أَلاLo! ياO حادِثاًan event فيهِin it
أَلا يا حادِثاً فيهِ
لِمَنfor whoever يَتَعَجَّبُmarvels العَجَبُwonder
لِمَن يَتَعَجَّبُ العَجَبُ
Ah, what an event! In it
Lo! A strange event to behold
Oh, strange phenomenon in whom exists
Lies wonder for whoever marvels
For one who wonders in amazement
A source of wonder for the curious mind:
لِأَسماءٍat names يُسَمّيهِنhe names them (word continues)
لِأَسماءٍ يُسَمّيهِن
نَending of 'them' (feminine plural) أَشجَعُAshjaʿ حينَwhen يَنتَسِبُhe declares his lineage
نَ أَشجَعُ حينَ يَنتَسِبُ
At the names recited
At names he calls them
Regarding names that Ashjaʿ designates
By Ashjaʿ when he declares his lineage.
The boldest when he claims descent
Whenever he attempts to trace his line.
تَعَلَّمَهاhe learned them وَإِخوَتِهِand his brothers
تَعَلَّمَها وَإِخوَتِهِ
فَكُلُّهُمُso all of them بِهاwith them ذَرِبُglib
فَكُلُّهُمُ بِها ذَرِبُ
He learned them, as did his brothers;
Learnt by him and his brethren
He and his brothers memorized this art,
So all of them are glib with them.
And all of them are liars about it
And every one of them is sharp of tongue.
فَياso, O لَكِfor you (feminine) عُصبَةًa band إِنif حَدbeginning of 'they spoke'
فَيا لَكِ عُصبَةً إِن حَد
دَثواcompletion of 'they spoke' عَنabout أَصلِهِمtheir origin كَذَبواthey lied
دَثوا عَن أَصلِهِم كَذَبوا
So, what a band you are! If
So what a band you are if one
Oh, what a clique! Whenever they recount
They speak of their origin, they lie.
Speaks of their origin they lie
The story of their source, they speak deceit.
وَهُمand they ماas long as لَمnot تُنَقِّرyou probe عَنinto
وَهُم ما لَم تُنَقِّر عَن
أَرومِthe roots أُصولِهِمtheir origins عَرَبُArabs
أَرومِ أُصولِهِم عَرَبُ
And they are—so long as you do not probe
While they are not pecked out of
They pass as Arabs, provided you refrain
The roots of their ancestry—Arabs.
The rocks of their ancestry, Arabs
From digging deep into their root and stock;
لَهُمfor them فيin بَيتِهِمtheir home نَسَبٌa lineage
لَهُم في بَيتِهِم نَسَبٌ
وَفيand in وَسطِthe midst of المِلاthe assembly نَسَبُa lineage
وَفي وَسطِ المِلا نَسَبُ
They have one lineage in their home,
For them in their house is lineage
Within their house, one lineage they hold,
And another amid the assembly.
And in the midst of the throng, lineage
But in the public crowd, another kin.
كَماjust as لَمdid not تَخفَbe hidden سافِرَةٌan unveiled woman
كَما لَم تَخفَ سافِرَةٌ
وَتُنكَرُand she is unrecognized حينَwhen تَنتَقِبُshe veils her face
وَتُنكَرُ حينَ تَنتَقِبُ
Just as an unveiled woman is not hidden,
Just as an unveiled traveller does not hide
Just as a face unveiled is clearly known,
Yet goes unrecognized when she veils her face.
And denies when she veils herself
Yet unacknowledged when behind the veil.
Sol 6.1