لَقَدindeed جارىraced أَبوfather of لَيلىLayla بِقَحمٍon a decrepit mount
لَقَد جارى أَبو لَيلى بِقَحمٍ
وَمُنتَكِثٍand broken-down عَلىat التَقريبِthe canter وانيsluggish
وَمُنتَكِثٍ عَلى التَقريبِ واني
Indeed, Abu Layla has raced on a decrepit mount,
Abu Layla has wronged me with deceit and slander,
a broken-down beast, sluggish at the canter.
Lying in wait to attack and injure me.
إِذاwhen هَبَطَit descended into الخَبارَloose earth كَباit stumbled لِفيهِonto its mouth
إِذا هَبَطَ الخَبارَ كَبا لِفيهِ
وَخَرَّand it fell عَلىupon الجَحافِلِthe thick lips وَالجِرانِand the underside of the neck
وَخَرَّ عَلى الجَحافِلِ وَالجِرانِ
When it descends into loose earth, it stumbles mouth-first,
Whenever news arrives, he comes rushing to hear it,
and falls upon its thick lips and the underside of its neck.
Throwing himself upon the crowds and throngs of people.
يُبَصبِصُit wags its tail وَالقَناwhile the spears زورٌleaning إِلَيهِtoward it
يُبَصبِصُ وَالقَنا زورٌ إِلَيهِ
وَقَدand already أَعذَرنَthey pierced deeply فيinto وَضَحِthe white part of العِجانِthe perineum
وَقَد أَعذَرنَ في وَضَحِ العِجانِ
It wags its tail while the spears lean toward it
He looks at me askance while the spear is aimed toward me,
and have already pierced deep into the white of its perineum.
Though I had excused him when dangers threatened clear.
يُخَوِّفُنيhe threatens me أَبوfather of لَيلىLayla وَدونيand shielding me
يُخَوِّفُني أَبو لَيلى وَدوني
بَنوsons of الغَمَراتِdeadly struggles وَالحَربِand war العَوانِoft-renewed
بَنو الغَمَراتِ وَالحَربِ العَوانِ
Abu Layla threatens me, though shielding me stand
Abu Layla frightens me, and all around me
the sons of deadly struggles and oft-renewed war.
Are his allies, armed for war and strife.
سَتَقذِفُwill hurl وائِلٌWa'il دونيin my defense جَميعاًall together
سَتَقذِفُ وائِلٌ دوني جَميعاً
وَتَطعُنُand thrusts إِنif أُشِئتَyou are driven إِلىinto الطِعانِspear combat
وَتَطعُنُ إِن أُشِئتَ إِلى الطِعانِ
All Wa'il will hurl weapons in my defense,
The tribe Wa'il will hurl against me accusations,
and thrust, if you are driven into spear combat.
And you can thrust with your spears if you desire.
وَماand not أَناI إِنif أَرَدتُI wish هِجاءَsatirizing قَيسٍQays
وَما أَنا إِن أَرَدتُ هِجاءَ قَيسٍ
بِمَخزولٍat all weakened وَلاnor خاشيfearful in الجِنانِheart
بِمَخزولٍ وَلا خاشي الجِنانِ
And if I wish to satirize Qays, I am not
But I do not wish to satirize the clan of Qais,
weakened, nor fearful at heart.
With slander, nor rouse the sleeping Jinn.
أَهُمُّI contemplate بِشَتمِهِمreviling them وَيَكُفُّand restrains حِلميmy forbearance
أَهُمُّ بِشَتمِهِم وَيَكُفُّ حِلمي
عَوارِمَunruly words يَعتَلِجنَstruggling عَلىupon لِسانيmy tongue
عَوارِمَ يَعتَلِجنَ عَلى لِساني
I contemplate reviling them, but my forbearance restrains
I resist insulting them though anger fills me,
unruly words that struggle upon my tongue.
Curbing the bitter words that would attack my tongue.
خَنافِسُbeetles أَدلَجَتtraveled by night لِمَبيتِto a lodging of سوءٍevil
خَنافِسُ أَدلَجَت لِمَبيتِ سوءٍ
وَرِثنَthey inherited فِراشَthe bed of زانِيَةٍa fornicating woman وَزانيand a fornicating man
وَرِثنَ فِراشَ زانِيَةٍ وَزاني
Beetles that traveled by night to a sordid lodging,
Like dung-beetles who seek only filth,
they inherited the bed of a fornicating woman and man.
They bed on the mattress of an adulterer.
وَماand not أُمٌّa mother رَبَوتَyou grew up عَلىat يَدَيهاher two hands
وَما أُمٌّ رَبَوتَ عَلى يَدَيها
بِطاهِرَةِat all pure in الثِيابِgarments وَلاnor حِصانِchaste
بِطاهِرَةِ الثِيابِ وَلا حِصانِ
Nor is the mother at whose hands you grew up
No mother raised them, dressing them
spotless in her garments, nor chaste.
In robes of honor and virtue.
