إِذاif أَنتَyou ياO اِبنَson of الكَلبِthe dog أَلقَتكَcasts you out نَهشَلٌNahshal
إِذا أَنتَ يا اِبنَ الكَلبِ أَلقَتكَ نَهشَلٌ
وَلَمand not تَكُyou were فيin حِلفٍan alliance فَماthen what أَنتَyou صانِعُdoing
وَلَم تَكُ في حِلفٍ فَما أَنتَ صانِعُ
If Nahshal casts you out, you son of a dog,
If you, O son of a dog, are torn apart by hyenas
and you have no alliance, what will you do?
And you were not in an alliance, then what will you do?
أَلاwill you not تَسأَلونَyou ask الناسَthe people عَنّاabout us وَعَنَّكُمand about you
أَلا تَسأَلونَ الناسَ عَنّا وَعَنَّكُم
إِذاwhen عُظِّمَتare honored عِندَin the course of الأُمورِaffairs الصَنائِعُbenefactions
إِذا عُظِّمَت عِندَ الأُمورِ الصَنائِعُ
Will you not ask the people about us and about yourselves,
Why do you not ask the people about us and about you
when benefactions are honored in the affairs of men?
When deeds are magnified at critical times?
تَعالَواcome فَعُدّواthen count يَعلَمِmay know الناسُthe people أَيُّناwhich of us
تَعالَوا فَعُدّوا يَعلَمِ الناسُ أَيُّنا
لِصاحِبِهِto his counterpart فيin أَوَّلِthe beginning of الدَهرِtime تابِعُa follower
لِصاحِبِهِ في أَوَّلِ الدَهرِ تابِعُ
Come, then reckon, so the people may know which of us
Come let the people know which of us
was the other's follower in earliest times,
Was subordinate to his companion in the early days
وَأَيُّand which القَبيلَينِthe two tribes الَّذيthat فيin بُيوتِهِمtheir houses
وَأَيُّ القَبيلَينِ الَّذي في بُيوتِهِم
عِظامُgreat المَساعيachievements وَاللُهىand gifts وَالدَسائِعُand lavish bounty
عِظامُ المَساعي وَاللُهى وَالدَسائِعُ
and which of the two tribes has within its houses
And which tribe is it whose houses contain
great achievements, gifts, and lavish bounty?
The bones of endeavor, amusement, and fleeting joys
وَأَينَand where تُقَضّيsettle المالِكانِthe two Malik clans أُمورَهاits affairs
وَأَينَ تُقَضّي المالِكانِ أُمورَها
بِحَقٍّwith justice وَأَينَand where الخافِقاتِthe fluttering banners اللَوامِعُgleaming
بِحَقٍّ وَأَينَ الخافِقاتِ اللَوامِعُ
And where do the two Malik clans settle their affairs
And where do the chiefs settle their affairs
with justice—and where are the fluttering, gleaming banners?
With truth? And where are the shining swords?
وَأَينَand where الوُجوهُthe faces الواضِحاتِradiant عَشِيَّةًat evening
وَأَينَ الوُجوهُ الواضِحاتِ عَشِيَّةً
عَلىat البابِthe gate وَالأَيديand the hands الطِوالُlong النَوافِعُhelpful
عَلى البابِ وَالأَيدي الطِوالُ النَوافِعُ
And where are the radiant faces at evening,
And where are the radiant faces in the evening
at the gate, and the far-reaching, helpful hands?
At the door with long helpful hands?
تَنَحَّstep aside عَنِfrom البَطحاءِthe gravel plain إِنَّindeed قَديمَهاits ancient heritage
تَنَحَّ عَنِ البَطحاءِ إِنَّ قَديمَها
لَناours وَالجِبالُand the mountains الباذِخاتُlofty الفَوارِعُtowering
لَنا وَالجِبالُ الباذِخاتُ الفَوارِعُ
Step aside from the gravel plain: its ancient heritage
Keep away from the plain, for its ancient parts
is ours, as are the lofty, towering mountains.
Are ours, and the lofty precipitous mountains.
أَخَذناwe took hold بِآفاقِof the horizons السَماءِheaven عَلَيكُمُabove you
أَخَذنا بِآفاقِ السَماءِ عَلَيكُمُ
لَناours قَمَراهاits sun and moon وَالنُجومُand the stars الطَوالِعُrising
لَنا قَمَراها وَالنُجومُ الطَوالِعُ
We have grasped heaven's horizons above you;
We have taken control of the horizons against you -
ours are its sun and moon and the rising stars.
The moon and stars belong to us.
