كِلابٌ وَتَيمٌ أَلصَقا اِبنَ أَخيهِما

كِلابٌ وَتَيمٌ أَلصَقا اِبنَ أَخيهِما

وَلَولاهُما كانوا عَبيدَ بَني بَكرِ

وَلَولاهُما كانوا عَبيدَ بَني بَكرِ

Kilab and Taym claimed their brother’s son as kin;

Dogs and an orphan clung to their brother's son

but for them both, they would have been slaves of Banu Bakr.

And were it not for them, they would be slaves of Bakr's sons

هُما اِستَنفَذاهُ بَعدَما شابَ رَأسُهُ

هُما اِستَنفَذاهُ بَعدَما شابَ رَأسُهُ

بِدَهرٍ حَذارَ العارِ أَو سُبَّةِ الدَهرِ

بِدَهرٍ حَذارَ العارِ أَو سُبَّةِ الدَهرِ

They both rescued him after his head had turned gray—

They exhausted him after his head grew white

an age later, for fear of dishonor or enduring disgrace.

With a lifetime of avoiding dishonor or the vicissitudes of fate

وَإِنَّ اِمرِأً بَركٌ أَبوهُ وَجَدُّهُ

وَإِنَّ اِمرِأً بَركٌ أَبوهُ وَجَدُّهُ

سَحابٌ لَمَخسوسٌ إِلى مُنتَهى الفَخرِ

سَحابٌ لَمَخسوسٌ إِلى مُنتَهى الفَخرِ

And indeed, a man whose father is Bark and whose grandfather

And a man whose father and grandfather were righteous

is Sahab is surely lowborn as far back as his ancestry goes.

Is a blessed cloud reaching to the pinnacle of pride