قِفْstop بالدِّيارِat the dwellings وحَيِّand greet القومَthe people عنfrom كَثَبِclose by
قِفْ بالدِّيارِ وحَيِّ القومَ عن كَثَبِ
فكمfor how many لناfor us عِندَamong ذاكَthat الحَيِّtribe منof أَرَبِdesires
فكم لنا عِندَ ذاكَ الحَيِّ من أَرَبِ
Stop at the dwellings and greet the people from close by.
Stand at the dwellings and call, by name, the people who dwell nearby;
For many are the desires we have among that tribe.
How many friends we have in those places whom we befriended long ago.
دارٌa dwelling تَرَكتُI left بهاin it قَلبيmy heart علىwith ثِقَةٍconfidence
دارٌ تَرَكتُ بها قَلبي على ثِقَةٍ
منof حِفظهِits safekeeping إِنَّهُindeed it فيin ذِمَّةِthe protection of العَرَبِthe Arabs
من حِفظهِ إِنَّهُ في ذِمَّةِ العَرَبِ
A dwelling where I left my heart, confident
In it, I left a heart of mine, confident
Of its safekeeping: it is under the Arabs' protection.
That one who safeguards it is under the protection of Arabs.
أودَعتُهُI entrusted it مَنone who يَصُونُprotects الجارَthe neighbor مؤْتَمَناًentrusted
أودَعتُهُ مَن يَصُونُ الجارَ مؤْتَمَناً
ولاand no أَمانَsafety بكفَّيهِin his two hands علىfor الذَهَبِgold
ولا أَمانَ بكفَّيهِ على الذَهَبِ
I entrusted it to one who guards his neighbor as a trusted keeper,
I entrusted it to one who treats a neighbor as a trusting friend,
Yet gold finds no safety in his hands.
For there is no safety for gold in his grasping hands.
الحافظُthe keeper of العهدِthe pledge تأْبىrejects الغَدرَtreachery شِيمتُهُhis nature
الحافظُ العهدِ تأْبى الغَدرَ شِيمتُهُ
والصَّادِقُand truthful القولِspeech معصوماًprotected منfrom الكَذِبِfalsehood
والصَّادِقُ القولِ معصوماً من الكَذِبِ
The keeper of his pledge, whose nature rejects treachery,
He who keeps his word disdains treachery;
And truthful in speech, protected from falsehood.
The truthful one's nature abhors lies.
هوَhe الصَّديقُthe friend السَّليمُsound القلبِthe heart منfrom وَضرٍstain
هوَ الصَّديقُ السَّليمُ القلبِ من وَضرٍ
وَهوَand he الأَميرُthe prince الكريمُnoble النفسِsoul النَّسبِlineage
وَهوَ الأَميرُ الكريمُ النفسِ النَّسبِ
He is the friend whose heart is free of stain,
He is the virtuous, pure hearted friend,
And he is the prince, noble in soul and lineage.
The noble prince of lofty lineage.
ماnot خابَwas disappointed راجِيهِone who hopes in him فيin ضيقٍhardship وفيand in سَعَةٍprosperity
ما خابَ راجِيهِ في ضيقٍ وفي سَعَةٍ
ومَنْand whoever دعاcalled upon خالدَKhalid الوهَّابَthe Bestower لمdid not يَخِبِbe disappointed
ومَنْ دعا خالدَ الوهَّابَ لم يَخِبِ
None who hopes in him is disappointed, in hardship or prosperity,
No seeker of his aid was left wanting in ease or distress,
And whoever calls upon Khalid the Bestower is never disappointed.
Who called upon the Ever-Giving Lord was not denied.
إنّيindeed I عَقَدتُI made لهُto him عَهداًa pledge أَقومُI stand بهِby it
إنّي عَقَدتُ لهُ عَهداً أَقومُ بهِ
فيin القُربِnearness والبُعدِand distance بينَbetween الحَرْبِwar والحَرَبِand dispossession
في القُربِ والبُعدِ بينَ الحَرْبِ والحَرَبِ
I have made him a pledge that I stand by,
I pledged to him a covenant I keep
In nearness and distance, amid war and dispossession.
