أَضحَتare now بِمَروِin Marw الشاهِجانِal-Shahijan مَنادِحيmy avenues of relief
أَضحَت بِمَروِ الشاهِجانِ مَنادِحي
وَلِأَهلِand for the people of مَروِMarw الشاهِجانِal-Shahijan مَدائِحيmy praises
وَلِأَهلِ مَروِ الشاهِجانِ مَدائِحي
My avenues of relief now lie in Marw al-Shahijan,
My hopes have become attached to Marw al-Shahijan
and my praises belong to the people of Marw al-Shahijan.
And for the people of Marw al-Shahijan are my praises
وَصَلَواthey mended جَناحيmy wing بِالنَوالِwith bounty وَآمَنواand made safe
وَصَلَوا جَناحي بِالنَوالِ وَآمَنوا
مِنfrom خَوفِfear of أَحداثِthe calamities of الزَمانِtime جَوانِحيmy inner breast
مِن خَوفِ أَحداثِ الزَمانِ جَوانِحي
They mended my wing with bounty and sheltered
They joined my wings through gifts and believed
my breast from fear of time's calamities.
My passionate youth would be safe from the times
كَمhow many مِنof يَدٍa favor بَيضاءَgracious أَشكُرُI give thanks for غِبَّهاits lasting benefit
كَم مِن يَدٍ بَيضاءَ أَشكُرُ غِبَّها
مِنهُمfrom them وَفيهِمand among them مِنof أَخٍa brother لِيَof mine صالِحِworthy
مِنهُم وَفيهِم مِن أَخٍ لِيَ صالِحِ
How many a gracious favor, for whose lasting good I am grateful,
How many white hands do I thank for their generosity
have I received from them—and how many a worthy brother I have among them!
Among them and in them is a brother to me, righteous
فَاللَهُso God جارُthe protector of أَبيAbu عَلِيٍّAli إِنَّهُindeed he
فَاللَهُ جارُ أَبي عَلِيٍّ إِنَّهُ
أُنسُthe solace of الصَديقِthe friend وَغَيظُand the rage of صَدرِthe breast of الكاشِحِthe spiteful foe
أُنسُ الصَديقِ وَغَيظُ صَدرِ الكاشِحِ
May God be Abu Ali's protector: he is
For God is the protector of my father Ali
a friend's solace and the rage in a spiteful foe's breast.
The friend of the truthful and anger of the frowning mocker
شَيخُa master of الأَمانَةِtrustworthiness وَالدِيانَةِand piety موجِفٌpressing onward
شَيخُ الأَمانَةِ وَالدِيانَةِ موجِفٌ
فيon مَذهَبٍa course أَمَمٍstraight وَحِلمٍand forbearance راجِحِweighty
في مَذهَبٍ أَمَمٍ وَحِلمٍ راجِحِ
A master of trustworthiness and piety, pressing onward
The sheikh of loyalty and faith, dignified
on a straight course, with weighty forbearance.
In the doctrine of a resolute and wise tribe
ذوendowed with عُروَةٍa bond فيamong الأَعجَمَينِthe two non-Arab peoples وَثيفَةٍstout
ذو عُروَةٍ في الأَعجَمَينِ وَثيفَةٍ
وَأَرومَةٍand ancestral stock مَرؤومَةٍcherished فيin واشِحِWashih
وَأَرومَةٍ مَرؤومَةٍ في واشِحِ
He has a stout bond among the two non-Arab peoples,
With a bond among the non-Arabs and a piercing sharpness
and cherished ancestral roots in Washih.
And a spearhead that stabs the lightly-clad warriors
نَفسيmy soul فِداءُa ransom for خَلائِقٍqualities لَكَof yours حُرَّةٍnoble
نَفسي فِداءُ خَلائِقٍ لَكَ حُرَّةٍ
وَزِنادِand the firesteel of مَجدٍglory فيin يَمينِكَyour right hand قادِحِstriking sparks
وَزِنادِ مَجدٍ في يَمينِكَ قادِحِ
My soul be ransom for your noble qualities,
My soul is sacrificial to people of free spirits like you
and glory's firesteel, striking sparks in your right hand.
And the striking sparks of glory in your right hand
إِنّيindeed I أَقولُspeak وَماand not أَقولُI speak مُعَرِّضاًhinting indirectly
إِنّي أَقولُ وَما أَقولُ مُعَرِّضاً
فيin ذِكرِmentioning مَكرُمَةٍa noble deed بِعَبثَةِwith the frivolity of مازِحِa jester
في ذِكرِ مَكرُمَةٍ بِعَبثَةِ مازِحِ
Indeed I speak, and I do not speak in veiled hints
Truly I say, and I do not say to digress
of a noble deed, with a jester's frivolity.
