كَمmany a مِنof أَبٍforefather ليof mine ياO جَريرُJarir كَأَنَّهُas though he were
كَم مِن أَبٍ لي يا جَريرُ كَأَنَّهُ
قَمَرُthe moon المَجَرَّةِthe Milky Way أَوor سِراجُa lamp نَهارِday
قَمَرُ المَجَرَّةِ أَو سِراجُ نَهارِ
Many a forefather of mine, O Jarir, is like
How many a father have I, O Jarir, who is like
The moon of the Milky Way, or the lamp of day.
The moon of the constellation or a lamp of daylight.
لَنwill not تُدرِكواyou all attain كَرَميmy nobility بِلُؤمِthrough the baseness of أَبيكُمُyour father
لَن تُدرِكوا كَرَمي بِلُؤمِ أَبيكُمُ
وَأَوابِديand my rare verses بِتَنَحُّلِby falsely claiming authorship of الأَشعارِpoems
وَأَوابِدي بِتَنَحُّلِ الأَشعارِ
You will not match my nobility through your father's baseness,
You will never attain my generosity through the blame of your father,
Nor my rare verses by plagiarizing poems.
Nor my ruins through the shedding of gray hairs.
شَغّارَةٌa kicking she-camel تَقِذُstrikes senseless الفَصيلَthe weaned camel-calf بِرِجلِهاwith her foot
شَغّارَةٌ تَقِذُ الفَصيلَ بِرِجلِها
فَطّارَةٌa shatterer لِقَوادِمِof the front teeth الأَبكارِyoung camels
فَطّارَةٌ لِقَوادِمِ الأَبكارِ
A kicking she-camel, striking the weaned calf senseless with her foot,
A mare who kicks the foal with her leg,
A shatterer of young camels' front teeth.
Yet she flies to meet the virgin riders.
Sol 6.1