In nearness and distance, between war and war.
يَزُورُنيvisits me منهُof him طَيفٌa vision عِندَduring هِجرَتهِhis absence
يَزُورُني منهُ طَيفٌ عِندَ هِجرَتهِ
فكانَso he was عنِّيfrom me علىin الحالينِboth states لمdid not يَغِبِbe absent
فكانَ عنِّي على الحالينِ لم يَغِبِ
A vision of him visits me during his absence,
When we are apart, his visage appears to me,
So in either state he has never been absent from me.
As if, in either state, he was never absent from me.
رُوحيmy soul إلىtoward اليَمَنِYemen الميمونِauspicious طائرةٌflying
رُوحي إلى اليَمَنِ الميمونِ طائرةٌ
علىon جَناحٍa wing منof الأَشواقِyearnings مُضطَرِبِquivering
على جَناحٍ من الأَشواقِ مُضطَرِبِ
My soul flies toward auspicious Yemen,
My soul, on wings of passion, flies to blessed Yemen,
On a quivering wing of longing.
Borne on yearning pinions, fluttering, trembling.
أَستخدِمُI employ الريحَthe wind فيin حَملِcarrying السَلامِthe greeting لهُto him
أَستخدِمُ الريحَ في حَملِ السَلامِ لهُ
منِّيfrom me فتَخطَفُهُthen snatch it away الأَنواءُthe storms فيin السُحُبِthe clouds
منِّي فتَخطَفُهُ الأَنواءُ في السُحُبِ
I enlist the wind to carry a greeting to him
I recruit the wind to convey greetings to him,
From me, but the storms snatch it away amid the clouds.
Snatched up by the breezes into the clouds.
ياah حَبَّذاhow lovely بُرَقُstony sands الأَعرابthe Bedouins منamong بُرَقٍstony sands
يا حَبَّذا بُرَقُ الأَعراب من بُرَقٍ
وحبَّذاand how lovely هضَبُhills الأَعرابِthe Bedouins منamong هِضَبِhills
وحبَّذا هضَبُ الأَعرابِ من هِضَبِ
Ah, how lovely are the Bedouins' tracts of stone and sand!
O how wondrous are the lightning bolts in the land of nomads,
And how lovely are the Bedouins' hills!
And how wondrous the undulating dunes of the nomads!
وحبَّذاand how lovely كلُّevery رَبْعٍdwelling فيin مَنَازِلِهِمْtheir encampments
وحبَّذا كلُّ رَبْعٍ في مَنَازِلِهِمْ
كأنَّماas though السُمْرُthe brown spears فيهِin it غابةُa forest القَصَبِreeds
كأنَّما السُمْرُ فيهِ غابةُ القَصَبِ
And how lovely every dwelling in their encampments,
O how wondrous is every quarter where they make camp,
As though the brown spears within it were a forest of reeds.
As though flecked with copses of reeds!
وكلُّand every مَرْعىًpasture بهِin it الأَنعامُthe livestock سائمةٌgrazing
وكلُّ مَرْعىً بهِ الأَنعامُ سائمةٌ
كأَنَّهاas though they كُثُبٌdunes قامتْstood علىupon كُثُبِdunes
كأَنَّها كُثُبٌ قامتْ على كُثُبِ
And every pasture where the livestock graze,
And every pasture in which the herds graze, wandering,
As though they were dunes standing upon dunes.
As though mounds appeared upon mounds!
وكلُّand every دارٍdwelling بهاin it الضِرغامُthe lion مُؤْتلِفٌin harmony
وكلُّ دارٍ بها الضِرغامُ مُؤْتلِفٌ
بالظَبيِwith the gazelle بينَbetween عَرُوضthe center of البَيتِthe tent والطُنُبِand the guy rope
بالظَبيِ بينَ عَرُوض البَيتِ والطُنُبِ
And every dwelling where a lion lives in harmony
And every abode in which the onagers gather, accustomed
With a gazelle, between the tent's center and its guy rope.
