وَلَمّاand when رَأَيتُI saw النَفسَthe soul صارَturned نَجِيُّهاits inward counsel
وَلَمّا رَأَيتُ النَفسَ صارَ نَجِيُّها
إِلىto عازِماتٍfirm resolves مِنfrom وَراءِbehind ضُلوعيmy ribs
إِلى عازِماتٍ مِن وَراءِ ضُلوعي
And when I saw my soul's inward counsel turn
When I saw my soul seeking
To firm resolves from behind my ribs,
Resolute things beyond my ribs,
أَبَتwould accept none ناقَتيmy she-camel إِلّاexcept زِياداًZiyad وَرَغبَتيand my longing
أَبَت ناقَتي إِلّا زِياداً وَرَغبَتي
وَماand not الجودُgenerosity مِنamong أَخلاقِهِhis traits بِبَديعِat all novel
وَما الجودُ مِن أَخلاقِهِ بِبَديعِ
My she-camel and my longing would have none but Ziyad,
My she-camel refused anything but more, and my desire was only for increase,
And generosity is nothing new in his character.
For generosity is not of its traits, nor exaltation.
فَتىًa young man غَيرُnot مِفراحٍoverjoyed بِدُنياby worldly wealth يُصيبُهاhe gains it
فَتىً غَيرُ مِفراحٍ بِدُنيا يُصيبُها
وَمِنand at نَكَباتِthe calamities of الدَهرِtime غَيرُnot جَزوعِdistraught
وَمِن نَكَباتِ الدَهرِ غَيرُ جَزوعِ
A young man not overjoyed by worldly wealth he gains,
A man not made happy by the world he attains,
And not distraught by the calamities of time.
Nor broken by the tribulations of fate.
وَلَمand not أَكُI was أَوuntil تَلقىmeets زِياداًZiyad مَطِيَّتيmy mount
وَلَم أَكُ أَو تَلقى زِياداً مَطِيَّتي
لِأَكحَلَto anoint with kohl عَينَيthe two eyes of صاحِبيmy companion بِهُجوعِwith sleep
لِأَكحَلَ عَينَي صاحِبي بِهُجوعِ
And until my mount met Ziyad, I would not
My mount did not gain increase, nor meet
Paint my companion's eyes with sleep.
Ziyad, that I might delight my companion's eyes in his return.
أَلاAh! لَيتَif only عَبدِيَّينِtwo 'Abdi men يَجتَزِرانِهاthey both butcher her
أَلا لَيتَ عَبدِيَّينِ يَجتَزِرانِها
إِذاwhen بَلَّغَتنيshe has brought me ناقَتيmy she-camel اِبنَthe son of رَبيعِRabi'
إِذا بَلَّغَتني ناقَتي اِبنَ رَبيعِ
Ah, if only two 'Abdi men would butcher her,
Oh, would that my two servants unbridle it
Once my she-camel has brought me to the son of Rabi',
When my she-camel takes me to Ibn Rabi'a.
زِياداًZiyad وَإِنand if تَبلُغshe reaches زِياداًZiyad فَقَدthen indeed أَتَتshe has reached
زِياداً وَإِن تَبلُغ زِياداً فَقَد أَتَت
فَتىًa young man لِبِناءِin building المَجدِglory غَيرَnot مُضيعِneglectful
فَتىً لِبِناءِ المَجدِ غَيرَ مُضيعِ
Ziyad; and if she reaches Ziyad, she has reached
More - though it reach the more - it came to
A young man who does not neglect the building of glory.
A man who does not waste his building of glory.
نَماهُraised him بَنوthe sons of الدَيّانِal-Dayyan فيin مُشمَخِرَّةٍa towering height
نَماهُ بَنو الدَيّانِ في مُشمَخِرَّةٍ
إِلىto حَسَبٍancestral honor عِندَbeside السَماءِthe sky رَفيعِlofty
إِلى حَسَبٍ عِندَ السَماءِ رَفيعِ
The sons of al-Dayyan raised him in towering grandeur
It was raised by the people of Deyyan in a lofty tribe,
To ancestral honor, lofty beside the sky.
