أَباO father of مَطَرٍMatar وَجَذمُكَand your stock مِنfrom مَعَدٍّMaʿadd
أَبا مَطَرٍ وَجَذمُكَ مِن مَعَدٍّ
كَذاتِlike one afflicted with العُرِّmange فيamong السَرحِthe grazing herd السَليمِthe healthy
كَذاتِ العُرِّ في السَرحِ السَليمِ
O Abu Matar, your stock from Maʿadd
O father of rain, your body is from Ma'add,
is like a mangy she-camel amid a healthy grazing herd.
Like the smooth hair of a young she-camel in open country.
سُراةُthe choicest part أَديمِthe hide of هَذاthis الحَيِّthe clan فِهرٌFihr
سُراةُ أَديمِ هَذا الحَيِّ فِهرٌ
وَبَعضُand some of القَومِthe people زِعنِفَةُthe ragged fringe of الأَديمِthe hide
وَبَعضُ القَومِ زِعنِفَةُ الأَديمِ
Fihr is the choicest part of this clan’s hide,
The companions of this long-lasting life are evanescent,
and some of the folk are the hide’s ragged fringe.
While some people are like worn out leather.
قَناةٌa spear-shaft نَحنُwe أَملَسُهاits smooth part وَأَنتُمand you
قَناةٌ نَحنُ أَملَسُها وَأَنتُم
مَكانُthe site of العابِthe flaw مِنهاin it وَالوُصومِand the cracks
مَكانُ العابِ مِنها وَالوُصومِ
A spear-shaft: we are its smooth part, and you
We are a channel, smooth for you,
are the site of its flaws and cracks.
A place for you to play and fast in.
وَماand not وَضَعَتكَbrought you low حاضِنَةٌa nurse وَلَكِنand yet
وَما وَضَعَتكَ حاضِنَةٌ وَلَكِن
تَمَطَّقَsmacked فوكَyour mouth مِنfrom لَبَنٍmilk لَئيمِignoble
تَمَطَّقَ فوكَ مِن لَبَنٍ لَئيمِ
It was no nurse who brought you low, but
No wet nurse placed you, but rather
your mouth smacked with ignoble milk.
Your mouth sucked from despicable milk.
إِذاif المِنتاجُthe prolific mother لَمdid not يَنجُبprove noble فَتاهاher son
إِذا المِنتاجُ لَم يَنجُب فَتاها
فَلَيسَthen there is no الفَضلُmerit إِلّاexcept لِلعَقيمِfor the barren woman
فَلَيسَ الفَضلُ إِلّا لِلعَقيمِ
If a prolific mother’s son fails to prove noble,
When the stallion fails to sire his colts,
then merit belongs only to the barren woman.
There is no virtue except in the barren.
Sol 6.1