وَإِنّيand indeed I وَإِسماعيلُand Isma'il يَومَon the day of وَداعِهِhis farewell
وَإِنّي وَإِسماعيلُ يَومَ وَداعِهِ
لَكَالغُمدِtruly like the scabbard يَومَon the day of الرَوعِterror فارَقَهُleft it النَصلُthe blade
لَكَالغُمدِ يَومَ الرَوعِ فارَقَهُ النَصلُ
Indeed, I and Isma'il, on the day of his farewell,
I and Ismael, the day we parted
were like a scabbard on a day of terror, its blade having left it.
Were like a sword leaving its scabbard
أَماindeed وَالحُبالاتِby the cords المُمِراتِfirmly twisted بَينَناbetween us
أَما وَالحُبالاتِ المُمِراتِ بَينَنا
وَسائِلَbonds أَدَّتهاbrought them about المَوَدَّةُaffection وَالوَصلُand union
وَسائِلَ أَدَّتها المَوَدَّةُ وَالوَصلُ
Indeed, by the firmly twisted cords between us,
By the ties of love and kinship between us
bonds that affection and union have forged—
That affection and unity made flow
لَماcertainly not خُنتُI betrayed عَهداًa covenant مِنof إِخاءٍbrotherhood وَلاnor نَأىcarried away
لَما خُنتُ عَهداً مِن إِخاءٍ وَلا نَأى
بِذِكرِكَwith your memory نَأيٌdistance عَنfrom ضَميريmy heart وَلاnor شِغلُdistraction
بِذِكرِكَ نَأيٌ عَن ضَميري وَلا شِغلُ
never have I betrayed a covenant of brotherhood, nor has
I have not betrayed a pact of brotherhood
distance or distraction borne your memory away from my heart.
Nor has distance from thoughts of you departed
وَإِنِّيَand indeed I فيamid ماليmy wealth وَأَهليand my family كَأَنَّنيas though I
وَإِنِّيَ في مالي وَأَهلي كَأَنَّني
لِنَأيِكَbecause of your distance لاno مالٌwealth لَدَيَّwith me وَلاnor أَهلُfamily
لِنَأيِكَ لا مالٌ لَدَيَّ وَلا أَهلُ
And indeed, amid my wealth and family, it is as though
Because you left, my wealth and family
because you are far away, I had neither wealth nor family.
Are to me as though I have no wealth or household
يُذكِرُنيكَreminds me of you الدينُfaith وَالفَضلُand virtue وَالحِجاand wisdom
يُذكِرُنيكَ الدينُ وَالفَضلُ وَالحِجا
وَقيلَand speech of الخَناobscenity وَالحِلمُand forbearance وَالعِلمُand knowledge وَالجَهلُand ignorance
وَقيلَ الخَنا وَالحِلمُ وَالعِلمُ وَالجَهلُ
Faith, virtue, and wisdom remind me of you,
Religion, merit, pilgrimage remind me of you
as do obscene speech, forbearance, knowledge, and ignorance.
As do words of reproach, forbearance, knowledge, ignorance
فَأَلقاكَso I find you عَنfrom مَذمومِهاtheir blameworthy qualities مُتَنَزِّهاًunsullied
فَأَلقاكَ عَن مَذمومِها مُتَنَزِّهاً
وَأَلقاكَand I find you فيin مَحمودِهاtheir praiseworthy qualities وَلَكَand yours is الفَضلُpreeminence
وَأَلقاكَ في مَحمودِها وَلَكَ الفَضلُ
So I find you free of their blameworthy qualities,
So I met you aloof from the blameworthy
and find you foremost in their praiseworthy ones.
And met you with praise, for you have merit
وَأَحمَدُand I praise مِنamong أَخلاقِكَyour traits البُخلَstinginess إِنَّهُindeed it
وَأَحمَدُ مِن أَخلاقِكَ البُخلَ إِنَّهُ
بِعِرضِكَwith your honor لاnot بِالمالِwith wealth حاشاfar be it لَكَfor you البُخلُstinginess
بِعِرضِكَ لا بِالمالِ حاشا لَكَ البُخلُ
And among your traits I praise your stinginess, for it is
Of your traits I praise even miserliness
with your honor, not wealth—far be stinginess from you!
Not for wealth, God forbid, but for your honor
أَمُنتَجِعاًO seeker of bounty مَرواًMarw بِأَثقالِwith the burdens of هِمَّةٍambition
أَمُنتَجِعاً مَرواً بِأَثقالِ هِمَّةٍ
دَعِlay aside الثِقلَthe burden وَاِحمِلand carry حاجَةًa request مالَهاit has no ثِقلُweight
دَعِ الثِقلَ وَاِحمِل حاجَةً مالَها ثِقلُ
O seeker of bounty in Marw, bearing burdens of ambition,
Will you recover, burdened with heavy cares?
lay down the burden and carry a request that has no weight:
Leave off burdens, and carry what has no weight
ثَناءًpraise كَعِرفِlike the fragrance of الطَيِّبِperfume يَهديguides لِأَهلِهِto those worthy of it
ثَناءً كَعِرفِ الطَيِّبِ يَهدي لِأَهلِهِ
وَلَيسَand there is no لَهُfor it إِلّاexcept بَنيthe sons of خالِدٍKhalid أَهلُworthy recipients
وَلَيسَ لَهُ إِلّا بَني خالِدٍ أَهلُ
praise like the fragrance of perfume, leading to those worthy of it;
Praise, like perfume's fragrance, brings good to its owner
and none but Bani Khalid are worthy of it.
And its people are none but the House of Khalid
فَإِنfor if أَغشَI approach قَوماًa people بَعدَهُمafter them أَوor أَزُرهُمُI visit them
فَإِن أَغشَ قَوماً بَعدَهُم أَو أَزُرهُمُ
فَكَالوَحشِthen like a wild beast يَستَدنيهِdraws it near لِلقَنصِfor hunting المَحلُdrought
فَكَالوَحشِ يَستَدنيهِ لِلقَنصِ المَحلُ
For if I approach other people after them, or visit them,
If after them it brings shame to a people
I am like a wild beast that drought draws near to be hunted.
It is a wild beast lured by vulnerability of place