فَقالَThen he said كانthere was أَسدa lion بِالحاجرat al-Hajir
فَقالَ كان أَسد بِالحاجر
فَظاًharsh عَلىtoward الأَصحابthe companions وَالعَشائرand the clansfolk
فَظاً عَلى الأَصحاب وَالعَشائر
Then he said: There was a lion at al-Hajir,
harsh toward his companions and clansfolk.
يَأكلhe eats ماwhat يَصيدهhe hunts it وَيطعمهand feeds it
يَأكل ما يَصيده وَيطعمه
جَماعةa group مِنof الكِلابthe dogs تخدمهserves him
جَماعة مِن الكِلاب تخدمه
He ate what he hunted and fed it
to a pack of dogs that served him.
وَالنمرand the leopard المسكينthe poor ثاوٍlying there جائعhungry
وَالنمر المسكين ثاوٍ جائع
وَكُلand all ساداتlords السباعthe beasts of prey ضائِعneglected
وَكُل سادات السباع ضائِع
Meanwhile, the poor leopard lay hungry,
and all the lords of the beasts of prey were neglected.
فَإِنso if شَكواthey complained أَنكرhe denied ذاكَthat قائِلاًsaying
فَإِن شَكوا أَنكر ذاكَ قائِلاً
ماnot تَستَحقونyou deserve عَليَّfrom me طائِلاًanything worthwhile
ما تَستَحقون عَليَّ طائِلاً
If they complained, he denied it, saying:
“You deserve nothing from me.”
وَهُمwhile they يعضونbite البَنانَthe fingertips عَضاًhard
وَهُم يعضون البَنانَ عَضاً
وَيضمرونand harbor حَنقاًresentment ممضاًagonizing
وَيضمرون حَنقاً ممضاً
They bit their fingertips hard,
and harbored searing resentment.
وَفيand in زرودZarud شبلa cub لَيثof a lion فيin أَجمthickets
وَفي زرود شبل لَيث في أَجم
لاnot يَدفعrepel الخصمthe foe إِذاwhen الخَصمthe foe هَجَمattacked
لا يَدفع الخصم إِذا الخَصم هَجَم
And in Zarud, a lion’s cub lived in the thickets,
unable to repel a foe when that foe attacked.
ماتَdied أَبوهhis father وَهوَwhile he was طِفلan infant يَرضَعsuckling
ماتَ أَبوه وَهوَ طِفل يَرضَع
لَكنbut لَهُhe had جُندtroops قَليلfew طيعobedient
لَكن لَهُ جُند قَليل طيع
His father died while he was a suckling infant,
but he had a small, obedient band of troops.
كانَused to أَبوهhis father لَهُمfor them يُراعيshow care
كانَ أَبوه لَهُم يُراعي
وَالحفظand keeping faith مِنamong مَكارمthe noble qualities الطِباعof character
وَالحفظ مِن مَكارم الطِباع
His father used to care for them,
and loyalty is among the noblest traits.
ثُمthen أَقامَتcontinued أُمهُhis mother تُرضعهnursing him
ثُم أَقامَت أُمهُ تُرضعه
وَتُطعمand feeds الجُندthe troops الَّذيwho يَتبعهfollow him
وَتُطعم الجُند الَّذي يَتبعه
Then his mother continued nursing him,
and feeding the troops who followed him.
تَصطادshe hunts ماwhat تصطادهshe hunts it بِعَجزِهاdespite her weakness
تَصطاد ما تصطاده بِعَجزِها
ثُمthen تَجيعstarves نَفسهاherself لِعزّهاfor her honor
ثُم تَجيع نَفسها لِعزّها
She hunted what she could despite her weakness,
then starved herself for her honor’s sake.
تطويshe goes hungry فَلاso she does not تَذوقهtaste it وَتطعمهand feeds it
تطوي فَلا تَذوقه وَتطعمه
جَميعall مَنthose whom تَصحبهshe accompanies him وَتلزمهand stays with him
جَميع مَن تَصحبه وَتلزمه
She went hungry, never tasting it, and fed it
to all those she kept company with and stood by.
وَكبرand grew الشبلthe cub وَشبand matured وَنَهضand rose up
وَكبر الشبل وَشب وَنَهض
وَاصطادand hunted ماwhat عزwas mighty وَدَقand was small وَبَهضand was heavy
وَاصطاد ما عز وَدَق وَبَهض
The cub grew, matured, and rose up,
and hunted the mighty, the tiny, and the heavy.
وَعلمتهand taught him أُمُهhis mother أَخلاقهاher ways
وَعلمته أُمُه أَخلاقها
سَخاءهاher generosity الطَّبعيinborn أَوor نِفاقهاher hypocrisy
سَخاءها الطَّبعي أَو نِفاقها
His mother taught him her ways—
her inborn generosity—or her hypocrisy.
فملكso he won القُلوبthe hearts بِالمحبهthrough love
فملك القُلوب بِالمحبه
وَالحبand love لاnot يخلصis sincere إِلاexcept رَغبهout of desire
وَالحب لا يخلص إِلا رَغبه
So he won their hearts through love,
and love is sincere only when born of desire.
ثُمthen غَزاهattacked him ذَلِكَthat الليثlion الَّذيwho
ثُم غَزاه ذَلِكَ الليث الَّذي
كانَhad بِهbecause of him الجُندthe troops زَماناًfor a long time قَدalready أَذىsuffered harm
كانَ بِه الجُند زَماناً قَد أَذى
Then that lion attacked him—the one who
had long brought suffering upon his troops—
فيamid جَحفَلa host مِنof قَومِهhis people جرارvast
في جَحفَل مِن قَومِه جرار
يَقودleading كُلevery بَطلchampion كرارrepeatedly charging
يَقود كُل بَطل كرار
amid a vast host of his people,
leading every champion, relentless in the charge.
