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 plain water,

The son of Masma' gave his guest water from Al-Qirah,

And he was base, while his neighbor humbled himself.

While his neighbor was a scoundrel fawning over him.

فلما رأى الضيفُ القرى غير راهنٍ

فلما رأى الضيفُ القرى غير راهنٍ

لديه تولى هارباً يتعلّل

لديه تولى هارباً يتعلّل

So when the guest saw that no hospitality was assured

When the guest saw he had no host to match Al-Qirah,

With him, he turned and fled, making excuses,

He turned away fleeing, full of 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

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

He cries out loudly to Bakr bin Wá'il:

Take heed: whoever hopes for your hospitality is deluded.

Beware, all who hope for your hospitality are misled!

عميدُكُم هرَّ الضيوف فما لكم

عميدُكُم هرَّ الضيوف فما لكم

ربيعة أمسى ضيفكم يتحوّل

ربيعة أمسى ضيفكم يتحوّل

Your chief snarled at guests—what ails you,

Your chief shunned the guests, what's wrong with you?

Rabīʿa? By evening your guest was moving on.

Rabi'ah spent the night with your guest wandering.

وخفتُم بأن تقروا الضيوف وكنتم

وخفتُم بأن تقروا الضيوف وكنتم

زماناً بكم يحيا الضريك المعيّل

زماناً بكم يحيا الضريك المعيّل

And you feared to entertain guests, though once

You feared hosting guests, yet you used to

Through you the destitute man with dependents lived.

Revive the destitute wanderer in days past.

فما بالكم باللَه أنتم بخلتُم

فما بالكم باللَه أنتم بخلتُم

وقصّرتُم والضيفُ يُقرى ويُنزَل

وقصّرتُم والضيفُ يُقرى ويُنزَل

So what ails you, by God? You have grown miserly

What's wrong with you, by God you were stingy

And fallen short, though a guest is fed and lodged,

And remiss while the guest is hosted and housed?

ويُكرَم حتى يقترى حين يقترى

ويُكرَم حتى يقترى حين يقترى

يقول إذا ولّى جميلاً فيُجمِل

يقول إذا ولّى جميلاً فيُجمِل

And honored, so he finds hospitality when he seeks it,

He is honored until he says, when taking his leave,

Saying fair things when he leaves, and speaking graciously.

“Farewell,” thereby enhancing his farewell.

فمهلاً بني بكرٍ دعوا آل مسمع

فمهلاً بني بكرٍ دعوا آل مسمع

ورأيَهُم لا يسبقُ الخيل مُحنثَل

ورأيَهُم لا يسبقُ الخيل مُحنثَل

So, steady, sons of Bakr; leave the family of Mismaʿ

Hold off, O Bakr! Let the family of Masma' be,

And their counsel—a laggard does not outstrip horses.

Their view cannot outrun the trained horses.

ودونكُم أضيافكم فتحدبوا

ودونكُم أضيافكم فتحدبوا

عليهم وواسوهم فذلك أجمل

عليهم وواسوهم فذلك أجمل

And attend to your guests; show compassion

Shield your guests, tend to them, that is best.

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

Do not be fools like one who speaks proverbs.

ولا تصبحوا أحدوثةً مثل قائلٍ

ولا تصبحوا أحدوثةً مثل قائلٍ

به يضربُ الأمثالَ من يتمثل

به يضربُ الأمثالَ من يتمثل

And do not become a byword, a speaker's example,

When travelers meet, they talk

Which those who cite proverbs use for comparison.

Of the family of Masma’ to protect themselves and grow heavy.

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 recall

Do not go near their homes, their neighbor

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

And guest are equally miserable, I beseech you!

فلا تقربوا أبياتَهم إنّ جارَهم

فلا تقربوا أبياتَهم إنّ جارَهم

وضيفَهم سيّانِ أنّي توسلوا

وضيفَهم سيّانِ أنّي توسلوا

So do not approach their dwellings; their neighbor

They are folk who denied their guest hospitality,

And their guest fare alike, however they plead.

Among them only the meanest miser.

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 folk whose fine appearance deceived the guest,

Had my mounts descended among Shayban's sons,

And none among them is other than a base man branded a miser.

Their hospitality would now be assured as I alight.

فلو ببني شيبان حلّت ركائبي

فلو ببني شيبان حلّت ركائبي

لكانَ قِراهم راهناً حين أنزل

لكانَ قِراهم راهناً حين أنزل

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

They are more deserving of all magnanimity,

Their hospitality would have been assured when I alighted.

And more worthy one day to give comfort and excel.

أولئك أولى بالمكارم كلِّها

أولئك أولى بالمكارم كلِّها

وأجدرُ يوماً أن يواسوا ويفضلوا

وأجدرُ يوماً أن يواسوا ويفضلوا

Those men have the stronger claim to all noble qualities,

May God not let the family of Masma’’s home endure

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

Or their valley remain with water to drain!

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,

You did not deter the heroes with white banners and spears

And may your valley forever be parched and waterless.

When the fires of war began to consume.

فلم تردعوا الأبطال بالبيض والقنا

فلم تردعوا الأبطال بالبيض والقنا

إذا جعلت نارُ الحروبِ تأكل

إذا جعلت نارُ الحروبِ تأكل

For you did not repel the champions with bright blades and spears

When the fire of wars began to devour.