قَرى ضيفه الماء القراح ابنُ مسمع

قَرى ضيفه الماء القراح ابنُ مسمع

وكان لئيماً جارُه يتذلَّل

وكان لئيماً جارُه يتذلَّل

Ibn Mismaʿ served his guest nothing but pure water.

Ibn Mismaʿ treated his guest to pure water,

He was ignoble, while his neighbor humbled himself.

And he was base; his neighbor abased himself.

فلما رأى الضيفُ القرى غير راهنٍ

فلما رأى الضيفُ القرى غير راهنٍ

لديه تولى هارباً يتعلّل

لديه تولى هارباً يتعلّل

When the guest saw that hospitality was not forthcoming

When the guest saw that no hospitality was at hand

From him, he turned away, fleeing and making excuses.

At his host’s, he turned away and fled, making excuses.

يُنادي بأعلى الصوت بكر بن وائلٍ

يُنادي بأعلى الصوت بكر بن وائلٍ

ألا كلُّ مَن يرجو قِراكم مُضلّل

ألا كلُّ مَن يرجو قِراكم مُضلّل

He cried at the top of his voice, “Bakr ibn Wāʾil!

Calling to Bakr ibn Waʾil at the top of his voice:

Behold, whoever hopes for your hospitality is deluded.

“Hear this: whoever hopes for your hospitality is misled.

عميدُكُم هرَّ الضيوف فما لكم

عميدُكُم هرَّ الضيوف فما لكم

ربيعة أمسى ضيفكم يتحوّل

ربيعة أمسى ضيفكم يتحوّل

Your chief has snarled at the guests—what is the matter with you,

Your chief loathed the guests—what ails you,

O Rabīʿa, that your guest spends the evening moving on?

O Rabiʿa, that your guest departs at evening?

وخفتُم بأن تقروا الضيوف وكنتم

وخفتُم بأن تقروا الضيوف وكنتم

زماناً بكم يحيا الضريك المعيّل

زماناً بكم يحيا الضريك المعيّل

You have grown afraid to entertain guests, though once

You feared to entertain guests, though once

For an age the destitute man with dependents lived through you.

The needy man with dependents lived through your aid.

فما بالكم باللَه أنتم بخلتُم

فما بالكم باللَه أنتم بخلتُم

وقصّرتُم والضيفُ يُقرى ويُنزَل

وقصّرتُم والضيفُ يُقرى ويُنزَل

What is the matter with you, by God? You have become miserly

What ails you, by God? You have turned miserly,

And fallen short, though a guest should be fed and lodged

And fallen short, though a guest should be fed and lodged,

ويُكرَم حتى يقترى حين يقترى

ويُكرَم حتى يقترى حين يقترى

يقول إذا ولّى جميلاً فيُجمِل

يقول إذا ولّى جميلاً فيُجمِل

And honored, so that whenever he seeks hospitality, he receives it;

And honored until he is entertained; when he is entertained,

Then, as he departs, he speaks graciously and offers fair praise.

He says good things as he departs, speaking graciously.

فمهلاً بني بكرٍ دعوا آل مسمع

فمهلاً بني بكرٍ دعوا آل مسمع

ورأيَهُم لا يسبقُ الخيل مُحنثَل

ورأيَهُم لا يسبقُ الخيل مُحنثَل

Gently now, sons of Bakr: leave the house of Mismaʿ

So gently, sons of Bakr: leave the house of Mismaʿ

And their counsel—a sluggish laggard cannot outstrip horses.

And their counsel—a weakling does not outstrip horses.

ودونكُم أضيافكم فتحدبوا

ودونكُم أضيافكم فتحدبوا

عليهم وواسوهم فذلك أجمل

عليهم وواسوهم فذلك أجمل

Your guests are before you, so show them tenderness,

Attend to your guests and show kindness

Care for them and share with them; that is more honorable.

Toward them; share with them, for that is nobler.

ولا تصبحوا أحدوثةً مثل قائلٍ

ولا تصبحوا أحدوثةً مثل قائلٍ

به يضربُ الأمثالَ من يتمثل

به يضربُ الأمثالَ من يتمثل

Do not become a tale people tell, like some notorious saying

And do not become a byword, like a speaker

Quoted as a proverb by everyone who cites examples.

Whom those quoting proverbs hold up as an example.

إذا ما التقى الرُكبانُ يوماً تذاكروا

إذا ما التقى الرُكبانُ يوماً تذاكروا

بني مسمع حتى يحمّوا ويثقلوا

بني مسمع حتى يحمّوا ويثقلوا

Whenever riders meet one day, they will recall

Whenever riders meet one day, they speak of

The sons of Mismaʿ until those men grow angry and distressed.

The sons of Mismaʿ, until they grow heated and weary.

فلا تقربوا أبياتَهم إنّ جارَهم

فلا تقربوا أبياتَهم إنّ جارَهم

وضيفَهم سيّانِ أنّي توسلوا

وضيفَهم سيّانِ أنّي توسلوا

Do not approach their tents: their neighbor

So do not approach their tents: their neighbor

And their guest fare alike, however they plead for aid.

And their guest are alike, however they plead.

همُ القومُ غرّ الضيف منهم رواؤهم

همُ القومُ غرّ الضيف منهم رواؤهم

وما فيهمُ إلّا لئيمُ مبخّل

وما فيهمُ إلّا لئيمُ مبخّل

They are the people whose handsome appearance deceives a guest,

They are the people whose fine appearance deceived the guest,

Yet among them there is nothing but an ignoble, grudging miser.

Yet none among them is anything but a base man deemed miserly.

فلو ببني شيبان حلّت ركائبي

فلو ببني شيبان حلّت ركائبي

لكانَ قِراهم راهناً حين أنزل

لكانَ قِراهم راهناً حين أنزل

Had my riding-camels halted among the sons of Shaybān,

But had my riding camels halted among the sons of Shayban,

Their hospitality would have been assured the moment I alighted.

Their hospitality would have been ready when I dismounted.

أولئك أولى بالمكارم كلِّها

أولئك أولى بالمكارم كلِّها

وأجدرُ يوماً أن يواسوا ويفضلوا

وأجدرُ يوماً أن يواسوا ويفضلوا

Those men have the better claim to every noble virtue

Those men are worthier of every noble deed,

And are more likely, when the day comes, to share and give generously.

And more apt, on any day, to share and give generously.

بني مسمعٍ لا قرّبَ اللَه داركم

بني مسمعٍ لا قرّبَ اللَه داركم

ولا زال واديكم من الماءِ يُمحل

ولا زال واديكم من الماءِ يُمحل

Sons of Mismaʿ, may God never bring your dwelling near,

O sons of Mismaʿ, may God never bring your dwelling near,

And may your valley remain forever parched of water.

And may your valley always be parched for want of water.

فلم تردعوا الأبطال بالبيض والقنا

فلم تردعوا الأبطال بالبيض والقنا

إذا جعلت نارُ الحروبِ تأكل

إذا جعلت نارُ الحروبِ تأكل

For you have not driven champions back with white swords and lances

For you did not repel the champions with gleaming swords and spears,

When the fire of war begins to consume.

When the fire of wars began to devour.”