وَجَدناwe found الأَزدَthe Azd مِنof بَصَلٍonions وَثومٍand garlic
وَجَدنا الأَزدَ مِن بَصَلٍ وَثومٍ
وَأَدنىand closest الناسِpeople مِنto دَنَسٍfilth وَعارِand disgrace
وَأَدنى الناسِ مِن دَنَسٍ وَعارِ
We found the Azd made of onions and garlic,
We found the Azd eating onions and garlic,
and the closest of men to filth and disgrace.
And the basest of people in vileness and shame.
صَرارِيّونَsailors يَنضَحُsplashes فيinto لِحاهُمtheir beards
صَرارِيّونَ يَنضَحُ في لِحاهُم
نَفِيُّspray الماءِwater مِنfrom خَشَبٍtimber وَقارِand pitch
نَفِيُّ الماءِ مِن خَشَبٍ وَقارِ
Sailors, into whose beards splashes
Stubborn, with water dripping from their beards,
water-spray from timber and pitch.
That rejects wood and dignity.
وَكائِنand how many لِلمَهَلَّبِfor al-Muhallab مِنof نَسيبٍa kinsman
وَكائِن لِلمَهَلَّبِ مِن نَسيبٍ
تَرىyou see بِلَبانِهِon his breast أَثَرَthe mark of الزِيارِthe yoke
تَرى بِلَبانِهِ أَثَرَ الزِيارِ
And how many a kinsman al-Muhallab has,
And being for the jester some relative
on whose breast you see the mark of the yoke!
Whose lips show the trace of frequenting.
بِخارَكَBikhārak لَمdid not يَقُدlead فَرَساًa horse وَلَكِنbut
بِخارَكَ لَم يَقُد فَرَساً وَلَكِن
يَقودُhe leads الساجَteakwood بَالمَرَسِwith the ropes المُغارِtightly twisted
يَقودُ الساجَ بَالمَرَسِ المُغارِ
Bikhārak never led a horse, but
Your father Kharik never led a horse,
he tows teak vessels with tightly twisted ropes.
But leads the yearling with nose ring.
مِنَamong المُتَنَطِّقينَthose girding themselves عَلىover لِحاهُمtheir beards
مِنَ المُتَنَطِّقينَ عَلى لِحاهُم
دَليلَa guide through اللَيلِthe night فيin اللُجَجِthe sea-depths الغِمارِdeep and engulfing
دَليلَ اللَيلِ في اللُجَجِ الغِمارِ
One of those who gird themselves over their beards,
Of those who prate, on their lips
a guide by night through the deep, engulfing seas,
A guide to night in dark ravines.
يُنَبِّئُhe tells بِالرِياحِof the winds وَماthough not yet أَتَتهُthey have reached him
يُنَبِّئُ بِالرِياحِ وَما أَتَتهُ
عَلىon دَقَلِthe mast of السَفينَةِthe ship كَالصَراريlike a sailor
عَلى دَقَلِ السَفينَةِ كَالصَراري
he tells of the winds before they reach him,
Foretelling the winds and what news came
atop the ship's mast, like a sailor.
To the chafing strap of the ship, like cracks.
وَلَوand if رُدَّwere sent back المَهَلَّبُal-Muhallab حَيثُwhere ضَمَّتenclosed
وَلَو رُدَّ المَهَلَّبُ حَيثُ ضَمَّت
عَلَيهِaround him الغافَthe ghaf trees أَرضُthe land of أَبيAbū صُفارِṢufār
عَلَيهِ الغافَ أَرضُ أَبي صُفارِ
And were al-Muhallab sent back to where
If the jester were restored where
the land of Abū Ṣufār closed its ghaf trees around him,
The burial mound covers him in Abi Suffar's land,
إِلىto أُمِّthe mother of المُهَلَّبِal-Muhallab حَيثُwhere أَعطَتshe gave
إِلى أُمِّ المُهَلَّبِ حَيثُ أَعطَت
بِثَديِwith the breast of اللُؤمِbaseness فاهَhis mouth مَعَwith الصِغارِthe little ones
بِثَديِ اللُؤمِ فاهَ مَعَ الصِغارِ
to al-Muhallab's mother, where she offered
To the mother of the jester where she gave
her breast of baseness to his mouth alongside the little ones,
His vile mouth her breast along with the infants,
تَبَيَّنَit would become clear أَنَّهُthat he is نَبَطِيُّa Nabataean of بَحرٍthe sea
تَبَيَّنَ أَنَّهُ نَبَطِيُّ بَحرٍ
وَأَنَّand that لَهُhis is اللَئيمَthe ignoble مِنَamong الدِيارِthe lands
وَأَنَّ لَهُ اللَئيمَ مِنَ الدِيارِ
it would become clear that he is a Nabataean of the sea,
It would be clear he is a vulgar Nabataean,
and that, among lands, his is an ignoble one:
And that he has the baseborn among homes.
بِلادٌa land لاnot يُعَدُّis reckoned بِهاin it غُلامٌa boy
بِلادٌ لا يُعَدُّ بِها غُلامٌ
لَهُhaving أَبَوَينِtwo parents مُغزِلَةُsetting to spin الجَواريthe maidens
لَهُ أَبَوَينِ مُغزِلَةُ الجَواري
a land where no boy is reckoned
A land where no boy is counted
to have two parents—a land whose maidens spin.
Who has not both parents weavers of striped cloth.
وَكَيفَand how وَلَمand did not يَقُدlead فَرَساًa horse أَبوكُمyour father
وَكَيفَ وَلَم يَقُد فَرَساً أَبوكُم
وَلَمand did not يَحمِلtake بَنيهِhis sons إِلىto الدَوارِal-Dawār
وَلَم يَحمِل بَنيهِ إِلى الدَوارِ
And how could it be otherwise, when your father never led a horse,
And how, when your father never led a horse
and never took his sons to al-Dawār,
And never carried his sons to assemblies?
وَلَمand did not يَعبُدworship يَغوثَYaghūth وَلَمand did not يُشاهِدwitness
وَلَم يَعبُد يَغوثَ وَلَم يُشاهِد
لِحِميَرَfor Ḥimyar ماwhat تَدينُit worships وَلاnor نِزارِNizār
لِحِميَرَ ما تَدينُ وَلا نِزارِ
and never worshipped Yaghūth, nor witnessed
He worshipped neither Yaghuth nor attended
the worship of Ḥimyar or Nizār?
To the donkeys - what they owe or own.
وَماand not لِلَّهِto God تَسجُدُprostrates itself أَزدُthe Azd of بُصرىBuṣrā
وَما لِلَّهِ تَسجُدُ أَزدُ بُصرى
وَلَكِنbut يَسجُدونَthey prostrate themselves بِكُلِّbefore every نارِfire
وَلَكِن يَسجُدونَ بِكُلِّ نارِ
And the Azd of Buṣrā do not prostrate themselves to God,
The Azd of Bussra do not bow to God,
but they prostrate themselves before every fire.
Rather they bow to every fire.
Sol 6.1