كَأَنَّas though عِجانَهاher perineum لَحياthe two jaws of جَزورٍa slaughtered camel
كَأَنَّ عِجانَها لَحيا جَزورٍ
تَحَسَّرَfell away عَنهُماfrom them both وَضَرُthe grime of الجِرانِthe underside of the neck
تَحَسَّرَ عَنهُما وَضَرُ الجِرانِ
It is as though her perineum were a slaughtered camel's two jaws,
Their faces are like the bearded muzzle of a hyena
from which the neck's grime has fallen away.
Baring its teeth with a snarl.
وَلَوand if أَنّيI بَسَطتُspread عَلَيكَover you شَتميmy abuse
وَلَو أَنّي بَسَطتُ عَلَيكَ شَتمي
وَجَدِّكَand by your grandfather ماnot دَهَنتُكَI anointed you بِالدِهانِwith oil
وَجَدِّكَ ما دَهَنتُكَ بِالدِهانِ
And if I spread my abuse over you,
If I unleashed my invective against you
by your grandfather, I would not anoint you with oil.
I would not compliment you, not in the least!
فَلاso do not تَنزِلlodge بِجَعدِيٍّwith a Ja'di إِذاwhen ماever
فَلا تَنزِل بِجَعدِيٍّ إِذا ما
تَرَدّىcloak themselves المُكرَعاتُthe cooking pots مِنَin الدُخانِsmoke
تَرَدّى المُكرَعاتُ مِنَ الدُخانِ
So do not lodge with a Ja'di whenever
So do not threaten me, descendants of the reddish camel,
the cooking pots cloak themselves in smoke.
When the sheep are scattered on the smoking plain.
فَإِنَّكَfor indeed you غَيرُnot واجِدِهِfinding him حَشوداًa gatherer of guests
فَإِنَّكَ غَيرُ واجِدِهِ حَشوداً
وَلاnor مُستَنكِراًdisdaining دارَthe abode of الهَوانِhumiliation
وَلا مُستَنكِراً دارَ الهَوانِ
For you will not find him welcoming crowds of guests,
For you will not find among them armies
nor disdaining an abode of humiliation.
To defend you or fortresses to hide within.
يَبيتُhe spends the night عَلىon فَراسِنَcamel-hooves مُعجَلاتٍhastily cooked
يَبيتُ عَلى فَراسِنَ مُعجَلاتٍ
خَبيثاتِfoul in المَغَبَّةِaftereffects وَالعُثانِand smoky reek
خَبيثاتِ المَغَبَّةِ وَالعُثانِ
He spends the night feeding on hastily cooked camel-hooves,
You pass your nights mounted on plodding she-camels,
foul in their aftereffects and their smoky reek,
Worthless hacks, mangy and thin.
وَشَلوٍand a carcass مُزِّقَwere torn الأَغراسُthe birth-membranes عَنهُoff it
وَشَلوٍ مُزِّقَ الأَغراسُ عَنهُ
إِذاwhen لَمnot يُصلِهِhas roasted it لَهَبُthe flame of الأَفانيafani brush
إِذا لَم يُصلِهِ لَهَبُ الأَفاني
and a carcass with its birth-membranes torn away,
Withered are the date-palms around your homes
when the flame of afani brush has not roasted it.
When no flames can make the fruit ripen.
وَماand not تَنفَكُّceases حَنكَلَةٌa squat, ugly woman زَموعٌnimble
وَما تَنفَكُّ حَنكَلَةٌ زَموعٌ
تُواعِدُهُshe arranges trysts with him إِلىat أَدنىthe nearest مَكانِplace
تُواعِدُهُ إِلى أَدنى مَكانِ
And a squat, ugly, nimble woman never ceases
Nor will you ever be left alone by the sneering hag
making trysts with him at the nearest spot.
Who makes her home in the nearest hovel.
أَزَبُّshaggy الحاجِبَينِof both eyebrows بِعَوفِwith a member سَوءٍwretched
أَزَبُّ الحاجِبَينِ بِعَوفِ سَوءٍ
مِنَfrom الحَيِّthe clan الَّذينَwho عَلىon قَنانِQanan
مِنَ الحَيِّ الَّذينَ عَلى قَنانِ
Shaggy-browed, with a wretched member,
Closing her eyelids with disdain are those
from the clan that dwells on Qanan:
Of the despicable neighborhood where you dwell.
قُبَيِّلَةٌa paltry little tribe يَرَونَthey consider الغَدرَtreachery مَجداًglory
قُبَيِّلَةٌ يَرَونَ الغَدرَ مَجداً
وَلاand not يَدرونَthey know ماwhat نَقلُcarrying الجِفانِthe great serving-bowls
وَلا يَدرونَ ما نَقلُ الجِفانِ
a paltry little tribe who count treachery as glory,
A tribe who sees treachery as glory,
and know nothing of bringing out great serving-bowls.
Not knowing the finality the shroud will bring.
Sol 6.1