إِذَاif بَعُدواthey stay far away وَافُوكَthey come to you أَسْرَىas captives وَإِنْand if دَنَواthey draw near
إِذَا بَعُدوا وَافُوكَ أَسْرَى وَإِنْ دَنَوا
لِغَزْوِكَto raid you وَافَتْهُمُcome to meet them قَناًlances وَصَوارِمُand keen swords
لِغَزْوِكَ وَافَتْهُمُ قَناً وَصَوارِمُ
If they stay far away, they come to you as captives; and if they draw near
To raid you, lances and keen swords come to meet them.
وَلاand no غائِبٌabsent person إِلّاexcept أَتىcomes وَهْوَwhile he is تَائِبٌrepentant
وَلا غائِبٌ إِلّا أَتى وَهْوَ تَائِبٌ
وَلاand no قَادِمٌapproaching person إلّاexcept أَتَىcomes وَهْوَwhile he is نَادِمُremorseful
وَلا قَادِمٌ إلّا أَتَى وَهْوَ نَادِمُ
And none who is absent comes but repentant,
And none who approaches comes but remorseful.
لأَعْنَاقِهِمْfor their necks بالبيضِwith bright swords مِنْكَfrom you مَعانِقٌone who embraces
لأَعْنَاقِهِمْ بالبيضِ مِنْكَ مَعانِقٌ
لِغَيْرِnot out of هَوىًlove فِيهِمْfor them وَبِالسُّمْرِand with dusky lances لاثِمُone who kisses
لِغَيْرِ هَوىً فِيهِمْ وَبِالسُّمْرِ لاثِمُ
You embrace their necks with bright swords,
Not out of love for them, and kiss them with dusky lances.
تَفتَّحُyou make bloom مِنهُمfrom them بالسُّيوفِwith swords شَقائقاًanemones
تَفتَّحُ مِنهُم بالسُّيوفِ شَقائقاً
عَلَيْهَاover them الدُّرُوعُthe coats of mail الضَّافِياتُample كَمائِمُcalyxes
عَلَيْهَا الدُّرُوعُ الضَّافِياتُ كَمائِمُ
With swords you make anemones bloom from them,
Over which ample coats of mail are calyxes.
بِحَرْبٍin a war تكونُare البِيضُthe bright swords مِنْهَاfrom it بوَارِقاًlightning flashes
بِحَرْبٍ تكونُ البِيضُ مِنْهَا بوَارِقاً
نَجِيعُهُمtheir fresh blood فيهاin it الغُيُومُthe clouds السَّواجِمُpouring rain
نَجِيعُهُم فيها الغُيُومُ السَّواجِمُ
In a war where bright swords are lightning flashes,
And their blood its pouring rain-clouds.
قَتَلْتَهُمْyou killed them بِالذُّعْرِwith terror حَتَّىuntil كأَنَّمَاas though
قَتَلْتَهُمْ بِالذُّعْرِ حَتَّى كأَنَّمَا
تُحَارِبُهمyou fight them فيهِthrough it وَأَنْتَwhile you are مُسَالمُat peace
تُحَارِبُهم فيهِ وَأَنْتَ مُسَالمُ
You killed them with terror, until it was as though
You fought them through it while yourself at peace.
وَقَدْand indeed عَلِمَhave learned الأَعْداءُthe enemies أَنّكَthat you إِنْif تَقُمْyou rise
وَقَدْ عَلِمَ الأَعْداءُ أَنّكَ إِنْ تَقُمْ
بِقائِمwith the hilt of سَيْفٍa sword فَهوَthen it is بالنَّصْرfor victory قائِمُstanding ready
بِقائِم سَيْفٍ فَهوَ بالنَّصْر قائِمُ
And the enemies have learned that, if you rise
Grasping a sword's hilt, it rises victorious.
إِذَاif رُمْتَyou desire أَنْto تَرْقَىclimb إِلىto المَجْدِglory سُلَّماًa ladder
إِذَا رُمْتَ أَنْ تَرْقَى إِلى المَجْدِ سُلَّماً
صَعِدْتَyou ascend إِلَيْهِto it وَصَعَاand [unclear word] وَسَلالِمُand ladders
صَعِدْتَ إِلَيْهِ وَصَعَا وَسَلالِمُ
If you wish to climb a ladder to glory,
You ascend to it—[wording unclear]—and ladders.
