لا تَدفَع الباهِلِيَّ عَن حَسَبِه

لا تَدفَع الباهِلِيَّ عَن حَسَبِه

دَعهُ وَما يَدَّعيهِ مِن نَسَبِه

دَعهُ وَما يَدَّعيهِ مِن نَسَبِه

Do not dispute al-Bāhilī’s claim to pedigree;

Do not deny the Bahili his ancestral standing.

leave him to whatever lineage he claims.

Leave him with whatever he claims of his lineage.

سَلِّم لِدَعواهُ باهِلِيَّتهُ

سَلِّم لِدَعواهُ باهِلِيَّتهُ

لَعَلَّهُ أَن يلجّ في كَذِبِه

لَعَلَّهُ أَن يلجّ في كَذِبِه

Concede his claim to Bāhilī descent,

Concede his claim to Bahili descent.

that he may persist in his lie.

Perhaps he will persist obstinately in his lying.

إِنَّكَ إِن تَبغِهِ فَما أَحَدٌ

إِنَّكَ إِن تَبغِهِ فَما أَحَدٌ

أَلأَمَ مِن قَومِه وَلا حَسَبِه

أَلأَمَ مِن قَومِه وَلا حَسَبِه

For if you look into him, there is no man

For if you seek him out, there is no one

baser than his people—or than his pedigree.

more ignoble than his people or his family stock.

فَإِن طَغا أَو زَها عَلَيكَ بِما

فَإِن طَغا أَو زَها عَلَيكَ بِما

صَحَّ لَهُ في اللِئامِ مِن عَرَبِه

صَحَّ لَهُ في اللِئامِ مِن عَرَبِه

And if he grows overbearing, or vaunts himself over you because of

And if he oversteps or boasts over you of what

the standing he truly holds among the vile of his Arab kin,

is established for him among the ignoble of his Arab kin,

فَاِرفَع حَواشي إِزارِهِ تَرَ ما

فَاِرفَع حَواشي إِزارِهِ تَرَ ما

يَلوحُ مِن وَسمِهِ عَلى ذَنَبِه

يَلوحُ مِن وَسمِهِ عَلى ذَنَبِه

then lift the skirts of his waistcloth, and you will see what

then lift the hems of his waistcloth: you will see what

shows of his brand-mark upon his tail.

shows of his brand upon his tail.