To a lineage, with the heavens, of high renown.
وَكانَand he was خَليليmy close friend قَبلَbefore سُلطانِpower ماwhich رَمىhe aimed
وَكانَ خَليلي قَبلَ سُلطانِ ما رَمى
إِلَيهِtoward it فَماso not أَدريI know بِأَيِّwith what صَنيعِfavor
إِلَيهِ فَما أَدري بِأَيِّ صَنيعِ
And he was my friend before gaining the power he aspired
And my friend, before the authority he gained,
To; I do not know what favor
I know not by what making.
لَناfor us يَقضِيَنَّwill surely decree اللَهُGod وَاللَهُand God قادِرٌable
لَنا يَقضِيَنَّ اللَهُ وَاللَهُ قادِرٌ
عَلىover كُلِّall مالٍwealth صامِتٍsilent (coin) وَزُروعِand crops
عَلى كُلِّ مالٍ صامِتٍ وَزُروعِ
God will surely decree for us—and God has power
God will decide for us - God is able
Over all silent wealth and crops.
Upon all silent property and crops.
وَلَولاand were it not for رَجائيmy hope فَضلَthe bounty of كَفَّيكَyour two palms لَمnot تَعُدwould return
وَلَولا رَجائي فَضلَ كَفَّيكَ لَم تَعُد
إِلىto هَجَرٍHajar أَنضاؤُناour worn-out mounts لِرُجوعِfor a return
إِلى هَجَرٍ أَنضاؤُنا لِرُجوعِ
And but for my hope of bounty from your hands, there would be no return
And were it not for my hope, your overflowing palms would not return
To Hajar for our worn-out mounts on their homeward journey.
To estrangement, our companionship to renewal.
أَميرٌan emir وَذوand one possessing قُربىkinship وَكِلتاهُماand both of them لَناfor us
أَميرٌ وَذو قُربى وَكِلتاهُما لَنا
إِلَيهِto him مَعَalong with الدَيّانِal-Dayyan خَيرُthe best شَفيعِintercessor
إِلَيهِ مَعَ الدَيّانِ خَيرُ شَفيعِ
An emir and a kinsman: both ties are our
A prince, and of close ties, and both intercede for us
Best intercessor with him, together with al-Dayyan.
To him, along with the Deyyan, best intercessors.
وَكانَand were بَنوthe sons of الدَيّانِal-Dayyan زَيناًan adornment لِقَومِهِمto their people
وَكانَ بَنو الدَيّانِ زَيناً لِقَومِهِم
وَأَركانَand pillars of طَودٍa mountain بِالأَراكِat al-Arak مَنيعِimpregnable
وَأَركانَ طَودٍ بِالأَراكِ مَنيعِ
And the sons of al-Dayyan were an adornment to their people,
The Deyyan were adornment for their people,
And pillars of an impregnable mountain at al-Arak.
And pillars of a massive camp, impregnable.
وَكانَand were خَديجٌKhadij وَالنَجاشِيُّand al-Najashi مِنهُمُamong them
وَكانَ خَديجٌ وَالنَجاشِيُّ مِنهُمُ
ذَوَيboth possessing طَعمَةٍa share فيin المَجدِglory ذاتِpossessing دَسيعِample bounty
ذَوَي طَعمَةٍ في المَجدِ ذاتِ دَسيعِ
And Khadij and al-Najashi were among them,
Khadij and Al-Najashi were among them,
Both possessing a share in glory rich in bounty.
Possessors of delicious favors, of spreading munificence.
هَماthey both طَلَباthey both sought شَعرانَSha'ran حَتّىuntil حَباهُماhe bestowed upon them both
هَما طَلَبا شَعرانَ حَتّى حَباهُما
بِعَضبٍwith a sharp sword وَأَلفٍand a thousand فيin الصِرارِthe purses جَميعِall together
بِعَضبٍ وَأَلفٍ في الصِرارِ جَميعِ
They both sought Sha'ran until he presented them
The two sought out the finest poetry until it gifted them
With a sharp sword and a full thousand in purses.
With pleasure and intimacy in intimate conversation.