وَحَفَّand thronged بِكَaround you الجَيْشُthe army الَّذيwhich بِكَthrough you نَصْرُهُits victory
وَحَفَّ بِكَ الجَيْشُ الَّذي بِكَ نَصْرُهُ
وَمِنْكَand from you لَهُfor it إِقْدامُهُits daring وَالعَزائِمُand resolve
وَمِنْكَ لَهُ إِقْدامُهُ وَالعَزائِمُ
And the army thronged about you, its victory won through you,
And from you came its daring and resolve.
وَسارَand it marched بِبَدْرٍwith a full moon مِنْfrom سَنَاthe radiance of وَجْهِكَyour face الَّذيwhich
وَسارَ بِبَدْرٍ مِنْ سَنَا وَجْهِكَ الَّذي
بِهِthrough it ظُلُماتٌdarkness تَنْجَليis dispelled وَمَظالِمُand injustices
بِهِ ظُلُماتٌ تَنْجَلي وَمَظالِمُ
And it marched with the full moon of your radiant face,
By which darkness and injustices are dispelled.
عَلىon الأَعْوَجِيّاتِmares of Aʿwaj's stock العِتَاقِpurebred الَّتيwhich لهاthey have
عَلى الأَعْوَجِيّاتِ العِتَاقِ الَّتي لها
حَوافِرُhooves لِلهاماتِfor heads مِنْهَاfrom them عَمَائِمُturbans
حَوافِرُ لِلهاماتِ مِنْهَا عَمَائِمُ
On purebred mares of Aʿwaj's stock, whose
Hooves are turbans upon heads.
تَمدُّstretch forward بِهَاwith them فيin السَّيْرِthe march أَجْيادُهَاtheir necks الَّتيwhich
تَمدُّ بِهَا في السَّيْرِ أَجْيادُهَا الَّتي
كَأَنَّas though لِحَىthe beards of الأَعْداءِthe enemies فيهاupon them بَراجِمُknuckles
كَأَنَّ لِحَى الأَعْداءِ فيها بَراجِمُ
Their necks stretch forward with them as they march,
As though the enemies' beards upon them were knuckles.
سِهَامٌarrows عَلَىupon مثلِthe likes of السِّهَامِarrows تَبسَّمَتْsmiled
سِهَامٌ عَلَى مثلِ السِّهَامِ تَبسَّمَتْ
سُيُوفُهُمْtheir swords حَيْثُwhere الوُجُوهُthe faces سَواهِمُfrowning
سُيُوفُهُمْ حَيْثُ الوُجُوهُ سَواهِمُ
Arrows upon the likes of arrows; there smiled
Their swords, where faces were grim.
وَلَيْسَand is not بِناجٍone who escapes مِنْكَfrom you جَانٍan offender بِجُرْمِهِwith his crime
وَلَيْسَ بِناجٍ مِنْكَ جَانٍ بِجُرْمِهِ
إِذَاif أَعْوَزتْهُfail him مِنْfrom يَدَيْكَyour two hands المَرَاحِمُmercies
إِذَا أَعْوَزتْهُ مِنْ يَدَيْكَ المَرَاحِمُ
And no one guilty of a crime escapes you,
If mercy from your hands should fail him.
يَكِرُّreturn repeatedly بِمَاwith what تَهْوىyou desire الجَدِيدانِday and night فِيamong الوَرَىhumankind
يَكِرُّ بِمَا تَهْوى الجَدِيدانِ فِي الوَرَى
وَتَسْرِيand travel by night بِمَاwith what تَرْضَىyou approve الرِّيَاحُthe winds النَّواسِمُgently blowing
وَتَسْرِي بِمَا تَرْضَى الرِّيَاحُ النَّواسِمُ
Day and night return among humankind with what you desire,
And the gentle winds travel by night as you please.
وَتَحْتَقِرُand you scorn الفُرْسَانَthe horsemen حَتَّىuntil كَأَنَّهُمْas though they were
وَتَحْتَقِرُ الفُرْسَانَ حَتَّى كَأَنَّهُمْ
وَهُمْthough they are بُهَمٌfearless warriors يَوْمَon the day of الهِياجِbattle بَهائِمُbeasts
وَهُمْ بُهَمٌ يَوْمَ الهِياجِ بَهائِمُ
And you scorn the horsemen until they seem
Mere beasts, though fearless warriors on battle day.
وَتُعْطِيand you bestow أَيادِيكَyour bounties الَّتيwhich يَدَكَyour hand احْتَوَتْheld
وَتُعْطِي أَيادِيكَ الَّتي يَدَكَ احْتَوَتْ
وَلَوْand even if جُمِعَتْwere gathered فيin رَاحَتَيْكَyour two palms الأَقالِمُthe realms
وَلَوْ جُمِعَتْ في رَاحَتَيْكَ الأَقالِمُ
And you bestow the bounties that your hand holds,
Even were all the realms gathered in your palms.
