يَفُلُّblunts غربَthe keen edge الرزاياcalamities وهيwhile they are باسلةٌfierce
يَفُلُّ غربَ الرزايا وهي باسلةٌ
ويُوسِعُand gives abundantly الجارَthe neighbor نَصْراًaid وهوwhile he is مخْذولُforsaken
ويُوسِعُ الجارَ نَصْراً وهو مخْذولُ
He blunts the edge of calamities, fierce though they are,
He blunts the keen edge of calamities, though they are fierce,
and lavishes aid upon his neighbor when that neighbor is forsaken.
And lavishes aid on a neighbor when he is forsaken.
ويشَهدُand faces الهَوْلَterror بَسَّاماًsmiling broadly وقدthough already دمعَتْshed tears
ويشَهدُ الهَوْلَ بَسَّاماً وقد دمعَتْ
شُوسُfierce العُيونِeyes فَذمَso reproached القوْمَthe men إِجْفيلُa skittish coward
شُوسُ العُيونِ فَذمَ القوْمَ إِجْفيلُ
He faces terror smiling, though they have begun to weep—
And faces terror smiling, though tears have welled
the fierce-eyed, out of fear, while the people flee.
In fierce eyes; so a coward reproached the men.
وتُتَّقىand are feared مثلماjust as تُرْجىare hoped for فَواضِلُهُhis virtues
وتُتَّقى مثلما تُرْجى فَواضِلُهُ
وجُودهُand his generosity فهوso he is مَرْهوبٌdreaded ومَأمولُand hoped for
وجُودهُ فهو مَرْهوبٌ ومَأمولُ
One fears him just as one hopes for his abundant favors;
And his virtues are feared as much as they are hoped for,
and his munificence—he is both dreaded and hoped for.
And his generosity too—so he is both dreaded and hoped for.
عارٍbare منَof العارِdisgrace كاسٍclothed مِنْin مَناقِبِهِhis virtues
عارٍ منَ العارِ كاسٍ مِنْ مَناقِبِهِ
كأنَّهُas though he were مُرْهَفُsharpened الحَدَّيْنِon both edges مَصْقولُpolished
كأنَّهُ مُرْهَفُ الحَدَّيْنِ مَصْقولُ
Naked of shame, clothed in his virtues,
Bare of disgrace, clothed in his virtues,
as though he were a keen, polished, double-edged blade.
As though he were a polished blade, sharp on both edges.
سَهْلُfree with المكارِمِnoble deeds سَهْلٌgentle فيin حَفيظَتِهِhis indignation
سَهْلُ المكارِمِ سَهْلٌ في حَفيظَتِهِ
فبَأسُهُso his might والنَّدىand generosity مُرٌّbitter ومَعْسولُand honey-sweet
فبَأسُهُ والنَّدى مُرٌّ ومَعْسولُ
Noble deeds come readily to him, and so does protective wrath;
Free with noble deeds, gentle in his indignation,
his might is bitter, his bounty honey-sweet.
Thus his might is bitter, his generosity honey-sweet.
قاليloathing الدَّناياbase deeds وصَبْوانُand yearning for العُلىthe heights كَلِفٌpassionately devoted
قالي الدَّنايا وصَبْوانُ العُلى كَلِفٌ
فالعارُso disgrace والمَجْدُand glory مَقْطوعٌsevered ومَوْصولُand joined
فالعارُ والمَجْدُ مَقْطوعٌ ومَوْصولُ
Loathing all that is low, passionately enamored of the heights,
Loathing baseness and yearning for the heights, passionately devoted,
he is severed from shame and joined to glory.
Thus disgrace is severed from him, and glory joined to him.
الصَّدْرُthe leader يحيىYahya لَدىin قَوْلٍspeech ومُعْتَرَكٍand battle
الصَّدْرُ يحيى لَدى قَوْلٍ ومُعْتَرَكٍ
إذاwhen تَشابَهَseem alike مَقْطوعٌsilenced ومَفْلولُand routed
إذا تَشابَهَ مَقْطوعٌ ومَفْلولُ
Yahya stands foremost in speech and in the fray,
The leader is Yahya, in speech and in battle,
when one cut short in argument and one routed in battle look alike.
When the silenced and the routed seem alike.
تَهْميrain down الأسِنَّةُspearheads والأقْوالُand words ماضيَةٌpiercing
تَهْمي الأسِنَّةُ والأقْوالُ ماضيَةٌ
فالحَبْرُso the scholar والقِرْنُand the adversary مَطْرودٌdriven back ومَفْضولُand outdone
فالحَبْرُ والقِرْنُ مَطْرودٌ ومَفْضولُ
Spearheads rain down while words drive keenly on;
Spearheads rain down, and words cut keenly,
scholar and champion alike are driven off, outdone.
So the scholar is driven back, and the adversary outdone.
جَوادُgenerous مَحْلٍdrought لهُhe has منfrom فَخْرِهِhis glory شِيَةٌa coat-marking
جَوادُ مَحْلٍ لهُ من فَخْرِهِ شِيَةٌ
وفيهِand on him مِنْof واضِحradiant العَلْياءِeminence تَحْجيلُwhite leg-markings
وفيهِ مِنْ واضِح العَلْياءِ تَحْجيلُ
Generous in famine, he bears glory’s distinguishing mark;
Generous in drought, he bears a coat-marking of his glory,
and on him gleam the white leg-markings of radiant eminence.
And on him are white leg-markings of radiant eminence.
يَصيدُhunts وَحْشَwild beasts المَعاليhigh honors وهيwhile they are نافِرَةٌfleeing
يَصيدُ وَحْشَ المَعالي وهي نافِرَةٌ
كأنَّas though مَسْعاهُhis pursuit للعَلْياءِof eminence أحْبولُa snare
كأنَّ مَسْعاهُ للعَلْياءِ أحْبولُ
He hunts the wild quarry of lofty deeds as it shies away,
He hunts the wild beasts of high honors, though they flee,
as though his striving for the heights were a snare.
As though his pursuit of eminence were a snare.
