ياO كَعبُKaʿb لاdo not تَهجُوَنّاlampoon us العامَthis year مُعتَرِضاًin challenge
يا كَعبُ لا تَهجُوَنّا العامَ مُعتَرِضاً
فَإِنَّfor indeed شِعرَكَyour poetry إِنif لاقَيتَنيyou meet me غَرَرُa perilous risk
فَإِنَّ شِعرَكَ إِن لاقَيتَني غَرَرُ
O Kaʿb, do not lampoon us this year, challenging us.
O Ka'b do not satirize us this year, intruding,
For your verse, should you face me, is a perilous gamble.
For if you meet me, your poetry is but deceit,
إِنّيindeed I أَناI اللَيثُthe lion فيin عَريسَةٍa lair أَشِبٍdensely wooded
إِنّي أَنا اللَيثُ في عَريسَةٍ أَشِبٍ
فَوَرِّعِso hold back السَرحَthe grazing herd حَتّىuntil يَفسَحَopens wide البَصَرُthe view
فَوَرِّعِ السَرحَ حَتّى يَفسَحَ البَصَرُ
Indeed, I am the lion in a lair dense with tangled trees.
I am the lion in the thicket of a night,
So hold back the grazing herd until the view opens wide.
So curb your mount until the vision clears.
قَدindeed جِئتَyou have come تَحمِلُbearing رَأساًa head غَيرَnot مُلتَئِمٍknit together
قَد جِئتَ تَحمِلُ رَأساً غَيرَ مُلتَئِمٍ
كَماjust as تَحامَلَstrained فَوقَonto القُنَّةِthe mountain peak الأَمَرُthe young mountain goat
كَما تَحامَلَ فَوقَ القُنَّةِ الأَمَرُ
You have come bearing a head not knit together,
You've come bearing a head not yet attached,
Like a young mountain goat straining onto the peak.
As a commander bears above the howdah his order.
إِنَّindeed اللَهازِمَal-Lahāzim لَنnever will تَنفَكَّcease to be تابِعَةًsubordinate
إِنَّ اللَهازِمَ لَن تَنفَكَّ تابِعَةً
هُمُthey الذُنابىthe tail-end وَشُربُand the drink of التابِعِthe follower الكَدَرُmurky water
هُمُ الذُنابى وَشُربُ التابِعِ الكَدَرُ
Indeed, al-Lahāzim will never cease to be subordinate.
For the defeated ones will not cease to follow,
They are the tail, and the follower's drink is murky water.
The wolf packs whose water the stirred up is bitter.
قَبيلَةٌa tribe كَشِراكِlike the strap of النَعلِthe sandal دارِجَةٌpassing away
قَبيلَةٌ كَشِراكِ النَعلِ دارِجَةٌ
إِنif يَهبِطواthey descend onto العَفوَuntrodden ground لاnot يوجَدis found لَهُمof them أَثَرُa trace
إِن يَهبِطوا العَفوَ لا يوجَد لَهُم أَثَرُ
A tribe passing away, like a sandal's strap:
A tribe worn like the straps of sandals,
If they descend onto untrodden ground, no trace of them is found.
If they come down to pardon, no trace of them can be found.
مَحَلُّهُمtheir station مِنamong بَنيthe sons of تَيمٍTaym وَإِخوَتِهِمand their brothers
مَحَلُّهُم مِن بَني تَيمٍ وَإِخوَتِهِم
حَيثُwhere يَكونُis مِنَon الحِمارَةِthe she-ass الثَفَرُthe crupper
حَيثُ يَكونُ مِنَ الحِمارَةِ الثَفَرُ
Their station among Banū Taym and their brothers
Their abode is among the Taym and their brothers,
Is where the crupper sits on a she-ass.
Where the braying of donkeys can be heard.
Sol 6.1