ليسَis not شيءٌanything عَلَىin the face of المَنُونِdeath بِخَالِexempt (emphatic prefix)
ليسَ شيءٌ عَلَى المَنُونِ بِخَالِ
لاneither عَديمٌa destitute person ولاnor مُثمِّرُone who increases مالِwealth
لا عَديمٌ ولا مُثمِّرُ مالِ
Nothing is exempt from death,
neither the destitute nor one who makes wealth grow.
ليتَwould that شِعريmy knowledge عنِabout الهُمَامِthe noble lord ويَاًand comes (irregular word beginning)
ليتَ شِعري عنِ الهُمَامِ ويَاً
تيكَto you (word completion) بخُبرِwith an account of الأنباءِthe news عَطفُrenewal of السؤالِquestioning
تيكَ بخُبرِ الأنباءِ عَطفُ السؤالِ
Would that I knew about the noble lord; and
renewed questioning brings you word of events.
أينَwhere عنَّاaway from us إخطارُناour risking المالَwealth والand the (word beginning)
أينَ عنَّا إخطارُنا المالَ وال
أَنفُسَlives إذwhen ناهَدُواthey advanced لِيومِfor a day of نَوالٍbounty
أَنفُسَ إذ ناهَدُوا لِيومِ نَوالٍ
Where now is our risking wealth and
lives, when they advanced for a day of bounty?
ونِضاليand my archery contest فيat جَنِبكَyour side النَّاسَthe people يَرbeginning of 'they shoot'
ونِضالي في جَنِبكَ النَّاسَ يَر
مُونَcompletion of 'they shoot' وأَرميand I shoot وكُلُّناand all of us غيرُnot آلِsparing effort
مُونَ وأَرمي وكُلُّنا غيرُ آلِ
And my archery at your side against the people, who
shoot while I shoot, none of us sparing effort.
فأَصَبتُso I hit الَّذيwhat تُريدُyou desire بلاwithout غَبbeginning of 'loss'
فأَصَبتُ الَّذي تُريدُ بلا غَب
نٍcompletion of 'loss' وأُربيand I surpass عليهمُthem; over them وأُواليand I follow up
نٍ وأُربي عليهمُ وأُوالي
So I hit what you desired, without
loss, outdoing them and pressing on.
يومَon a day when لاnot أَتَّقيI guard myself بكفِّيwith my palm طَوالَthroughout الدَّthe (beginning of 'time')
يومَ لا أَتَّقي بكفِّي طَوالَ الدَّ
هرِtime (word completion) أنصارَهُhis supporters بغيرِwithout أحتِيالِstratagem
هرِ أنصارَهُ بغيرِ أحتِيالِ
On a day when I do not shield myself with my palm, throughout
time, against his supporters without stratagem.
وبعينيكَand before your eyes كلُّall ذاكَthat تَخَطَّاpassed by (word beginning)
وبعينيكَ كلُّ ذاكَ تَخَطَّا
كَyou (word completion) وتخطيكَand miss you نَبلُهُمtheir arrows فيin النِّضالِthe archery contest
كَ وتخطيكَ نَبلُهُم في النِّضالِ
And before your eyes all that passed
you by; their arrows miss you in the archery contest.
ليتَwould that أَنِّيthat I أَخَذتُI took حَتفيmy death بكفَّwith two palms (word beginning)
ليتَ أَنِّي أَخَذتُ حَتفي بكفَّ
يَّmy (word completion) وَلمand did not أَلقَI meet مِيتَةَthe death of الأَقتالِthe slain (sense uncertain)
يَّ وَلم أَلقَ مِيتَةَ الأَقتالِ
Would that I had taken my death in my own
hands, and had not met the death of the slain.
