وَقَدand indeed مَدَّhas spread حَوليaround me مِنَfrom المالِكَيـthe two Māliks (continued)
وَقَد مَدَّ حَولي مِنَ المالِكَيـ
ـنِdual ending of 'the two Māliks' أَواذِيُّwaves ذيof one having حَدَبٍa swelling crest مُزبِدِfoaming
ـنِ أَواذِيُّ ذي حَدَبٍ مُزبِدِ
And around me, from the two Māliks, have spread
the waves of a cresting, foaming sea,
إِلىtoward هادِراتٍroaring ones صِعابِuntamable الرُؤوthe heads (continued)
إِلى هادِراتٍ صِعابِ الرُؤو
سِcompletion of 'heads' قَساوِرَlions لِلقَسوَرِfor the lion الأَصيَدِproud-necked
سِ قَساوِرَ لِلقَسوَرِ الأَصيَدِ
toward roaring beasts with untamable heads—
lions for the proud-necked lion.
أَيَطلُبُdoes he seek? مَجدَthe glory of بَنيthe sons of دارِمٍDārim
أَيَطلُبُ مَجدَ بَني دارِمٍ
عَطِيَّةُʿAṭiyya كَالجُعَلِlike the dung beetle الأَسوَدِblack
عَطِيَّةُ كَالجُعَلِ الأَسوَدِ
Does he seek the glory of the sons of Dārim—
ʿAṭiyya, like a black dung beetle?
وَمَجدُand the glory of بَنيthe sons of دارِمٍDārim فَوقَهُabove him
وَمَجدُ بَني دارِمٍ فَوقَهُ
مَكانَat the height of السَماكَينِthe two Simāk stars وَالفَرقَدِand al-Farqad
مَكانَ السَماكَينِ وَالفَرقَدِ
And the glory of the sons of Dārim towers above him,
at the height of the two Simāk stars and al-Farqad.
سَأَرميI shall assail وَلَوand even if جُعِلَتit was ranked فيamong اللِئاthe ignoble (continued)
سَأَرمي وَلَو جُعِلَت في اللِئا
مِcompletion of 'the ignoble' وَرُدَّتand it was returned إِلىto دِقَّةِthe lowliness of المَحتِدِancestral stock
مِ وَرُدَّت إِلى دِقَّةِ المَحتِدِ
I shall assail—even if it is ranked among the ignoble
and returned to the lowliness of its stock—
كُلَيباًKulayb فَماfor never أَوقَدَتit kindled نارَهاits fire
كُلَيباً فَما أَوقَدَت نارَها
لِقِدحٍfor a gaming arrow مُفاضٍdrawn in a lottery وَلاnor مِرفَدِa large serving bowl
لِقِدحٍ مُفاضٍ وَلا مِرفَدِ
Kulayb, for it has never kindled its fire
for a drawn gaming arrow, nor for a guest's bowl.
وَلاnor دافَعواthey warded off لَيلَةَon the night of الصارِخيthose crying for help (continued)
وَلا دافَعوا لَيلَةَ الصارِخي
نَplural ending of 'those crying' لَهُمto them صَوتَthe neigh of ذيone bearing غُرَّةٍa white forehead blaze مَوقِدِfiery
نَ لَهُم صَوتَ ذي غُرَّةٍ مَوقِدِ
Nor did they fend off, on the night of those crying
to them for help, the neigh of a fiery, white-blazed horse.
وَلَكِنَّهُمbut they يَلهَدونَpound الحَميـthe donkeys (continued)
وَلَكِنَّهُم يَلهَدونَ الحَميـ
ـرَcompletion of 'donkeys' رُدافىriding double عَلىover الظَهرِthe upland وَالقَردَدِand the rugged height
ـرَ رُدافى عَلى الظَهرِ وَالقَردَدِ
But they pound the donkeys,
riding double over uplands and rugged heights,
عَلىon كُلِّevery قَعساءَswaybacked she-ass مَحزومَةٍgirt around the belly
عَلى كُلِّ قَعساءَ مَحزومَةٍ
بِقِطعَةِwith a scrap of رِبقٍtether-rope وَلَمand not تُلبَدِpadded with felt
بِقِطعَةِ رِبقٍ وَلَم تُلبَدِ
on every swaybacked she-ass, girt
with a scrap of tether-rope and never felt-padded,
مُوَقَّعَةٍmarked with riding sores بِبَياضِwith the whiteness of الرُكوriding (continued)
مُوَقَّعَةٍ بِبَياضِ الرُكو
بِcompletion of 'riding' كَهودِsluggish اليَدَينِin both forelegs مَعَwith المُكهِدِthe goading rider
بِ كَهودِ اليَدَينِ مَعَ المُكهِدِ
marked with white patches from riding,
sluggish in both forelegs even under the goading rider.
قَرَنبىa long-legged beetle يَسوفُhe sniffs قَفاthe nape of مُقرِفٍa man of low-born paternal stock
قَرَنبى يَسوفُ قَفا مُقرِفٍ
لَئيمٍignoble مَآثِرُهُhis exploits قُعدَدِa laggard
لَئيمٍ مَآثِرُهُ قُعدَدِ
A beetle sniffs a baseborn fellow's nape,
ignoble in his exploits, a laggard.
تَرىyou see كُلَّevery مُصطَرَّةِnarrow-set الحافِرَيـin both hooves (continued)
تَرى كُلَّ مُصطَرَّةِ الحافِرَيـ
ـنِdual ending of 'the two hooves' يُقالُit is said لَهاto her لِلنُكاحِfor mating اِركُديstand still!
ـنِ يُقالُ لَها لِلنُكاحِ اِركُدي
You see every narrow-hoofed she-ass
being told, for mating, 'Stand still!'
بِهِنَّwith them يُحابونَthey favor أَختانَهُمtheir in-laws
بِهِنَّ يُحابونَ أَختانَهُم
وَيَشفونَand they settle كُلَّevery دَمٍblood-debt مُقصَدِof one mortally struck
وَيَشفونَ كُلَّ دَمٍ مُقصَدِ
With them they favor their in-laws,
and settle every blood-debt for one mortally struck.
يَسوفُhe sniffs مَناقِعَpools of أَبوالِهاher urine
يَسوفُ مَناقِعَ أَبوالِها
إِذاwhen أَقرَدَتshe became still غَيرَwithout مُستَقرِدِcoaxing her into stillness
إِذا أَقرَدَت غَيرَ مُستَقرِدِ
He sniffs pools of her urine,
when she stands still, without his coaxing.
فَماfor neither حاجِبٌḤājib فيamong بَنيthe sons of دارِمٍDārim
فَما حاجِبٌ في بَني دارِمٍ
وَلاnor أُسرَةُthe family of الأَقرَعِal-Aqraʿ الأَمجَدِthe most glorious
وَلا أُسرَةُ الأَقرَعِ الأَمجَدِ
For neither Ḥājib among the sons of Dārim,
nor the family of al-Aqraʿ, the most glorious,
وَلاnor آلُthe house of قَيسٍQays بَنوthe sons of خالِدٍKhālid
وَلا آلُ قَيسٍ بَنو خالِدٍ
وَلاnor الصيدُthe proud lords صيدُthe proud lords of بَنيthe sons of مَرثَدِMarthad
وَلا الصيدُ صيدُ بَني مَرثَدِ
nor the house of Qays, the sons of Khālid,
nor the proud lords—the lords of the sons of Marthad—
Sol 6.1