لاdo not ترجُexpect منيfrom me يابنَO son of سعدSaʿd هوادةًleniency
لا ترجُ مني يابنَ سعد هوادةً
ولاnor صحبةًcompanionship ماas long as أرزمَتlowed softly أمّa mother of حائلa female camel calf
ولا صحبةً ما أرزمَت أمّ حائل
Expect no leniency from me, O son of Saʿd,
Do not expect tenderness from me, son of Saad,
nor companionship, as long as a female camel calf's mother lows.
Nor companionship, for no mother raised a barrier.
أعندis it before الأميرthe emir ابنson of الأميرthe emir تعيبنيyou disparage me
أعند الأمير ابن الأمير تعيبني
وأنتwhile you ابنson of عمروʿAmr مضحكa laughingstock فيamong القبائلthe tribes
وأنت ابن عمرو مضحك في القبائل
Do you disparage me before the emir, the emir's son,
Does the prince, son of a prince, find fault with me?
while you, the son of ʿAmr, are a laughingstock among the tribes?
While you, son of Amr, are a laughingstock among the tribes.
ولوand had غيرناsomeone other than us ياO سعدSaʿd رمتyou sought حريمهhis protected domain
ولو غيرنا يا سعد رمت حريمه
بخسفٍwith humiliation لقدsurely غودرتyou would have been left لحقاunclear as written; possibly 'meat' (لحماً) لاكلfor a devourer
بخسفٍ لقد غودرت لحقا لاكل
And had you, Saʿd, assailed another's protected domain
Had it been another than us, O Saad, who cast away his womenfolk
with humiliation, you would surely have been left as [meat] for a devourer.
To abyss, he would have been wronged indeed, had he but known.
فشالتthen carried aloft بكwith you العنقاءُthe ʿAnqāʾ, a mythical bird أوor صرتyou would have become لحمةa morsel of flesh
فشالت بك العنقاءُ أو صرت لحمة
لأغبسfor a dusky wolf عواءa frequent howler العشياتthe evenings عاسلِloping
لأغبس عواء العشيات عاسلِ
Then the ʿAnqāʾ would have carried you aloft, or you would have become a morsel
So the slender-necked one let you down, or you became a morsel
for a dusky wolf, howling in the evenings, loping along.
For the howling dog of eve, a castle abandoned.
Sol 6.1