dim-eyed حابسُconfining
رواق على الشعْرى الغميْصاء حابسُ
O you who possess, in every firmly rooted glory,
A pavilion holding dim-eyed Shi‘ra beneath it,
إِليكto you بهاwith her منfrom خدْرthe secluded chamber of فكرa thought مكفّلnurtured
إِليك بها من خدْر فكر مكفّل
بروضin a meadow of جيادfine steeds of القولspeech وهيthough they are شوامسuntamed
بروض جياد القول وهي شوامس
I bring her to you from the bower of a thought nurtured
In a meadow of the steeds of speech, untamed though they are.
عَرُوبةa loving bride حيّa tribe كالقناةlike a spear-shaft زففتهاI led her as a bride
عَرُوبة حيّ كالقناة زففتها
إليكto you كماjust as زُفّتْwere led in bridal procession لكفءto a fitting match عرائسbrides
إليك كما زُفّتْ لكفء عرائس
A loving bride of the tribe, straight as a spear-shaft, I have led her
To you, as brides are led to a fitting match.
فلاso may not زلتyou cease للعلياءfor glory بيتthe finest verse of قصيدهاits ode
فلا زلت للعلياء بيت قصيدها
مدىthroughout الدهرtime ماas long as طنّتresound بعلمwith learning مدارسschools
مدى الدهر ما طنّت بعلم مدارس
So may you remain the finest verse in glory's ode,
For all time, as long as schools resound with learning.
Partial English translation: 21 of 58 Arabic lines translated.