ياO أَخَوَيناour two brothers مِنfrom أَبيناour father وَأُمِّناand our mother
يا أَخَوَينا مِن أَبينا وَأُمِّنا
إِلَيكُمto you وَعِندَand before اللَهِGod وَالرَحِمِand kinship العُذرُthe justification
إِلَيكُم وَعِندَ اللَهِ وَالرَحِمِ العُذرُ
O our two brothers, born of our father and our mother,
O our brothers from our father and mother
To you we offer our justification, before God and the bond of kinship.
To you, and with God and kinship, is our excuse
أَلاwill you not تَقبَلونَaccept النَصفَfair dealing مِنّاfrom us وَأَنتُمُwhile you are
أَلا تَقبَلونَ النَصفَ مِنّا وَأَنتُمُ
بَنوsons of عَمِّناour paternal uncle لاmay not بَلَّwet هامَكُمُyour heads القَطرُthe rain
بَنو عَمِّنا لا بَلَّ هامَكُمُ القَطرُ
Will you not accept fair dealing from us, when you are
Will you not accept half from us while you are
Our uncle’s sons? May no rain wet your heads!
The sons of our uncle? Nay, your carelessness misleads you
سَنَأبىwe shall refuse كَماjust as تَأبَونَyou refuse حَتّىuntil تُلينَكُمmake you yield
سَنَأبى كَما تَأبَونَ حَتّى تُلينَكُم
صَفائِحُsword-blades بُصرىBosra وَالأَسِنَّةِand spearheads وَالأَصرُand confinement
صَفائِحُ بُصرى وَالأَسِنَّةِ وَالأَصرُ
We shall refuse, as you refuse, until you are made to yield
We will refuse just as you refuse, until your
By the sword-blades of Bosra, the spearheads, and confinement.
Swords of Buṣrā and tongues and clans soften
أَيُؤكَلُis to be devoured? مَولاناour ally وَمَولىwhile the ally of اِبنِthe son of عَمِّناour paternal uncle
أَيُؤكَلُ مَولانا وَمَولى اِبنِ عَمِّنا
مُقيمٌstanding firm وَمَنصورٌand supported كَماjust as نُصِرَتwas supported جَسرُJasr
مُقيمٌ وَمَنصورٌ كَما نُصِرَت جَسرُ
Is our ally to be devoured, while our cousin’s ally
Is our master and the master of Ibn 'Ammuna’s son
Stands firm and is supported, as Jasr was supported?
To be eaten while Muqīm and Manṣūr are given victory like Jayshur?
فَتِلكَfor that الَّتيwhich لَمdid not يَعلَمِknow الناسُthe people أَنَّنيthat I
فَتِلكَ الَّتي لَم يَعلَمِ الناسُ أَنَّني
خَنَعتُsubmitted لَهاto it حَتّىuntil يُغَيِّبَنيconceals me القَبرُthe grave
خَنَعتُ لَها حَتّى يُغَيِّبَني القَبرُ
For that is something no one has ever known me
That is what the people did not know I humbled myself to
To submit to—nor will they, until the grave conceals me.
Until the grave takes me away
فَلَيتَكُمُso, if only you قَدalready حالَintervened دونَin the way of لِقائِكُمmeeting you
فَلَيتَكُمُ قَد حالَ دونَ لِقائِكُم
سِنونَyears ثَمانٍeight بَعدَهاafter them حِجَجٌyears عَشرُten
سِنونَ ثَمانٍ بَعدَها حِجَجٌ عَشرُ
If only between me and meeting you there had stood
If only years of eight, then pilgrimages of ten
Eight years, followed by ten more years.
Had come between us before meeting you
أَجَدِّيَam I truly? لاnot أَلقاكُمُmeet you الدَهرَthroughout time مَرَّةًonce
أَجَدِّيَ لا أَلقاكُمُ الدَهرَ مَرَّةً
عَلىat مَوطِنٍa place إِلّاexcept خُدودُكُمُyour cheeks صُعرُhaughtily turned aside
عَلى مَوطِنٍ إِلّا خُدودُكُمُ صُعرُ
Do I truly never meet you, even once in all my days,
My grandfather, I will never meet you again in life
In any place, except with your cheeks turned haughtily aside?
Except your cheeks have become withered
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle دُعواthey were summoned لِلبَغيِto wrongdoing قامواthey rose وَأَشرَقَتand shone
إِذا ما دُعوا لِلبَغيِ قاموا وَأَشرَقَت
وُجوهُهُمُtheir faces وَالرُشدُand right guidance وِردٌa watering place لَهُtoward it نَفرُaversion
وُجوهُهُمُ وَالرُشدُ وِردٌ لَهُ نَفرُ
Whenever summoned to wrongdoing, they rise, and radiant grow
When called to tyranny they stand up, their faces shine
Their faces; but right guidance is a watering place they shun.
And righteousness has a group of them as followers
فَواso, oh! عَجَباwonder! حَتّىeven خُصَيلَةُKhusaylah أَصبَحَتhas become
فَوا عَجَبا حَتّى خُصَيلَةُ أَصبَحَت
مَوالِيَallies of عِزٍّmight لاnot تَحِلُّis lawful لَهاfor it الخَمرُwine
مَوالِيَ عِزٍّ لا تَحِلُّ لَها الخَمرُ
What a wonder! Even Khusaylah has become
What a wonder! Even the riffraff have become
Allies of might, for whom wine is forbidden.
Loyalists of honor, wine is not permitted for them
أَلَمّاwas it when كَشَفناwe stripped away لَأمَةَthe armor of الذُلِّhumiliation عَنكُمُfrom you
أَلَمّا كَشَفنا لَأمَةَ الذُلِّ عَنكُمُ
تَجَرَّدتَyou bared yourself لاno بِرٌّkindness جَميلٌgracious وَلاand no شُكرُgratitude
تَجَرَّدتَ لا بِرٌّ جَميلٌ وَلا شُكرُ
Was it when we stripped the armor of humiliation from you
When we uncovered you to the nation of humiliation
That you bared yourself—with neither gracious kindness nor gratitude?
You came forth with neither good nor gratitude
فَإِنso if يَكُis ظَنّيmy suspicion صادِقاًtrue تَجزَwill exact repayment مِنكُمُfrom you
فَإِن يَكُ ظَنّي صادِقاً تَجزَ مِنكُمُ
جَوازيretributions الإِلَهِof God وَالخِيانَةُand betrayal وَالغَدرُand treachery
جَوازي الإِلَهِ وَالخِيانَةُ وَالغَدرُ
So, if my suspicion is true, repayment will be exacted from you:
If my assumption is right, you will receive from God
God’s retributions for betrayal and treachery.
Rewards, and treachery and betrayal
Sol 6.1