ياO اِبنَson of المَراغَةِal-Maragha وَالهِجاءُand satire إِذاwhen اِلتَقَتmeet
يا اِبنَ المَراغَةِ وَالهِجاءُ إِذا اِلتَقَت
أَعناقُهُits necks وَتَماحَكَand wrangle الخَصمانِthe two adversaries
أَعناقُهُ وَتَماحَكَ الخَصمانِ
O son of al-Maragha, when satire's
necks meet and the two adversaries wrangle,
ماwhat ضَرَّharmed تَغلِبَTaghlib وائِلٍof Wa'il أَهَجَوتَهاdid you lampoon them?
ما ضَرَّ تَغلِبَ وائِلٍ أَهَجَوتَها
أَمor بُلتَyou urinated حَيثُwhere تَناطَحَclashed البَحرانِthe two seas
أَم بُلتَ حَيثُ تَناطَحَ البَحرانِ
what harm to Taghlib of Wa'il, whether you lampoon them
or piss where the two seas clash?
ياO اِبنَson of المَراغَةِal-Maragha إِنَّindeed تَغلِبَTaghlib وائِلٍof Wa'il
يا اِبنَ المَراغَةِ إِنَّ تَغلِبَ وائِلٍ
رَفَعواthey raised عِنانيmy rein فَوقَabove كُلِّevery عِنانِrein
رَفَعوا عِناني فَوقَ كُلِّ عِنانِ
O son of al-Maragha, Taghlib of Wa'il
have raised my rein above every other rein.
كانَused to الهُذَيلُal-Hudhayl يَقودُlead كُلَّevery طِمِرَّةٍfleet mare
كانَ الهُذَيلُ يَقودُ كُلَّ طِمِرَّةٍ
دَهماءَjet-black مُقرَبَةٍcherished وَكُلَّand every حِصانِstallion
دَهماءَ مُقرَبَةٍ وَكُلَّ حِصانِ
Al-Hudhayl would lead every fleet mare,
jet-black and cherished, and every stallion.
يَصهِلنَthey neigh بِالنَظَرِat the sight البَعيدِdistant كَأَنَّماas though
يَصهِلنَ بِالنَظَرِ البَعيدِ كَأَنَّما
إِرنانُهاtheir ringing cries بِبَواثِنِin the lowlands of الأَشطانِal-Ashtan
إِرنانُها بِبَواثِنِ الأَشطانِ
They neigh at what they see far off, as though
their cries rang through the lowlands of al-Ashtan.
يَقطَعنَthey traverse كُلَّevery مَدىًstretch بَعيدٍfar-reaching غَولُهُits wearying extent
يَقطَعنَ كُلَّ مَدىً بَعيدٍ غَولُهُ
خَبَبَat the trot of السِباعِbeasts of prey يُقَدنَthey are led بِالأَرسانِby halters
خَبَبَ السِباعِ يُقَدنَ بِالأَرسانِ
They cross every stretch, however vast its wearying reach,
trotting like beasts of prey, led by halters.
وَكَأَنَّand as though راياتِthe banners of الهُذَيلِal-Hudhayl إِذاwhen بَدَتthey appear
وَكَأَنَّ راياتِ الهُذَيلِ إِذا بَدَت
فَوقَabove الخَميسُthe army كَواسِرُswooping العِقبانِeagles
فَوقَ الخَميسُ كَواسِرُ العِقبانِ
And al-Hudhayl's banners, when they appear
above the army, are like swooping eagles.
وَرَدواthey reached أَرابَArāb بِجَحفَلٍwith a vast army مِنfrom وائِلٍWa'il
وَرَدوا أَرابَ بِجَحفَلٍ مِن وائِلٍ
لَجِبِclamorous العَشِيِّat dusk ضُبارِكِmighty الأَركانِin its flanks
لَجِبِ العَشِيِّ ضُبارِكِ الأَركانِ
They reached Arāb with a vast host of Wa'il,
clamorous at dusk, mighty in its flanks.
