اُحْلُbe sweet وامْرُرْand be bitter مَعاًtogether ولِنْand be gentle تارةًat times واخْand be stern (first part)
اُحْلُ وامْرُرْ مَعاً ولِنْ تارةً واخْ
شُنْbe stern (completion) وَرِشْand give support أَنْتَyou yourself وانْتَدِبْand volunteer للمَعاليfor lofty deeds
شُنْ وَرِشْ أَنْتَ وانْتَدِبْ للمَعالي
Be sweet and bitter together; be gentle at times, and be
Pass by and journey on, now roar and now whisper softly,
stern; give generously yourself, and rise to lofty deeds.
Be harsh at times and sprinkle now and recruit for great deeds,
وأَغِثْand give aid واسْتَغِثْand seek help بِرَبِّكَfrom your Lord فيin الأَزْdistress (first part)
وأَغِثْ واسْتَغِثْ بِرَبِّكَ في الأَزْ
لِdistress (completion) إذاwhen جَلّحَتْgrow fierce صُروفُvicissitudes اللّياليof the nights
لِ إذا جَلّحَتْ صُروفُ اللّيالي
Give aid, and seek your Lord's help in
Cry out for help and plead for your Lord’s help when
distress, when the nights' vicissitudes grow fierce.
The nights turn bleak with ill chance,
لاdo not تَقِفْstand للزَّمانِbefore Time فيin مَنْزِلِthe abode of الضَّيْoppression (first part)
لا تَقِفْ للزَّمانِ في مَنْزِلِ الضَّيْ
مِoppression (completion) ولاand do not تَسْتَكِنْsubmit لِرِقّةِto straitness of حالِcircumstances
مِ ولا تَسْتَكِنْ لِرِقّةِ حالِ
Do not stand before Time in the abode of
Do not stand still in days of woe, nor feel too safe when times are kind,
oppression, nor submit to straitened circumstances.
When you fear loss may outrun you, seek refuge in lofty thoughts,
وإذاand if خِفْتَyou fear أَنْthat يُراهِقَكَit may overtake you العُدْpoverty (first part)
وإذا خِفْتَ أَنْ يُراهِقَكَ العُدْ
مُpoverty (completion) فَعُذْthen seek refuge بالمُثَقّفاتِin straightened spears العَواليthe towering ones
مُ فَعُذْ بالمُثَقّفاتِ العَوالي
And if you fear being overtaken by
Humble your proud soul unto death and steer it through peril,
poverty, seek refuge in straightened, towering spears.
By my life, death is fairer to the free than living in disgrace, abasing oneself before men,
وأَهِنْand hold cheap نَفْسَكَyour self الكَريمَةَnoble للموto death (first part)
وأَهِنْ نَفْسَكَ الكَريمَةَ للمو
تِdeath (completion) وقَحِّمْand plunge بهاwith it علىinto الأَهْوالِthe terrors
تِ وقَحِّمْ بها على الأَهْوالِ
And hold your noble self cheap before
What water is this that flows over your free face when you so abase it by asking?
death, and plunge it into terrors.
But most of all when time grows harsh to people of plenty and charity,
فَلَعَمْرِيfor, by my life لَلْمَوْتُdeath indeed أَزْيَنُmore becoming للحُرِّto a free man
فَلَعَمْرِي لَلْمَوْتُ أَزْيَنُ للحُرِّ
مِنَthan الذلِhumiliation ضارعاًpleading abjectly للرِّجالِto men
مِنَ الذلِ ضارعاً للرِّجالِ
For, by my life, death is more becoming to a free man
When bounty dies out and clouds of giving are no more,
than humiliation, pleading abjectly before men.
