إِذاif مِسمَعٌMismaʿ أَعطَتكَgives to you يَوماًone day يَمينُهُhis right hand
إِذا مِسمَعٌ أَعطَتكَ يَوماً يَمينُهُ
فَعُدتَthen you return غَداًtomorrow عادَتgives again عَلَيكَto you شِمالُهاits left hand
فَعُدتَ غَداً عادَت عَلَيكَ شِمالُها
If one day Mismaʿ's right hand gives to you,
If a generous person gave you with their right hand one day,
And you return tomorrow, its left gives to you again.
But you returned the next day, their left hand would give to you.
شِمالٌa left hand مِنَamong الأَيمانِright hands عادَتbestowed again عَطِيَّةًa gift
شِمالٌ مِنَ الأَيمانِ عادَت عَطِيَّةً
يُهانُis held cheap وَيُعطىand is given away فيin الحَقائِقِweighty matters مالُهاits wealth
يُهانُ وَيُعطى في الحَقائِقِ مالُها
A left hand among right hands, bestowing a gift anew,
A left hand returning generosity after the right -
Its wealth is held cheap and given away in weighty matters.
Humility receives while arrogance owns what is its due.
لَهاit has سورَةٌlofty standing كانَhad المُعَلّىal-Muʿallā بَنىbuilt لَهاfor it
لَها سورَةٌ كانَ المُعَلّى بَنى لَها
مَكارِمَnoble honors ماnot كانَتwere يَدانِtwo hands تَنالُهاattain them
مَكارِمَ ما كانَت يَدانِ تَنالُها
It has lofty standing; al-Muʿallā had built for it
To it belongs a chapter for which the Exalted One built,
Noble honors no pair of hands could attain
Noble qualities which only righteous hands could accrue,
مِنَamong الناسِpeople إِلّاexcept مِنfrom قُرَيشٍQuraysh وَدارِمٍand Dārim
مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا مِن قُرَيشٍ وَدارِمٍ
إِذاwhen سَبَقَoutstripped الأَيديthe hands القِصارَthe short ones طِوالُهاtheir long ones
إِذا سَبَقَ الأَيدي القِصارَ طِوالُها
Among men, save those of Quraysh and Dārim,
From mankind except for Quraysh and the Darim,
When their long hands outstripped the short.
When short hands surpassed in greed the generous hands' virtue.
أَعِدgive again ليto me عَطاءًa gift كُنتَyou had عَوَّدتَنيyou accustomed me لَهُto it
أَعِد لي عَطاءً كُنتَ عَوَّدتَني لَهُ
جَداbounty دَفقَةًa gush كانَتwere غِزاراًabundant سِجالُهاits bucketfuls
جَدا دَفقَةً كانَت غِزاراً سِجالُها
Give me again the gift you had accustomed me to:
Prepare for me a gift you had accustomed me to,
A gushing bounty whose bucketfuls were abundant.
Flowing heavily, its pouring forth profuse.
وَرِثتُمyou (plural) inherited عَنِfrom الجارودِal-Jārūd قِدراًa cooking-pot وَجَفنَةًand a great bowl
وَرِثتُم عَنِ الجارودِ قِدراً وَجَفنَةً
كَثيراًmany إِذاwhen اِحمَرَّturns red الشِتاءُwinter عِيالُهاits dependents
كَثيراً إِذا اِحمَرَّ الشِتاءُ عِيالُها
You inherited from al-Jārūd a cooking-pot and a great bowl,
You inherited from Al-Jaroud temperance and restraint,
With many dependents when winter turns red,
Abundant when the winter reddened the cheeks of its youth.
مِنَamong السودِblack women يَحمِلنَthey carry اليَتامىthe orphans كَأَنَّهُمas though they
مِنَ السودِ يَحمِلنَ اليَتامى كَأَنَّهُم
فِراخٌchicks عَلىupon الأَوراكِthe hips زُغبٌdowny حِصالُهاtheir tufts
فِراخٌ عَلى الأَوراكِ زُغبٌ حِصالُها
Among black women carrying orphans, as though they were
Of the black ones who carry the orphans as if they were
Chicks on the women's hips, their tufts downy.
Chicks upon the nests - downy are their body hair and down.
تَرىyou see النارَthe fire عَنbeside مِثلِsomething like النَعامَةِan ostrich حَولَهاaround it
تَرى النارَ عَن مِثلِ النَعامَةِ حَولَها
لَهاit has شُطَبٌstrips of meat تَطفوfloat سِماناًfat-laden مَحالُهاits vertebrae
لَها شُطَبٌ تَطفو سِماناً مَحالُها
You see the fire around it, a pot like an ostrich;
You see fire circling them like the ostrich,
It holds strips of meat, its fat-laden vertebrae floating.
It has marked thighs that float with fat plump.
لَهُhe has راحَةٌa palm بَيضاءُwhite يَندىgrow moist بَنانُهاits fingertips
لَهُ راحَةٌ بَيضاءُ يَندى بَنانُها
قَليلٌfew إِذاwhen اِعتَلَّmakes excuses البَخيلُthe miser اِعتِلالُهاits excuses
قَليلٌ إِذا اِعتَلَّ البَخيلُ اِعتِلالُها
He has a white palm whose fingertips are moist;
It has a white rest on which its fingers relax,
Few are its excuses when the miser makes excuses.
Measured when the miser is stricken with miserliness' malady.
فَدونَكَso take for yourself هَذيthis مِنfrom ثَنائيmy praise فَإِنَّهاfor indeed it
فَدونَكَ هَذي مِن ثَنائي فَإِنَّها
لَهاit has غُرَّةٌa forehead blaze بَيضاءُwhite باقٍenduring جَمالُهاits beauty
لَها غُرَّةٌ بَيضاءُ باقٍ جَمالُها
So take this from my praise, for it
So this is my praise for you, which will remain
Has a white blaze whose beauty endures.
With an eternal radiance and brilliant beauty.
وَأَنتَand you لِعَبدِfor ʿAbd القَيسِal-Qays سَيفٌa sword تَسُلُّهُshe draws it
وَأَنتَ لِعَبدِ القَيسِ سَيفٌ تَسُلُّهُ
عَلىagainst مَنwhoever يُعاديهاis hostile to her وَأَنتَand you هِلالُهاher crescent moon
عَلى مَن يُعاديها وَأَنتَ هِلالُها
And for ʿAbd al-Qays you are a sword she draws
And you are to Abd al-Qays a sword he draws
Against those who oppose her, and you are her crescent moon.
Against those who oppose her while you are her crescent moon.
Sol 6.1