إِنَّاindeed we إِذَاwhen جَارَacted unjustly الزَّمانُTime وَسَامَناand subjected us
إِنَّا إِذَا جَارَ الزَّمانُ وَسَامَنا
ظُلْماًinjustice وجَشَّمَناand burdened us with رُكُوبَenduring الحَيْفِoppression
ظُلْماً وجَشَّمَنا رُكُوبَ الحَيْفِ
Indeed, when Time wrongs us and subjects us
Indeed, when Time wrongs us and inflicts upon us
to oppression, making us mount injustice,
injustice, forcing us to endure oppression,
لُذْنَاwe took refuge علىdespite بُعْدِthe distance of الديارِthe lands بجَانبٍat a sheltering side
لُذْنَا على بُعْدِ الديارِ بجَانبٍ
حَسَنٍgracious يُذَمُّis pledged as protection علىagainst الشتاwinter والصيفِand summer
حَسَنٍ يُذَمُّ على الشتا والصيفِ
we seek refuge—though the homelands lie far away—beside
we take refuge, though the lands are distant, in a haven
Hasan, who is censured in winter and summer:
gracious, pledged to protect against winter and summer:
دِفءٌwarmth إذاwhen ماemphatic particle القَرُّthe bitter cold عَضَّbit ونَاسِمٌand a breeze
دِفءٌ إذا ما القَرُّ عَضَّ ونَاسِمٌ
صَرَدٌcool إذاwhen ماemphatic particle فَارَseethed وهجُheat الهَيْفِthe scorching wind
صَرَدٌ إذا ما فَارَ وهجُ الهَيْفِ
warmth when biting cold sinks in its fang,
warmth when bitter cold bites, and a breeze
and a piercing chill when the blaze of noonday heat boils;
cool when the scorching wind's heat seethes;
وَنَدًىand dew-like bounty إذاwhen ماemphatic particle كانwas عَامٌa year مُجْدِبٌbarren
وَنَدًى إذا ما كان عَامٌ مُجْدِبٌ
واستثقلَand found burdensome الطائيُّal-Ta'i ذِكْرَmention of الضَّيْفِthe guest
واستثقلَ الطائيُّ ذِكْرَ الضَّيْفِ
and bounty when the year has grown barren
and dew-like bounty when the year is barren
and al-Ṭāʾī finds the very mention of a guest burdensome.
and al-Ta'i finds mention of a guest burdensome.
لاnot يملكُcan find المرتادُthe seeker بينbetween جِنَابِهِhis precincts
لا يملكُ المرتادُ بين جِنَابِهِ
فَرْقاًa difference وبينand between مَغَاصِthe diving grounds of أُمِّUmm الشيفِal-Shayf
فَرْقاً وبين مَغَاصِ أُمِّ الشيفِ
The seeker arriving at his precinct cannot distinguish
The seeker cannot find, between his precincts
between it and the ford of Umm al-Khayf.
and the diving grounds of Umm al-Shayf, any difference.
يعتدُّregards إعطاءَgiving المِئينِhundreds كَوَامِلاًin full
يعتدُّ إعطاءَ المِئينِ كَوَامِلاً
نقصاًa shortfall فيكملُso he completes عَدَّهنَّtheir count بِنيفِwith extra
نقصاً فيكملُ عَدَّهنَّ بِنيفِ
He counts the giving of full hundreds
He deems the giving of full hundreds
as a shortfall, and completes their number with a thousand.
a shortfall, so completes their count with extra.
لاnot يَطْلُبُseeks العِلاَّتِexcuses إنif تنزلْyou alight بهِwith him
لا يَطْلُبُ العِلاَّتِ إن تنزلْ بهِ
فيin دَفْعِwarding off نَائِبةٍa calamity بِلمْwith 'why?' وبكَيْفِand with 'how?'
في دَفْعِ نَائِبةٍ بِلمْ وبكَيْفِ
He seeks no excuses if you lodge with him
He seeks no excuses if you come to him
when warding off calamity—no “why?” and no “how?”
to ward off calamity—no 'why?' or 'how?'
وِرْدِيmy watering place إِذَاwhen ماemphatic particle كانَthere is يومَa day of كريهةٍbattle
وِرْدِي إِذَا ما كانَ يومَ كريهةٍ
ودُعِيand the call was raised بحيَّwith 'Come!' علىto قِراعِthe clashing of السَّيْفِthe sword
ودُعِي بحيَّ على قِراعِ السَّيْفِ
He is my support when the day is a day of battle
My watering place when a day of battle comes
and the cry goes up: “Hasten to the clashing of swords!”
and the call goes up, 'Come to the clash of swords!'
مَوْلَىlord of مَوَاليthe lords of تغلبَTaghlib ابنةِdaughter of وَائلٍWa'il
مَوْلَى مَوَالي تغلبَ ابنةِ وَائلٍ
وحُسَامُand the sword of يُمنَاهاher right hand الفَتىthe young man ابنُson of هُدَيفِHudayf
وحُسَامُ يُمنَاها الفَتى ابنُ هُدَيفِ
Mawlā of Taghlib’s mawālī—Taghlib, daughter of Wāʾil—
is the lord of the lords of Taghlib, daughter of Wa'il,
and the sword in her right hand: the young Ibn Hudayf;
and the sword of her right hand, the young man Ibn Hudayf;
وسَبيكةُand the ingot of النَّسَبِlineage التيwhich لمnot تَرْمِcast فيinto
وسَبيكةُ النَّسَبِ التي لم تَرْمِ في
دِينارِهِhis dinar أيديْthe hands of الوُصُومِblemishes بِزَيفِwith base metal
دِينارِهِ أيديْ الوُصُومِ بِزَيفِ
an ingot of lineage, into whose dinar
and the ingot of lineage, into
the hands of blemishes have cast no counterfeit.
whose dinar the hands of blemish have cast no base metal.
مَنْwho ليfor me بحَضْرَتِهِto his court التيwhich منwhoever زَارَهَاvisits it
مَنْ لي بحَضْرَتِهِ التي من زَارَهَا
فكَأَنَّماand so it is as though قدhas indeed زارَvisited وَادِيthe valley of الخَيفِal-Khayf
فكَأَنَّما قد زارَ وَادِي الخَيفِ
Who will bring me to his presence? Whoever visits it
Who will bring me to his court? Whoever visits it
is as though he had visited Wadi al-Khayf.
is as though he has visited the valley of al-Khayf.
ياO ربِّmy Lord إنْif لمnot تَقْضِYou decree ليfor me بِلِقائِهِa meeting with him
يا ربِّ إنْ لم تَقْضِ لي بِلِقائِهِ
فيin يَقْظَتيmy waking life فامنُنْthen bestow favor بِهِwith him فيin الطَّيْفِa dream-vision
في يَقْظَتي فامنُنْ بِهِ في الطَّيْفِ
O Lord, if You do not decree that I meet him
O Lord, if You do not decree that I meet him
in waking life, then grant him to me in a dream-vision.
in my waking life, then grant me his presence in a dream.
