أَناI المُعاويُّof Mu‘awiya’s line أَعْمامِيmy paternal uncles خَلائِفُcaliphs مِنْfrom
أَنا المُعاويُّ أَعْمامِي خَلائِفُ مِنْ
أَبْناءِthe sons of عَدْنانَAdnan وَالأَخْوالُand the maternal uncles مِنْfrom سَبإِSaba’
أَبْناءِ عَدْنانَ وَالأَخْوالُ مِنْ سَبإِ
I am of Mu‘awiya’s line; my paternal uncles are caliphs from
the sons of Adnan, and my maternal uncles are from Saba’.
فَماso there is no لجدِّيfor my grandfather وَلاnor لِيfor me فيin العُلاeminence شَبَهٌequal
فَما لجدِّي وَلا لِي في العُلا شَبَهٌ
وَأَيْنَand where شِبْهُthe equal of أَبيAbu (father of) سُفيانَSufyan فيin مَلإِan assembly
وَأَيْنَ شِبْهُ أَبي سُفيانَ في مَلإِ
Neither my grandfather nor I have a peer in eminence;
and where in any assembly is Abu Sufyan’s equal?
سَادَhe held sway over الأَنامَmankind فَلَمْand not يُعْدَلْwas equated بِهِwith him أَحَدٌanyone
سَادَ الأَنامَ فَلَمْ يُعْدَلْ بِهِ أَحَدٌ
وَكُلُّand all صَيْدٍgame كَماas قدalready قيلَhas been said فيin الفَرَإِthe wild ass
وَكُلُّ صَيْدٍ كَما قد قيلَ في الفَرَإِ
He held sway over mankind, and none was deemed his equal;
and all game, as has been said, is in the wild ass.
لَكِنّنيbut I فيin زَمانٍan age أَهْلُهُits people هَمَجٌrabble
لَكِنّني في زَمانٍ أَهْلُهُ هَمَجٌ
وَكُلُّهُمْand all of them حِينَwhen تُطْريهِyou extol him أَبوAbu (father of) لَجإِLaja’
وَكُلُّهُمْ حِينَ تُطْريهِ أَبو لَجإِ
But I live in an age whose people are rabble,
and each of them, when you extol him, is Abu Laja’.
ياO دَهْرُTime حَتّامَhow long تَجْفوyou shun مَنْone whom تُزانُyou are adorned بِهِby him
يا دَهْرُ حَتّامَ تَجْفو مَنْ تُزانُ بِهِ
أَمَاis there no لَدَيْكَwith you بِماof what يَلْقاهُhe encounters it مِنْany نَبَإِnews
أَمَا لَدَيْكَ بِما يَلْقاهُ مِنْ نَبَإِ
O Time, how long will you shun one who adorns you?
Have you no news of what he endures?
تُدْنيyou draw near اللِّئامَthe base وَتُقْصِيand you banish كُلَّevery ذِيpossessor of حَسَبٍnoble lineage
تُدْني اللِّئامَ وَتُقْصِي كُلَّ ذِي حَسَبٍ
وَهَلْand can يُقاسُbe compared نَميرُpure المَاءِwater بِالْحَمإِwith black mud
وَهَلْ يُقاسُ نَميرُ المَاءِ بِالْحَمإِ
You draw the base near and banish everyone of noble lineage;
and can pure water be compared with black mud?
فَالعَبْدُso the slave رَيّانُsated with drink مِنْwith نُعْمىbounty يَجودُhe lavishes بِهاit
فَالعَبْدُ رَيّانُ مِنْ نُعْمى يَجودُ بِها
وَالحُرُّand the free man مُلْتَهِبُburning الأَحْشاءِthe entrails مِنْfrom ظَمإِthirst
وَالحُرُّ مُلْتَهِبُ الأَحْشاءِ مِنْ ظَمإِ
So the slave is sated with bounty he lavishes,
while the free man’s entrails burn with thirst.
وَالفَقْرُand poverty تُطْفَأُare extinguished أَنْوارُthe lights الكِرامِof the noble بِهِby it
وَالفَقْرُ تُطْفَأُ أَنْوارُ الكِرامِ بِهِ
كَماas يَقِلُّdiminishes وَميضُthe gleam السَّيْفِof the sword بِالصَّدَإِwith rust
كَما يَقِلُّ وَميضُ السَّيْفِ بِالصَّدَإِ
And poverty extinguishes the lights of the noble,
as the sword’s gleam grows faint with rust.
Sol 6.1