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 served his guest plain water,

He was ignoble, while his neighbor humbled himself.

And he was base, his neighbor abasing 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

So when the guest saw that no hospitality was ready

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

At his host's, he turned away, fleeing and 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!

He called to Bakr ibn Wāʾil at the top of his voice:

Behold, whoever hopes for your hospitality is deluded.

Take heed: anyone who 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 chieftain snarled at guests—what ails you,

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

Rabīʿa, that by evening your guest is moving on?

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

And you feared to offer guests hospitality, though you were

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

Once the means of life for the destitute man with dependents.

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

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

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

And fallen short, though a guest is to 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, so that when he seeks hospitality—whenever he seeks it—

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

He speaks kindly upon departing, and acts 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 now, sons of Bakr: leave Mismaʿ's family

And their counsel—a sluggish laggard cannot outstrip horses.

And their counsel alone; a sluggish weakling cannot outrun horses.

ودونكُم أضيافكم فتحدبوا

ودونكُم أضيافكم فتحدبوا

عليهم وواسوهم فذلك أجمل

عليهم وواسوهم فذلك أجمل

Your guests are before you, so show them tenderness,

And attend to your guests; show care

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

For them and share with them—that is finer.

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

Nor become a byword, like a speaker

Quoted as a proverb by everyone who cites examples.

Whom those who cite proverbs make an example of.

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 the riders meet on any day, they speak together

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

Of Mismaʿ's sons until they grow feverish 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 dwellings: their neighbor

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

And their guest are alike, however they seek favor.

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 among them is none but a base man branded a miser.

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,

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

Their hospitality would have been assured the moment I alighted.

Their hospitality would have been ready when I alighted.

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 have a greater claim to all noble qualities,

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

And are 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,

Sons of Mismaʿ, may God keep your dwelling far away,

And may your valley remain forever parched of water.

And may your valley always remain barren for lack 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 bright swords and spears

When the fire of war begins to consume.

When the fire of wars began to devour.