أَوالِبُO Walib أَنتَyou فيamong العَرَبِthe Arabs
أَوالِبُ أَنتَ في العَرَبِ
كَمِثلِlike الشَيصِshriveled, unfertilized dates فيamong الرُطَبِfresh ripe dates
كَمِثلِ الشَيصِ في الرُطَبِ
O Walib, among the Arabs you are
Owalib, you are an Arab
like shriveled dates among fresh ripe dates.
Like a raisin among dates
هَلُمَّcome إِلىto المَواليthe clients or freedmen الصيthe noble ones (word begins)
هَلُمَّ إِلى المَوالي الصي
دِcompletes 'the noble ones' فيin سَعَةٍease وَفيand in رَحَبِample space
دِ في سَعَةٍ وَفي رَحَبِ
Come to the noble freedmen,
Come closer, my friend
in ease and ample space.
With hospitality and generosity
فَأَنتَfor you بِناlike us لَعَمرُby the life of اللَGod (word begins)
فَأَنتَ بِنا لَعَمرُ اللَ
هِcompletes 'God' أَشبَهُmore like مِنكَthan you بِالعَرَبِlike the Arabs
هِ أَشبَهُ مِنكَ بِالعَرَبِ
For you resemble us—by God's life—
By God, you resemble Arabs more than an Arab does
more than you resemble the Arabs.
I was angry at you, but then I saw
غَضِبتُI grew angry عَلَيكَwith you ثُمَّthen رَأَيsaw (verb begins)
غَضِبتُ عَلَيكَ ثُمَّ رَأَي
تُI (verb ending) وَجهَكَyour face فَانجَلىand so vanished غَضَبيmy anger
تُ وَجهَكَ فَانجَلى غَضَبي
I grew angry with you, then saw
Your face, so my anger passed
your face, and my anger vanished,
When you reminded me of
لِماbecause ذَكَّرتَنيyou reminded me مِنof لَوcolor (word begins)
لِما ذَكَّرتَني مِن لَو
نِcompletes 'color' أَجداديmy forefathers وَلَونِand the color of أَبيmy father
نِ أَجدادي وَلَونِ أَبي
because you reminded me of the color
The complexion of my ancestors and the hue of my father
of my forefathers and my father's color.
Say what you will, I'll accept it
فَقُلso say ماwhatever شِئتَyou wish أَقبَلهُI will accept it
فَقُل ما شِئتَ أَقبَلهُ
وَإِنand even if أَطنَبتَyou speak at length فيin الكَذِبِlying
وَإِن أَطنَبتَ في الكَذِبِ
So say whatever you wish; I will accept it,
And if you exaggerate in lying
even if you go on at length in lying.
I have already told about you and about
لَقَدindeed أَخبَرتُI reported عَنكَabout you وَعَنand about
لَقَد أَخبَرتُ عَنكَ وَعَن
أَبيكَyour father الخالِصِpure-blooded العَرَبِthe Arabs
أَبيكَ الخالِصِ العَرَبِ
Indeed, I have told of you and of
Your father, the pure Arab
your father, of pure Arab stock.
The knowing ones said of him
فَقالَthen said العارِفونَthose acquainted بِهِwith him
فَقالَ العارِفونَ بِهِ
مُصاصٌpure stock غَيرُnot مُؤتَشِبِmixed in lineage
مُصاصٌ غَيرُ مُؤتَشِبِ
Then those acquainted with him said:
A bloodsucker, not a Bedouin
Pure stock, not of mixed lineage.
Who came to us from the lands of Rome
أَتاناhe came to us مِنfrom بِلادِthe lands of الروthe Romans (word begins)
أَتانا مِن بِلادِ الرو
مِcompletes 'the Romans' مُعتَجِراًwith his head wrapped عَلىon قَتَبِa camel's pack-saddle
مِ مُعتَجِراً عَلى قَتَبِ
He came to us from the lands of the Romans,
Covered in armor and mail coat
his head wrapped, riding a camel's pack-saddle,
Small-bellied like a lizard
خَفيفَlight الحاذِburden of family and possessions كَالصَمصاlike a keen sword (word begins)
خَفيفَ الحاذِ كَالصَمصا
مِcompletes 'sword' أَطلَسَbeardless غَيرَnot ذيpossessing نَشَبِwealth
مِ أَطلَسَ غَيرَ ذي نَشَبِ
light of burdens, like a keen sword,
Wearing a cloak but no dagger
beardless, possessed of no wealth.
Owalib, what brought you among
أَوالِبُO Walib ماwhat دَهاكَhas befallen you وَأَنand you (word begins)
أَوالِبُ ما دَهاكَ وَأَن
تَcompletes 'you' فيamong الأَعرابِthe Bedouin Arabs ذوpossessing نَسَبِlineage
تَ في الأَعرابِ ذو نَسَبِ
O Walib, what has befallen you, though you
The nomads, you of noble lineage?
have a lineage among the Bedouin Arabs?
I see you were born in Mirrih
أَراكَI see you وُلِدتَyou were born بِالمِرّيon Mars (word begins)
أَراكَ وُلِدتَ بِالمِرّي
خِcompletes 'Mars' ياO اِبنَson of سَبائِكِingots of الذَهَبِgold
خِ يا اِبنَ سَبائِكِ الذَهَبِ
I see you were born on Mars,
O son of gilt Sabaeans
O son of gold ingots!
You came, hollow-cheeked,
فَجِئتَso you came أُقَيشِرَruddy (diminutive) الخَدَّيthe two cheeks (word begins)
فَجِئتَ أُقَيشِرَ الخَدَّي
نِcompletes 'the two cheeks' أَزرَقَblue-eyed عارِمَunruly الذَنَبِthe tail
نِ أَزرَقَ عارِمَ الذَنَبِ
So you came, a ruddy-cheeked little fellow,
Blue-eyed, dock-tailed
blue-eyed, with an unruly tail.
You have erred in insulting me
لَقَدindeed أَخطَأتَyou erred فيin شَتميinsulting me
لَقَد أَخطَأتَ في شَتمي
فَخَبِّرنيso tell me أَلَمdid … not? أُصِبI hit the mark
فَخَبِّرني أَلَم أُصِب
You have indeed erred in insulting me;
So tell me, did I not hit the mark?
so tell me: have I not hit the mark?
Partial English translation: 27 of 28 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1