ياO ناقِshe-camel سيريtravel on وَاِشرَقيand choke
يا ناقِ سيري وَاِشرَقي
بِدَمon blood إِذاwhen جِئتِyou reach المُغيرَهal-Mughīrah
بِدَم إِذا جِئتِ المُغيرَه
O she-camel, journey on—even till you choke
O she-camel, travel on and choke
on blood—when you reach al-Mughīrah.
on blood when you reach al-Mughīrah.
ياO ناقِshe-camel ثُمَّthen عَتَقتِyou are freed مِنfrom
يا ناقِ ثُمَّ عَتَقتِ مِن
ذَبَحٍslaughter وَمِنand from نَصِّhard driving الظَهيرَهthe noonday heat
ذَبَحٍ وَمِن نَصِّ الظَهيرَه
O she-camel, then you shall be spared from
O she-camel, then you are freed from
slaughter and from the toil of noonday heat.
slaughter and hard driving in the noonday heat.
سَيُثيبُنيhe will reward me أَخرىanother she-camel سِواother than
سَيُثيبُني أَخرى سِوا
كِyou وَتِلكَand that ليfor me مِنهُfrom him يَسيرَهa small matter
كِ وَتِلكَ لي مِنهُ يَسيرَه
He will surely give me another in your stead,
He will reward me with another besides
and that, from him, is easy for me.
you; that is a small gift from him to me.
إِنَّindeed اِبنَthe son of عَبدِʿAbd (servant of) اللَهِAllāh (God) نِعexcellent (first part)
إِنَّ اِبنَ عَبدِ اللَهِ نِع
مَcompletion of 'excellent' أَخوa brother to النَدىgenerosity وَاِبنُand a son of العَشيرَهthe clan
مَ أَخو النَدى وَاِبنُ العَشيرَه
Indeed, Ibn ʿAbd Allāh—what an excellent
Indeed, the son of ʿAbd Allāh is an excellent
brother of bounty, and son of the clan!
brother to generosity and son of his clan.
حَظَرَتfenced off لَهُfor him آباؤُهُhis forefathers
حَظَرَت لَهُ آباؤُهُ
مَجداًglory فَشُرِّفَتِso it was ennobled الحَظيرَهthe enclosure
مَجداً فَشُرِّفَتِ الحَظيرَه
His forefathers prepared glory for him,
His forefathers fenced off for him
and thereby the clan was ennobled.
glory, and the enclosure was ennobled.
فَسَمَواso they rose high بِهِwith him فيin مَجدِهِمtheir glory
فَسَمَوا بِهِ في مَجدِهِم
فَسَماso he rose عَلىalong تِلكَthat الوَتيرَهcourse
فَسَما عَلى تِلكَ الوَتيرَه
Through him they rose in their glory,
So they raised him high in their glory,
and he rose upon that same course.
and he rose along that same course.
فَاِغلَولَبَتso grew thick and intertwined أَعراقُهُhis ancestral roots
فَاِغلَولَبَت أَعراقُهُ
فيin مُشرِفٍa lofty man صَعبِunyielding to الصَفيرَهa whistle
في مُشرِفٍ صَعبِ الصَفيرَه
Thus his roots grew thick and intertwined
So his ancestral roots grew thick and intertwined
in a highborn man, not easily coaxed or swayed.
in a lofty man, unyielding to a whistle.
حُلوُsweet الحَلاوَةِin sweetness دَهمٌformidable
حُلوُ الحَلاوَةِ دَهمٌ
جَلدُtough القُوىof sinew مِرُّbitter; unyielding المَريرَهin resolve
جَلدُ القُوى مِرُّ المَريرَه
Sweet in graciousness, yet formidable;
Sweet in his sweetness, formidable,
hardy in strength, unyielding in resolve.
tough of sinew, bitter in resolve.
كَفّاكَyour two hands كَفّاthe two hands of ماجِدٍa noble man
كَفّاكَ كَفّا ماجِدٍ
حُرٍّfreeborn سَحابَتُهُhis cloud مَطيرَهrain-giving
حُرٍّ سَحابَتُهُ مَطيرَه
Your hands are the hands of a noble man—
Your two hands are the hands of a noble man,
freeborn, his cloud laden with rain.
freeborn, whose cloud pours rain.
يَتَحَلَّبانِthey both drip نَدىًbounty إِذاwhen
يَتَحَلَّبانِ نَدىً إِذا
ماemphasis after 'when' ضَنَّتِwithholds النَفسُthe soul العَسيرَهgrudging
ما ضَنَّتِ النَفسُ العَسيرَه
Both hands pour forth bounty whenever
They both drip bounty whenever
the grudging soul withholds.
the grudging soul withholds.
كُنbe عِتدَat (probably عِندَ) طَيٍّṬayy ياO مُغيMughīrah (first part)
كُن عِتدَ طَيٍّ يا مُغي
رَcompletion of 'Mughīrah' فَإِنَّماfor indeed أَناI مِنof عَميرَهʿAmīrah
رَ فَإِنَّما أَنا مِن عَميرَه
Be Ṭayyiʾ’s bulwark, O Mughī-
Be among Ṭayy, O Mughīrah,
rah—for I am of ʿUmayrah.
for I am of ʿAmīrah.
إِنif تَغوِyou stray أَغوِI stray وَإِنand if تُصِبyou attain
إِن تَغوِ أَغوِ وَإِن تُصِب
رُشداًright guidance فَقِدماًthen long since اِختَرتَyou chose خيرَهthe best
رُشداً فَقِدماً اِختَرتَ خيرَه
If you stray, I stray; and if you attain
If you stray, I stray; and if you find
right guidance, long ago I chose its best.
right guidance, you have long since chosen the best.
