صارbecame العزيزthe mighty ذليلاًabased والذليلُand the abased لهto him
صار العزيز ذليلاً والذليلُ له
عزٌmight وصارand became فروعُthe branches of الناسmankind أذناباtails
عزٌ وصار فروعُ الناس أذنابا
The mighty has become abased, and the abased now has
The mighty became lowly and the lowly one,
might; the branches of mankind have become tails.
Has might and the people's branches became tails.
انيindeed I لمَلتمسindeed seeking حتىuntil تبيّنit becomes clear ليto me
اني لمَلتمس حتى تبيّن لي
فيكمconcerning you متىwhen كنتمُyou were للناسover people أرباباlords
فيكم متى كنتمُ للناس أربابا
I am indeed searching until it becomes clear to me
I am searching until it becomes clear to me,
concerning you: when were you ever lords over people?
When you were to the people absolute lords.
فارقَواso climb علىupon طلعكمyour ascent ثمthen انظرواlook فسِلُواthen ask
فارقَوا على طلعكم ثم انظروا فسِلُوا
عنّاabout us وعنكمand about you قديمَlong-established العِلمknowledge نسّاباa genealogist
عنّا وعنكم قديمَ العِلم نسّابا
So climb to your own height, then look and ask
They surpassed in your ascent, then look and ask
about us and you—a genealogist steeped in ancient learning.
About us and about you, the old genealogist.
فسوفthen will يضحكُhe laughs أوor يعتادهrevisits him ذكرa memory
فسوف يضحكُ أو يعتاده ذكر
ياO بؤسَwoe للدهرfor time للانسانِfor humankind ريّاباever causing doubt
يا بؤسَ للدهر للانسانِ ريّابا
Then he will laugh, or a memory will revisit him.
So he will laugh or get used to the mention -
Alas for time, ever bringing doubt to humankind!
Oh misery of fate for the fickle human!
قومa people إذاwhen راهنواthey wager عنover مجدهمtheir glory جعلواthey make
قوم إذا راهنوا عن مجدهم جعلوا
تحتَbeneath العجاجةthe dust-cloud للمسبوقfor the outstripped جلباباa cloak
تحتَ العجاجة للمسبوق جلبابا
A people who, when they wager over their glory, make
A people who, when they wagered their glory, placed
a cloak beneath the dust-cloud for the one left behind.
Beneath the saddlecloth, for the outrun, a robe.
شبّانكمyour young men شرٌthe worst شبانٍyoung men علمتهمI have known them
شبّانكم شرٌ شبانٍ علمتهم
قِصراًin shortness وطولاًand in height وأعراضاand in honor وأحساباand in ancestral merit
قِصراً وطولاً وأعراضا وأحسابا
Your young men are the worst young men I have known,
Your young men are the evilest young men I taught
short and tall, in honor and ancestral merit.
Briefness, tallness, honor, and accounts.
وشمطكمand your graybeards شرٌthe worst شمطgraybeards الشيبgray hair مخبرa revealer
وشمطكم شرٌ شمط الشيب مخبر
وشرهمُand their worst فيin ثناthe folds of أمرan affair إذاwhen غاباhe was absent
وشرهمُ في ثنا أمر إذا غابا
And your graybeards are the worst graybeards; gray hair bears witness.
And your elders are the evilest elders, reporting -
And their worst, amid an affair's folds, when he is absent [wording unclear].
And their evil, when away, is grievous in case.
يوصيcounsels أوائلُمtheir predecessors بالقولِwith words آخرهمtheir successors
يوصي أوائلُم بالقولِ آخرهم
وشرٌand the worst مَنof those who ذاقtasted طعمthe flavor النُوكof foolishness مَنthe one who شاباhas grown gray
وشرٌ مَن ذاق طعم النُوك مَن شابا
Their predecessors counsel their successors with words,
The early ones bequeath by words the later ones -
and the worst of those who taste folly's flavor is he who has grown gray.
And evil is he who tasted youth's sap.
انif تملكوناyou rule us قليلاًbriefly فيduring إماراتكمyour reigns
ان تملكونا قليلاً في إماراتكم
فقدyet indeed ملكتمyou were ruled بنيO sons of الزرقاءal-Zarqa’ أحقاباfor ages
فقد ملكتم بني الزرقاء أحقابا
If you rule us briefly during your reigns,
If you subdue us a little in your emirates,
you were ruled for ages, sons of al-Zarqa’.
You have subdued the sons of Zarqa for epochs.
قومa people يرونَthey regard بنيthe sons of الأحرارِfree men نافلةًextra booty
قوم يرونَ بني الأحرارِ نافلةً
كانواthey were لهمfor them خَوَلاًservants بُرداcloaks وأسلاباand spoils
كانوا لهم خَوَلاً بُردا وأسلابا
A people who regard the sons of free men as extra booty,
A people who see the sons of the free as superfluous -
though once they were their servants, cloaks, and spoils.
They were to them abject slaves and booty.
Sol 6.1