فَريعso was terrified مِنهof him الشبلthe cub وَاستطيراand was panic-stricken
فَريع مِنه الشبل وَاستطيرا
لَماwhen رَأىhe saw عَسكرهhis army الكَثيراnumerous
لَما رَأى عَسكره الكَثيرا
The cub was terrified of him and panic-stricken
when he saw how numerous his army was.
وهمand he considered أَنto يَهربflee مِنfrom مكانهhis place
وهم أَن يَهرب مِن مكانه
وَعَرضand presented الرأَيthe idea عَلىto أَعوانهhis supporters
وَعَرض الرأَي عَلى أَعوانه
He considered fleeing from his position,
and put the idea before his supporters.
قالواthey said لَهُto him عديدناour numbers قَليلfew
قالوا لَهُ عديدنا قَليل
لَكِنناbut we غناؤُناour effectiveness جَليلgreat
لَكِننا غناؤُنا جَليل
They told him: “Our numbers are few,
but our prowess is great.
وَواحِدand one يصدقproves true فيin اللِّقاءbattle
وَواحِد يصدق في اللِّقاء
خَيرbetter مِنthan الأَلفa thousand بِلاwithout عَناءtoil
خَير مِن الأَلف بِلا عَناء
One who proves true in battle
is easily worth more than a thousand.
فَاِصبرso stand firm لَهُagainst him فَإِنَّناfor we سنهزمهwill defeat him
فَاِصبر لَهُ فَإِنَّنا سنهزمه
بِصدقناthrough our loyalty وَجندهand his troops سيسلمهwill give him up
بِصدقنا وَجنده سيسلمه
So stand firm against him, for we shall defeat him
through our loyalty; his troops will give him up.”
حَتَّىuntil إِذاwhen ماfor emphasis زَحَفاboth advanced وَاِصطَفاand both formed ranks
حَتَّى إِذا ما زَحَفا وَاِصطَفا
أحجمdrew back عَنهُfrom him جُندهُhis troops وَكَفاand held off
أحجم عَنهُ جُندهُ وَكَفا
At last, when the two advanced and drew up their ranks,
his troops drew back from him and stood aside.
فَظَلso he remained بَينbetween العَسكرينthe two armies وَحدهby himself
فَظَل بَين العَسكرين وَحده
كَذاكَsuch is حالthe condition مَنof one who يَضيعneglects جُندهhis troops
كَذاكَ حال مَن يَضيع جُنده
So he was left alone between the two armies.
Such is the fate of one who neglects his troops:
لأَنَّهُمfor they قَضوهrepaid him ماwhat أَسلَفَهُمhe had advanced them
لأَنَّهُم قَضوه ما أَسلَفَهُم
وَأخلَفوهand failed him الوَعدin their promise إِذsince أَخلَفَهُمhe had failed them
وَأخلَفوه الوَعد إِذ أَخلَفَهُم
for they repaid him what he had advanced them,
and broke their promise to him, as he had broken his to them.
وَفازَand won بِالملكthe kingship الشبيلthe little cub وَغَلبand triumphed
وَفازَ بِالملك الشبيل وَغَلب
وَلَمand did not يُطقhave strength for ذاكَthat one الفرارflight وَالهَربand escape
وَلَم يُطق ذاكَ الفرار وَالهَرب
The little cub won the kingship and triumphed,
while the other could neither flee nor escape.
وَجاءهُand came to him فيon يَومِهhis day جَماعهa group
وَجاءهُ في يَومِه جَماعه
فَأَوثَقواthen they bound فيto عُنقِهِhis neck ذِراعهhis foreleg
فَأَوثَقوا في عُنقِهِ ذِراعه
A group came to him that very day,
then bound his foreleg fast to his neck,
وَحَمَلوهand carried him قربةseeking favor إلَيهwith him
وَحَمَلوه قربة إلَيه
وَأَوجَبواand made binding الحَقَthe obligation بِهِthrough him عَلَيهupon him
وَأَوجَبوا الحَقَ بِهِ عَلَيه
and carried him to the cub to gain his favor,
thereby placing him under an obligation.
كَذاكَlikewise فيconcerning نِزارNizar حَقthe claim of عامرʿAmir
كَذاكَ في نِزار حَق عامر
فَلَيسَfor there is not فيamong أَصحابِهِhis companions مِنany شاكرgrateful person
فَلَيسَ في أَصحابِهِ مِن شاكر
So too is ʿAmir’s claim upon Nizar:
not one of his companions is grateful.
قالَsaid لَهُto him القيلthe chieftain وَكانَand he was عاقِلاwise
قالَ لَهُ القيل وَكانَ عاقِلا
أتركshall I abandon مَوجوديwhat I have وَأَبغيand I seek باطِلاsomething unreal
أترك مَوجودي وَأَبغي باطِلا
The chieftain, who was wise, said to him:
“Shall I abandon what I have and seek what is unreal?
وَعاجزand inept منone who تَركabandoned المَوجوداwhat is at hand
وَعاجز من تَرك المَوجودا
حَماقةout of folly وَطَلبand sought المَفقوداwhat is absent
حَماقة وَطَلب المَفقودا
Inept is one who forsakes what he has
out of folly, and seeks what he lacks.”
Translation model: Sol 6.1