To mingling with the gazelle between the courtyard’s width and firewood!
يأْتونَthey go منfrom نَحْرِslitting the throat of ذيthe wearer of الدِرعِarmor المنيعِimpregnable دُجَىdarkness
يأْتونَ من نَحْرِ ذي الدِرعِ المنيعِ دُجَى
ليلٍnight إلىto نحرِslitting the throat of ذاتِthe bearer of السَرْجِthe saddle والقَتَبِand the pack-saddle
ليلٍ إلى نحرِ ذاتِ السَرْجِ والقَتَبِ
They pass from slitting the throat of one in impregnable armor, in the darkness
Coming from the throat of the strongly girded courser at dusk
Of night, to slaughtering the beast bearing saddle and pack-saddle.
To the throat of the destrier caparisoned and armed!
لاnot تَنطفيgoes out نارُهمtheir fire إلاexcept علىbecause of وَدكٍanimal fat
لا تَنطفي نارُهم إلا على وَدكٍ
يجريflows فيَفصِلُand so separates بينَbetween النارِthe fire والحَطَبِand the firewood
يجري فيَفصِلُ بينَ النارِ والحَطَبِ
Their fire is quenched only by fat
Their fire is not extinguished except on glowing embers
That flows and separates the fire from the firewood.
Which separate the flames from the firewood!
بَلَغَتَyou attained ياO أَيُّهاyou الوهَّابُthe Bestower ماwhat بَلَغُواthey attained
بَلَغَتَ يا أَيُّها الوهَّابُ ما بَلَغُوا
وفُقْتَهُمand you surpassed them بجَمالِin the beauty of اللُطفِkindness والأَدبِand refinement
وفُقْتَهُم بجَمالِ اللُطفِ والأَدبِ
You have attained, O Bestower, what they attained,
You have attained, O Giver, the utmost they attained,
And surpassed them in the beauty of kindness and refinement.
And guided them by the beauty of refinement and courtesy.
وَرِثتَyou inherited خيرَthe best أَبٍfather فيin المجدِglory مُشتهِرٍrenowned
وَرِثتَ خيرَ أَبٍ في المجدِ مُشتهِرٍ
ولوand even if عَدَاكَpassed you by أَبٌa father أَورَثْتَyou would bequeath خيرَthe best أَبِfather
ولو عَدَاكَ أَبٌ أَورَثْتَ خيرَ أَبِ
You are heir to the best of fathers, renowned for glory;
You inherited the excellence of a renowned father;
And even without such a father, you would leave your heirs the best of fathers.
Had another fathered you, you would have inherited the excellence of a father!
هذِهْthis صَحيفةُa letter مُشتاقٍone who yearns يُذكِّرُكمreminds you
هذِهْ صَحيفةُ مُشتاقٍ يُذكِّرُكم
عَهداًa pledge لناfor us عندكمwith you منfrom سالفِbygone الحِقَبِages
عَهداً لنا عندكم من سالفِ الحِقَبِ
This is a letter from one who longs for you, reminding you
This is a epistle from one who yearns, reminding you
Of a pledge we have with you from bygone ages.
Of a pact between us, from former ages.
إنْif فاتنيhas eluded me الكاتبُthe writer المحبوبُbeloved مَنظَرُهُhis appearance
إنْ فاتني الكاتبُ المحبوبُ مَنظَرُهُ
فإنَّنيthen indeed I اليومَtoday أرضىam content منهُfrom him بالكُتُبِwith letters
فإنَّني اليومَ أرضى منهُ بالكُتُبِ
If the writer, whose sight I cherish, is beyond my reach,
If the beloved scribe eludes my sight,
Then today I am content with letters from him.
Then I find solace in books and manuscripts today.
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.