أَقولُI say لأَصحابيto my companions بِأَكنافِon the outskirts of جازِرٍJazir
أَقولُ لأَصحابي بِأَكنافِ جازِرٍ
وَرَاذانِهاand its Radhan هَلdo? تَأمَلونَyou hope for رجوعاa return
وَرَاذانِها هَل تَأمَلونَ رجوعا
I say to my companions on the outskirts of Jazir
I say to my companions under the folds of Jazir
And its Radhan, “Do you hope to return?”
And its branches, do you think of returning?
فَقالَthen he said اِمرؤٌa man هَيهاتَfar from it! لَستُI am not بِراجِعٍreturning
فَقالَ اِمرؤٌ هَيهاتَ لَستُ بِراجِعٍ
وَلَمand not تَكُyou were لِلتَقنيطِto discouragement مِنهُfrom him بَديعاunaccustomed
وَلَم تَكُ لِلتَقنيطِ مِنهُ بَديعا
Then a man said, “Far from it! I am not returning.”
A man said: Alas! I am not going back
And you were no stranger to discouragement from him.
And you were not good at being hopeless about him
فَعَمَّمتُهُso I turbaned him سَيفيmy sword وَذَلِكَand that حالَتيmy way
فَعَمَّمتُهُ سَيفي وَذَلِكَ حالَتي
لِمَنtoward anyone whom لَمnot أَجِدهُI found him سامِعاًlistening وَمُطيعاand obedient
لِمَن لَم أَجِدهُ سامِعاً وَمُطيعا
So I made my sword his turban; that is my way
So I swung my sword at him, and that is my condition
Toward anyone I have not found listening and obedient.
For whoever I do not find listening and obedient.