مَحَلُواthey plotted مَحلَهُمtheir plotting لِصَرعَتناfor our downfall العاbeginning of 'this year'
مَحَلُوا مَحلَهُم لِصَرعَتنا العا
مcompletion of 'this year' فقدfor indeed أَوقَعُواthey brought down الرَّحَىthe millstone فيamong الثِّقَالِthe heavy weights
م فقد أَوقَعُوا الرَّحَى في الثِّقَالِ
They worked their plots to bring us down this
year; they have brought the millstone down among the heavy weights.
قدindeed بلَوتُI tested الأنصارَthe supporters فيin الجدِّearnestness فاسso (verb beginning)
قد بلَوتُ الأنصارَ في الجدِّ فاس
تَثَبتُّI made certain (word completion) منهمof them وكعبُكَand your ankle اليومَtoday عالٍhigh
تَثَبتُّ منهم وكعبُكَ اليومَ عالٍ
I have tested the supporters in earnest, and
made certain of them; your ankle stands high today.
ماwhat رَجائيmy hope فيin اليافِعاتِthe lofty ones ذواتِendowed with الthe (attached to next word)
ما رَجائي في اليافِعاتِ ذواتِ ال
يَهيجِunclear as written أَمor ماwhat صَبريmy patience وكيفَand how احتياليmy stratagem
يَهيجِ أَم ما صَبري وكيفَ احتيالي
What hope have I in the lofty ones, endowed with
[unclear word]? Or what patience have I, and how can I contrive?
جاعِلٌmaking هَمَّكَyour concern التُّخومَthe borderlands ولاand not أَحbeginning of 'I heed'
جاعِلٌ هَمَّكَ التُّخومَ ولا أَح
فِلُcompletion of 'I heed' اقَولَsayings (probable intended reading) لوُشاةِfor slanderers (perhaps 'the slanderers') والأَنذالِand the base
فِلُ اقَولَ لوُشاةِ والأَنذالِ
You make the borderlands your concern; I do not
heed the sayings of slanderers and the base [reading uncertain].
وأُناجيand I commune with نَفسيmyself وأُشعِرُكَand I make you feel الthe (before 'affection')
وأُناجي نَفسي وأُشعِرُكَ ال
وُدَّaffection بِلاَwithout نَبوَةٍestrangement ولاand no إملالِtedium
وُدَّ بِلاَ نَبوَةٍ ولا إملالِ
I commune with myself and make you feel
affection, without estrangement or tedium.
ولقدand indeed قُدتَنيyou led me كثيراًoften فوَجَّهso I turned (word beginning)
ولقد قُدتَني كثيراً فوَجَّه
تُI (verb ending) بماwith what خيَّبَتthwarted عليكَupon you شَمالِa north wind
تُ بما خيَّبَت عليكَ شَمالِ
Often indeed you led me, so I turned
toward what a north wind had thwarted for you.
معَwith صِهرٍan in-law كانَwas الرَّجاءَthe hope فأَدَّيso I delivered (word beginning)
معَ صِهرٍ كانَ الرَّجاءَ فأَدَّي
تُI (verb ending) حبيباًa dear one صاحَبتُهI kept his company بجَمالِwith kindness
تُ حبيباً صاحَبتُه بجَمالِ
With an in-law who was the hope, I then delivered
a dear one whose company I kept with kindness.
كانَhe was ثوباًa garment لَبستُهI wore it ماas long as أَعانَaided الدَّthe (beginning of 'time')
كانَ ثوباً لَبستُه ما أَعانَ الدَّ
هرُtime (word completion) منهثfrom him/it (ending unclear) وكلُّand every ثَوبٍgarment بِبالِworn out (emphatic prefix)
هرُ منهث وكلُّ ثَوبٍ بِبالِ
He was a garment I wore, so long as
time lent help through him [ending unclear]; every garment wears out.
فلَئِنso if indeed كنتُI was قدalready رضيتُcontent لَقَدindeed أُنسbeginning of 'I was made to forget'
فلَئِن كنتُ قد رضيتُ لَقَد أُنس
يتُcompletion of 'I was made to forget' فيamid مُبتَلَىan ordeal ودَهرٍand a stretch of time طَوالِlong
يتُ في مُبتَلَى ودَهرٍ طَوالِ
So if I have been content, I have indeed been made
to forget amid trial and a long stretch of time.