لَناours مُقرَمٌa prized stud camel يَعلوrises above القُرومَthe camel-stallions هَديرُهُhis bellow
لَنا مُقرَمٌ يَعلو القُرومَ هَديرُهُ
بِذَخlofty and proud كُلُّevery فَحلٍstallion دونَهُbeneath him مُتَواضِعُhumbled
بِذَخ كُلُّ فَحلٍ دونَهُ مُتَواضِعُ
Ours is a prized stud camel whose bellow rises above other stallions,
We have a warhorse that with the thunder of its galloping
lofty and proud; every stallion beneath him is humbled.
Humbles all other horses beneath it.
هَوىfell الخَطَفىal-Khatafa لَمّاwhen اِختَطَفتُI snatched away دِماغَهُhis brain
هَوى الخَطَفى لَمّا اِختَطَفتُ دِماغَهُ
كَماjust as اِختَطَفَsnatched البازيthe hawk الخَشاشَthe small birds المُقارِعُfierce
كَما اِختَطَفَ البازي الخَشاشَ المُقارِعُ
Al-Khatafa fell when I snatched away his brain,
It lusted for his brains when I plucked them out
just as the fierce hawk snatches up small birds.
As a falcon plucks a partridge with its talons.
أَتَعدِلُdo you equate أَحساباًancestral honors لِئاماًbase أَدِقَّةًpaltry
أَتَعدِلُ أَحساباً لِئاماً أَدِقَّةً
بِأَحسابِناwith our ancestral honors إِنّيindeed I إِلىto اللَهِGod راجِعُreturning
بِأَحسابِنا إِنّي إِلى اللَهِ راجِعُ
Do you equate base, paltry ancestral honors
Can you match accounts, O base and precise calculators,
with ours? Indeed, I return to God.
With our accounts? To God I shall return.
وَكُنّاand we would إِذاwhenever الجَبّارُthe tyrant صَعَّرَturned aside arrogantly خَدَّهُhis cheek
وَكُنّا إِذا الجَبّارُ صَعَّرَ خَدَّهُ
ضَرَبناهُwe struck him حَتّىuntil تَستَقيمَstraighten الأَخادِعُthe neck-veins
ضَرَبناهُ حَتّى تَستَقيمَ الأَخادِعُ
And whenever a tyrant turned his cheek in arrogance,
Whenever the tyrant scowled,
we would strike him until his neck-veins straightened.
We struck him until the pretender was upright.
وَنَحنُand we جَعَلناwe gave لِاِبنِto the son of طَيبَةَTayba حُكمَهُhis judgment
وَنَحنُ جَعَلنا لِاِبنِ طَيبَةَ حُكمَهُ
مِنَfrom الرُمحِthe spear إِذwhen نَقعُdust السَنابِكِthe hooves ساطِعُrising high
مِنَ الرُمحِ إِذ نَقعُ السَنابِكِ ساطِعُ
And we gave Ibn Tayba his judgment
And we made the judgment of Ibn Tayyibah
from the spear, when the dust of hooves rose high.
Come from the spear when the hafts flash.
وَكُلُّand every فَطيمٍweanling يَنتَهيstops لِفِطامِهِat his weaning
وَكُلُّ فَطيمٍ يَنتَهي لِفِطامِهِ
وَكُلُّand every كُلَيبِيٍّKulayb tribesman وَإِنand even if شابَhe turns gray راضِعُa suckling
وَكُلُّ كُلَيبِيٍّ وَإِن شابَ راضِعُ
And every weanling stops suckling at his weaning,
And every weaned child ends with his weaning,
and every Kulayb tribesman, though gray-haired, is a suckling.
And every little whelp, though he grow up, still sucks.
تَزَيَّدَgrew larger يَربوعٌYarbuʿ بِهِمwith them فيin عِدادِهِمtheir numbers
تَزَيَّدَ يَربوعٌ بِهِم في عِدادِهِم
كَماjust as زيدَwere added فيin عَرضِthe breadth of الأَديمِthe hide الأَكارِعُthe shanks
كَما زيدَ في عَرضِ الأَديمِ الأَكارِعُ
Yarbuʿ has swelled its numbers with them,
Jarbo increased them in number, joining their number,
just as shanks are added to the breadth of a hide.
As patches are added to the width of a garment.
إِذاwhen قيلَit is asked أَيُّwhich الناسِpeople شَرُّworst قَبيلَةًas a tribe
إِذا قيلَ أَيُّ الناسِ شَرُّ قَبيلَةً
أَشارَتpointed كُلَيبٌKulayb بِالأَكُفِّwith the hands الأَصابِعُthe fingers
أَشارَت كُلَيبٌ بِالأَكُفِّ الأَصابِعُ
When it is asked, “Which tribe among men is the worst?”
When it is said, "Which people are the worst tribe?"
the hands' fingers point to Kulayb.
Kulayb points with his fingers.
Sol 6.1