كَأَنَّكَas though you were أُمٌّa mother والأَنَامُand humankind بِأَسْرِهِمْall of them
كَأَنَّكَ أُمٌّ والأَنَامُ بِأَسْرِهِمْ
يَتَامىorphans وَبَعْلٌand a husband والأنامُand humankind أَيائِمُpeople without spouses
يَتَامى وَبَعْلٌ والأنامُ أَيائِمُ
As though you were a mother, and all humankind
Orphans; and a husband, and humankind without spouses.
تَؤُمُّseek رِماحُthe lances of الخَطِّal-Khatt بِيضَكَyour bright swords فيin الوَغَىbattle
تَؤُمُّ رِماحُ الخَطِّ بِيضَكَ في الوَغَى
كماas قَابَلتْmet بِيضَfair الوُجُوهِfaces المَعاصِمُwrists
كما قَابَلتْ بِيضَ الوُجُوهِ المَعاصِمُ
The lances of al-Khatt seek your bright swords in battle,
As wrists meet fair faces.
وَتُغْضِيand you avert your gaze عَنِfrom الفَحْشاءِwickedness لاnot عَنْout of جَهالةٍignorance
وَتُغْضِي عَنِ الفَحْشاءِ لا عَنْ جَهالةٍ
وَلكنْbut rather لِمَعْنىًfor a reason آثَرَتْهُfavored it المَكَارِمُnoble virtues
وَلكنْ لِمَعْنىً آثَرَتْهُ المَكَارِمُ
And you overlook wickedness, not out of ignorance,
But for a reason favored by noble virtues.
وليand I have مِدَحٌpoems of praise بَالَغْتُI went to the utmost فِيهَاin them بَلاغَةًin eloquence
ولي مِدَحٌ بَالَغْتُ فِيهَا بَلاغَةً
وَأَثْنيتُand I praised فِيهاin them بالَّذيfor what أَنَاI عالِمُone who knows
وَأَثْنيتُ فِيها بالَّذي أَنَا عالِمُ
I have poems of praise in which I took eloquence to its utmost,
And in them I praised what I know.
وَليand I have فيكَin you آمالٌhopes عَلَيْكincumbent upon you بُلوغُهاtheir fulfillment
وَلي فيكَ آمالٌ عَلَيْك بُلوغُها
فَلاso no دافِعٌone who can thwart دُونin the way of الَّذيwhat أَنْتَyou حَاكِمُdecree
فَلا دافِعٌ دُون الَّذي أَنْتَ حَاكِمُ
And I have hopes in you, whose fulfillment rests with you,
For none can thwart what you decree.
أَبَعْدَكafter you? يَحْوِيpossesses المَجْدَglory مَنْone who هُوhe فاخِرٌboastful
أَبَعْدَك يَحْوِي المَجْدَ مَنْ هُو فاخِرٌ
وَبَعْدِيand after me يقولُutters الشِّعْرَpoetry مَنْone who هُوَhe نَاظِمُa versifier
وَبَعْدِي يقولُ الشِّعْرَ مَنْ هُوَ نَاظِمُ
After you, can any boaster claim glory?
And after me, can any versifier utter poetry?
وَإِنَّand indeed لِسانيmy tongue ذوpossessor of الفِقَارِthe notches (al-Fiqar) عَلِيُّهُits Ali
وَإِنَّ لِساني ذو الفِقَارِ عَلِيُّهُ
عُلاكَyour glory فَمَنْso who مِثْليlike me وَمثْلُكَand like you غانِمُfortunate
عُلاكَ فَمَنْ مِثْلي وَمثْلُكَ غانِمُ
Indeed, my tongue is Dhu al-Fiqar; its Ali
Is your glory—who is as fortunate as you and I?
أَجِرْgrant protection وأَجِزْand reward وَاعْطِفْand show kindness وَأَعْطِand give فَإِنَّماfor only
أَجِرْ وأَجِزْ وَاعْطِفْ وَأَعْطِ فَإِنَّما
يَخُصُّsingle out كَرِيماًa noble man بِالنَّوالِwith bounty الأَكَارِمُthe noble
يَخُصُّ كَرِيماً بِالنَّوالِ الأَكَارِمُ
Grant protection, reward, show kindness, and give; for only
The noble favor a noble man with bounty.
Translation model: Sol 6.1