سَتَعلَمُyou will learn ياO عَمروَAmr بنُson of عَفراAfra مَنِwho الَّذيthe one who
سَتَعلَمُ يا عَمروَ بنُ عَفرا مَنِ الَّذي
يُلامُis blamed إِذاwhen ماemphasis الأَمرُthe affair غَبَّتunfolded in time عَواقِبُهits consequences
يُلامُ إِذا ما الأَمرُ غَبَّت عَواقِبُه
You will learn, O Amr son of Afra, who it is
You will know, O Amr son of Afra, who is to blame
that is blamed when the affair's consequences unfold.
When the consequences of the matter become apparent
نَهَيتُI forbade اِبنَthe son of عَفراAfra أَنto يُعَفِّرَsmear with dust أُمَّهُhis mother
نَهَيتُ اِبنَ عَفرا أَن يُعَفِّرَ أُمَّهُ
كَعَفرِlike the dust-smearing of السَلاthe afterbirth إِذwhen عَفَّرَتهُsmeared it with dust ثَعالِبُهits foxes
كَعَفرِ السَلا إِذ عَفَّرَتهُ ثَعالِبُه
I forbade Ibn Afra to smear his mother with dust,
I warned the son of Afra not to dishonor his mother
as an afterbirth is dust-smeared when its foxes soil it.
Like the dishonoring of roast meat when torn apart by its eaters
فَلَوso, had كُنتَyou been ضَبِّيّاًa man of Dabba صَفَحتُI would pardon وَلَوand even if سَرَتcrawled
فَلَو كُنتَ ضَبِّيّاً صَفَحتُ وَلَو سَرَت
عَلىover قَدَميmy foot حَيّاتُهُhis snakes وَعَقارِبُهand his scorpions
عَلى قَدَمي حَيّاتُهُ وَعَقارِبُه
Had you been a man of Dabba, I would have pardoned you, even had
Had you been a young hyena, I would have overlooked it
his snakes and scorpions crawled over my foot.
Had your snakes and scorpions crept up my legs
وَلَوand even if قَطَعواthey cut off يُمنىthe right of يَدَيَّmy two hands غَفَرتُهاI would forgive it
وَلَو قَطَعوا يُمنى يَدَيَّ غَفَرتُها
لَهُمfor them وَالَّذيand by Him whose يُحصيcounts السَرائِرَthe secrets كاتِبُهHis scribe
لَهُم وَالَّذي يُحصي السَرائِرَ كاتِبُه
Even had they cut off my right hand, I would have forgiven it
Had they cut off my right hand, I would have forgiven them
them—by Him whose scribe counts the secrets.
By Him who records hidden secrets through His scribes
وَلَكِنand yet دِيافِيٌّa Diyafi أَبوهُhis father وَأُمُّهُand his mother
وَلَكِن دِيافِيٌّ أَبوهُ وَأُمُّهُ
بِحَورانَin Hauran يَعصِرنَthey (women) press السَليطَthe oil أَقارِبُهhis relatives
بِحَورانَ يَعصِرنَ السَليطَ أَقارِبُه
But his father is a Diyafi, and his mother
But Diyafi, his father and mother
is in Hauran; his kinswomen press oil.
Are in Hawran, pressing slippery grape juice, his relatives
وَلَمّاand when رَأىhe saw الدَهناal-Dahna رَمَتهُcast him out جِبالُهاits mountains
وَلَمّا رَأى الدَهنا رَمَتهُ جِبالُها
وَقالَتand it said دِيافِيٌّa Diyafi مَعَwith الشَأمِal-Sham جانِبُهhis side
وَقالَت دِيافِيٌّ مَعَ الشَأمِ جانِبُه
When he saw al-Dahna, its mountains cast him out,
And when he saw the oil, its mountains cast him away
and it said, 'A Diyafi—his place is with al-Sham.'
And Diyafi said, along with Damascus, are his tribes
فَإِنso if تَغضَبِgrows angry الدَهناal-Dahna عَلَيكَwith you فَماthen there is no بِهاin it
فَإِن تَغضَبِ الدَهنا عَلَيكَ فَما بِها
طَريقٌa road لِرِبّاتٍfor a foreigner تُقادُare led رَكايِبُهhis riding camels
طَريقٌ لِرِبّاتٍ تُقادُ رَكايِبُه
So if al-Dahna grows angry with you, within it there is no
If the oil becomes angry with you, it is not constrained
road for a foreigner whose riding camels are led.
To the road of maidens led on by their riders
تُثَمِّرُyou increase مالُthe wealth of الباهِلِيَّal-Bahili كَأَنَّماas though
تُثَمِّرُ مالُ الباهِلِيَّ كَأَنَّما
تَهِرُّyou snarl عَلىover المالِthe wealth الَّذيwhich أَنتَyou كاسِبُهits earner
تَهِرُّ عَلى المالِ الَّذي أَنتَ كاسِبُه
You increase al-Bahili's wealth, as though
It makes the wealth of the wastrel flourish as though
you were snarling over wealth that you yourself earn.
It were pouring upon the wealth you earned
فَإِنَّfor indeed اِمرِأًa man يَغتابُنيbackbites me لَمdid not أَطَأI tread لَهُfor him
فَإِنَّ اِمرِأً يَغتابُني لَم أَطَأ لَهُ
حَريماًa sanctuary وَلَمand did not تَنهاهُrestrain him عَنّيfrom me أَقارِبُهhis relatives
حَريماً وَلَم تَنهاهُ عَنّي أَقارِبُه
For a man who backbites me—though I have not trodden his
For I never coveted the woman of a man who slanders me
sanctuary, and his kin have not restrained him from me—
Nor did his relatives prohibit me from her
كَمُحتَطِبٍlike a firewood-gatherer يَوماًone day أَساوِدَblack snakes هَضبَةٍof a rocky hill
كَمُحتَطِبٍ يَوماً أَساوِدَ هَضبَةٍ
أَتاهُcame to him بِهاwith them فيin ظُلمَةِthe darkness of اللَيلِthe night حاطِبُهhis wood-gatherer
أَتاهُ بِها في ظُلمَةِ اللَيلِ حاطِبُه
is like one gathering a rocky hill's black snakes for firewood one day,
Like a gatherer of firewood on a dark night that brought him
brought to him by his wood-gatherer in the darkness of night.
To a desolate hill with the firewood he had gathered
أَحينَis it when اِلتَقىmet نابايَmy two fangs وَاِبيَضَّand turned white مِسحَليmy cheek-beard
أَحينَ اِلتَقى نابايَ وَاِبيَضَّ مِسحَلي
وَأَطرَقَand bowed his head إِطراقَthe head-bowing of الكَرىdrowsiness مَنthe one whom أُحارِبُهI fight him
وَأَطرَقَ إِطراقَ الكَرى مَن أُحارِبُه
Is it when my two fangs have met and my beard has turned white,
When my canines met, my sword flashed white
and the one I fight has bowed his head as though asleep?
And I thrust with the thrusts of one who destroys his opponents
Sol 6.1