لِمَنِwhose المَنازِلُthe dwellings أَقفَرَتhave become deserted بِغَباءِat Ghabāʾ
لِمَنِ المَنازِلُ أَقفَرَت بِغَباءِ
لَوif شِئتُI wished هَيَّجَتِstirred الغَداةthis morning بُكائيmy weeping
لَو شِئتُ هَيَّجَتِ الغَداة بُكائي
Whose are the dwellings, now deserted at Ghabāʾ?
If I wished, they would stir my weeping this morning.
فَالغَمرُand al-Ghamr غَمرُGhamr بَنيthe sons of خُزَيمَةَKhuzayma قَدonce تَرىyou would see
فَالغَمرُ غَمرُ بَني خُزَيمَةَ قَد تَرى
مَأهولَةًinhabited فَخَلَتthen it emptied مِنَof الأَحياءِthe living
مَأهولَةً فَخَلَت مِنَ الأَحياءِ
And al-Ghamr—Ghamr of Banū Khuzayma—you once saw
inhabited, but it has emptied of the living.
لَولاwere it not for التَجَلُّدُfortitude وَالتَعَريand stripping oneself bare إِنَّهُindeed it is so
لَولا التَجَلُّدُ وَالتَعَري إِنَّهُ
لاno قَومَpeople إِلّاexcept that عَقرُهُمtheir homestead لِفَناءِfor extinction
لا قَومَ إِلّا عَقرُهُم لِفَناءِ
Were it not for fortitude and detachment—for indeed
no people’s homestead is spared destruction—
لَرَثَيتُI would have mourned أَصحابيmy companions الَّذينَwho تَتابَعواfollowed one another
لَرَثَيتُ أَصحابي الَّذينَ تَتابَعوا
وَدَعَوتُand I would have called أَخرَسَone struck dumb لاnot يُجيبُanswers دُعائيmy call
وَدَعَوتُ أَخرَسَ لا يُجيبُ دُعائي
I would have mourned my companions who went one after another,
and called to one struck dumb, who does not answer my call.
وَفِراقِand many a parting from ذيone possessing حَسَبٍnoble lineage وَرَوعَةِand the shock of فاجِعٍa calamity
وَفِراقِ ذي حَسَبٍ وَرَوعَةِ فاجِعٍ
داوَيتُهاI treated it بِتَجَمُّلٍwith composure وَعَزاءِand consolation
داوَيتُها بِتَجَمُّلٍ وَعَزاءِ
Many a parting from a man of noble lineage, and the shock of calamity,
I have treated with composure and consolation,
لِيَرىso that they may see الرِجالُthe men الكاشِحونَwho harbor hatred صَلابَتيmy firmness
لِيَرى الرِجالُ الكاشِحونَ صَلابَتي
وَأُعينُand I reinforce ذاكَthat بِعِفَّةٍwith self-restraint وَحياءِand modesty
وَأُعينُ ذاكَ بِعِفَّةٍ وَحياءِ
so that men who hate me might see my firmness;
and I reinforce that with self-restraint and modesty.
بَرَكَتknelt down عَلىupon عادٍʿĀd كَلاكِلُthe heavy chests of دَهرِهِمtheir age
بَرَكَت عَلى عادٍ كَلاكِلُ دَهرِهِم
وَثَمودَand Thamūd بَعدَafter تَكاثُرٍgrowing numbers وَثَراءِand wealth
وَثَمودَ بَعدَ تَكاثُرٍ وَثَراءِ
Upon ʿĀd knelt the heavy chests of their age,
and Thamūd, after growing numbers and prosperity.
قَومٌa people هُمُthey اِرتَضَواchose willingly الحِجارَةَstone قَبلَناbefore us
قَومٌ هُمُ اِرتَضَوا الحِجارَةَ قَبلَنا
فَتَأَثَّلواso they put down roots بِمَصانِعٍwith strongholds وَبِناءِand buildings
فَتَأَثَّلوا بِمَصانِعٍ وَبِناءِ
A people who, before us, chose stone for themselves,
and put down roots with strongholds and buildings.
فَإِذاthen when تَناءىdrew far apart القَومُthe people أَكثَرَgreater مِنهُمthan them
فَإِذا تَناءى القَومُ أَكثَرَ مِنهُم
عَدَداًin number وَماذاand what is العَيشُlife غَيرَother than بِلاءِaffliction
عَدَداً وَماذا العَيشُ غَيرَ بِلاءِ
Then, when peoples spread far apart, these surpassed them
in number—and what is life but affliction?