Few are those among mankind whom you see fit to ask or protecting honor with wealth,
أَيwhat ماءٍwater (dignity) يَدورُflows فيin وجهكَyour face الحُnoble (first part)
أَي ماءٍ يَدورُ في وجهكَ الحُ
رnoble (completion) إذاwhen ماever (emphatic) امْتَهَنْتَهُyou debased it بالسؤالِby begging
ر إذا ما امْتَهَنْتَهُ بالسؤالِ
What water of honor still flows in your noble
The new crescent seems so thin at first in its delicate frame,
face, once you have debased it by begging—
Then growing brighter you see it swell into a full moon in the sky no longer a dim crescent,
ثُمthen لاnot سِيّماthe like (with lā: especially) إذاwhen عَصَفَrages الدَّهْTime (first part)
ثُم لا سِيّما إذا عَصَفَ الدَّهْ
رُTime (completion) بأهلِagainst the people of النّدىgenerosity وأَهْلِand the people of النّوالِbounty
رُ بأهلِ النّدى وأَهْلِ النّوالِ
and especially when the blasts of
Take comfort, gently rest your body, clad for the night in a shift soft as silk,
Time strike the generous and the bountiful?
Your eyes still wet with dew your limbs loose jointed with sleep,
غاضَتِhave run dry المَكْرُماتُnoble deeds وانْقَرَضَand died out النّاpeople (first part)
غاضَتِ المَكْرُماتُ وانْقَرَضَ النّا
سُpeople (completion) وبادَتْand vanished سَحائِبُclouds الإِفْضالِof munificence
سُ وبادَتْ سَحائِبُ الإِفْضالِ
Noble deeds have run dry, and mankind has died
Be diligent in your work, and the earth will be stretched out before you when it is time to journey,
out; the clouds of bounty have vanished.
Unswerving, unwavering in purpose, spare and strong like the spear shafts never crooked with handling,
فقليلٌso few منَamong الوَرىhumankind مَنْthose whom تَراهُyou see
فقليلٌ منَ الوَرى مَنْ تَراهُ
يُرْتَجَىis looked to with hope أَوor يَصونُsafeguards عِرْضاًhonor بمالِwith wealth
يُرْتَجَى أَو يَصونُ عِرْضاً بمالِ
Few among mortals are those you see
Make of abasement a fortress, an excellent fortress for the noble when earthquake shakes the land,
from whom good is hoped, or who guard their honor with wealth.
I love not the youth whom time trips and he falls bewildered,
وكَذاكَand likewise الهِلالُthe crescent أَوَّلَat first ماwhen يبappears (first part)
وكَذاكَ الهِلالُ أَوَّلَ ما يب
دوappears (completion) نَحيلاًslender فيin دِقّةِthe fineness of الخلخالِthe anklet
دو نَحيلاً في دِقّةِ الخلخالِ
And so too the crescent, when it first
Cringing poverty-stricken before the wealthy, bowing before him, face to face and behind his back,
appears, is slender, fine as an anklet.
Where is the roaming the horizons far and wide, the traversing of plains and hills,
ثُمَّthen يَزْدادُincreases ضَوْءُهُits light فتراهُso you see it
ثُمَّ يَزْدادُ ضَوْءُهُ فتراهُ
قَمَراًa full moon فيin السّماءِthe sky غيرَnot هِلالِa crescent
قَمَراً في السّماءِ غيرَ هِلالِ
Then its light increases, and you see it
The threading of thin roads where young camels are stalled and lambs and yearlings penned on the meadows green?
a full moon in the sky, no longer a crescent.
People are gone—seek your fortune with your sword or die lean.
عادِshun تَدْمِيثَكَyour softening المَضَاجِعَthe beds للجَنْfor the side (first part)
عادِ تَدْمِيثَكَ المَضَاجِعَ للجَنْ
بِside (completion) فَعَالَthe practice of الخريدَةِthe secluded maiden المِكْسالِthe languid one
بِ فَعَالَ الخريدَةِ المِكْسالِ
Shun making beds soft for your
side—the practice of a languid maiden.
