إِذاwhen خِندِفٌKhindif بِاللَيلِat night أَسدَفَgrew dark سَجرُهاher throng
إِذا خِندِفٌ بِاللَيلِ أَسدَفَ سَجرُها
وَجاشَتand she surged مِنَfrom الآفاقِthe horizons بِالعَدَدِwith numbers الدَثرِabundant
وَجاشَت مِنَ الآفاقِ بِالعَدَدِ الدَثرِ
When Khindif's throng grows dark at night,
When dark night blankets with her pitchy shroud,
and she surges from the horizons in teeming numbers,
And myriad stars break from the welkin proud,
رَأىsaw الناسُthe people عِندَat البَيتِthe House أَنَّthat الحَصىthe numbers (literally, pebbles) لَناbelong to us
رَأى الناسُ عِندَ البَيتِ أَنَّ الحَصى لَنا
عَلىover السودِthe black مِنamong أَولادِthe children of آدَمَAdam وَالحُمرِand the red
عَلى السودِ مِن أَولادِ آدَمَ وَالحُمرِ
the people at the House see that the pebble-count favors us
Before the Kaaba all of diverse kind,
over the black and the red among Adam's children.
Th’ Circles’ lords and those of humankind,
وَماand never كُنتُI was مُذsince كانَتwas سَمائيmy sky مَكانَهاin its place
وَما كُنتُ مُذ كانَت سَمائي مَكانَها
وَماand as long as دامَendures حَولَaround الناسِpeople مُطَّلَعُthe rising of البَدرِthe full moon
وَما دامَ حَولَ الناسِ مُطَّلَعُ البَدرِ
And never, since my sky has stood in its place,
I sware that ne’er, since first the skies were rolled,
and as long as the full moon rises around mankind,
And shone the moon's argentine face of old,
لِأَجعَلَto set عَبداًa slave باهِلِيّاًBahili لِخِبثَةٍof illegitimate birth
لِأَجعَلَ عَبداً باهِلِيّاً لِخِبثَةٍ
إِلىbeside حَسَبيmy ancestral honor فَوقَabove الكَواكِبِthe stars أَوor شِعريmy poetry
إِلى حَسَبي فَوقَ الكَواكِبِ أَو شِعري
would I set a Bahili slave of illegitimate birth
Would I disdain as chattel to employ
beside my ancestral honor—above the stars—or my poetry.
The meanest slave, or loose my lordly chain;
أَلاLo! قَبَّحَmay disgrace اللَهُGod الأَصَمَّal-Asamm وَأُمَّهُand his mother
أَلا قَبَّحَ اللَهُ الأَصَمَّ وَأُمَّهُ
وَنَذرَهُماand the vow of both الموفىfulfilled الخَبيثِvile مِنَamong النَذرِvows
وَنَذرَهُما الموفى الخَبيثِ مِنَ النَذرِ
Lo, may God disgrace al-Asamm and his mother,
Accurst be they who make the free their thrall,
and their fulfilled vow, a vile one among vows.
And curse on them who would be cursed of all!
وَلاand may not مَدَّstretch out باعاًan arm's span باهِلِيٌّa Bahili إِلىtoward العُلىhigh honor
وَلا مَدَّ باعاً باهِلِيٌّ إِلى العُلى
وَلاand may not أُغمِضَتbe closed عَيناهُhis two eyes إِلّاexcept عَلىupon وِترِan unavenged wrong
وَلا أُغمِضَت عَيناهُ إِلّا عَلى وِترِ
And may no Bahili stretch an arm toward high honor,
To no base wretch I’d stretch my arm in vain,
and may his eyes be closed only upon an unavenged wrong.
Or spare him for the sake of sordid gain;
أَلَستُمAre you not لِئاماًbase men إِذwhen أَغَبتُI went away إِلَيكُمُto you
أَلَستُم لِئاماً إِذ أَغَبتُ إِلَيكُمُ
إِذاwhen اِقتَبَسَdrew sparks of الناسُthe people المَعالِيَlofty honors مِنfrom بِشرِBishr
إِذا اِقتَبَسَ الناسُ المَعالِيَ مِن بِشرِ
Are you not base, when I went away to you,
Why, when for use or pleasure slaves you lack,
while people drew sparks of greatness from Bishr?
Need ye oppress the hapless homeless black?
Sol 6.1