تأمُّلُscrutinizing العيبِthe fault عَيْبَa fault
تأمُّلُ العيبِ عَيْبَ
ماno فيin الذيwhat قلتُI said رَيْبُdoubt
ما في الذي قلتُ رَيْبُ
Scrutinizing faults is a fault;
Criticizing fault is itself a fault,
there is no doubt in what I have said.
No doubt in what I have said,
والشِّعْرُand poetry كالشَّعْرِlike hair فيهin it
والشِّعْرُ كالشَّعْرِ فيه
معalongside الشبيبةyouth شيبُgray hair
مع الشبيبة شيبُ
And poetry, like hair, contains
Poetry is like the hair on youth,
gray alongside youth.
In which some grey appears.
فليصفحso let them pardon الناسُthe people عنهconcerning it
فليصفح الناسُ عنه
فطعنهمfor their attacks فيهagainst it غَيْبُblind conjecture
فطعنهم فيه غَيْبُ
So let people pardon it,
So let people overlook it,
for their attacks on it are blind conjecture,
Their censure of it is unseen.
حتىuntil يعيشَlives جَريرٌJarir
حتى يعيشَ جَريرٌ
لعيبهto find fault with it أوor نُصَيْبُNusayb
لعيبه أو نُصَيْبُ
until Jarir returns to life
Until Jarir lives
to find fault with it—or Nusayb.
Despite his faults or fate.
كمhow many a عاتبٍcritic كلَّevery شيءٍthing
كم عاتبٍ كلَّ شيءٍ
وكلُّand all ماthat فيهin him عيبُa fault
وكلُّ ما فيه عيبُ
How many a critic censures everything,
How many find fault in everything!
while everything in him is a fault!
All that is in it is fault.
والجيبُand the neckline ذيلٌa hem لديهto him
والجيبُ ذيلٌ لديه
للنُّوكِthrough foolishness والذيلُand the hem جيبُa neckline
للنُّوكِ والذيلُ جيبُ
And to him the neckline is a hem,
The pocket is a tail for him
through folly, and the hem a neckline.
For gems, and the tail a pocket.
إياكbeware ياO ابنson of بُوَيْبٍBuwayb
إياك يا ابن بُوَيْبٍ
أنlest يُستثارbe roused بويبُBuwayb
أن يُستثار بويبُ
Beware, O son of Buwayb,
Beware O son of Buwaib
lest Buwayb be roused.
Lest Buwaib be provoked.
فإنماfor ... is only أناI ليثٌa lion
فإنما أنا ليثٌ
عادٍfierce وأنتand you كُليبُa little dog
عادٍ وأنت كُليبُ
For I am nothing but a lion,
I am a fierce lion
fierce, while you are a little dog.
While you are a fox.
لاdo not تحقِرنَّever underestimate سُبَيباًa small cause
لا تحقِرنَّ سُبَيباً
كمhow often جَرَّhas drawn سبّاabuse سُبيبُa small cause
كم جَرَّ سبّا سُبيبُ
Do not underestimate a small cause;
Do not scorn a youth
how often a small cause has drawn abuse!
For many a youth has led.
ولاand do not تظَنَّsuppose بجهلٍin ignorance
ولا تظَنَّ بجهلٍ
أنthat اللسانthe tongue زُبَيْبُa little penis
أن اللسان زُبَيْبُ
And do not suppose, in ignorance,
Do not think an ignorant one
that the tongue is a little penis.
Has a tied tongue.
قدmay تحسنcompose well الرومُthe Romans شعراًpoetry
قد تحسن الرومُ شعراً
ماnot أحسنتهhave composed it well العُرَيبُthe petty Arabs
ما أحسنته العُرَيبُ
The Romans may compose fine poetry
The Romans excel in poetry
that the petty Arabs have not equaled.
More than the Arab has done.
ياO منكرdenier of المجدِglory فيهمamong them
يا منكر المجدِ فيهم
أليسis not منهمone of them صهيبُSuhayb
أليس منهم صهيبُ
O you who deny them glory,
O you who deny their glory,
is Suhayb not one of them?
Is not among them Sahib?
Sol 6.1