نَشَأتI grew up بِمَهديin my cradle رَفيعlofty الذَرىthe summits
نَشَأت بِمَهدي رَفيع الذَرى
وَحَوليand around me الظِباthe gazelles وَأُسدand the lions الشَرىal-Shara
وَحَولي الظِبا وَأُسد الشَرى
I grew up in my cradle of lofty summits,
I was raised in an exalted cradle,
with gazelles around me and the lions of al-Shara.
With gazelles around me and lions of valor.
وَنادَمتand I caroused with كُلevery سَخيgenerous الوُجوbeing (word continues)
وَنادَمت كُل سَخي الوُجو
دcompletes 'being' يُطعمfeeds نيرانَهُhis fires العَنبَراambergris
د يُطعم نيرانَهُ العَنبَرا
And I caroused with every generous soul,
I befriended every generous man,
who feeds his fires ambergris.
Whose ambergris fuels his fire.
وَوالِديand my father الشَهمgallant فَحلa stallion; a preeminent man الرِجاthe men (word continues)
وَوالِدي الشَهم فَحل الرِجا
لcompletes 'men' وَجديand my grandfather الأَميرthe prince أَميرprince of الوَرىmankind
ل وَجدي الأَمير أَمير الوَرى
And my gallant father, a stallion among men,
My valiant father ruled the land,
and my grandfather, the prince, prince of mankind.
And my uncle was the prince of princes.
وَإِنand if يَممheaded toward الضَيفthe guest أَحياءَناour encampments
وَإِن يَمم الضَيف أَحياءَنا
بَذَلناwe offered freely لَهُto him الروحthe soul; life قَبلbefore القَرىthe guest's meal
بَذَلنا لَهُ الروح قَبل القَرى
And if a guest headed toward our encampments,
Whenever a guest visited our abode,
we offered him our souls before the guest's meal.
We offered him our souls before provisions.
وَلَكنbut أَناخَknelt down; settled عَلَيناupon us الزَماTime (word continues)
وَلَكن أَناخَ عَلَينا الزَما
نcompletes 'Time' وَخانَand betrayed عُهوداًpledges لَناto us وِاِفتَرىand lied
ن وَخانَ عُهوداً لَنا وِاِفتَرى
But Time knelt down upon us,
But time has encamped against us,
and betrayed its pledges to us and lied.
And broken pacts it once made with us.