تُبَكّيyou lament عَلىover قَتلىthe slain يَهودَJews وَقَدand indeed تَرىyou see
تُبَكّي عَلى قَتلى يَهودَ وَقَد تَرى
مِنَfrom الشَجوِgrief لَوif تَبكيyou weep أَحَبَّdearer وَأَقرَباand nearer
مِنَ الشَجوِ لَو تَبكي أَحَبَّ وَأَقرَبا
You lament the slain Jews, though you see
You weep for the slain Jews, and you may shed
dearer and nearer ones to mourn, if you would weep.
Tears of anguish, as if for loved ones and kin.
فَهَلّاso why not عَلىover قَتلىthe slain بِبَطنِin the hollow of أُرَينِقٍUrayniq
فَهَلّا عَلى قَتلى بِبَطنِ أُرَينِقٍ
بَكَيتَyou wept وَلَمand did not تُعوِلyou wail مِنَfrom الشَجوِgrief مُسهِباat length
بَكَيتَ وَلَم تُعوِل مِنَ الشَجوِ مُسهِبا
Why, then, for the slain in the hollow of Urayniq,
Why not for the victims at Urayniq's inn,
did you not weep, without wailing at length in grief?
Weep with copious tears and loud laments instead?
إِذاwhen السِلمُpeace دارَتit came round فيwith regard to صَديقٍa friend رَدَدتَهاyou turned it back
إِذا السِلمُ دارَت في صَديقٍ رَدَدتَها
وَفيand in الدينِreligion صَدّاداًan obstructer وَفيand in الحَربِwar ثَعلَباa fox
وَفي الدينِ صَدّاداً وَفي الحَربِ ثَعلَبا
When peace comes round to a friend, you turn it back,
If peace is proffered by a friend, you contravene it,
and in religion you are an obstructer, and in war a fox.
Obstinate in religion, in war a fox.
عَمَدتَyou aimed إِلىtoward قَدرٍa rank لِقَومِكَfor your people تَبتَغيyou seek
عَمَدتَ إِلى قَدرٍ لِقَومِكَ تَبتَغي
لَهُمfor them شَبَهاa likeness كَيماso that تَعِزَّyou become mighty وَتَغلِباand you prevail
لَهُم شَبَها كَيما تَعِزَّ وَتَغلِبا
You aspired to rank for your people, seeking
You aim at a rank your people contrive
a likeness for them, so that you might grow mighty and prevail.
To give you glory and so prevail.
فَإِنَّكَfor indeed you لَمّاwhen أَنthat كَلِفتَyou became enamored تَمَدُّحاًoffering praise
فَإِنَّكَ لَمّا أَن كَلِفتَ تَمَدُّحاً
لِمَنfor one who كانَwas عَيباًa disgrace مَدحُهُpraising him وَتَكَذُّباand falsehood
لِمَن كانَ عَيباً مَدحُهُ وَتَكَذُّبا
For when you became enamored of offering praise
When tasked with flattery of the undeserving,
to one whose praise was a disgrace and a falsehood,
You praise the flawed and speak with lies.
رَحَلتَyou departed بِأَمرٍwith a matter كُنتَyou were أَهلاًdeserving لِمِثلِهِof its like
رَحَلتَ بِأَمرٍ كُنتَ أَهلاً لِمِثلِهِ
وَلَمand did not تُلفِyou find فيهِمamong them قائِلاًsomeone saying لَكَto you مَرحَباwelcome
وَلَم تُلفِ فيهِم قائِلاً لَكَ مَرحَبا
you went away with the sort of thing you deserved,
You have taken on a role you were fit for,
and found no one among them to say to you, 'Welcome.'
With none to welcome you or say, “Greetings.”
فَهَلّاso why not إِلىto قَومٍa people مُلوكٍkings مَدَحتَهُمyou praised them
فَهَلّا إِلى قَومٍ مُلوكٍ مَدَحتَهُم
تَبَنَّواthey built for themselves مِنَfrom العِزِّhonor المُؤَثَّلِdeeply rooted مَنصِباa station
تَبَنَّوا مِنَ العِزِّ المُؤَثَّلِ مَنصِبا
Why, then, did you not turn to a people of kings and praise them,
Why not flatter genuinely noble kings,
who built themselves a station of deep-rooted honor—
Who inherited glorious, lofty thrones?
إِلىto مَعشَرٍa community صارواthey became مُلوكاًkings وَكُرِّمواand were honored
إِلى مَعشَرٍ صاروا مُلوكاً وَكُرِّموا
وَلَمand was not يُلفَbe found فيهِمamong them طالِبُa seeker العُرفِbounty مُجدِباempty-handed
وَلَم يُلفَ فيهِم طالِبُ العُرفِ مُجدِبا
to a people who became kings and were honored,
A folk who became kings, honored, yet among them,
and among whom no seeker of bounty was found empty-handed?
No seeker of glory was left unsatisfied.
أُولَئِكَthose أَحرىworthier مِنthan يَهودَJews بِمِدحَةٍof praise
أُولَئِكَ أَحرى مِن يَهودَ بِمِدحَةٍ
تَراهُمyou see them وَفيهِمand among them عِزَّةُmight المَجدِglory تُرتُباfirmly established
تَراهُم وَفيهِم عِزَّةُ المَجدِ تُرتُبا
Those are worthier of praise than the Jews;
Those are worthier of praise than Jews.
you see them, with the might of glory firmly established among them.
You see them exalted in majesty and might.
Sol 6.1