أَباO father of عَليٍAli لِأَلَدِّagainst the fiercest disputant إِنif سَطاhe attacks
أَبا عَليٍ لِأَلَدِّ إِن سَطا
وَلِلخُصومِand against the adversaries إِنif أَطالواthey prolong اللَغطاthe clamor
وَلِلخُصومِ إِن أَطالوا اللَغطا
O Abu Ali, against the fiercest disputant when he attacks,
O Abi Ali be steadfast though the disputants prolong the contention
And against adversaries when they prolong their clamor,
You will hit the mark if they make mistakes
تُصيبُyou hit the mark عَمداًdeliberately إِنif أَصابواthey hit the mark غَلطاby mistake
تُصيبُ عَمداً إِن أَصابوا غَلطا
وَلُمَعٌand gleams تَكشِفُyou remove عَنهُنَّfrom them الغِطاthe veil
وَلُمَعٌ تَكشِفُ عَنهُنَّ الغِطا
You hit the mark deliberately, when they do so by mistake.
And lights that uncover their veilings
And gleams from which you lift the veil,
You uncovered the secret of the veiled virgins
كَشفَكَyour lifting عَنfrom بَيضِthe fair ones of العَذاريَthe maidens الغِطاthe veil
كَشفَكَ عَن بَيضِ العَذاريَ الغِطا
وَمُصعَبٍand an untamed mount لِلقَولِfor speech صَعبِdifficult المُمتَطىto ride
وَمُصعَبٍ لِلقَولِ صَعبِ المُمتَطى
As you lift the veil from fair maidens.
And made plain what was crooked in speech
And many an untamed mount of speech, hard to ride—
You were overbearing until the carried became the carrier
عَسَفتَyou drove harshly حَتّىuntil عادَit became مَجزولَgashed المَطاin the back
عَسَفتَ حَتّى عادَ مَجزولَ المَطا
داميbleeding المِلاطِthe flank رَحلُهُits saddle قَدalready أَغبَطاremained fixed
دامي المِلاطِ رَحلُهُ قَد أَغبَطا
You drove it hard until its back was gashed,
The duration of his sojourn has made him envy
Its flank bleeding, its saddle clinging fast.
And walkers by steps not by slips
وَسائِراتٍand traveling ones بِالخُطىby strides لاnot بِالخِطاby missteps
وَسائِراتٍ بِالخُطى لا بِالخِطا
شَوارِدٍrunaways عَنكَfrom you قَطَعنَthey broke الرُبُطاthe tethers
شَوارِدٍ عَنكَ قَطَعنَ الرُبُطا
And roaming verses, moving by strides, not missteps,
Distracted from you, they cut the tie
Runaways from you that have broken their tethers,
As you saw the horses galloping the turf
كَماjust as رَأَيتَyou saw الخَيلَthe horses تَعدوgallop المَرَطىat full speed
كَما رَأَيتَ الخَيلَ تَعدو المَرَطى
أَلبَستَyou adorned فيهاin them كُلَّevery أُذنٍear قُرُطاan earring
أَلبَستَ فيها كُلَّ أُذنٍ قُرُطا
Like horses you have seen racing at full gallop.
You made every ear in it ring
With them you adorned every ear with an earring;
Our understandings have attained the rank of the arrivers
قَدindeed وَرَدَتthey reached أَفهامَناour understanding وِردَarrival at water القَطاsandgrouse
قَد وَرَدَت أَفهامَنا وِردَ القَطا
وَمُشكِلاتٍand knotty problems ماnot نَشَطنَthey broke free مَنشَطاa way out
وَمُشكِلاتٍ ما نَشَطنَ مَنشَطا
They have reached our minds as sandgrouse come to water.
And problems that no propose roused to the effort
And knotty problems that had found no way to break free,
Their inaction with a saying, when inactive
عِطالُهاtheir unadorned ones بِمِقوَلٍwith a tongue إِذاwhen عِطالُهاtheir unadorned ones
عِطالُها بِمِقوَلٍ إِذا عِطالُها
مَيَّزَit distinguished مِنfrom دَيجورِهاtheir deep darkness ماwhat اِختَلَطاwas mingled
مَيَّزَ مِن دَيجورِها ما اِختَلَطا
Their unadorned ones—with a tongue, when their unadorned ones...
It discriminated amidst its confusedness what was mixed
It sorted out what was mingled in their darkness,
It divested between the adorned combs
غَلَّلَit inserted ماthe space بَينَbetween العِقاصِthe braids المُشُطاthe comb
غَلَّلَ ما بَينَ العِقاصِ المُشُطا
ضَلَّlost their way المُجارونَthe rivals وَماbut not تَوَرَّطاhe fell into a predicament
ضَلَّ المُجارونَ وَما تَوَرَّطا
It worked the comb between the braids.
The emulators went astray and were not entangled
The rivals lost their way, but he fell into no pitfall.
They inclined to emulate an elegant one who stepped forth
مَلّواthey tired of مُجاراةَkeeping pace with فَنيقٍa pampered camel stallion قَدalready مَطاstrode swiftly
مَلّوا مُجاراةَ فَنيقٍ قَد مَطا
قَرمٌa breeding camel stallion يَهُدَّpounds الأَرضَthe earth إِنif تَخَمَّطاhe swaggered
قَرمٌ يَهُدَّ الأَرضَ إِن تَخَمَّطا
They tired of keeping pace with a pampered camel stallion striding swiftly,
An old man who shakes the earth if he crawls
A mighty camel sire that pounds the earth when he swaggers.
The riding beast licked the spotted spider
مَلَّgrew weary of المَطِيُّthe riding camels القَرَبَthe night march to water العَنَطنَطاvery long
مَلَّ المَطِيُّ القَرَبَ العَنَطنَطا
تَطَرَّفواthey took the edges of الفَجَّthe broad pass الَّذيwhich تَوَسَّطاhe took the middle of
تَطَرَّفوا الفَجَّ الَّذي تَوَسَّطا
The riding camels wearied of the long night march to water.
They frequent the crevasse that lay between
They skirted the pass whose center he traversed.
Neither panicking nor exulting
لاnot جَزِعاًdistraught أَودىhe perished وَلاnor مُغتَبِطاrejoicing
لا جَزِعاً أَودى وَلا مُغتَبِطا
كانواthey were العَقابيلَthe followers وَكُنتَand you were الفَرَطاthe forerunner to water
كانوا العَقابيلَ وَكُنتَ الفَرَطا
He perished neither distraught nor rejoicing.
They were the obstacle, and you were the exceller
They were the followers, and you the forerunner to water.
At hastening the people recognize the laggard
عِندَbeside السَراعِthe swift ones يَعرِفُrecognize القَومُthe people البِطاthe slow ones
عِندَ السَراعِ يَعرِفُ القَومُ البِطا
أَرضىdelighted زَمانٌtime بِكَwith you ثُمَّthen أَسخَطاangered
أَرضى زَمانٌ بِكَ ثُمَّ أَسخَطا
Beside the swift, people recognize the slow.
A time was pleased with you, then angered
Time delighted us with you, then angered us.
The days did not seek any wantonness from us
ماhow أَطلَبَdemanding الأَيّامَthe days مِنّاof us شَطَطاunreasonable excess
ما أَطلَبَ الأَيّامَ مِنّا شَطَطا
How exorbitant are the demands the days make of us!
Partial English translation: 26 of 27 Arabic lines translated.