قَلّواthey were few لَدَيكَat your side فَأَخطَأواso they erred
قَلّوا لَدَيكَ فَأَخطَأوا
لَمّاwhen دَعَوتَyou summoned فَأَبطَأواso they were slow
لَمّا دَعَوتَ فَأَبطَأوا
They were few at your side, and so they erred;
They blamed you and were wrong
when you summoned them, they were slow.
When you called, they delayed
وَتَبَرَّعواand they volunteered حَتّىuntil تَصولَyou charge
وَتَبَرَّعوا حَتّى تَصولَ
فَحينَthen when صُلتَyou charged تَبَرَّأواthey disclaimed involvement
فَحينَ صُلتَ تَبَرَّأوا
And they volunteered until you charged;
And pretended until you were reconciled
then, when you charged, they disclaimed involvement.
But when you made amends, they shunned you
خافواthey feared النَكالَpunishment فَوَطَّدواso they made preparations
خافوا النَكالَ فَوَطَّدوا
وَلِلفِرارِand for flight تَهَيَّأواthey readied themselves
وَلِلفِرارِ تَهَيَّأوا
They feared punishment, so they made preparations,
They feared punishment, so they strengthened
and readied themselves for flight.
And prepared themselves to flee
دَعهُمleave them فَماfor not كُلُّall الأَشِدthe strong (word begins)
دَعهُم فَما كُلُّ الأَشِد
دَةِ(completes 'the strong') لِلشَدائِدِfor hardships تُخبَأُare kept in reserve
دَةِ لِلشَدائِدِ تُخبَأُ
Leave them: not all the strong
Leave them be, for not all the firm
are kept in reserve for hardships.
Are firm in the face of calamities
فَلَسَوفَso surely will تَسمَعُyou hear ماwhat يَحِلُّbefalls
فَلَسَوفَ تَسمَعُ ما يَحِلُّ
بِمَنupon whoever لِمَجدِكَtoward your glory يَشنَأُbears hatred
بِمَن لِمَجدِكَ يَشنَأُ
So you will surely hear what befalls
You will soon hear what will befall
whoever hates your glory.
Those who envy your glory
فَاِلقَso meet العُداةَthe enemies بِطَلعَةٍwith a countenance
فَاِلقَ العُداةَ بِطَلعَةٍ
عَنهاfrom it النَواظِرُthe gazing eyes تَخسَأُrecoil abashed
عَنها النَواظِرُ تَخسَأُ
So face the enemies with a countenance
So face the enemies with a rising
from which eyes recoil, abashed.
At which sights will turn bleary
فَلَدَيكَfor at your side مِنّاfrom among us فِتيَةٌyoung men
فَلَدَيكَ مِنّا فِتيَةٌ
عَنfrom ثارِهاtheir vengeance لاnot تَفتَأُthey desist
عَن ثارِها لا تَفتَأُ
For at your side are young men from among us
For you, we have youths
who never desist from their vengeance.
Who do not neglect their vengeance
لَجَأواthey sought refuge إِلَيكَwith you بِجَمعِهِمwith their whole company
لَجَأوا إِلَيكَ بِجَمعِهِم
وَلِمِثلِand to the like of ظِلِّكَyour shade يُلجَأُrefuge is sought
وَلِمِثلِ ظِلِّكَ يُلجَأُ
They sought refuge with you, all together,
They sought refuge with you, altogether
and refuge is sought in shade like yours.
And the like of your shade is sought
وَتَوَقَّعواand they hoped for مِنكَfrom you الرِضىapproval
وَتَوَقَّعوا مِنكَ الرِضى
وَلِماand against whatever سِواهُis other than it تَوَقَّأُواthey guarded themselves
وَلِما سِواهُ تَوَقَّأُوا
And they hoped for your approval,
They expected your approval
and guarded themselves against anything else.
And shunned all else
وَتَنَبَّهواand they grew alert فَكَأَنَّهُمso as though they
وَتَنَبَّهوا فَكَأَنَّهُم
بِالزِجرِthrough augury فيكَabout you تَنَبَّأُواthey prophesied
بِالزِجرِ فيكَ تَنَبَّأُوا
And they grew alert, as though
And were alert as if
they had prophesied about you through augury.
They prophesied your warning
ياO دَوحَةًa spreading tree كُلُّall الوَرىhumankind
يا دَوحَةً كُلُّ الوَرى
بِظِلالِهاin its shade يَتَفَيَّأُtakes shade
بِظِلالِها يَتَفَيَّأُ
O spreading tree, all humankind
O Douha, the whole world
rests in its shade.
Seeks shade under its shadows
ماnot أَنتَyou إِلّاexcept جُملَةٌa whole
ما أَنتَ إِلّا جُملَةٌ
مِنهاfrom it الكِرامُthe noble تَجَزَّأواthey became parts
مِنها الكِرامُ تَجَزَّأوا
You are nothing but a whole
You are but a group
of which the noble are parts.
From which the generous are divided
إِنif صُلتَyou charge غادَرناwe leave behind العُداthe enemies (word begins)
إِن صُلتَ غادَرنا العُدا
ةَ(completes 'the enemies') بِكُلِّin every فَجٍّmountain pass تُفجَأُare taken unawares
ةَ بِكُلِّ فَجٍّ تُفجَأُ
If you charge, we shall leave the enemies
If you reconcile, the enemies will abandon us
caught unawares in every mountain pass.
Shattered open from every crevice
وَتَجَرَّعواand they gulped down غُصَصَchoking pangs المَنونِdeath
وَتَجَرَّعوا غُصَصَ المَنونِ
بِماbecause of what عَليهِupon it تَجَرَّأواthey dared
بِما عَليهِ تَجَرَّأوا
And they will gulp down death's choking pangs
And they will taste the bitterness of death
because of what they dared undertake.
For daring what they did
فَاِدرَأso repel بِناwith us نَحرَthe breast العَدُوthe enemy (word begins)
فَاِدرَأ بِنا نَحرَ العَدُو
وِ(completes 'the enemy') فَبِالأَقارِبِfor through kinsmen يُدرَأُhe is repelled
وِ فَبِالأَقارِبِ يُدرَأُ
So, with us, beat back the enemy's breast;
So protect us from the enemy's throats
for through kinsmen he is repelled.
For by relatives is protection found
إِنَّindeed الأُصولَthe roots وَإِنeven if تَباgrew distant (word begins)
إِنَّ الأُصولَ وَإِن تَبا
عَدَ(completes 'grew distant') عَهدُهاtheir age لاnot تَخطَأُthey fail
عَدَ عَهدُها لا تَخطَأُ
Indeed, roots, however far
Verily roots, even if
back their origins lie, never fail.
Their covenant is remote, do not err
وَاِغنَمand gain جَميلَfair الذِكرِremembrance فَهfor it (word begins)
وَاِغنَم جَميلَ الذِكرِ فَه
وَ(completes 'for it') مِنَthan الغَنائِمِthe spoils أَهنَأُmore gratifying
وَ مِنَ الغَنائِمِ أَهنَأُ
And win fair remembrance, for it
And enjoy the bounty of mention, for it
is sweeter than spoils.
Is the most blissful of spoils
فَالمَرءُfor a man يُرزَقُis granted ماwhat يَشاhe wishes (word begins)
فَالمَرءُ يُرزَقُ ما يَشا
ءُ(completes 'he wishes') مِنَfrom الزَمانِtime وَيُرزَأُand suffers loss
ءُ مِنَ الزَمانِ وَيُرزَأُ
For a man is granted what he wishes
A man is provided what he wills
from Time, and suffers loss.
From time, and deprivation