بِأَبِيwith my father as ransom وَإِنْand even if عَظُمَis great الفِداءُthe ransom فَتىًa youth
بِأَبِي وَإِنْ عَظُمَ الفِداءُ فَتىً
لِلْهَمّfor care فيin جَنْبَيْهِhis two sides مُعْتَرَكُa battleground
لِلْهَمّ في جَنْبَيْهِ مُعْتَرَكُ
I would ransom a youth with my father, great though the ransom is,
By my father, though great is the sacrifice, a young man
in whose breast care has a battleground.
Whose flanks are gripped by anxiety,
نَبَّهْتُهُI roused him وَاللَّيْلُand the night مُعْتَكِرٌthick with darkness
نَبَّهْتُهُ وَاللَّيْلُ مُعْتَكِرٌ
وَنُجومُهُand its stars فيin الأُفْقِthe horizon تَشْتَبِكُinterlace
وَنُجومُهُ في الأُفْقِ تَشْتَبِكُ
I roused him while the night was thick with darkness,
I awoke him while the night was fraught
and its stars interlaced along the horizon.
And its stars in the horizon intertwined,
وَمَشىand he walked علىwith كَسَلٍsluggishness فَقُلتُso I said لَهُto him
وَمَشى على كَسَلٍ فَقُلتُ لَهُ
عَثَرَتْmay they stumble بِكَwith you الوَخَّادَةُthe swift-striding camels الرُّتُكُquick-stepping
عَثَرَتْ بِكَ الوَخَّادَةُ الرُّتُكُ
And he walked sluggishly, so I said to him:
He walked wearily so I said to him
May the swift, quick-stepping camels stumble with you!
"Your drowsiness has caused you to stumble."
أَرَضِيتَhave you accepted? أَمْراًa state of affairs لاnot يَزالُّceases بِهِin it
أَرَضِيتَ أَمْراً لا يَزالُّ بِهِ
فيin الذُّلِhumiliation عِرْضُhonor أَخِيكَyour brother يُنْتَهَكُis violated
في الذُّلِ عِرْضُ أَخِيكَ يُنْتَهَكُ
Have you accepted a state in which, unceasingly,
You have settled for a state where
your brother's honor is violated in humiliation?
Your brother's honor remains violated.
وَالدَّهْرُand Time يَرْمُزُgestures بِالخُطُوبِwith calamities وفيand in
وَالدَّهْرُ يَرْمُزُ بِالخُطُوبِ وفي
غُلَوائِهاtheir fury الأَيَّامُthe days تَنْهَمِكُplunge headlong
غُلَوائِها الأَيَّامُ تَنْهَمِكُ
And Time gestures with calamities, and into
Time hints at hardships and in its
their fury the days plunge headlong.
Turbulence, days become tangled.
ماnot نحْنُwe مِنْof سُوَقٍcommoners فَنُشْبِهَهُمْso we would resemble them
ما نحْنُ مِنْ سُوَقٍ فَنُشْبِهَهُمْ
لَمْdid not يَنْمِناgive us our lineage إِلّاexcept أَبٌa father مَلِكُa king
لَمْ يَنْمِنا إِلّا أَبٌ مَلِكُ
We are not commoners, that we should resemble them;
We are not of common stock, only a noble father.
none but a kingly father gave us our lineage.
Look to the ancestors, see how they strove
فَانْظُرْso look إِلىat الأَجْدادِthe ancestors كَيْفَhow سَعَوْاthey strove
فَانْظُرْ إِلى الأَجْدادِ كَيْفَ سَعَوْا
لِلْمَكرُماتِfor noble deeds وأَيَّةًand which [path] سَلَكُواthey trod
لِلْمَكرُماتِ وأَيَّةً سَلَكُوا
So look at the ancestors, how they strove
For glory, and what path did they take.
for noble deeds, and which path they trod.
Why not take their guidance, for they
هَلَّاwhy not? أَخَذْتَyou took بِهَدْيِهمْby their example فَهُمُfor they
هَلَّا أَخَذْتَ بِهَدْيِهمْ فَهُمُ
تَرَكُواthey left العُلاlofty glory لَكَfor you فَارْعَso guard ماwhat تَرَكُواthey left
تَرَكُوا العُلا لَكَ فَارْعَ ما تَرَكُوا
Why not follow their example? For they
Left you their legacy, so tend what they left.
left you lofty glory; so guard what they left.
Seek their extent, they were men
وَاطْلُبْand seek مَداهُمْtheir reach إِنَّهُمْindeed they نَفَرٌa band of men
وَاطْلُبْ مَداهُمْ إِنَّهُمْ نَفَرٌ
عَاشُواthey lived بِذِكْرِهِمُthrough their renown وَقَدْand already هَلَكُواthey perished
عَاشُوا بِذِكْرِهِمُ وَقَدْ هَلَكُوا
And strive to match their reach; they are a band of men
Who lived by their repute and now are gone.
who lived on through their renown, though they had perished.
And if you fall short and cannot attain it,
وَإِذاand if عَجَزْتَyou failed وَلَمْand did not تُلِمَّcome near بِهِto it
وَإِذا عَجَزْتَ وَلَمْ تُلِمَّ بِهِ
فَالعَجْزُthen failure بَعْدَafter طِلابِهِseeking it دَرَكُattainment
فَالعَجْزُ بَعْدَ طِلابِهِ دَرَكُ
And if you fail and do not come near it,
Then frustration comes after seeking.
then failure after striving for it is attainment.
Partial English translation: 19 of 20 Arabic lines translated.