أَقَبيصَO Qabis لَستَyou are not وَإِنand even if جَهِلتَyou are ignorant بِبالِغٍable to attain
أَقَبيصَ لَستَ وَإِن جَهِلتَ بِبالِغٍ
سَعيَthe achievements of اِبنِthe son of عَمِّكَyour paternal uncle ذيpossessing النَدىgenerosity داوودِDawud
سَعيَ اِبنِ عَمِّكَ ذي النَدى داوودِ
O Qabis, though you know it not, you cannot match
the achievements of your generous cousin Dawud.
شَتّانَvast is the difference بَينَكَbetween you ياO قَبيصُQabis وَبَينَهُand between him
شَتّانَ بَينَكَ يا قَبيصُ وَبَينَهُ
أَنتَyou الذَميمُthe blameworthy one وَلَستَand you are not كَالمَحمودِlike the praised one
أَنتَ الذَميمُ وَلَستَ كَالمَحمودِ
How great the gulf between you, O Qabis, and him!
You are blameworthy, not like the praised one.
اِختارَchose داوُدُDawud البُكاءَweeping مَكارِماًacts of nobility
اِختارَ داوُدُ البُكاءَ مَكارِماً
وَاِختَرتَand you chose أَكلَeating نَقانِقٍsausages وَثَريدِand broth-soaked bread
وَاِختَرتَ أَكلَ نَقانِقٍ وَثَريدِ
Dawud chose weeping out of nobility,
while you chose eating sausages and broth-soaked bread.
قَدindeed كانَwas مَجدُthe glory of أَبيكَyour father لَوif أَصلَحتَهُyou had upheld it
قَد كانَ مَجدُ أَبيكَ لَو أَصلَحتَهُ
رَوحٍRawh أَبيfather of خَلَفٍKhalaf كَمَجدِlike the glory of يَزيدِYazid
رَوحٍ أَبي خَلَفٍ كَمَجدِ يَزيدِ
Your father’s glory, had you upheld it—
Rawh Abu Khalaf’s—would have equaled Yazid’s.
لَكِنbut جَرىran داوودُDawud جَريَthe running of مُبَرِّزٍa champion
لَكِن جَرى داوودُ جَريَ مُبَرِّزٍ
فَحَوىso he gained النَدىgenerosity وَجَرَيتَand you ran جَريَthe running of بَليدِa laggard
فَحَوى النَدى وَجَرَيتَ جَريَ بَليدِ
But Dawud ran like a champion,
and won generosity, while you ran like a laggard.
هَذاthis جَزاؤُكَyour recompense ياO قَبيصَQabis فَإِنَّهُfor indeed he
هَذا جَزاؤُكَ يا قَبيصَ فَإِنَّهُ
جادَتgave freely يَداهُhis two hands وَأَنتَand you قُفلُa lock of حَديدِiron
جادَت يَداهُ وَأَنتَ قُفلُ حَديدِ
This is your due, O Qabis, for he
gave freely with both hands, while you are an iron lock.
داوودُDawud مَحمودٌpraised وَأَنتَand you مُذَمَّمٌmuch reviled
داوودُ مَحمودٌ وَأَنتَ مُذَمَّمٌ
عَجَباًhow strange لِذاكَat that وَأَنتُماand you both مِنfrom عودِone piece of wood
عَجَباً لِذاكَ وَأَنتُما مِن عودِ
Dawud is praised, while you are much reviled.
How strange that is, when you are both of the same wood!
وَلَرُبَّand indeed many a عودٍpiece of wood قَدmay يُشَقُّbe split لِمَسجِدٍfor a mosque
وَلَرُبَّ عودٍ قَد يُشَقُّ لِمَسجِدٍ
نِصفاًone half وَسائِرُهُand the rest of it لِحُشِّfor the privy of يَهوديa Jew
نِصفاً وَسائِرُهُ لِحُشِّ يَهودي
And many a piece of wood is split for a mosque—
one half, and the rest for a Jew’s privy.
وَالحُشُّand the privy أَنتَyou لَهُfor it وَذاكَand that one لِمَسجِدٍfor a mosque
وَالحُشُّ أَنتَ لَهُ وَذاكَ لِمَسجِدٍ
كَمhow great the distance بَينَbetween مَوضِعِa site مَسلَحٍa latrine وَسُجودِand prostration
كَم بَينَ مَوضِعِ مَسلَحٍ وَسُجودِ
And you belong to the privy, while he belongs to a mosque.
How far apart are a latrine and a place of prostration!
Sol 6.1