وَيَبيتُand spend the night فيهِwithin it مِنَfrom المَخافَةِfear عائِذاًseeking refuge
وَيَبيتُ فيهِ مِنَ المَخافَةِ عائِذاً
أَلفٌa thousand عَلَيهِupon them قَوانِسُthe helmet-crests of الأَبدانِcoats of mail
أَلفٌ عَلَيهِ قَوانِسُ الأَبدانِ
And within it, seeking shelter from fear, lodge by night
a thousand, with helmet-crests above their coats of mail.
تَرَكواthey left لِتَغلِبَfor Taghlib إِذwhen رَأَواthey saw أَرماحَهُمtheir spears
تَرَكوا لِتَغلِبَ إِذ رَأَوا أَرماحَهُم
بِأَرابَat Arāb كُلَّevery لَئيمَةٍbase woman مِدرانِfilthy
بِأَرابَ كُلَّ لَئيمَةٍ مِدرانِ
They left behind for Taghlib, when they saw their spears,
at Arāb, every base, filthy woman.
تُدميmake bleed وَتَغلِبُwhile Taghlib يَمنَعونَprotect بَناتِهِمtheir daughters
تُدمي وَتَغلِبُ يَمنَعونَ بَناتِهِم
أَقدامَهُنَّtheir feet حِجارَةُstones of الصَوّانِflint
أَقدامَهُنَّ حِجارَةُ الصَوّانِ
Blood is drawn—while Taghlib guard their daughters—
from those women's feet by stones of flint.
يَمشينَthey walk فيin أَثَرِthe wake of الهُذَيلِal-Hudhayl وَتارَةًand at times
يَمشينَ في أَثَرِ الهُذَيلِ وَتارَةً
يُردَفنَthey are mounted pillion خَلفَbehind أَواخِرِthe rearmost of الرُكبانِthe riders
يُردَفنَ خَلفَ أَواخِرِ الرُكبانِ
They walk in al-Hudhayl's wake, and at times
are carried pillion behind the hindmost riders.
لَولاwere it not for أَناتُهُمُtheir restraint وَفَضلُand the abundance of حُلومِهِمtheir forbearance
لَولا أَناتُهُمُ وَفَضلُ حُلومِهِم
باعواthey would have sold أَباكَyour father بِأَوكَسِfor the lowest of الأَثمانِprices
باعوا أَباكَ بِأَوكَسِ الأَثمانِ
Were it not for their restraint and abundant forbearance,
they would have sold your father for the paltriest price.
وَالحَوفَزانِand al-Hawfazan أَميرُهُمtheir commander مُتَضائِلٌcowering
وَالحَوفَزانِ أَميرُهُم مُتَضائِلٌ
فيin جَمعِthe host of تَغلِبَTaghlib ضارِبٌpressing down بِجِرانِwith his neck's underside
في جَمعِ تَغلِبَ ضارِبٌ بِجِرانِ
And al-Hawfazan, their commander, cowers
amid Taghlib's host, his throat pressed to the ground.
أَحبَبنَthey loved تَغلِبَTaghlib إِذwhen هَبَطنَthey descended into بِلادَهُمtheir lands
أَحبَبنَ تَغلِبَ إِذ هَبَطنَ بِلادَهُم
لَمّاwhen سَمِنَّthey grew fat وَكُنَّthough they had been غَيرَnot سِمانِfat
لَمّا سَمِنَّ وَكُنَّ غَيرَ سِمانِ
They loved Taghlib when they entered their lands,
once they grew fat, though they had been lean.
يَمشينَthey walk بِالفَضَلاتِwith leftovers وَسطَamong شُروبِهِمtheir drinking bands
يَمشينَ بِالفَضَلاتِ وَسطَ شُروبِهِم
يَتبَعنَthey follow كُلَّevery عَقيرَةٍslaughtered beast وَدُخانِand smoke
يَتبَعنَ كُلَّ عَقيرَةٍ وَدُخانِ
They walk with leftovers among their drinking bands,
following every slaughtered beast and plume of smoke.
يَتَبايَعونَthey trade among themselves إِذاwhen اِنتَشَواthey become drunk بِبَناتِكُمin your daughters
يَتَبايَعونَ إِذا اِنتَشَوا بِبَناتِكُم
عِندَupon الإِيابِreturning بِأَوكَسِfor the lowest of الأَثمانِprices
عِندَ الإِيابِ بِأَوكَسِ الأَثمانِ
When drunk, they trade your daughters among themselves,
on returning, for the paltriest prices.
