وقالواand they said فُقيمٌFuqaym قيّمُkeeper of الماءِthe water فاستَجِزso request water
وقالوا فُقيمٌ قيّمُ الماءِ فاستَجِز
عُبادَةَUbāda إنَّfor indeed المستجيزَthe requester of water علىin قُترِstraits
عُبادَةَ إنَّ المستجيزَ على قُترِ
And they said, “Fuqaym keeps the water; so ask
They said, "O caretaker of the water, do your best
Ubāda for water, for the petitioner is in straits.”
In serving it, for the one who serves it depends on a water skin."
فبيناand while عُميرٌUmayr طامِحُraising الطَّرفِthe gaze إذwhen رأىhe saw
فبينا عُميرٌ طامِحُ الطَّرفِ إذ رأى
عُبادةَUbāda إنif واجهتَyou face أضجمَcrooked-mouthed ذاpossessing خَترِtreachery
عُبادةَ إن واجهتَ أضجمَ ذا خَترِ
And while Umayr gazed upward, he saw
While ‘Umayr, with expectant glances, saw
Ubāda—a crooked-mouthed, treacherous man, if you face him.
‘Ubādah - if you meet a frowning hater of virtue,
شنِئتُكَI loathed you اذwhen أبصرتُI saw جَهرَكyour outward appearance سيّئاًbad
شنِئتُكَ اذ أبصرتُ جَهرَك سيّئاً
وماand what غيّبَconcealed الأقوامُpeople تابعةَfollowing الجُهرِthe outward appearance
وما غيّبَ الأقوامُ تابعةَ الجُهرِ
I loathed you when I saw your foul outward appearance;
I dislike you since I saw your ugly face openly.
And what people conceal follows what they show.
The people do not hide the traits of the open-faced.
وقدand indeed كنتَyou were تُدعىyou are called عبدَservant of ياسوعَYāsūʿ (Jesus) مرةًonce
وقد كنتَ تُدعى عبدَ ياسوعَ مرةً
فأخلفتَthen you broke your word والإخلافُand promise-breaking منamong سيَّىءbad الذَّكرِrepute
فأخلفتَ والإخلافُ من سيَّىء الذَّكرِ
You were once called Abd Yāsūʿ;
Once you were called the servant of Jesus,
Then you broke your word—and promise-breaking brings ill repute.
But you were treacherous, and treachery is an ugly reputation.
واعييَتَand you confounded قيساًQays إنif تجيءَyou come كضربهِlike his stock
واعييَتَ قيساً إن تجيءَ كضربهِ
وماand not كُلُّevery ذيone possessing عِرقٍpedigree ولوand even if يستويis well formed يجريruns
وما كُلُّ ذي عِرقٍ ولو يستوي يجري
You would confound Qays if you came to match his stock;
You have wearied Qays, even if he comes like an onslaught.
Not everyone with a pedigree can run, even if well formed.
Not everyone with lineage, even if they are equal, runs the same.
وباتتand they spent the night لقاحيmy milch camels بالقريِّby the watercourse كأنماas though
وباتت لقاحي بالقريِّ كأنما
تجاوبُanswering one another ثكلىbereaved mothers منamong عَوانِmature women ومنand among بِكسرِmaidens (uncertain reading)
تجاوبُ ثكلى من عَوانِ ومن بِكسرِ
My milch camels spent the night by the watercourse, as though
My two milk-sheep stayed the night bleating in Ruqayy,
Bereaved mothers answered one another, matrons and maidens [uncertain reading].
As if two bereaved mothers were calling in ‘Awān and Biksar.
وماand not ضَرَّهاharmed them إنif لمnot تكنbe رَعَتِgrazed الحِمىthe reserved pasture
وما ضَرَّها إن لم تكن رَعَتِ الحِمى
ولمand not تَطلُبِseek الخيرَthe bounty الملاوِذَelusive منfrom بِشرِBishr
ولم تَطلُبِ الخيرَ الملاوِذَ من بِشرِ
And it did them no harm if they had not grazed the reserved pasture,
It did not harm them that they did not pasture in the preserve,
Nor sought the elusive bounty from Bishr.
Or seek good grazing grounds safe from harm.
وَرَدنَand they came to water مُدلاَّتِwith drooping udders وأصدَرنَand they were sent away ذُبَّلاًshriveled
وَرَدنَ مُدلاَّتِ وأصدَرنَ ذُبَّلاً
وقدand already لاحتِappeared الجوزاءُal-Jawzāʾ (Orion) فيat مَطلَعِthe rising of الفَجرِdawn
وقد لاحتِ الجوزاءُ في مَطلَعِ الفَجرِ
They came to water with drooping udders and were sent away shriveled,
They came in the morning yielding milk, and went out dripping it,
And al-Jawzāʾ had appeared at the break of dawn.
While the Pliades appeared at first light of dawn.
فلوso if كانit were حوضُthe trough of ابنِson of السليلِal-Salīl تعَطّنتthey rested by the water
فلو كان حوضُ ابنِ السليلِ تعَطّنت
أصابَتthey obtained بلاwithout شُربٍa drink قليلٍscant ولاnor كَدرِmurkiness
أصابَت بلا شُربٍ قليلٍ ولا كَدرِ
Had it been Ibn al-Salīl’s trough, they would have rested beside the water,
If the basin of Ibn Salīl became putrid,
And found a drink neither scant nor murky.
It would be unaffected, with little or no murkiness.
أُولاكthose البهاليلُthe noble lords الأُلىwho يُهتدىguidance is sought بهمthrough them
أُولاك البهاليلُ الأُلى يُهتدى بهم
إِلىuntil اليومtoday فارحَلso depart عنfrom مُقاوَلةٍchieftains زهرِradiant
إِلى اليوم فارحَل عن مُقاوَلةٍ زهرِ
Those are the noble lords through whom guidance is sought
Those are the exemplars whom one is guided by
To this day; so depart from radiant chieftains.
To this day. So cease interfering in what is not your concern.
فوارسُhorsemen of بُسطامٍBistām عليكagainst you لأمِّهِfor his mother (unclear here)
فوارسُ بُسطامٍ عليك لأمِّهِ
بنوsons of الشَّمسthe sun أدَّتshe bore بالسّعودِunder auspicious stars منfrom البَدرِthe full moon
بنو الشَّمس أدَّت بالسّعودِ من البَدرِ
Bistām’s horsemen are upon you, for his mother [phrase unclear],
The horsemen of Bustām are upon you for their mother -
Sons of the sun, whom she bore under auspicious stars from the full moon.
The sons of the suns have inherited nobility from the full moons.
وكنتُand I used to اذاwhenever قَومٌpeople جَفَونيthey shunned me رَميتُهُمI assailed them
وكنتُ اذا قَومٌ جَفَوني رَميتُهُم
بداهيةٍwith a calamity شنعاءَhideous قاصمةِbreaking الظَهرِthe back
بداهيةٍ شنعاءَ قاصمةِ الظَهرِ
And whenever people shunned me, I would assail them
Whenever a people spurned me, I pelted them
With a hideous, back-breaking calamity.
With a hideous invective that broke their backs.
Sol 6.1