سأَبلغُI shall attain حاجاتيmy aims وإنْand even if كنّthey are نُزَّحاًfar away
سأَبلغُ حاجاتي وإنْ كنّ نُزَّحاً
بكلّwith every رقيقِfine الشَّفْرتينِthe two cutting edges يَمانِYemeni
بكلّ رقيقِ الشَّفْرتينِ يَمانِ
I shall attain my aims, even if they lie far away,
I will attain my desires, though I am aggrieved,
With every Yemeni sword, fine along both edges,
With every gentle word from my lips,
وكلِّand every طويلٍlong كالرِّشاءِlike a well-rope مَدَدْتهُI extended it
وكلِّ طويلٍ كالرِّشاءِ مَدَدْتهُ
يناجيكwhispers to you منهof it رأسُهُits head بسِنانِwith a spear-point
يناجيك منه رأسُهُ بسِنانِ
And every long spear, like a well-rope, that I have extended,
And every tall man I have stretched out,
Its head whispering to you with a spear-point.
Like a spear, whispering to you from its head.
وإنّيand I حَرونٌrecalcitrant عنaway from ديارٍabodes مَرِيعةٍfertile
وإنّي حَرونٌ عن ديارٍ مَرِيعةٍ
وكمand how often ساقbrought لِيto me عِزّاًhonor طويلُprolonged حِرانيmy obstinacy
وكم ساق لِي عِزّاً طويلُ حِراني
And I stubbornly shun fertile abodes;
Yet I am defiant against unforgiving lands,
How often my prolonged obstinacy has brought me honor!
And how often has the long arm of Hiran brought me glory,
وقلبيand my heart مطيعٌobedient لِيto me وإنْand if كنتُI were كالّذيlike what
وقلبي مطيعٌ لِي وإنْ كنتُ كالّذي
نلاقيهwe encounter it منfrom هذاthis الزّمانِage عصانيit would disobey me
نلاقيه من هذا الزّمانِ عصاني
And my heart obeys me; yet if I were like what
And my heart obeys me, even if I am like those,
We encounter from this age, it would disobey me.
Whom I meet in this age as disobedient.
وَأَعلمُand I know أنّthat الدّهرَtime يعبثtoys صَرْفُهُits vicissitudes
وَأَعلمُ أنّ الدّهرَ يعبث صَرْفُهُ
بمالِwith the wealth of فُلانٍso-and-so تارةًat one time وفلانِand another so-and-so
بمالِ فُلانٍ تارةً وفلانِ
And I know that time's vicissitudes toy
And I know that fate toys in its turning,
Now with so-and-so's wealth, now with another's.
With the wealth of so-and-so one time, and so-and-so another.