أُمَمٌnations تَدَخَّلَتِforced their way in الحُتوفُdeaths عَلَيهِمupon them
أُمَمٌ تَدَخَّلَتِ الحُتوفُ عَلَيهِم
أَبوابَهُمtheir doors وَكَشَفنَand they stripped away غِطاءِa covering
أَبوابَهُم وَكَشَفنَ غِطاءِ
Nations—their deaths forced their way in upon them,
through their doors, and stripped away the veil.
فَإِذاthen behold الَّذيthe one who فيin حَصنِهِhis fortress مُتَحَرِّزٌseeks protection
فَإِذا الَّذي في حَصنِهِ مُتَحَرِّزٌ
مِنهُمamong them كَآخَرَlike another مُصحَرٍexposed outdoors بِفَضاءِin an open expanse
مِنهُم كَآخَرَ مُصحَرٍ بِفَضاءِ
Then the one seeking safety within his fortress
among them was like another exposed in an open waste.
وَلَقَدand indeed بَلَوتُI have tested الدَهرَtime مُذsince أَناI يافِعٌa youth
وَلَقَد بَلَوتُ الدَهرَ مُذ أَنا يافِعٌ
حَتّىuntil لَبِستُI wore الشَيبَgray hair بَعدَafter فَتاءِyouthful vigor
حَتّى لَبِستُ الشَيبَ بَعدَ فَتاءِ
Indeed, I have tested time since I was a youth,
until I wore gray hair after youthful vigor.
أَلقَىI meet الرِجالَthe men الصالِحينَthe upright وَإِنَّماand only
أَلقَى الرِجالَ الصالِحينَ وَإِنَّما
يَشفىis cured العَمىblindness بِتَبَيُّنِby discerning الأَنباءِthe reports
يَشفى العَمى بِتَبَيُّنِ الأَنباءِ
I meet upright men; and only
through discerning reports is blindness cured.
وَإِذاand whenever نَظَرتُI look إِلىat أَميريmy prince زادَنيincreased in me
وَإِذا نَظَرتُ إِلى أَميري زادَني
ضَنّاًattachment بِهِto him نَظَريmy looking إِلىat الأَمُراءِthe princes
ضَنّاً بِهِ نَظَري إِلى الأَمُراءِ
Whenever I look upon my prince, I am made
more attached to him by looking upon other princes.
تَسموrise العُيونthe eyes إِلَيهِtoward him حينwhen يرَينَهthey see him
تَسمو العُيون إِلَيهِ حين يرَينَه
كَالبَدرِlike the full moon فَرَّجَdispelled طَخيَةَthe murk of الظَلماءِthe dark night
كَالبَدرِ فَرَّجَ طَخيَةَ الظَلماءِ
Eyes rise toward him when they behold him,
like the full moon dispelling the murk of darkest night.
عَمرُʿAmr الَّذيwho جَمَعَgathered المَكارِمَthe noble qualities كُلَّهاall of them
عَمرُ الَّذي جَمَعَ المَكارِمَ كُلَّها
وَاِبنُand son of الخَليفَةِthe caliph أَفضَلُthe finest of الخُلَفاءِthe caliphs
وَاِبنُ الخَليفَةِ أَفضَلُ الخُلَفاءِ
ʿAmr, who gathered every noble quality,
and son of the caliph, the finest of caliphs.
وَالأَصلُand the stock يَنبُتُgrows فرعهits branch مُتَناثِلاًin successive generations
وَالأَصلُ يَنبُتُ فرعه مُتَناثِلاً
وَالكَفُّand the hand لَيسَis not بَنانُهاits fingers بِسواءِequal
وَالكَفُّ لَيسَ بَنانُها بِسواءِ
The stock sends forth its branch, generation after generation,
yet the fingers of a hand are not equal.
ماnot إِنindeed رَأَيتُI have seen جِبالَthe mountains of أَرضٍa land تَستَويstand equal
ما إِن رَأَيتُ جِبالَ أَرضٍ تَستَوي
فيماwherever غَشيتُI traveled وَلاnor نُجومthe stars of سَماءِa sky
فيما غَشيتُ وَلا نُجوم سَماءِ
Never have I seen the mountains of a land stand equal,
wherever I have traveled, nor the stars of heaven.
وَالأَرضُand the earth مِنamong أَعلامِهاits mountains مُتواضِعٌa lowly one
وَالأَرضُ مِن أَعلامِها مُتواضِعٌ
وَأَعَزُّand a loftier one عَمَّمَturbaned رَأسَهُits head بِعَماءِwith cloud
وَأَعَزُّ عَمَّمَ رَأسَهُ بِعَماءِ
Among the earth’s mountains is one that lies low,
and a loftier one that turbaned its head with cloud.