In mentioning an honored man in jest
ماذاwhat تَرىdo you think فيof مُدمَجٍwell-knit عَبلِstout الشَوىthe limbs
ماذا تَرى في مُدمَجٍ عَبلِ الشَوى
مِنfrom نَسلِthe lineage of أَعوَجَA'waj كَالشِهابِlike a meteor اللائِحِgleaming
مِن نَسلِ أَعوَجَ كَالشِهابِ اللائِحِ
What do you think of a well-knit steed, stout of limb,
What do you think of the hybrid of twisted morality
of A'waj's lineage, like a gleaming meteor?
From a crooked lineage like a flashing comet?
لاnot تِربُهُhis age-mate الجَذَعُthe young colt الَّذيwhich يَعتاقُهُhinders him
لا تِربُهُ الجَذَعُ الَّذي يَعتاقُهُ
وَهنُthe weakness of الكَلالِfatigue وَلَيسَand he is not كُلَّwholly القارِحِa mature horse
وَهنُ الكَلالِ وَلَيسَ كُلَّ القارِحِ
The young colt is no age-mate of his, hindered
Its trunk cannot be upright if it twists
by fatigue's weakness; nor is he quite full-grown.
And it is weak in determination, not every attacker
عُنُقٌa neck كَقائِمَةِlike the upright post of القَليبِthe well تَعَطَّفَتhas bent
عُنُقٌ كَقائِمَةِ القَليبِ تَعَطَّفَت
أَوَداًin a curve وَرَأسٌand a head مِثلُlike قَعوِthe pulley of الماتِحِthe water-drawer
أَوَداً وَرَأسٌ مِثلُ قَعوِ الماتِحِ
A neck like a well's upright post, bending
A neck like a tent pole bent
in a curve, and a head like a water-drawer's pulley.
Or a head like a matured date palm
يَختالُhe prances proudly فيin شِيَةٍa coat marking يَموجُripples ضِياؤُهاits radiance
يَختالُ في شِيَةٍ يَموجُ ضِياؤُها
مَوجَthe rippling of القَتيرِmail-rings عَلىon الكَمِيِّthe armored warrior الرامِحِspear-wielding
مَوجَ القَتيرِ عَلى الكَمِيِّ الرامِحِ
He prances in a coat whose radiance ripples
Strutting in a shawl, its light rippling
like mail-rings rippling on an armored spearman.
Like the waves of sand over the hills of al-Qatir
لَوif يَكرَعُdrinks directly الظَمآنُthe thirsty man فيهِfrom it لَمnot يُمِلturn
لَو يَكرَعُ الظَمآنُ فيهِ لَم يُمِل
طَرفاًan eye إِلىtoward عَذبِsweet الزُلالِclear water السائِحِflowing
طَرفاً إِلى عَذبِ الزُلالِ السائِحِ
Were a thirsty man to drink from it, he would not turn
If the thirsty were to drink from it, he would not cease
an eye toward sweet, clear, flowing water.
Turning to the sweet flowing pure water
أَهدَيتُهُI gave him as a gift لِتَروحَso you may go forth أَبيَضَwhite واضِحاًradiant
أَهدَيتُهُ لِتَروحَ أَبيَضَ واضِحاً
مِنهُthanks to him عَلىupon جَذلانَa joyous steed أَبيَضَwhite واضِحِradiant
مِنهُ عَلى جَذلانَ أَبيَضَ واضِحِ
I gave him to you, that you might ride out white and radiant,
I gifted it to you so it would go about white and shining
thanks to him, upon a joyous steed, white and radiant.
From it over the white and shining Jadhlans
فَتَكونَso it may become أَوَّلَthe first سُنَّةٍcustom مَأثورَةٍhanded down
فَتَكونَ أَوَّلَ سُنَّةٍ مَأثورَةٍ
أَنthat يَقبَلَaccepts المَمدوحُthe praised man رِفدَthe gift of المادِحِthe praiser
أَن يَقبَلَ المَمدوحُ رِفدَ المادِحِ
So may this become the first custom handed down:
So it would become the first established tradition
that the praised man accepts the praiser's gift.
That the praised one accepts the gift of the praiser