سائلْask قريشاًQuraysh بهاabout it إنif كنتَyou are ذاpossessed of عَمَهٍbewilderment
سائلْ قريشاً بها إن كنتَ ذا عَمَهٍ
مَنwho كانwas أثبتَهاthe firmest of them فيin الدينthe faith أَوتاداstakes
مَن كان أثبتَها في الدين أَوتادا
Ask Quraysh about it, if you are bewildered:
Ask the Quraysh, if you are unknowing,
Who among them had the firmest stakes in the faith?
Who made its religion firm with pegs?
منwho كانwas أقدمهاthe earliest of them سَلماًin submission to God وأكثرهاand the greatest of them
من كان أقدمها سَلماً وأكثرها
عِلماًin knowledge وأطهرَهاand the purest of them أهلاًin family وأولاداand offspring
عِلماً وأطهرَها أهلاً وأولادا
Who was earliest among them in submission to God, and greatest
Who was its earliest convert to Islam, most knowing,
In knowledge, and purest among them in family and offspring?
Of purest stock, and finest sons?
مَنwho وحّدَaffirmed the oneness of اللهَGod إذwhen كانتthey were مكذّبةًdenying the truth
مَن وحّدَ اللهَ إذ كانت مكذّبةً
تَدعوcalling upon معalongside اللهِGod أوثاناًidols وأنداداand rivals
تَدعو مع اللهِ أوثاناً وأندادا
Who affirmed God's oneness when they denied the truth,
Who appointed One God, when they were polytheists,
Calling upon idols and rivals alongside God?
Calling, apart from God, on idols and peers?
مَنwho كانwas يُقْدِمadvancing فيin الهيجاءِbattle إنif انكلواthey shrank back
مَن كان يُقْدِم في الهيجاءِ إن انكلوا
عنهاfrom it وإنand if بَخُلواthey were miserly فيin أزمةٍa crisis جاداhe gave generously
عنها وإن بَخُلوا في أزمةٍ جادا
Who advanced in battle when they shrank back
Who in the thick of battle defended it bravely,
From it, and, when they were miserly in a crisis, gave generously?
Whether others joined it or in war's need withheld?
مَنwho كانwas أعدلهاthe most just of them حُكماًin judgment وأقسَطهاand the fairest of them
مَن كان أعدلها حُكماً وأقسَطها
فُتياin legal opinion وأصدَقهاand the truest of them وعداًin promises وإيعاداand threats
فُتيا وأصدَقها وعداً وإيعادا
Who was most just among them in judgment, and fairest
Who was most just, and fair in judgment sitting,
In legal opinion, and truest among them in promises and threats?
Most true to his word and oath and promise bound?
إذاwhen أتىhe came upon معشراًa company of people يوماًone day أنامَهمُhe put them to sleep
إذا أتى معشراً يوماً أنامَهمُ
إنامَةَputting to sleep الريحِthe wind فيin تَدميرِهاits destruction عاداʿAd
إنامَةَ الريحِ في تَدميرِها عادا
When one day he came upon a company, he put them to sleep,
If some wild people visited their dwellings,
As the wind put ʿAd to sleep in destroying them.
Bringing confusion like the wind they spread around,
إنif يصدُقوكthey tell you the truth فلنthen will not يَعدواthey go beyond أباAbu (father of) حسنٍHasan
إن يصدُقوك فلن يَعدوا أبا حسنٍ
إنْif أنتyou لمdid not تلقَencounter للأبرارِof the righteous حُسَّاداenvious people
إنْ أنت لم تلقَ للأبرارِ حُسَّادا
If they tell you the truth, they will name none but Abu Hasan,
Will you not say, if you speak truth that matches mine,
If you have not met those who envy the righteous;
That the best of men was Abu Hassan's line?
إنif أنتَyou لمdid not تلقَencounter منfrom تَيمٍTaym أخاa man of صَلفٍarrogance
إن أنتَ لم تلقَ من تَيمٍ أخا صَلفٍ
ومنand from عَديٍّʿAdi لحقِّof the right of اللهِGod جَحّاداa stubborn denier
ومن عَديٍّ لحقِّ اللهِ جَحّادا
If you have not met, from Taym, a man of arrogance,
Unless from Taym's clan you met a sullen brother,
And from ʿAdi a stubborn denier of God's right,
Or from 'Adi's stock one hostile to God's design,
أوor منfrom بنيthe sons of عامرٍʿAmir أوor منfrom بنيthe sons of أسدٍAsad
أو من بني عامرٍ أو من بني أسدٍ
رهطِthe clan of العبيدِthe slaves ذويmen of جهلٍignorance وأَوغاداand scoundrels
رهطِ العبيدِ ذوي جهلٍ وأَوغادا
Or from Banu ʿAmir, or from Banu Asad,
Or the rabble Ubayd's sons, ignorant and foolish,
The clan of slaves, men of ignorance and scoundrels,
Or Sa'd's line, whom from the straight path you could find,
أوor رهطthe clan of سعدٍSaʿd وسعدٌand Saʿd كانwas قدalready عُلِمواthey were known
أو رهط سعدٍ وسعدٌ كان قد عُلِموا
عنaway from مستقيمِthe straight صِراطِpath of اللهِGod صُدَّاداthose who turn others away
عن مستقيمِ صِراطِ اللهِ صُدَّادا
Or Saʿd's clan—and Saʿd had already been known
A rabble brought together to misfortune, then ruled
For turning others away from God's straight path:
Had not the Zuhra's shirked their duty for mankind.
قومٌa people تداعَوْاthey claimed as kin زنيماًa baseborn outsider ثمthen سادَهُمُhe became their chief
قومٌ تداعَوْا زنيماً ثم سادَهُمُ
لولاwere it not for خمولُthe obscurity of بنيthe sons of زُهْرZuhr لماwould not have ساداhe became chief
لولا خمولُ بني زُهْر لما سادا
A people who claimed a baseborn outsider as kin; then he became their chief.
But for Banu Zuhr's obscurity, he would not have become chief.
Partial English translation: 20 of 22 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1