وادَّرِعْand don as armor يَلْمَقَa tunic اجْتِيابِof traversing دُجَىthe darkness of اللّيnight (first part)
وادَّرِعْ يَلْمَقَ اجْتِيابِ دُجَى اللّي
لِnight (completion) بطَرْفٍupon a steed مُضَبّرِpowerfully knit in الأَوْصالِthe limbs
لِ بطَرْفٍ مُضَبّرِ الأَوْصالِ
And don the tunic of traversing the darkness of
night, on a steed with powerfully knit limbs,
عامِلِيِّʿĀmilī النّتاجِbreeding تُطْوىis folded up لهُfor him الأرthe earth (first part)
عامِلِيِّ النّتاجِ تُطْوى لهُ الأر
ضُearth (completion) إذاwhen ماever (emphatic) اسْتُعِدَّhe is readied للأَنْقالِfor carrying loads
ضُ إذا ما اسْتُعِدَّ للأَنْقالِ
of ʿĀmilī breeding, for whom the
earth folds up when he is readied to bear loads,
جُرْشُعٍdeep-chested لاحقِdrawn in at الأَياطِلِthe flanks كالأَعْlike a tawny gazelle (first part)
جُرْشُعٍ لاحقِ الأَياطِلِ كالأَعْ
فَرِtawny gazelle (completion) ضَافيabundant in السّبيبِmane and tail hair غَيرِnot مُذالِput to menial use
فَرِ ضَافي السّبيبِ غَيرِ مُذالِ
deep-chested, lean-flanked, like a tawny
gazelle, with flowing mane and tail, never put to menial use.
واتّخِذْand take ظَهْرَهُhis back مِنَagainst الذُّلِّhumiliation حِصْناًas a fortress
واتّخِذْ ظَهْرَهُ مِنَ الذُّلِّ حِصْناً
نِعْمَhow excellent حِصْنُthe fortress of الكريمِthe noble man فيamid الزِّلْزالِupheaval
نِعْمَ حِصْنُ الكريمِ في الزِّلْزالِ
And make his back a fortress against humiliation—
what a fine fortress for a noble man amid upheaval!
لاnot أُحِبُّI love الفَتىthe young man أَراهُI see him إذاwhen ماever (emphatic)
لا أُحِبُّ الفَتى أَراهُ إذا ما
عَضَّهُhas bitten him الدَّهرُTime جاثِماًcrouching فيin الضَّلالِbewilderment
عَضَّهُ الدَّهرُ جاثِماً في الضَّلالِ
I do not love a youth whom I see, whenever
Time bites him, crouching in bewilderment,
مُسْتكيناًsubmissive لِذيto the possessor of الغِنَىwealth خَاشِعَdowncast in الطّرْgaze (first part)
مُسْتكيناً لِذي الغِنَى خَاشِعَ الطّرْ
فِgaze (completion) ذَليلَabject in الإِدْبارِgoing والإِقْبالِand coming
فِ ذَليلَ الإِدْبارِ والإِقْبالِ
submissive to the wealthy, with downcast
gaze, abject in his going and coming.
أَيْنَwhere is جَوْبُthe traversing of البلادِthe lands شَرْقاًeastward وغَرْباًand westward
أَيْنَ جَوْبُ البلادِ شَرْقاً وغَرْباً
واعْتِسَافُand trackless crossing of السُّهولِthe plains والأَجْبالِand the mountains
واعْتِسَافُ السُّهولِ والأَجْبالِ
Where is the roaming through lands, east and west,
and the trackless crossing of plains and mountains,
واعْتِراضُand traversing الرِّقَاقِthe level tracts يُوضَعُone is sped along فيهاthrough them
واعْتِراضُ الرِّقَاقِ يُوضَعُ فيها
بِظباءِwith blades of النِّجادِthe baldric والعَمّالِand the quivering spear
بِظباءِ النِّجادِ والعَمّالِ
and the traversing of level tracts, racing through them
with baldric-hung blades and the quivering spear?
ذَهَبَhave gone النّاسُthe people فاطْلُبِso seek الرِّزْقَsustenance بالسّيْwith the sword (first part)
ذَهَبَ النّاسُ فاطْلُبِ الرِّزْقَ بالسّيْ
فِsword (completion) وإلاَّand otherwise فَمُتْthen die شَديدَsevere in الهُزالِemaciation
فِ وإلاَّ فَمُتْ شَديدَ الهُزالِ
Men are gone; so seek sustenance with the
sword, or else die utterly emaciated.
Partial English translation: 24 of 44 Arabic lines translated.