سَأرمِيI shall shoot بِنَبلِيwith my arrows ذائِداdefending عنagainst encroachment on حِمَىthe sanctuary of نُبلِيmy nobility
سَأرمِي بِنَبلِي ذائِدا عن حِمَى نُبلِي
وَأغتَرُّand I catch unawares حَظِّيmy fortune بالغُرَيرِيَّةِon Ghurayri camels الفُتلِstrong-limbed
وَأغتَرُّ حَظِّي بالغُرَيرِيَّةِ الفُتلِ
I shall shoot my arrows, defending the sanctuary of my nobility,
And catch my fortune unawares on strong-limbed Ghurayri camels,
قَدِيراًcapable علَىof نَيلِattaining الأَمَانِيِّwishes عَنوَةًby force
قَدِيراً علَى نَيلِ الأَمَانِيِّ عَنوَةً
إِذاif لَمnot تُنِلنيهَأgrant them to me اللَّياليthe nights علىwith رِسلِease
إِذا لَم تُنِلنيهَأ اللَّيالي على رِسلِ
Able to win my wishes by force,
If the nights do not grant them to me with ease.
إذاwhen سَأَلَتask مِنِّيof me القَبَائِلُthe tribes نِسبَةًa lineage
إذا سَأَلَت مِنِّي القَبَائِلُ نِسبَةً
كَتَبتُI inscribe لَهاfor them أصلِيmy ancestry عَلَىon ظُبَتَيthe two edges of نَصلِيmy blade
كَتَبتُ لَها أصلِي عَلَى ظُبَتَي نَصلِي
When the tribes ask me for my lineage,
I inscribe my ancestry for them on my blade's two edges.
تُعَزِّزُfortifies نَفسِيmy soul هِمَّةٌan ambition نَشَأتwas born مَعِيwith me
تُعَزِّزُ نَفسِي هِمَّةٌ نَشَأت مَعِي
فَلَنso never will تُبتَغَىbe sought بَعدِيafter me وَلاnor وُجِدَتwas found قَبلِيbefore me
فَلَن تُبتَغَى بَعدِي وَلا وُجِدَت قَبلِي
An ambition born with me fortifies my soul,
Never to be sought after me, nor found before me.
وَفيand in زَمَنٍan age أغضَىshut its eyes لِيَخبُرَto test أهلَهُits people
وَفي زَمَنٍ أغضَى لِيَخبُرَ أهلَهُ
فَأكسَبَهُso it brought it الإِغضَاءُshutting the eyes ضَرباًa kind مِنَof الخَبلِmadness
فَأكسَبَهُ الإِغضَاءُ ضَرباً مِنَ الخَبلِ
And in an age that shut its eyes to test its people,
Shutting its eyes brought it a kind of madness.
وَأصبحَتِand became الأعجَازُthe hindquarters فِيin غَفلاتِهِits heedless moments
وَأصبحَتِ الأعجَازُ فِي غَفلاتِهِ
هَوَادِيَforeparts والهَامَاتُand heads يُوطَأنَare trampled بِالنَّعلِwith sandals
هَوَادِيَ والهَامَاتُ يُوطَأنَ بِالنَّعلِ
And in its heedless moments, hindquarters became
Foreparts, and heads were trampled under sandals.
وَعُدَّand was deemed النَّدَىgenerosity تَبذِيرَsquandering مَالٍwealth عَلَىon the part of الفَتَىa young man
وَعُدَّ النَّدَى تَبذِيرَ مَالٍ عَلَى الفَتَى
وَخَوضُand plunging into الوَغَىbattle رَأياًa decision بَعِيداًfar removed مَنَfrom العَقلِreason
وَخَوضُ الوَغَى رَأياً بَعِيداً مَنَ العَقلِ
And generosity was deemed a young man's squandering of wealth,
And plunging into battle a decision far removed from reason.
ولاnor تُشتَرَىare bought اليومَtoday السُّيوفُswords لِقَطعِهَاfor their cutting power
ولا تُشتَرَى اليومَ السُّيوفُ لِقَطعِهَا
وَلَكِنbut لِحُسنِfor the beauty of الحَليِthe adornments أوor رَونَقِthe gleam of الصَّّقلِthe polish
وَلَكِن لِحُسنِ الحَليِ أو رَونَقِ الصَّّقلِ
Nor are swords bought today for their cutting power,
But for the beauty of their adornments or the gleam of their polish.