وَالناسُand people لَيسواare not يَستَوونَequal فَمِنهُمand among them
وَالناسُ لَيسوا يَستَوونَ فَمِنهُم
وَرِعٌa scrupulous man وَآخَرُand another ذوpossessing نَدىًgenerosity وَغِناءِand wealth
وَرِعٌ وَآخَرُ ذو نَدىً وَغِناءِ
People are not equal: among them
is a scrupulous man, and another of generosity and wealth.
وَالناسُand people أَشباهٌare alike وَبَينَand between حُلومِهِمtheir understandings
وَالناسُ أَشباهٌ وَبَينَ حُلومِهِم
بَونٌa gulf كَذاكَthus تَفاضُلُthe differing excellence of الأَشياءِthings
بَونٌ كَذاكَ تَفاضُلُ الأَشياءِ
People look alike, yet between their understandings
lies a gulf; such is the differing excellence of things.
كَالبَرقِlike lightning مِنهُfrom it وابِلٌa downpour مُتَتابِعٌunceasing
كَالبَرقِ مِنهُ وابِلٌ مُتَتابِعٌ
جَونٌdark وَآخَرَand another ماnot يَنوءُis laden بِماءِwith water
جَونٌ وَآخَرَ ما يَنوءُ بِماءِ
Like lightning: from some comes an unbroken downpour,
dark with cloud, while another bears no water.
وَالمَرءُand a man يورِثُbequeaths مَجدَهُhis glory أَبناءَهُhis sons
وَالمَرءُ يورِثُ مَجدَهُ أَبناءَهُ
وَيَموتُand dies آخَرُanother وَهوَwhile he is فيamong الأَحياءِthe living
وَيَموتُ آخَرُ وَهوَ في الأَحياءِ
A man bequeaths his glory to his sons,
while another dies among the living,
نَسياًa forgotten thing تُنوسِيَwas consigned to oblivion لَيسَnot يَرفَعُraises رَأسَهُhis head
نَسياً تُنوسِيَ لَيسَ يَرفَعُ رَأسَهُ
أَبَداًever لِتائِرَةٍfor vengeance وَلاnor لِعَلاءِfor eminence
أَبَداً لِتائِرَةٍ وَلا لِعَلاءِ
a forgotten thing, consigned to oblivion, never raising his head
ever to avenge a wrong or seek high honor.
مُستَخذِياًabject بِاللَيلِby night يُصبِحُhe enters the morning راثِماًstaying put
مُستَخذِياً بِاللَيلِ يُصبِحُ راثِماً
كَالحِلسِlike a mat فيin مَمساهُhis evening resting-place كلَّevery غِشاءِcovering
كَالحِلسِ في مَمساهُ كلَّ غِشاءِ
Abject by night, he wakes still rooted in place,
like a mat at his evening resting-place, with every veil of darkness.
وَالناسُand people مِنهُمamong them نافِذٌa resourceful man مُتَقَلَّبٌever moving
وَالناسُ مِنهُم نافِذٌ مُتَقَلَّبٌ
وَتَقَلُّبٍand many a roaming فيthrough الأرضِthe earth غَيرُwithout غَناءِprofit
وَتَقَلُّبٍ في الأرضِ غَيرُ غَناءِ
Among people is one resourceful and ever moving,
yet many a journey through the earth brings no gain,
كَالصَقرِlike the falcon يَعلمُhe knows أَنَّthat آخِرَthe end of عُمرِهِhis life
كَالصَقرِ يَعلمُ أَنَّ آخِرَ عُمرِهِ
رَهنٌis bound لَهُfor him بِإِقامَةٍto settling وَثَواءِand remaining
رَهنٌ لَهُ بِإِقامَةٍ وَثَواءِ
like the falcon, knowing that the end of its life
is bound up with settling down and staying.
فَلِذاكَso for that reason أَحجىأَنmore likely to يُنيلَكَgive you سائِلاًas a petitioner
فَلِذاكَ أَحجىأَن يُنيلَكَ سائِلاً
أَمor أَنto يُوَرِّعَward off عَنكَfrom you يَومَon a day of لِقاءِencounter
أَم أَن يُوَرِّعَ عَنكَ يَومَ لِقاءِ
For that reason he is likelier to give to you when you ask,
or to ward off harm from you on a day of battle.
Translation model: Sol 6.1