فَقالواthen they said لَهُto him رُدَّsend back الحِمارَthe donkey فَإِنَّهُfor he
فَقالوا لَهُ رُدَّ الحِمارَ فَإِنَّهُ
أَبوكَyour father لَئيمٌbase رَأسُهُhis head وَجَحافِلُهand his thick lips
أَبوكَ لَئيمٌ رَأسُهُ وَجَحافِلُه
Then they said to him, 'Send the donkey back, for he
They said to him, "Return the donkey for your
is your father, base in head and thick lips.'
Father is a scoundrel, his head and his armies
وَأَنتَand you حَريصٌeager أَنthat يَكونَshould be مُجاشِعٌMujashiʿ
وَأَنتَ حَريصٌ أَن يَكونَ مُجاشِعٌ
أَباكَyour father وَلَكِنَّand yet اِبنَهُhis son عَنكَaway from you شاغِلُهkeeps him occupied
أَباكَ وَلَكِنَّ اِبنَهُ عَنكَ شاغِلُه
And you are eager for Mujashiʿ to be
You wish he were more gentle
your father, but his son keeps him too busy for you.
To your father, but his son distracts him
وَماand not أَلبَسوهُthey clothed him in الدِرعَthe coat of mail حَتّىuntil تَزَيَّلَتcame apart
وَما أَلبَسوهُ الدِرعَ حَتّى تَزَيَّلَت
مِنَfrom الخِزيِshame دونَbeneath الجِلدِthe skin مِنهُof him مَفاصِلُهhis joints
مِنَ الخِزيِ دونَ الجِلدِ مِنهُ مَفاصِلُه
And no sooner had they clothed him in mail than
They did not dress him in armor until
his joints came apart beneath his skin from shame.
His joints underneath his skin fell from disgrace
وَهَلand whether كانَhe was إِلّاanything but ثَعلَباًa fox راضَexercised نَفسَهُhimself
وَهَل كانَ إِلّا ثَعلَباً راضَ نَفسَهُ
بِمَوجٍwith waves تَسامىrose high كَالجِبالِlike mountains مَجاوِلُهits surges
بِمَوجٍ تَسامى كَالجِبالِ مَجاوِلُه
And was he anything but a fox that tested himself
Was he anything but a fox pleased with himself
against waves whose surges towered like mountains?
For the wave he rode was as high as mountains rolled by him
ضَغاhe yelped ضَغوَةًa yelp فيin البَحرِthe sea لَمّاwhen تَغَطمَطَتroared tumultuously
ضَغا ضَغوَةً في البَحرِ لَمّا تَغَطمَطَت
عَلَيهِover him أَعاليthe crests of مَوجِهِits waves وَأَسافِلُهand its troughs
عَلَيهِ أَعالي مَوجِهِ وَأَسافِلُه
He gave a yelp in the sea when there roared
He chewed out a bite in the sea when
over him the crests and troughs of its waves.
Its high waves and its low crashed down upon him
فَأَصبَحَso he became مَطروحاًcast down وَراءَbeyond غُثائِهِits flotsam
فَأَصبَحَ مَطروحاً وَراءَ غُثائِهِ
بِحَيثُwhere اِلتَقىmet مِنfrom ناجِخِthe surging waters of البَحرِthe sea ساحِلُهits shore
بِحَيثُ اِلتَقى مِن ناجِخِ البَحرِ ساحِلُه
So he lay flung beyond its flotsam,
So he woke up thrown behind his rubbish
where its shore met the sea's surging waters.
Where the roar of the sea met its coast
وَهَلand whether أَنتَyou إِنif فاتَتكَeluded you مَسعاةُthe noble striving of دارِمٍDarim
وَهَل أَنتَ إِن فاتَتكَ مَسعاةُ دارِمٍ
وَماand what قَدalready بَنىhe built آتٍcoming to كُلَيباًKulayb فَقاتِلُهand then his slayer
وَما قَد بَنى آتٍ كُلَيباً فَقاتِلُه
And will you, if you fail to attain Darim's achievements
What good are you if you miss the estate of Darim
and what he built, come to Kulayb and slay him?
And whatever Kulaib may build and fight for it
وَقالواand they said لِعَبّادٍto ʿAbbad أَغِثناhelp us وَقَدand already رَأَواthey saw
وَقالوا لِعَبّادٍ أَغِثنا وَقَد رَأَوا
شَآبيبَshowers of مَوتٍdeath يُقطِرُdrips السُمَّpoison وابِلُهits downpour
شَآبيبَ مَوتٍ يُقطِرُ السُمَّ وابِلُه
And they said to ʿAbbad, 'Help us!' having seen
They said to ‘Ibbad aid us, for they saw
showers of death, whose downpour drips poison.