ولاnor تُوهَبُare given gifts المَدَّاحُpanegyrists عَنfor حُرِّthe nobility of مَدحِهَاtheir praise
ولا تُوهَبُ المَدَّاحُ عَن حُرِّ مَدحِهَا
وَلَكنbut عَلَىaccording to قَدرِthe measure of الفُكَاهَةِhumor وَالهَزلِand jest
وَلَكن عَلَى قَدرِ الفُكَاهَةِ وَالهَزلِ
Nor are panegyrists given gifts for their noble praise,
But in proportion to their humor and jest.
فَلَولاso were it not for ابنُIbn (son of) عَبدِAbd (servant of) اللهِAllah (God) مَاnot لاحَappeared لِلنّدَىfor generosity
فَلَولا ابنُ عَبدِ اللهِ مَا لاحَ لِلنّدَى
جَبِينٌa brow وَلاnor اقتَادَexacted vengeance السَّمَاحُopenhandedness مِنَfrom البُخلِmiserliness
جَبِينٌ وَلا اقتَادَ السَّمَاحُ مِنَ البُخلِ
But for Ibn Abd Allah, generosity would never have shown
A brow, nor would openhandedness have taken vengeance on miserliness.
وَولاand were it not for أبُوAbu (father of) عَبدِAbd (servant of) الإلاهِal-Ilah (God) بنُibn (son of) سَبرَةٍSabra
وَولا أبُو عَبدِ الإلاهِ بنُ سَبرَةٍ
لأضحَىwould surely have become نِجَارُthe stock of المَجدِglory مُنقَطِعَcut off from النَّسلِoffspring
لأضحَى نِجَارُ المَجدِ مُنقَطِعَ النَّسلِ
And but for Abu Abd al-Ilah ibn Sabra,
The stock of glory would have become bereft of offspring.
وَلولاand were it not for أيادِيهِhis favors المُبَدِّدُthat scatters شَملَهَاtheir gathered company
وَلولا أيادِيهِ المُبَدِّدُ شَملَهَا
نَداهُhis bounty لَكَانَwould surely have been الجُودُgenerosity مُفتَرِقَscattered in الشَّملِcompany
نَداهُ لَكَانَ الجُودُ مُفتَرِقَ الشَّملِ
And but for his favors, scattered abroad
By his bounty, generosity itself would have been scattered.
وَمَاand not كُنتُI would have been لَولاwere it not for أَنتَyou إلاexcept مُزَمِّماًhaltering
وَمَا كُنتُ لَولا أَنتَ إلا مُزَمِّماً
رَكَابِيmy riding camels مُثٍِيراًsetting in motion عَنaway from بَلنسِيَةٍValencia رَحلِيmy baggage
رَكَابِي مُثٍِيراً عَن بَلنسِيَةٍ رَحلِي
And but for you, I would only have been haltering
My riding camels, moving my baggage away from Valencia,
وُمستَبدِلاًand taking in exchange أهلاًa people سِوَاهَاoutside it وَمَنزِلاًand a home
وُمستَبدِلاً أهلاً سِوَاهَا وَمَنزِلاً
وَإِنeven though كَانَis فِيهَاin it مَنزِليmy home وَبِهَاand in it أهلِيmy family
وَإِن كَانَ فِيهَا مَنزِلي وَبِهَا أهلِي
And exchanging my people and home for others elsewhere,
Though my home is there, and there my family.
فَأمرُكَso your command لِيto me بِالمُكثِto remain فِيهَاin it إقَامَةٌsupport
فَأمرُكَ لِي بِالمُكثِ فِيهَا إقَامَةٌ
وَصَلتُI aided بِهَاthrough it أهلِيmy family وَصُنتُand I safeguarded بِهَاthrough it إبلِيmy camels
وَصَلتُ بِهَا أهلِي وَصُنتُ بِهَا إبلِي
So your command that I remain there sustains me:
Through it I have aided my family and safeguarded my camels.