قُلsay لذويto the kinsmen of سيفٍSayf وسيفand Sayf ألستُمare you not
قُل لذوي سيفٍ وسيف ألستُم
أقلَّthe least بنيthe sons of سعدٍSa'd حصاداًin harvest ومزرعاand in farmland
أقلَّ بني سعدٍ حصاداً ومزرعا
Say to Sayf’s kinsmen, and to Sayf: Are you not
Say to Sayf's kinsmen and Sayf: Are you not
the least of Banū Saʿd in harvest and cultivated land,
The least of Sa'd's sons in harvest and farmland?
كأنكمas though you were جعلانُdung beetles دارٍa dwelling مُقامةٍinhabited
كأنكم جعلانُ دارٍ مُقامةٍ
علىupon عذراتthe dung of الحيّthe clan أصبحنَthey have become وقّعاsettled
على عذرات الحيّ أصبحنَ وقّعا
as though you were dung beetles of a settled dwelling,
You are like dung beetles of an inhabited dwelling,
come to rest upon the tribe’s dung heaps?
That have settled upon the clan's dung.
لقدindeed نالَgained سيفُSayf فيin سجستانSijistan نُهزةًan opportunity
لقد نالَ سيفُ في سجستان نُهزةً
تطاولhe rose منهاthrough it فوقabove ماwhat كانhe had been إصبعاa fingerbreadth
تطاول منها فوق ما كان إصبعا
Sayf indeed gained an opportunity in Sijistan
Sayf indeed gained an opportunity in Sijistan,
by which he grew a finger’s breadth taller than before.
Through which he rose a fingerbreadth above what he had been.
أصباَbeguiled (uncertain form) الزنادthe firesticks الخمرَwine حتىuntil لقدindeed نَمَتgrew
أصباَ الزناد الخمرَ حتى لقد نَمَت
لهfor him سُرّةٌa navel تُسقىis given to drink الشرابَthe wine المشعشَعاdiluted with water
له سُرّةٌ تُسقى الشرابَ المشعشَعا
Al-Zinād made the wine itself yearn, until indeed there grew
The firesticks beguiled wine [uncertain wording], until there grew
upon him a navel plied with sparkling mixed wine.
A navel on him, watered with diluted wine.
فلولاso, were it not for هوانُthe cheapness of الخمرwine ماnot ذُقتَyou tasted طعمَهاits taste
فلولا هوانُ الخمر ما ذُقتَ طعمَها
ولاnor شُقنتَyou held إبريقاًa pitcher بكفّكin your palm مترعاbrimming
ولا شُقنتَ إبريقاً بكفّك مترعا
Were it not for wine’s lowliness, you would never have tasted her flavor,
Were wine not so cheap, you would not have tasted it,
nor filled in your hand a pitcher brimming full—
Nor held a brimming pitcher in your palm.
كماjust as لمdid not يذقهاtaste it أنbecause تكونit was عزيزةًcostly
كما لم يذقها أن تكون عزيزةً
أبوكyour father ولمand was not يُعرَضpresented عليهاto it فيطمعاso he might covet
أبوك ولم يُعرَض عليها فيطمعا
just as, when she was precious, she was never tasted by
Just as, because it was costly, it was not tasted
your father; nor was he presented to her, that he might covet her.
By your father, nor was he brought near it to covet it.
وكانand he was مكانin the place of الكلبthe dog أوor منfrom ورائهbehind it
وكان مكان الكلب أو من ورائه
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle المُغَنّىthe singer للذاذةِfor pleasure أسمعاsang out
إذا ما المُغَنّى للذاذةِ أسمعا
His place was the dog’s, or somewhere behind it,
And he was in the dog's place, or behind it,
whenever the sung performance sounded forth for pleasure.
Whenever the singer sang out for pleasure.
Sol 6.1