لَعَمرُكَby your life ماnot أَبوfather of فَهمٍFahm لِفَهمِto Fahm
لَعَمرُكَ ما أَبو فَهمٍ لِفَهمِ
صَحيحاًgenuine فيin الوَلاءِclientage وَلاnor صَميماof pure descent
صَحيحاً في الوَلاءِ وَلا صَميما
By your life, Abu Fahm does not belong to Fahm,
by genuine clientage or pure descent.
مَتىwhenever دُعِيَare summoned الكِرامُthe noble إِلىto المَساعيgreat endeavors
مَتى دُعِيَ الكِرامُ إِلى المَساعي
تَقاعَسَhangs back دونَهاshort of them إِبنُson of اِبرَهيماIbrahim
تَقاعَسَ دونَها إِبنُ اِبرَهيما
Whenever the noble are summoned to great deeds,
Ibrahim's son hangs back from them.
وَيَقعُدُand weighs بِاِبنِupon the son of توماTuma بَيتُa house سوءٍbaseness
وَيَقعُدُ بِاِبنِ توما بَيتُ سوءٍ
مِنَof الأَنباطِthe Nabataeans يَعجَزُis unable أَنto يَقوماrise
مِنَ الأَنباطِ يَعجَزُ أَن يَقوما
And a base house weighs down the son of Tuma,
a house of Nabataeans; he is unable to rise.
إِذاwhen البَسمينُthe basmin incense دُخِّنَis burned as incense فيin لِحاهُمtheir beards
إِذا البَسمينُ دُخِّنَ في لِحاهُم
رَأَيتَyou see ركاكَةًfeebleness مِنهاfrom them وَلوماand baseness
رَأَيتَ ركاكَةً مِنها وَلوما
When basmin is burned as incense in their beards,
you see feebleness and baseness emerge from them.
تَظُنّونَyou think اِدِّعاءَكُمُyour claim to descent مُخيلاًconvincing
تَظُنّونَ اِدِّعاءَكُمُ مُخيلاً
إِذاwhen سَمَّيتُمُyou call توماTuma تَميماTamim
إِذا سَمَّيتُمُ توما تَميما
You think your claim to descent convincing
when you call Tuma Tamim.
وَلَستُمand you are not مِنfrom مَحَطَّةَMahatta فيin عُلُوٍّeminence
وَلَستُم مِن مَحَطَّةَ في عُلُوٍّ
وَلاnor رَهطِthe clan of الفُصَيصِal-Fusays وَلاnor كَريماnoble
وَلا رَهطِ الفُصَيصِ وَلا كَريما
And you have no lofty standing through Mahatta,
nor through al-Fusays's clan, nor are you noble.
وَلاnor اِختَتَنَتhas been circumcised عَجوزُكُمُyour old woman فَيَمحوso it might erase
وَلا اِختَتَنَت عَجوزُكُمُ فَيَمحو
حَديثٌsomething new مِنof خَزايَتِكُمyour disgrace قَديماsomething old
حَديثٌ مِن خَزايَتِكُم قَديما
Nor has your old woman been circumcised, so that
something new might erase an old disgrace of yours.
إِذاwhen اِدَّلَجَتshe sets out late at night لِبَيعَتِهاfor her church تَوَخَّتshe deliberately seeks
إِذا اِدَّلَجَت لِبَيعَتِها تَوَخَّت
طَريقاًa road غَيرَother than بيعَتِهاher church أَثيماsinful
طَريقاً غَيرَ بيعَتِها أَثيما
When she sets out late at night for her church, she seeks
a sinful road—not the one to her church.
أَتَفخَرُdo you boast وَهيَwhile she أُمُّكَyour mother وَالرُغاثاand al-Rughatha
أَتَفخَرُ وَهيَ أُمُّكَ وَالرُغاثا
أَبوكَyour father لَكِدتَindeed, you nearly تَستَرِقُyou enslave النُجوماthe stars
أَبوكَ لَكِدتَ تَستَرِقُ النُجوما
Do you boast, with her as your mother and al-Rughatha
your father? You all but enslave the stars!
إِذاwhen اِنتَسَبَdeclares his lineage الدَعِيُّthe false claimant تَهَجَّمَتهُassail him
إِذا اِنتَسَبَ الدَعِيُّ تَهَجَّمَتهُ
وُجوهٌfaces لَمnot يَكُنhe had been فيهاamong them مُليماblameworthy
وُجوهٌ لَم يَكُن فيها مُليما
When the pretender declares his lineage, he is assailed
by faces that had no prior cause to blame him.
فَوَيلُso woe to أَبيكَyour father كَيفَhow أَفِنتَyou grew foolish حَتّىto the point that
فَوَيلُ أَبيكَ كَيفَ أَفِنتَ حَتّى
جَعَلتَyou made الناسَthe people كُلُّهُمُall of them خُصوماadversaries
جَعَلتَ الناسَ كُلُّهُمُ خُصوما
So woe to your father! How did you grow so foolish that
you made all people your enemies?
Sol 6.1