Death's droplets pour down, soaking its floods
وَماand no عِندَwith عَبّادٍʿAbbad لَهُمfor them مِنfrom كَريهَتيmy onslaught
وَما عِندَ عَبّادٍ لَهُم مِن كَريهَتي
رَواحٌrelief إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle الشَرُّevil عَضَّتbit رَجائِلُهits troops
رَواحٌ إِذا ما الشَرُّ عَضَّت رَجائِلُه
And with ʿAbbad they have, against my onslaught, no
‘Ibbad does not have for them any of my two horses
relief when evil's troops sink in their teeth.
Whose legs race when evil bites their thighs
فَخَرتَyou boasted بِشَيخٍof an elder لَمdid not يَلِدكَbeget you وَدونَهُand below him
فَخَرتَ بِشَيخٍ لَم يَلِدكَ وَدونَهُ
أَبٌa father لَكَof yours تُخفيyou conceal شَخصَهُhis person وَتُضائِلُهand belittle him
أَبٌ لَكَ تُخفي شَخصَهُ وَتُضائِلُه
You boasted of an elder who never fathered you, though between you and him
You have fallen for a sheikh who did not birth you
stands your father, whose person you conceal and belittle.
While you hide and diminish your own father
فَلِلَّهِthen to God belongs عِرضيmy honor إِنif جَعَلتُI entrust كَريمَتيmy noble daughter
فَلِلَّهِ عِرضي إِن جَعَلتُ كَريمَتي
إِلىto صاحِبِthe keeper of المِعزىthe goats المُوَقَّعِchafed كاهِلُهhis withers
إِلى صاحِبِ المِعزى المُوَقَّعِ كاهِلُه
Let God have my honor if I entrust my noble daughter
By God my honor, if I give away my jewel
to the goatherd whose withers are chafed—
To the owner of the black spot on his shoulder
جَباناًa coward وَلَمand did not يَعقِدfasten لِسَيفٍfor a sword حِمالَةًa baldric
جَباناً وَلَم يَعقِد لِسَيفٍ حِمالَةً
وَلَكِنbut rather عِصامُthe strap of القِربَتَينِthe two waterskins حَمائِلُهhis baldrics
وَلَكِن عِصامُ القِربَتَينِ حَمائِلُه
a coward who never fastened a sword-belt;
A coward who has never held a sword
instead, the straps of two waterskins are his baldrics.
But instead holds the walking stick of the two holy sites
يَظَلُّkeeps on إِلَيهِtoward him الجَحشُthe foal يَنهَقُbraying إِنif عَلَتrose
يَظَلُّ إِلَيهِ الجَحشُ يَنهَقُ إِن عَلَت
بِهِwith him الريحُthe wind مِنfrom عِرفانِrecognition of مَنone who لاdoes not يُزايِلُهleave him
بِهِ الريحُ مِن عِرفانِ مَن لا يُزايِلُه
The foal keeps braying toward him whenever there rises
The young camel bleats to him if
his scent upon the wind, recognizing one who never leaves its side.
The wind blows it from knowing one who will not abandon it
لَهُhe has عانَةٌa herd of wild asses أَعفاؤُهاits foals آلِفاتُهُhis intimates
لَهُ عانَةٌ أَعفاؤُها آلِفاتُهُ
حُمولَتُهُhis beasts of burden مِنهاfrom it وَمِنهاand from it حَلائِلُهhis wives
حُمولَتُهُ مِنها وَمِنها حَلائِلُه
He has a herd of wild asses whose foals are his intimates;
It has help whose companions are its allies
his beasts of burden come from it, and from it his wives.
Its loads from them and its beginnings from them
مُوَقَّعَةٌscarred أَكتافُهاtheir shoulders مِنfrom رُكوبِهِhis riding
مُوَقَّعَةٌ أَكتافُها مِن رُكوبِهِ
وَتُعرَفُand are recognized بِالكاذاتِby the haunches مِنهاof them مَنازِلُهhis dwellings
وَتُعرَفُ بِالكاذاتِ مِنها مَنازِلُه
Their shoulders are scarred from his riding,
Marked are their shoulders from its riding
and his dwellings are known by their haunches.
And its resting places are known from their signs
أَلاwill you not تَدَّعيclaim descent إِنif كانَwere قَومُكَyour people لَمdid not تَجِدyou find
أَلا تَدَّعي إِن كانَ قَومُكَ لَم تَجِد
كَريماًa noble man لَهُمamong them إِلّاexcept لَئيماًbase أَوائِلُهhis forebears
كَريماً لَهُم إِلّا لَئيماً أَوائِلُه
Why not claim a different lineage, if among your people you have found
Do not claim if your people did not find
no noble man save one whose forebears are base?
A generous one among them other than the wretched of them
Sol 6.1