خَليلِيَّmy two friends بِئْسَwretched is الرَّأْيُthe counsel ماwhat تَرَيانِyou two propose
خَليلِيَّ بِئْسَ الرَّأْيُ ما تَرَيانِ
أَماis there not? لَكماfor you two بِالنَّائِباتِagainst calamities يَدانِtwo hands; strength
أَما لَكما بِالنَّائِباتِ يَدانِ
My two friends, wretched is the counsel you propose!
My friends, what poor advice you give
Have you two no hands to ward off calamities?
Don't you have better ways to live?
تُريدانِyou two want مِنّيfrom me أَنْto أُزيرَsend to visit مَدائِحيmy praises
تُريدانِ مِنّي أَنْ أُزيرَ مَدائِحي
هَجيناًa baseborn man فَماthen ... not قَوْمِيmy people إِذاًin that case بِهِجانِof pure stock
هَجيناً فَما قَوْمِي إِذاً بِهِجانِ
You two want me to send my praises on a visit to
You'd have me change my noble rhymes
a baseborn man—then my people would not be of pure stock.
To vilify my people's times
وَمَنْand whoever يَكْتَسِبْearns مَالاًwealth بِعِرْضٍat the cost of honor يُذِيلُهُhe debases it
وَمَنْ يَكْتَسِبْ مَالاً بِعِرْضٍ يُذِيلُهُ
فَلاthen may ... not ذاقَtaste طَعْمَthe savor العَيْشِof life غَيْرَother than مُهانِhumiliated
فَلا ذاقَ طَعْمَ العَيْشِ غَيْرَ مُهانِ
And whoever gains wealth by debasing his honor,
And he who gains by sullying fame
then may he never taste life's savor except in humiliation.
Will never taste life's sweetest aim
وَإِنْand if شِئْتُماyou two wish أَنْto تَعْلَماyou two know مَاwhat أُجِنُّهُI conceal
وَإِنْ شِئْتُما أَنْ تَعْلَما مَا أُجِنُّهُ
فَلَيسَthen ... is not بمَأَمونٍto be trusted عَلَيْهِwith it لِسانيmy tongue
فَلَيسَ بمَأَمونٍ عَلَيْهِ لِساني
And if you two wish to know what I conceal,
If you'd know the truth I shelter,
then my tongue is not to be trusted with it.
My tongue cannot reveal or falter
وَعَنْand from كَثَبٍclose quarters يُفْضِيconfides بِسِّريwith my secret إِليْكُماto you both
وَعَنْ كَثَبٍ يُفْضِي بِسِّري إِليْكُما
غِرارُthe edge حُسامٍof a keen sword أَوْor شَبَاةُthe point سِنانِof a spearhead
غِرارُ حُسامٍ أَوْ شَبَاةُ سِنانِ
And at close quarters, my secret is confided to you both
Nor heed some spy who'd run and tell
by a keen sword's edge or a spearhead's point.
What swords or spears cannot compel
وَإِخْوانِand brothers صِدْقٍof true loyalty كُنْتُI used to أَرْعَيsafeguard مَغِيبَهُمْtheir absence
وَإِخْوانِ صِدْقٍ كُنْتُ أَرْعَي مَغِيبَهُمْ
وَأَدْفَعُand defend عَنْهُمْon their behalf وَالرِّماحُwhile the spears دَوانِnear
وَأَدْفَعُ عَنْهُمْ وَالرِّماحُ دَوانِ
And loyal brothers—I kept faith with them in their absence,
I sheltered brothers, guarding them
and defended them while spears drew near.
When raining spears in battle's hem
فَلَمّاthen when اسْتَفادُواthey gained ثَرْوَةًwealth بَطِرواthey grew insolent بِهاthrough it
فَلَمّا اسْتَفادُوا ثَرْوَةً بَطِروا بِها
وَضاعَand went neglected خِماصُempty-bellied people الحيof the tribe بَيْنَamong بِطانِfull-bellied people
وَضاعَ خِماصُ الحي بَيْنَ بِطانِ
Then, when they gained wealth, they grew insolent with it,
But when they gained their wealth, they fled
and the tribe's hungry went uncared for among the well-fed.
