أَناI ياO اِبنَson of سَيفَيthe two swords of يَعرُبٍYaʿrub سَيفُكَyour sword الَّذيthat
أَنا يا اِبنَ سَيفَي يَعرُبٍ سَيفُكَ الَّذي
إِذاwhen شِمتَهُyou draw it لَمdid not يَنبُfail to cut وَاِخبرهُand test it تَعلَمِyou will know
إِذا شِمتَهُ لَم يَنبُ وَاِخبرهُ تَعلَمِ
I am, O son of Yaʿrub’s two swords, your sword that
never fails to cut when you draw it; test it, and you will know.
هَجَرتُI forsook إِلَيكَto you الأَقرَبينَthe closest kin مهاجِراًmigrating
هَجَرتُ إِلَيكَ الأَقرَبينَ مهاجِراً
وَلَمand did not أَرضَI accept أرضاًa land كُلُّevery ساكِنِهاits inhabitant عَمِblind in understanding
وَلَم أَرضَ أرضاً كُلُّ ساكِنِها عَمِ
I forsook my closest kin, migrating to you,
and would not accept a land whose every inhabitant is blind.
فَعارٌso a disgrace عَلىto العَياءِineloquence سكنايَmy dwelling بَلدَةًa town
فَعارٌ عَلى العَياءِ سكنايَ بَلدَةً
كَبَلدَةِlike the realm of عاليthe upper reaches of الأُفقِthe horizon مِنfrom دونِwithout أَنجُمِstars
كَبَلدَةِ عالي الأُفقِ مِن دونِ أَنجُمِ
So it would shame even ineloquence for me to dwell in a town
like the lofty horizon’s realm, devoid of stars.
فَلَوfor if أَنَّthat غيلاناًGhaylan حَوَتهُhad sheltered him دِيارُهاits dwellings
فَلَو أَنَّ غيلاناً حَوَتهُ دِيارُها
تغَنّىhe sang بِمَيَّof Mayy بَينَهُمamong them غَيرَnot معجمِobscure in speech
تغَنّى بِمَيَّ بَينَهُم غَيرَ معجمِ
For had its dwellings sheltered Ghaylan,
he would have sung of Mayy among them without obscurity.
Translation model: Sol 6.1