يا أبا أيوب هذي كنيةٌ

يا أبا أيوب هذي كنيةٌ

من كُنَى الأنعامِ قِدْماً لم تزلْ

من كُنَى الأنعامِ قِدْماً لم تزلْ

O Abu Ayyub, this byname of yours

O Abu Ayyub, this is a byname

Has long remained among the bynames of livestock.

That livestock have borne since ancient times.

ولقد وُفّقَ مَنْ كنّاكها

ولقد وُفّقَ مَنْ كنّاكها

وأصاب الحقَّ فيها وعَدَلْ

وأصاب الحقَّ فيها وعَدَلْ

How surely right was whoever bestowed it on you—

And surely whoever gave you that byname was well guided,

He struck the truth in it and judged justly.

And got it right and judged justly.

أنت شِبهٌ للذي تُكنَى به

أنت شِبهٌ للذي تُكنَى به

ولبعضِ الخَلْقِ من بعض مَثلْ

ولبعضِ الخَلْقِ من بعض مَثلْ

You are the likeness of that by which you are called;

You resemble the creature your byname denotes,

For some creatures find their likeness in others.

And some creatures have their likeness in others.

لستُ ألحاكَ على ما سُمْتني

لستُ ألحاكَ على ما سُمْتني

من قبيحِ الرد أو منعِ النَّفل

من قبيحِ الرد أو منعِ النَّفل

I do not blame you for what you made me suffer:

I do not reproach you for what you made me endure:

An ugly rebuff, or the withholding of largesse.

A harsh rebuff or the withholding of bounty.

قد قضى قول لَبيدٍ بيننا

قد قضى قول لَبيدٍ بيننا

إنما يجزي الفتى ليس الجمل

إنما يجزي الفتى ليس الجمل

A saying of Labid has already judged between us:

Labid’s saying has settled the matter between us:

“It is the man who requites—not the camel.”

“Only a young man repays, not a camel.”

كم حذوناكَ لترقى في العلا

كم حذوناكَ لترقى في العلا

وأبى اللَّهُ فلا تعلُ هُبل

وأبى اللَّهُ فلا تعلُ هُبل

How often we have shod you, that you might climb to the heights;

How often we gave you gifts so you might rise to the heights,

But God refused—so rise no higher, Hubal.

And God refused—so do not rise, Hubal!