رُبَّmany a مُستَغمِزٍone probing for weakness إِبائيmy proud refusal وَفيand among الناthe people (first part)
رُبَّ مُستَغمِزٍ إِبائي وَفي النا
سِ(completes 'the people') ذَلولٌsubmissive عَلىunder الأَذىharm وَقَموصُand one who bucks
سِ ذَلولٌ عَلى الأَذى وَقَموصُ
Many a man probes my proud refusal for weakness; among the
Many scorn me though gentle among men,
people, some submit to hurt and others buck against it.
Stooping to wrong while erecting snares for me.
ناصِبٌsetting ليfor me حَبائِلَsnares الطَمَعِgreed المُزdegrading (first part)
ناصِبٌ لي حَبائِلَ الطَمَعِ المُز
ري(completes 'degrading') وَغَيريand someone other than me لِلمُطمِعاتِto tempting offers قَنيصُprey
ري وَغَيري لِلمُطمِعاتِ قَنيصُ
He lays for me the snares of degrading greed,
Others court greedy hopes, while for them
while others are prey to tempting offers.
I spent my wealth to purchase their honor.
بَذَلَhe offered المالَmoney ليto me يُساوِمُbargaining over عِرضيmy honor
بَذَلَ المالَ لي يُساوِمُ عِرضي
إِنَّindeed عِرضيmy honor إِذاًthen عَلَيَّin my eyes رَخيصُcheap
إِنَّ عِرضي إِذاً عَلَيَّ رَخيصُ
He offered me money, bargaining over my honor—
Thus cheapened, my honor’s a bargain for me.
then my honor would indeed be cheap in my eyes.
No blame to the poor man, content though he be.
لاnot يُعابُis faulted المُقِلُّthe man of little means وَهوَwhile he is قَنوعٌcontented
لا يُعابُ المُقِلُّ وَهوَ قَنوعٌ
وَيُعابُand is faulted الغَنِيُّthe wealthy man وَهوَwhile he is حَريصُgreedy
وَيُعابُ الغَنِيُّ وَهوَ حَريصُ
The man of little means is not faulted when content,
Blame riches that ever breed avarice.
but the rich man is faulted when greedy.
My clothes hint of glory, no shred left behind.
لِبسَتيmy garb عَلَّهاmay it تَجَلّىwear thin وَلَمand has not يَدbecome stained (first part)
لِبسَتي عَلَّها تَجَلّى وَلَم يَد
نَس(completes 'become stained') رِداءٌa cloak مِنَof العُلىhigh honor وَقَميصُand a shirt
نَس رِداءٌ مِنَ العُلى وَقَميصُ
Let my garb wear thin, so long as no
See them trail shreds while my belly lacks meals,
cloak or shirt of high honor is stained.
My neck bears events with care and endeavor.
وَاِنظُرَنهاand do behold it تَجُرdrag زَعازِعُهاits fierce gusts النِكcross-blowing (first part)
وَاِنظُرَنها تَجُر زَعازِعُها النِك
بُ(completes 'cross-blowing') وَبَطنيand my belly مِنَof النَوالِbounty خَميصُempty
بُ وَبَطني مِنَ النَوالِ خَميصُ
And look at it, dragged by its fierce crosswinds,
Perchance the keen falcon may fold its wings.
while my belly is empty of bounty.
The valiant turns to the fight, shunning disgrace,
وَاِرقُبيand await عَطفَةَa turn الزَمانِof time بِجِدٍّearnestly
وَاِرقُبي عَطفَةَ الزَمانِ بِجِدٍّ
رُبَّماsometimes حَلَّقَsoared الجَناحُthe wing الحَصيصُfeatherless
رُبَّما حَلَّقَ الجَناحُ الحَصيصُ
And earnestly await a turn of fortune;
Whenever harmed, shows patience that days
sometimes a featherless wing soars.
May relive, for time is but winding and crooked.
يُقدِمُadvances الباسِلُthe valiant man الأَبِيُّthe proudly unyielding عَلىtoward الحَتdeath (first part)
يُقدِمُ الباسِلُ الأَبِيُّ عَلى الحَت
فِ(completes 'death') وَفيهِand within him عَنِfrom الهَوانِhumiliation نُكوصُrecoil
فِ وَفيهِ عَنِ الهَوانِ نُكوصُ
The valiant, proud man advances toward death,
By the bright Pleiades that led them headlong
yet within him is a recoil from humiliation.