وَاِسأَلand ask بِتَغلِبَabout Taghlib كَيفَhow كانَwas قَديمُهاtheir ancient standing
وَاِسأَل بِتَغلِبَ كَيفَ كانَ قَديمُها
وَقَديمُand the ancient standing of قَومِكَyour people أَوَّلَat the beginning of الأَزمانِthe ages
وَقَديمُ قَومِكَ أَوَّلَ الأَزمانِ
And ask about Taghlib: what was their ancient standing,
and your people's ancient standing, in the earliest times?
قَومٌa people هُمُthey قَتَلواkilled اِبنَthe son of هِندٍHind عَنوَةًby force
قَومٌ هُمُ قَتَلوا اِبنَ هِندٍ عَنوَةً
عَمراً'Amr وَهُمand they قَسَطواacted unjustly عَلىagainst النُعمانِal-Nu'man
عَمراً وَهُم قَسَطوا عَلى النُعمانِ
A people who slew the son of Hind by force—
'Amr—and they wronged al-Nu'man.
قَتَلواthey killed الصَنائِعَthe royal retainers وَالمُلوكَand the kings وَأَوقَدواand they kindled
قَتَلوا الصَنائِعَ وَالمُلوكَ وَأَوقَدوا
نارَينِtwo fires قَدindeed عَلَتاboth rose عَلىabove النيرانِthe fires
نارَينِ قَد عَلَتا عَلى النيرانِ
They slew the royal retainers and the kings, and kindled
two fires that rose above all other fires.
لَولاwere it not for فَوارِسُthe horsemen of تَغلِبَTaghlib اِبنَةِdaughter of وائِلٍWa'il
لَولا فَوارِسُ تَغلِبَ اِبنَةِ وائِلٍ
نَزَلَwould have descended العَدُوُّthe enemy عَلَيكَupon you كُلَّevery مَكانِplace
نَزَلَ العَدُوُّ عَلَيكَ كُلَّ مَكانِ
Were it not for the horsemen of Taghlib, daughter of Wa'il,
the enemy would have descended on you everywhere.
حَبَسواthey held captive اِبنَthe son of قَيصَرَCaesar وَاِبتَنواand they built بِرِماحِهِمwith their spears
حَبَسوا اِبنَ قَيصَرَ وَاِبتَنوا بِرِماحِهِم
يَومَon the day of الكُلابِal-Kulab كَأَكرَمَlike the noblest of البُنيانِstructures
يَومَ الكُلابِ كَأَكرَمَ البُنيانِ
They held Caesar's son captive and built with their spears,
on the day of al-Kulab, a match for the noblest edifice.
وَلَقَدand indeed عَلِمتُI know لِيَذرِفَنit will surely spill ذاthe contents of بَطنِهِits belly
وَلَقَد عَلِمتُ لِيَذرِفَن ذا بَطنِهِ
يَربوعُكُمyour Yarbu' (jerboa) لِمُوَقِّصِbefore the neck-breaker of الأَقرانِrivals
يَربوعُكُم لِمُوَقِّصِ الأَقرانِ
And I know full well it will spill its belly's contents—
your Yarbu'—before the breaker of rivals' necks.
إِنَّindeed الأَراقِمَal-Araqim لَنwill never يَنالَattain قَديمَهاtheir ancient glory
إِنَّ الأَراقِمَ لَن يَنالَ قَديمَها
كَلبٌa dog عَوىthat howled مُتَهَتِّمُbroken الأَسنانِin its teeth
كَلبٌ عَوى مُتَهَتِّمُ الأَسنانِ
Indeed, al-Araqim's ancient glory will never be attained
by a howling dog with broken teeth.
قَومٌa people إِذاwhen وُزِنواthey are weighed بِقَومٍagainst a people فُضِّلواthey are found superior
قَومٌ إِذا وُزِنوا بِقَومٍ فُضِّلوا
مِثلَيtwice the weight of مُوازِنِهِمthose weighed against them عَلىupon الميزانِthe scales
مِثلَي مُوازِنِهِم عَلى الميزانِ
A people who, weighed against another, are found superior—
twice their counterparts' weight upon the scales.
Sol 6.1