فَإِنso if كُنتَyou were ياO اِبنَson of السِمطِal-Simt سالَمتَyou made peace دونَناwithout us
فَإِن كُنتَ يا اِبنَ السِمطِ سالَمتَ دونَنا
وَقَيسٌand Qays أَبوfather of لَيلىLayla فَلَمّاbut not yet نُسالِمِwe make peace
وَقَيسٌ أَبو لَيلى فَلَمّا نُسالِمِ
So if you, son of al-Simt, have made peace without us,
and Qays, Abu Layla, too—we have not yet made peace.
وَإِنand if كُنتُماyou two were أَعطَيتُماyou two gave القَومَthe people مَوثِقاًa binding pledge
وَإِن كُنتُما أَعطَيتُما القَومَ مَوثِقاً
فَلاthen do not تَغدِراyou two break faith وَاِستَسمِعاand both listen لِلمَراجِمِto the hurled taunts
فَلا تَغدِرا وَاِستَسمِعا لِلمَراجِمِ
And if you two have given the people a binding pledge,
do not break faith, and listen to the volleys of taunts.
فَإِنّيfor I زَعيمٌa guarantor أَنthat أَقولَI utter قَصيدَةًa poem
فَإِنّي زَعيمٌ أَن أَقولَ قَصيدَةً
مُبَيَّنَةًclearly expressed كَالنَقبِlike a mountain pass بَينَamong المَخارِمِthe mountain clefts
مُبَيَّنَةً كَالنَقبِ بَينَ المَخارِمِ
For I pledge to utter a poem,
plainly marked as a pass among the mountain clefts,
خَفيفَةَlight أَعجازِthe hindquarters of المَطِيِّthe riding camels ثَقيلَةًheavy
خَفيفَةَ أَعجازِ المَطِيِّ ثَقيلَةً
عَلىupon قِرنِهاits rival نَزّالَةًoften alighting بِالمَواسِمِat the seasonal fairs
عَلى قِرنِها نَزّالَةً بِالمَواسِمِ
light upon the riding camels' hindquarters, yet heavy
upon its rival, ever alighting at the seasonal fairs.
وَمُغتَصَبٍand a captive مِنfrom رَهطِthe clan of ضِبعانَDib'an يَشتَكيhe complains
وَمُغتَصَبٍ مِن رَهطِ ضِبعانَ يَشتَكي
إِلىto القَومِthe people أَعضادَthe upper forelegs of المَطِيِّthe riding camels الرَواسِمِthe swift-striding ones
إِلى القَومِ أَعضادَ المَطِيِّ الرَواسِمِ
And many a captive from Dib'an's clan complains
to the people of the upper forelegs of the swift-striding camels.
تَجولُshe wheels about بِهِwith him عَيرانَةٌa hardy she-camel عِندَbeside غَرزِهاher stirrup
تَجولُ بِهِ عَيرانَةٌ عِندَ غَرزِها
جَنيبٌa captive led alongside أَقادَتهُhas delivered him to retaliation جَريرَةُthe crime of جارِمِa culprit
جَنيبٌ أَقادَتهُ جَريرَةُ جارِمِ
A hardy she-camel swings him about beside her stirrup,
a captive led alongside, delivered to retaliation by a culprit's crime.
إِذاwhen ماever اِشتَكىhe complains of ظُلمَthe injustice of العَشيرَةِthe clan عَضَّهُbites him
إِذا ما اِشتَكى ظُلمَ العَشيرَةِ عَضَّهُ
حِناكٌHinak وَقَرّاصٌand Qarras شَديدُfierce in الشَكائِمِbridle-bits
حِناكٌ وَقَرّاصٌ شَديدُ الشَكائِمِ
Whenever he complains of his clan's injustice, he is bitten by
Hinak and Qarras, fierce of bit.
وَلِلحَقِّand for justice فيناin us خِصلَتانِtwo traits فَمِنهُماso of the two
وَلِلحَقِّ فينا خِصلَتانِ فَمِنهُما
ذَلولٌa yielding one وَأُخرىand another صَعبَةٌunyielding لِلمَظالِمِtoward injustices
ذَلولٌ وَأُخرى صَعبَةٌ لِلمَظالِمِ
And for justice we have two traits: one of them
is yielding, the other unyielding toward injustice.
وَإِنّاand we لَقَومٌare indeed a people نَشتَريwe buy بِنُفوسِناwith our lives
وَإِنّا لَقَومٌ نَشتَري بِنُفوسِنا
دِيارَthe abodes of المَناياdeath رَغبَةًout of desire فيfor المَكارِمِnoble deeds
دِيارَ المَنايا رَغبَةً في المَكارِمِ
And we are indeed a people who buy with our lives
the abodes of death, longing for noble deeds.
جَزىmay requite اللَهُGod مَولاناour ally غَنِيّاًGhani مَلامَةًblame
جَزى اللَهُ مَولانا غَنِيّاً مَلامَةً
شِرارَthe worst of مَواليthe allies of عامِرٍAmir فيin العَزائِمِgrave undertakings
شِرارَ مَوالي عامِرٍ في العَزائِمِ
May God requite our ally Ghani with blame,
the worst of Amir's allies in grave undertakings.
بَكىwept خَشرَمٌKhashram لَمّاwhen رَأىhe saw ذاDhu مَعارِكٍMa'arik
بَكى خَشرَمٌ لَمّا رَأى ذا مَعارِكٍ
أَتىhad come دونَهُbetween him وَالهَضبَand the hills هَضبَthe hills of البَهائِمِal-Baha'im
أَتى دونَهُ وَالهَضبَ هَضبَ البَهائِمِ
Khashram wept when he saw Dhu Ma'arik
interposed between him and the hills—the hills of al-Baha'im.
لَهاthey have بَدَنٌflesh عاسٍtough وَنارٌand a brand كَريمَةٌnoble
لَها بَدَنٌ عاسٍ وَنارٌ كَريمَةٌ
بِمُكتَفَلِon the flank of الآرِيِّal-Ari بَينَamong الصَرائِمِthe sand ridges
بِمُكتَفَلِ الآرِيِّ بَينَ الصَرائِمِ
They have tough flesh and a noble brand,
on al-Ari's flank, among the sand ridges.
ضِعافُweak in القُوىstrength لَيسواthey are not كَمَنlike one who يَبتَنيbuilds العُلاlofty glory
ضِعافُ القُوى لَيسوا كَمَن يَبتَني العُلا
جَعاسيسُbase little men قَصّارونَfalling short دونَbelow المَكارِمِnoble deeds
جَعاسيسُ قَصّارونَ دونَ المَكارِمِ
Weak in strength, they are not like those who build lofty glory:
base little men, falling short of noble deeds.
Sol 6.1