لولاwere it not for اتقاءُfear of اللهGod قمتُI would rise بمفخرٍwith a boast
لولا اتقاءُ الله قمتُ بمفخرٍ
لاnot يبلغُreaches الثقَلانِhumankind and jinn فيهin it مَقاميmy station
لا يبلغُ الثقَلانِ فيه مَقامي
Were it not for reverence for God, I would rise to boast
Were it not for fear of God, I would rise with a boast
a boast in which neither humankind nor jinn could attain my rank—
in which neither humankind nor jinn could reach my station.
بأبوةٍthrough forefathers فيin الجاهليةthe pre-Islamic age سادةٍlords
بأبوةٍ في الجاهلية سادةٍ
بذُّواthey surpassed العلاthe heights of glory أمراءَprinces فيin الإسلامIslam
بذُّوا العلا أمراءَ في الإسلام
of forebears who, in the Jāhiliyya, were lords,
Through forefathers, lords in the pre-Islamic age,
surpassing all in glory, and princes under Islam.
who surpassed the heights of glory as princes in Islam.
جادواthey gave generously فسادواand so became lords مانعينwithholding أذاهمtheir harm
جادوا فسادوا مانعين أذاهم
لنداهمُfor their bounty، بذلfree giving لدىamong الأقوامthe peoples
لنداهمُ، بذل لدى الأقوام
They gave freely and thus became lords, withholding their harm;
They gave generously and so became lords, withholding their harm;
their munificence was lavished among the peoples.
their bounty was freely bestowed among the peoples.
قدindeed أنجبواthey produced noble offspring فيin السؤددينthe two spheres of honor وأنجبواand were nobly born
قد أنجبوا في السؤددين وأنجبوا
بِنجابةthrough the nobility of الأخوالِmaternal uncles والأعمامand paternal uncles
بِنجابة الأخوالِ والأعمام
They fathered noble heirs in both ages of lordship, and were themselves noble-born
They produced noble offspring in both spheres of honor, and were nobly born
through the nobility of maternal uncles and paternal uncles.
through the nobility of their maternal and paternal uncles.
منwho بالمخاشنwith al-Mukhashin وابنهِand his son جَونJawn
من بالمخاشن وابنهِ جَون
ومنand who بالغزwith al-Ghazz أوor بالمهزمينwith the two Muhazzims يساميvies in eminence
ومن بالغز أو بالمهزمين يسامي
Who can match al-Mukhāshin and his son Jawn?
Who can rival al-Mukhashin and his son Jawn,
And who can vie with al-Ghazz or the Muhammazīn?
and who can vie with al-Ghazz or the two Muhazzims?
قومa people إذاwhen سكتواthey fall silent تكلمَspeaks مجدهمtheir glory
قوم إذا سكتوا تكلمَ مجدهم
عنهمon their behalf، وأخرسَand silences دونَbeneath كلall كلامspeech
عنهم، وأخرسَ دونَ كل كلام
A people who, when they fall silent, have their glory speak
A people whose glory speaks when they fall silent
for them, striking every other utterance dumb.
on their behalf, and silences all speech beneath it.