لاdo not تَهُنbelittle (vocalization uncertain) خَطبنَاour plight فإِنfor if يَثبُتِholds firm الthe (attached to next word)
لا تَهُن خَطبنَا فإِن يَثبُتِ ال
يَجريُunclear as written تَذَكَّرremember قَوليmy words وَصدرُكَand your breast عالِhigh
يَجريُ تَذَكَّر قَولي وَصدرُكَ عالِ
Do not belittle our plight; for if
[the unclear subject] holds firm, remember my words, your breast rising above
مِنfrom خُطُوبٍafflictions تَسعَىhasten إليكَtoward you ولاand do not تَأbeginning of 'spare you'
مِن خُطُوبٍ تَسعَى إليكَ ولا تَأ
لُوكَcompletion of 'spare you' شَرّاًevil والهَديُand guidance عندَby الآلِthe mirage (possibly 'the kin')
لُوكَ شَرّاً والهَديُ عندَ الآلِ
afflictions that hasten toward you and
spare you no evil; guidance lies by the mirage.
كيفَhow تَرجُوyou hope رَدَّto restore المَغيضِwhat has ebbed away واقداًburning (syntax unclear)
كيفَ تَرجُو رَدَّ المَغيضِ واقداً
حِرزَthe safeguard of قِدحَيكَyour two lot-arrows فيin بياضِthe whiteness of الشَّمَالِthe left hand (sense uncertain)
حِرزَ قِدحَيكَ في بياضِ الشَّمَالِ
How can you hope to restore what has ebbed away, ablaze [syntax unclear],
the safeguard of your two lot-arrows in the whiteness of the left hand?
فاذاthen, when فاذاthen, when قُمتَyou rise نادِماًremorseful تَنفُضُyou shake الكَفَّbeginning of 'the two hands'
فاذا فاذا قُمتَ نادِماً تَنفُضُ الكَفَّ
ينِdual ending of 'the two hands' مِنfrom حَسرَةٍgrief فَقُلthen say لاnot أُباليI care
ينِ مِن حَسرَةٍ فَقُل لا أُبالي
Then, then, when you rise remorseful, shaking your two
hands in grief, say, 'I do not care.'
وَليَكُنand let be حَظُّكَyour portion السَّلامَةَsafety والرُّشدand right judgment
وَليَكُن حَظُّكَ السَّلامَةَ والرُّشد
دَrepeated word-ending; no separate meaning وخِصباًand fertility فيamid الَجدبِdrought والإِمحالِand barrenness
دَ وخِصباً في الَجدبِ والإِمحالِ
And may your portion be safety and right judgment,
and fertility amid drought and barrenness.
وتَبَيَّنَand discern (reading uncertain) لَدُنwhen بَلَغتَyou reached مِنَof السِّthe (beginning of 'age')
وتَبَيَّنَ لَدُن بَلَغتَ مِنَ السِّ
نِّage (word completion) كثيراًmuch بالنَّاصحِthrough the sincere adviser العَمَّالِthe diligent
نِّ كثيراً بالنَّاصحِ العَمَّالِ
And seek clarity, now that you have reached
many years of age, through the diligent counselor,
ضامِناًstanding surety لِلكِبارِfor the great خايَفَكَfearing you (irregular spelling) الأَهbeginning of 'the fool'
ضامِناً لِلكِبارِ خايَفَكَ الأَه
بلُcompletion of 'the fool' كثيرَmany العَدُوِّenemies (collective) ناشيyoung; growing (reading uncertain) العيِالِthe dependents
بلُ كثيرَ العَدُوِّ ناشي العيِالِ
standing surety for the great; fearful of you is the
fool, with many enemies and young dependents [final wording uncertain].