إِذاwhen غَارَdescends to the lowlands عَزْميmy resolve فيin البِلادِthe lands وَأَنْجَداand ascends to the highlands
إِذا غَارَ عَزْمي في البِلادِ وَأَنْجَدا
فَإِنَّthen indeed قُصَارَىthe utmost aim of السَّعْيstriving أَنْthat أَبْلُغَI reach المَدَىthe farthest limit
فَإِنَّ قُصَارَى السَّعْي أَنْ أَبْلُغَ المَدَى
When my resolve ranges through the lands, through lowland and highland,
When my resolve ranges through the land, lowlands and highlands,
the utmost aim of my striving is to reach the furthest bound.
then striving's utmost aim is for me to reach the farthest bound.
وَلِلْغَايَةِand toward the goal القُصْوَىfarthest سَمَتْrose بِيَwith me هِمَّتيmy ambition
وَلِلْغَايَةِ القُصْوَى سَمَتْ بِيَ هِمَّتي
فَلاso no بُدَّescape مِنْfrom نَيْليmy attaining المَعاليlofty honors أَوor الرَّدَىdeath
فَلا بُدَّ مِنْ نَيْلي المَعالي أَو الرَّدَى
Toward the most distant goals my aspiration has borne me aloft;
And my ambition has borne me aloft toward the farthest goal,
I must attain the heights—or meet my death.
so I must attain the heights of glory, or meet death.
لَأَدَّرِعَنَّI shall surely don as armor النَّقْعَbattle-dust وَالسَّيْفُwhile the sword يُنْتَضَىis unsheathed
لَأَدَّرِعَنَّ النَّقْعَ وَالسَّيْفُ يُنْتَضَى
لُجَيْناًas silver وَنُؤويهِand we lodge it إِلىto الغِمْدِthe sheath عَسْجَداas gold
لُجَيْناً وَنُؤويهِ إِلى الغِمْدِ عَسْجَدا
I shall don battle-dust as armor while the sword is drawn
I shall surely don battle-dust as armor, while the sword is unsheathed
as silver, then return it to its scabbard as gold—
as silver, and we return it to the sheath as gold,
بِجُرْدٍon sleek steeds يُجاذِبْنَthey contest الأَعِنَّةَthe reins أَيْدِيَاًhands
بِجُرْدٍ يُجاذِبْنَ الأَعِنَّةَ أَيْدِيَاً
لَبيقَاتِdeft أَطْرِافِthe tips of الأَنامِلِthe fingers بِالندىin generosity
لَبيقَاتِ أَطْرِافِ الأَنامِلِ بِالندى
astride sleek steeds that wrest the reins from hands
on sleek steeds that wrestle with hands over the reins—
deft to their very fingertips in largesse.
hands deft in generosity to their very fingertips.
إِذاwhen هُنَّthey نَبَّهْنَthey rouse الثَّرَىthe earth مِنfrom رُقادِهِits slumber
إِذا هُنَّ نَبَّهْنَ الثَّرَى مِن رُقادِهِ
ذَرَرْنَthey sprinkle بهِwith it فيinto مُقْلَةِthe eye of النَّجْمِthe star إِثْمِدَاantimony kohl
ذَرَرْنَ بهِ في مُقْلَةِ النَّجْمِ إِثْمِدَا
When those steeds rouse the earth from its slumber,
When they rouse the earth from its slumber,
they scatter it into the star’s eye like antimony-kohl,
they sprinkle it as kohl into the star's eye,
وَشَعَّثْنَand they tousle أَعْرافَthe manes of الصَّباحِmorning بِهَبْوَةٍwith a dust-cloud
وَشَعَّثْنَ أَعْرافَ الصَّباحِ بِهَبْوَةٍ
يُطالِعْنَthey behold مِنْهاfrom within it نَاظِرَthe eye of الشَّمْسِthe sun أَرْمَداinflamed
يُطالِعْنَ مِنْها نَاظِرَ الشَّمْسِ أَرْمَدا
and with a cloud of dust dishevel the mane of dawn,
and tousle morning's manes with a cloud of dust,
peering through it upon the sun’s eye, bleared and sore.
from within which they behold the sun's inflamed eye.
فَلَسْتُthen I am not ابْنَthe son of مَنْone who سَادَruled الأَنَامَmankind وَقادَهُمْand led them
فَلَسْتُ ابْنَ مَنْ سَادَ الأَنَامَ وَقادَهُمْ
لَئِنْif indeed لَمْdo not أُرَوِّI slake الرُّمْحَthe spear مِنْfrom ثُغَرِthe throats of العِدَاthe foes
لَئِنْ لَمْ أُرَوِّ الرُّمْحَ مِنْ ثُغَرِ العِدَا
I am no son of him who ruled mankind and led them
Then I am no son of one who ruled mankind and led them,
if I do not give my spear its drink from the mouths of the foe.
if I do not slake the spear at the throats of foes.