Leaving my tent forlorn unfed
أَرَىI see أَيْدِياًhands نَالَتْthat gained غِنىًwealth بَعْدَafter خَلَّةٍpoverty
أَرَى أَيْدِياً نَالَتْ غِنىً بَعْدَ خَلَّةٍ
لِأَلأَمِbelonging to the basest قَوْمٍpeople فيin أَخَسِّthe vilest زَمانِage
لِأَلأَمِ قَوْمٍ في أَخَسِّ زَمانِ
I see hands that gained wealth after poverty,
I see hands grabbing wealth so fast
belonging to the basest people in the vilest age,
Who begged in eras that have passed
فَضَنّتْso they were miserly بِماwith what تَحْويهِthey hold it شُلَّmay ... be paralyzed بَنانُهاtheir fingers
فَضَنّتْ بِما تَحْويهِ شُلَّ بَنانُها
وَإِنْand if رُمْتَyou seek جَدْواهاtheir bounty فَشُلَّthen may ... be paralyzed بَنانِيmy fingers
وَإِنْ رُمْتَ جَدْواها فَشُلَّ بَنانِي
and begrudged what they held—may their fingers be paralyzed!
Yet when their palms are heavy-full
And if you seek their bounty, may my own fingers be paralyzed!
Beg mine, and mine they call so dull
وَمِنْand among حَدَثَانِthe calamities الدَّهْرof time أَنْthat أَسْتَميحَهُمْI beg gifts from them
وَمِنْ حَدَثَانِ الدَّهْر أَنْ أَسْتَميحَهُمْ
وَتَحْتَwhile beneath نِجادِيmy baldric مِدْرَهُthe repeller الحَدَثانِof calamities
وَتَحْتَ نِجادِي مِدْرَهُ الحَدَثانِ
And one of time's calamities is that I beg gifts from them,
Of life's caprice I'd ask their pardon
while beneath my baldric lies the repeller of calamities.
My youth still saddle-girt and hard on
وَلَكِنَّنيbut I فيamong مَعْشَرٍa people لاnot تَسُوؤُهُمْdistress them
وَلَكِنَّني في مَعْشَرٍ لا تَسُوؤُهُمْ
أَحادِيثُtales تَقْلَوْليprick up لَهاat them الأُذُنانِboth ears
أَحادِيثُ تَقْلَوْلي لَها الأُذُنانِ
But I am among a people untroubled
But I'm with folk who little care
by tales at which both ears prick up.
For whisp'rings to which ears repair
إِذَاwhen عَاهَدُواthey make pledges أَوْor عَاقَدواthey make pacts فَعُهودُهُمْthen their pledges
إِذَا عَاهَدُوا أَوْ عَاقَدوا فَعُهودُهُمْ
عُهودُthe pledges قُيونِof smiths فيin وَفاءِthe fidelity قِيانِof singing slave girls
عُهودُ قُيونِ في وَفاءِ قِيانِ
When they pledge or make pacts, their pledges are
When they pledge troth or treaty make
the pledges of smiths, with the fidelity of singing slave girls.
Their word is strong as camels take
وَجَارَتُهُمْand their female neighbor فيin الأَمْنِpeace غَيْرُnot مَصونَةٍprotected
وَجَارَتُهُمْ في الأَمْنِ غَيْرُ مَصونَةٍ
وَجَارُهُمُand their male neighbor فيin الرَّوْعِterror غَيْرُnot مُعانِaided
وَجَارُهُمُ في الرَّوْعِ غَيْرُ مُعانِ
And their female neighbor is unprotected in peace,
Their neighbor safe from all alarm
and their male neighbor is unaided in terror.
Their friend kept safe from wish to harm
بَكَتْwept أُمُّmother of عَمْروٍAmr إِذْwhen أُنِيخَتْwere made to kneel رَكائِبيmy riding camels
بَكَتْ أُمُّ عَمْروٍ إِذْ أُنِيخَتْ رَكائِبي
بِحَيْثُwhere الهِضابُthe hills الحُمْرُthe red مِنْof هَمَذانِHamadhan
بِحَيْثُ الهِضابُ الحُمْرُ مِنْ هَمَذانِ
Umm Amr wept when my riding camels were made to kneel
Amr's mother wept as war drew nigh
where lie the red hills of Hamadhan.