To destruction, some duped and others rash.
كُلَّماwhenever عَضَّهُbit him الأَذىharm غَضَّbore it quietly بِالصَبwith patience (first part)
كُلَّما عَضَّهُ الأَذى غَضَّ بِالصَب
رِ(completes 'patience') يُزَجّيekes out الأَيّامَthe days وَهيَwhile they are غَصيصُchokingly bitter
رِ يُزَجّي الأَيّامَ وَهيَ غَصيصُ
Whenever hurt bites him, he bears it with
Hunger mounts from the paunch, when effort is lacking,
patience, eking out days that choke him.
And provisions are distant and hard to obtain.
قَسَماًI swear بِالأَشاعِثِby the disheveled الشُمصِthe austere أَدَّتbrought
قَسَماً بِالأَشاعِثِ الشُمصِ أَدَّت
هُمthem إِلىto المَأزَمينَal-Ma’zamayn قودٌlong-necked camels وَخوصُand sunken-eyed camels
هُم إِلى المَأزَمينَ قودٌ وَخوصُ
I swear by the disheveled, austere men whom
Their purpose devoured by fate and misfortunes,
long-necked, sunken-eyed camels brought to al-Ma’zamayn.
Only blame and regrets for them remain.
تَرتَقيbring up جِرَّةَthe cud البُطونِof the bellies مِنَfrom الجَهexhaustion (first part)
تَرتَقي جِرَّةَ البُطونِ مِنَ الجَه
دِ(completes 'exhaustion') إِذاwhen عَزَّbecame scarce أَجرَدٌbare herbage وَقَصيصُand qasis herbage
دِ إِذا عَزَّ أَجرَدٌ وَقَصيصُ
They bring up cud from their bellies out of
I made not disgrace my lasting abode,
exhaustion, when bare herbage and qasis are scarce.
From wrong my recourse, and safely I hide.
أَكَلَتdevoured نِيّهاtheir fat المَواميthe wastelands فَلَمso did not يَبremain (first part)
أَكَلَت نِيّها المَوامي فَلَم يَب
قَ(completes 'remain') عَليهاon them إِلّاexcept الذَماthe remnant of life وَالشُخوصُand bodily forms
قَ عَليها إِلّا الذَما وَالشُخوصُ
The wastelands devoured their fat, leaving
Gone from my shoulder's hope, yet I wonder-
only a remnant of life and their bodily forms.
How often men hope while in direst need!
لاnever جَعَلتُI shall make الهَوانَhumiliation دارَa dwelling مُقامٍof residence
لا جَعَلتُ الهَوانَ دارَ مُقامٍ
وَعَنِand away from الضَيمِoppression مَعدَلٌa way aside وَمَحيصُand an escape
وَعَنِ الضَيمِ مَعدَلٌ وَمَحيصُ
Never shall I make humiliation my settled abode,
If favor of kings is fortune for dreamers,
while there is a way aside and an escape from oppression.
Vain is my dream, and hoping brings naught worth the while.
خَفَّgrew lighter عَنfrom عاتِقيmy shoulder الرَجاءُhope وَكَمand how often باspent the night (first part)
خَفَّ عَن عاتِقي الرَجاءُ وَكَم با
تَ(completes 'spent the night') بِمَنِّthrough reminders of favors الرِجالِmen وَهوَwhile it is وَقيصُbroken-necked
تَ بِمَنِّ الرِجالِ وَهوَ وَقيصُ
Hope weighs less on my shoulder; how often it has
spent the night with its neck broken by men's reminders of favors.
إِنif يَكُنthere is فيin نَدىthe bounty of المُلوكِkings سُبوغٌabundance
إِن يَكُن في نَدى المُلوكِ سُبوغٌ
لِلمُرَجّيfor the hopeful فَفيthen in رَجايَmy hope قُلوصُdiminution
لِلمُرَجّي فَفي رَجايَ قُلوصُ
If kings' bounty offers abundance
to the hopeful, my own hope has shrunk.
Partial English translation: 26 of 30 Arabic lines translated.