ذَرينيleave me be إنَّindeed أَمرَكِyour command لَنwill not يُطاعاbe obeyed
ذَريني إنَّ أَمرَكِ لَن يُطاعا
وماand not أَلفَيِتنيyou found me حِلميmy good judgment مُضاعاsquandered
وما أَلفَيِتني حِلمي مُضاعا
Leave me be: your bidding shall not be obeyed,
Leave me be, for your command will not be obeyed.
nor have you ever found my forbearance squandered.
Nor have you found me with my good judgment lost.
وماand not دَهريmy way اطبَأَنَّكِI coax you غيرَexcept أَنيِّthat I
وما دَهري اطبَأَنَّكِ غيرَ أَنيِّ
بَنَىbuilt ليfor me والديmy father بَيتاًa house يَفاعاlofty
بَنَى لي والدي بَيتاً يَفاعا
Never in my life have I hidden from you this:
Nor is it my way to coax you; it is only that
my father built me a house upon the heights.
my father built me a lofty house.
أَخَذتُI adhered بِدَأبِهto his practice فَوَرِثتُso I inherited عنهُfrom him
أَخَذتُ بِدَأبِه فَوَرِثتُ عنهُ
مَكارِمَnoble virtues لَمnot تكُنwere منهُfrom him ابتِداعاan invention
مَكارِمَ لَم تكُن منهُ ابتِداعا
I followed in his way and inherited from him
I followed his practice and inherited from him
noble virtues that were no invention of his.
noble virtues that were no invention of his.
أَلاَbehold تِلكَthose الثَّعالبُthe foxes قدindeed تَوالَتcame in succession
أَلاَ تِلكَ الثَّعالبُ قد تَوالَت
عَلَّيagainst me وحالفَتand allied with عُرجاًlame ضِباعاhyenas
عَلَّي وحالفَت عُرجاً ضِباعا
Behold, those foxes have come one after another against me
Lo, those foxes have gathered one after another
and allied themselves with limping hyenas,
against me, and allied with lame hyenas,
لتَمضُغَنيso as to chew me العُداةُthe foes فَمَرَّbut proved bitter لَحميmy flesh
لتَمضُغَني العُداةُ فَمَرَّ لَحمي
وأَفرَقَand defecated مِنfrom حِذاريdread of me أوor أَتَاعاvomited
وأَفرَقَ مِن حِذاري أو أَتَاعا
so that my enemies might chew me; but my flesh proved bitter,
so that my foes might chew me—but my flesh proved bitter,
and each, wary of me, either fled in fright or vomited.
and from dread of me they fouled themselves or vomited.
فأَنso if لَمnot تَندَمُواyou all regret فَثَكِلتُthen may I be bereaved of عَمراًAmr
فأَن لَم تَندَمُوا فَثَكِلتُ عَمراً
وهاجَرتُand I forsook الُمؤرِّقَthe sleep-disturber والسَّماعاand music
وهاجَرتُ الُمؤرِّقَ والسَّماعا
If you do not rue this, then may I be bereft of ʿAmr,
So if you do not regret it, may I be bereaved of Amr,
and may I forsake al-Muʾarriq and al-Sammāʿ;
and forsake the sleep-disturber and music;
ولاand may not مَلَكَتhold يَدايَmy two hands عِنانَthe reins of طِرفٍa noble steed
ولا مَلَكَت يَدايَ عِنانَ طِرفٍ
ولاand may not أَبصَرتُI see مِنfrom شَمسٍthe sun شُعاعاa ray
ولا أَبصَرتُ مِن شَمسٍ شُعاعا
may my hands never command the reins of a noble steed,
nor may my hands hold the reins of a noble steed,
nor may I behold a single ray of sunlight,
nor may I see a ray from the sun;
ولاand may not وَضَعَتlay aside إليَّbefore me عَلَىin خَلاَءٍprivacy
ولا وَضَعَت إليَّ عَلَى خَلاَءٍ
حَصَانٌa chaste woman يومَon the day of جِلوتَهاher bridal unveiling قِناعاa veil
حَصَانٌ يومَ جِلوتَها قِناعا
nor may a chaste woman, alone with me, lower
nor may there be laid aside before me, in private,
her veil on the day I unveil her as my bride.
a veil by a chaste woman on her bridal unveiling day.
وخطَّةَand a duty ماجِدٍof a noble man كَلَّفتُI charged نَفسيmyself
وخطَّةَ ماجِدٍ كَلَّفتُ نَفسي
إذاwhen ضاقُواthey were in straits رَحِبتُI was expansive بِهُمtoward them ذِراعاin arm's reach
إذا ضاقُوا رَحِبتُ بِهُم ذِراعا
I have charged myself with every noble undertaking;
And I charged myself with a noble man's duty:
when others were straitened, I opened my arms wide to them.
when they were in straits, I opened my arms wide to them.