Where Hamadan's red ramparts lie
فَأَذْرَتْso she shed دُموعَاًtears كَالجُمانِlike pearls تُفِيضُهاshe pours them forth
فَأَذْرَتْ دُموعَاً كَالجُمانِ تُفِيضُها
علىupon خَدِّthe cheek مِقْلاقِshifting loosely الوِشَاحِthe sash رَزانِdignified
على خَدِّ مِقْلاقِ الوِشَاحِ رَزانِ
So she shed tears like pearls, pouring them
Down cheeks like pearls her tears did crawl
over the cheek of a dignified woman whose sash shifts loosely.
Onto her cloak's pale waterfalls
وَمَاand ... not عَلِمَتْshe knew أَنَّthat السُّيوفَthe swords تَشَبَّثَتْhad clung
وَمَا عَلِمَتْ أَنَّ السُّيوفَ تَشَبَّثَتْ
بِأَذْيالِto the skirts شَمْطاءِgray-haired القُرونِthe tresses عَوانِbattle-seasoned
بِأَذْيالِ شَمْطاءِ القُرونِ عَوانِ
And she did not know that swords had clung
She did not know the swords that drew
to the skirts of a gray-tressed, seasoned war.
To the mule-litter's canopies blue
فَأَبْكَتْso it made ... weep رِجَالاًmen كَالأُسوَدِlike lions وَلَمْand did not تُبَلcare about
فَأَبْكَتْ رِجَالاً كَالأُسوَدِ وَلَمْ تُبَل
بُكاءَthe weeping نِساءٍof women كَالظِّباءِlike gazelles غَوانِbeautiful
بُكاءَ نِساءٍ كَالظِّباءِ غَوانِ
It made men like lions weep, and cared nothing for
Weeping for men with lions' roar
the weeping of beautiful women like gazelles.
Not women's tears that jackals pour
وَقُمْتُand I rose فَقَرَّطتُthen I bridled الأَغَرَّthe white-blazed steed عِنانَهُits reins
وَقُمْتُ فَقَرَّطتُ الأَغَرَّ عِنانَهُ
وَفيand in اليَدِthe hand مَاضِيsharp الشَّفْرَتَيْنِthe two edges يَمانِYemeni
وَفي اليَدِ مَاضِي الشَّفْرَتَيْنِ يَمانِ
And I rose and looped the white-blazed steed's reins over its ears,
I leapt up, lunged the steed ahead
and in my hand was a Yemeni blade, sharp on both edges.
My double-bladed sword turns red
وَلَسْتُand I am not إِذَاwhen ماemphatic particle الدَّهْرُtime أحْدَثَbrought about نَكْبَةًa calamity
وَلَسْتُ إِذَا ما الدَّهْرُ أحْدَثَ نَكْبَةً
خفِيّاًhidden بِمُسْتَنِّon the racecourse الخُطوبِof adversities مَكانيmy place
خفِيّاً بِمُسْتَنِّ الخُطوبِ مَكاني
And I am not, whenever time brings a calamity,
When fate brings adverse winds, I run
one whose place is hidden on adversity's racecourse.
But never to disaster's shun
لِئِنْif indeed بَسَطَتْextends باعِيmy reach مِنَfrom اللهِGod نِعْمَةٌa blessing
لِئِنْ بَسَطَتْ باعِي مِنَ اللهِ نِعْمَةٌ
وَلَمْand I do not أُحْيَrevive يَوْمَيthe two days نَائِلٍof bounty وَطِعانِand spearplay
وَلَمْ أُحْيَ يَوْمَي نَائِلٍ وَطِعانِ
If indeed a blessing from God extends my reach,
Should God extend my life, and I
and I do not revive the two days of bounty and spearplay,
See not my day of victory,
فَماthen ... not أَسْنَدَتْنيsupported me كَفُّa hand أَرْوَعَof a gallant man مَاجِدٍnoble
فَما أَسْنَدَتْني كَفُّ أَرْوَعَ مَاجِدٍ
إِلىagainst نَحرِthe upper chest رَوْعاءِtimid الفُؤَادِof heart حَصانِa chaste woman
إِلى نَحرِ رَوْعاءِ الفُؤَادِ حَصانِ
then no hand of a noble, gallant man ever laid me
No coward's trick has ever parked
against the breast of a chaste, timid-hearted woman.
My charger from the battle's mark
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.