أخْبَرُونيthey told me غَضْبَةًa fit of anger وصَلفَاand arrogance
أخْبَرُوني غَضْبَةً وصَلفَا
أنكمthat you رُحْتُمُyou went إليهِto him مَرصَفاMarṣafā
أنكم رُحْتُمُ إليهِ مَرصَفا
They told me, in anger and arrogance,
They spoke to me angrily and rudely
that you had gone to him at Marṣafā.
That you went to him seeking refuge
ثُمَّthen قالواthey said عَنْabout ذُقونchins (beards) حُلِقَتwere shaved
ثُمَّ قالوا عَنْ ذُقون حُلِقَت
قُلْتُI said لاno بَدَّescape لهاfor them أنto تُخلَفاbe replaced (grow back)
قُلْتُ لا بَدَّ لها أن تُخلَفا
Then they spoke of beards that had been shaved.
Then they said his beard had been shaven
I said: they are bound to grow back.
I said it must inevitably be replaced
إنّindeed حَلْقَshaving الذَّقْنِthe chin (beard) خيرٌbetter لِلفَتَىfor a young man
إنّ حَلْقَ الذَّقْنِ خيرٌ لِلفَتَى
ياO بَنِيsons of الأَعْمَامِthe paternal uncles مِنْthan أنْto تُنتَفاbe plucked out
يا بَنِي الأَعْمَامِ مِنْ أنْ تُنتَفا
Shaving the beard is better for a young man,
Surely, shaving the beard is better for the youth
O cousins, than having it plucked out.
Oh nephews, than having it plucked out
وَالّذيand he who حَلَقَshaved أنصافَhalves of اللِّحَىthe beards
وَالّذي حَلَقَ أنصافَ اللِّحَى
كانَwas فيin الأَحكامِthe judgments عَدْلاًjust مُنْصِفاfair
كانَ في الأَحكامِ عَدْلاً مُنْصِفا
And he who shaved half of each beard
And he who shaved half of his beard
was just and fair in his judgments.
Was equitable and just in his judgments
حَلَقَhe shaved النِّصْفَthe half بِذَنْبٍfor an offense حاضِرٍpresent
حَلَقَ النِّصْفَ بِذَنْبٍ حاضِرٍ
وَعَفاand pardoned بالنصفِwith the half عَمَّاfor what سَلَفَاhad gone before
وَعَفا بالنصفِ عَمَّا سَلَفَا
He shaved half for a present offense,
He shaved half for a present sin
and spared the other half, pardoning what had gone before.
And pardoned with the half what was past
Sol 6.1