قُلsay; address them لذويto the kinsmen or people of سيفٍSayf, a man’s name وسيفand Sayf himself ألستُمare you, plural, not
قُل لذوي سيفٍ وسيف ألستُم
أقلَّthe least بنيthe sons or clan of سعدٍSaʿd, the tribal ancestor حصاداًin harvest or crop yield ومزرعاand in cultivated land
أقلَّ بني سعدٍ حصاداً ومزرعا
Say to Sayf’s kinsmen, and to Sayf: Are you not
the least of Banū Saʿd in harvest and cultivated land,
كأنكمas though you, plural, were جعلانُdung beetles دارٍof a dwelling or encampment مُقامةٍsettled and permanent
كأنكم جعلانُ دارٍ مُقامةٍ
علىupon عذراتdung or excrement heaps الحيّof the tribe or encampment أصبحنَthey came to be by morning وقّعاsettled or alighted
على عذرات الحيّ أصبحنَ وقّعا
as though you were dung beetles of a settled dwelling,
come to rest upon the tribe’s dung heaps?
لقدindeed; certainly نالَobtained or gained سيفُSayf, as the subject فيin سجستانSijistan, the historical region نُهزةًan opportunity or windfall
لقد نالَ سيفُ في سجستان نُهزةً
تطاولhe grew taller or raised himself منهاbecause of or through it فوقbeyond or above ماwhat; the extent that كانhe had been إصبعاa finger’s breadth
تطاول منها فوق ما كان إصبعا
Sayf indeed gained an opportunity in Sijistan
by which he grew a finger’s breadth taller than before.
أصباَcaused to incline or yearn الزنادAl-Zinād, the one causing the inclination الخمرَthe wine, the object made to incline حتىuntil لقدindeed; emphatically نَمَتthere grew
أصباَ الزناد الخمرَ حتى لقد نَمَت
لهupon or for him سُرّةٌa navel, suggesting his swelling belly تُسقىis given drink or plied with drink الشرابَthe drink, specifically wine المشعشَعاmixed or diluted until gleaming
له سُرّةٌ تُسقى الشرابَ المشعشَعا
Al-Zinād made the wine itself yearn, until indeed there grew
upon him a navel plied with sparkling mixed wine.
فلولاwere it not for هوانُthe lowliness or cheapness الخمرof wine ماnot; marking the unreal result ذُقتَyou would have tasted طعمَهاher or its flavor
فلولا هوانُ الخمر ما ذُقتَ طعمَها
ولاnor would you have شُقنتَfilled إبريقاًa pitcher بكفّكin your palm or hand مترعاfilled to the brim
ولا شُقنتَ إبريقاً بكفّك مترعا
Were it not for wine’s lowliness, you would never have tasted her flavor,
nor filled in your hand a pitcher brimming full—
كماjust as لمdid not يذقهاtaste her or it أنthat; introducing her state of being تكونshe was or became عزيزةًprecious, dear, or scarce
كما لم يذقها أن تكون عزيزةً
أبوكyour father, the delayed subject of “taste” ولمand did not يُعرَضwas he presented or displayed عليهاto or before her, with a feminine suffix referring to wine فيطمعاand thereby covet or desire her
أبوك ولم يُعرَض عليها فيطمعا
just as, when she was precious, she was never tasted by
your father; nor was he presented to her, that he might covet her.
وكانand he was مكانin the place or position of الكلبthe dog أوor منfrom; here, somewhere beyond ورائهbehind it or him
وكان مكان الكلب أو من ورائه
إذاwhen or whenever ماan emphatic particle after “when” المُغَنّىthe song or sung performance للذاذةِfor pleasure or delight أسمعاsounded forth or made itself heard
إذا ما المُغَنّى للذاذةِ أسمعا
His place was the dog’s, or somewhere behind it,
whenever the sung performance sounded forth for pleasure.
Sol 5.6