فَلَولاso were it not for اللهُGod ثُمَّthen نَدىthe generosity of اِبنِthe son of لَيلىLayla
فَلَولا اللهُ ثُمَّ نَدى اِبنِ لَيلى
وَأَنيand that I فيregarding نَوَالِكَyour bounty ذوpossessing اِرتِغابِeager desire
وَأَني في نَوَالِكَ ذو اِرتِغابِ
Were it not for God, and then Ibn Layla’s bounty,
Were it not for God, then Ibn Layla’s generosity,
and that I yearn for what you bestow,
and my longing for your bounty,
وَباقيand the remainder of الوُدِّaffection ماnot قَطَعَتcrossed قَلوصيmy young she-camel
وَباقي الوُدِّ ما قَطَعَت قَلوصي
مَهامِهtrackless wastes بَينَbetween مِصرَEgypt إِلىto غُرابِGhurab
مَهامِه بَينَ مِصرَ إِلى غُرابِ
and the affection that endures, my she-camel would never have crossed
and the affection that remains, my young she-camel would not have crossed
the trackless wastes between Egypt and Ghurab.
the trackless wastes between Egypt and Ghurab.
وَنازَعَنيand drew me إِلىtoward مَدحِpraising اِبنِthe son of لَيلىLayla
وَنازَعَني إِلى مَدحِ اِبنِ لَيلى
قَوافيهاits rhymes مُنازَعَةَwith the tugging of الطَرابِthose stirred by longing
قَوافيها مُنازَعَةَ الطَرابِ
And toward the praise of Ibn Layla I was drawn
And I was drawn toward praising Ibn Layla
by its rhymes, tugging with the force of rapture.
by its rhymes, with the pull of restless yearning.
فَلَيسَfor it is not النَيلُthe Nile حِينَwhen عَلَتrose over قراهُits villages
فَلَيسَ النَيلُ حِينَ عَلَت قراهُ
غَوالِبُهُits overpowering floods بِأَغلَبَwith a mighty torrent ذيpossessing عُبابِsurging water
غَوالِبُهُ بِأَغلَبَ ذي عُبابِ
The Nile, when its surging waters overtop its settlements,
For the Nile, when its villages are overtopped
is no more overwhelming, for all its roaring flood,
by its overpowering floods, with a mighty, surging torrent,
بِأَفضَلَmore generous نائِلًاin giving مِنهُthan him إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle
بِأَفضَلَ نائِلًا مِنهُ إِذا ما
تَسامىrose high الماءُthe water فانغَمَسَso became submerged الرَوابيthe hillocks
تَسامى الماءُ فانغَمَسَ الرَوابي
nor richer in bounty than he, whenever
is no more generous in giving than he, when
the waters mount and the hills sink beneath them.
the water rises high and the hillocks are submerged.
وَيَغمُرُناand he engulfs us إِذاwhen نَحنُwe اِلتَقَيناmeet
وَيَغمُرُنا إِذا نَحنُ اِلتَقَينا
بِطاميwith swelling الموجِwaves مُضطَرِبِturbulent الحَبابِfoam
بِطامي الموجِ مُضطَرِبِ الحَبابِ
And whenever we meet, he engulfs us
And he engulfs us, when we meet,
in a cresting wave, its foam in turmoil.
with swelling waves and turbulent foam.
وَأَنتَand you دَعامَةٌa pillar مِنof عَبدِAbd (servant of) شَمسٍShams (sun)
وَأَنتَ دَعامَةٌ مِن عَبدِ شَمسٍ
إِذاwhen اِنتُجِبواthey are chosen مِنfrom السِرِّnoble stock اللُبابِthe purest
إِذا اِنتُجِبوا مِن السِرِّ اللُبابِ
You are a pillar of Abd Shams,
And you are a pillar of Abd Shams,
when the purest core is chosen from its inmost stock—
when they are chosen from the purest noble stock,
مِنone of اللائيthose يَعُودُreturns الحِلمُforbearance فيهُمin them
مِن اللائي يَعُودُ الحِلمُ فيهُم
وَيُعطَونَand are given الجَزيلَabundant bounty بِلاحِسابِwithout reckoning
وَيُعطَونَ الجَزيلَ بِلاحِسابِ
one of those in whom forbearance is ever renewed,
one of those in whom forbearance is ever renewed,
who give lavish gifts without reckoning.
and who are given abundant bounty without reckoning.
وَهُمand they حُكّامُarbiters of مُعضِلَةٍa difficult case عَقامٍintractable
وَهُم حُكّامُ مُعضِلَةٍ عَقامٍ
فَكَمso how often بَعَثواthey issued بِهاin it فَصلَdecisiveness of الخِطابِspeech
فَكَم بَعَثوا بِها فَصلَ الخِطابِ
They are the judges of a barren, intractable quandary;
And they are arbiters of baffling, intractable cases;
how often they have brought forth for it the decisive word.
how often they have delivered decisive judgment in such a case!
إِذاwhen قَرَعواthey strike المَنابِرَthe pulpits ثُمَthen خَطّواthey trace lines
إِذا قَرَعوا المَنابِرَ ثُمَ خَطّوا
بِأَطرافِwith the tips of المَخاصِرِthe short staffs كَالغِضَابِlike angry men
بِأَطرافِ المَخاصِرِ كَالغِضَابِ
When they strike the pulpits, then trace
When they strike the pulpits, then trace lines
with the tips of their staffs, like men enraged,
with the tips of their short staffs, like angry men,
قَضَواthey ruled فيهاon it وَلَمand did not يَتَوَهَّموهاguess at it
قَضَوا فيها وَلَم يَتَوَهَّموها
بِفاصِلَةٍwith a decisive ruling مُبَيَّنَةِmaking clear الصَوابِwhat is right
بِفاصِلَةٍ مُبَيَّنَةِ الصَوابِ
they judge it without entertaining conjecture,
they settle the matter without guessing at it,
with a decisive ruling that makes the right plain.
with a decisive ruling that makes the right course clear.
وَهُمand they أَحلىsweeter إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle لَمnot تُثِرهُمyou provoke them
وَهُم أَحلى إِذا ما لَم تُثِرهُم
عَلىupon الأَحناكِthe palates مِنthan غَذَقِa date cluster (likely intended reading) اِبنِIbn (son of) طابِTab
عَلى الأَحناكِ مِن غَذَقِ اِبنِ طابِ
And, when they have not been provoked, they are sweeter
And they are sweeter, when you do not provoke them,
upon the palate than a bunch of Ibn Tab dates.
to the palate than a cluster of Ibn Tab dates.
أَبوكَyour father حَمىdefended أُمَيَّةَUmayya حِينَwhen زالَتgave way
أَبوكَ حَمى أُمَيَّةَ حِينَ زالَت
دَعائِمُهاher pillars وَأَصحَرَand went into the open لِلضِّرابِfor battle
دَعائِمُها وَأَصحَرَ لِلضِّرابِ
Your father shielded Umayya when
Your father defended Umayya at the collapse
its pillars gave way, and strode into the open for combat.
of her pillars, and went out into the open for battle.
وَكانَand was المُلكُkingship قَدalready وهنتgrew weak قِواهُits strength
وَكانَ المُلكُ قَد وهنت قِواهُ
فَرَدَّso he restored المُلكَkingship مِنهاfrom it فيin النِصابِthe rightful place
فَرَدَّ المُلكَ مِنها في النِصابِ
Kingship was tottering, its powers grown feeble,
And the strength of kingship had already waned,
so he restored its kingship to its proper line.
so he restored its kingship to its rightful place.
