لَستَyou are not مِنَof المَعشَرِthe people الأَكرَميthe noblest (continued)
لَستَ مِنَ المَعشَرِ الأَكرَمي
نَcompletes ‘the noblest’ لاneither عَبدِʿAbd (in ʿAbd Shams) شَمسٍShams (in ʿAbd Shams) وَلاnor نَوفَلِNawfal
نَ لا عَبدِ شَمسٍ وَلا نَوفَلِ
You are not of the noblest folk—
You are not of the noblest stock,
neither of ʿAbd Shams nor of Nawfal.
No worshipper of the sun nor Nufailite,
وَلَيسَand is not أَبوكَyour father بِساقيa giver of drink to الحَجيthe pilgrims (continued)
وَلَيسَ أَبوكَ بِساقي الحَجي
جَcompletes ‘the pilgrims’ فَاِقعُدso sit down عَلىupon الحَسَبِancestral standing الأَرذَلِthe basest
جَ فَاِقعُد عَلى الحَسَبِ الأَرذَلِ
Nor is your father the pilgrims’ water-giver;
Nor is your father a water-carrier of pilgrims.
so settle for the basest ancestral standing.
So sit on the most inferior lineage.
وَلَكِنbut هَجينٌa man of mixed birth مَنوطٌfastened بِهِمto them
وَلَكِن هَجينٌ مَنوطٌ بِهِم
كَماjust as نُوِّطَتwas fastened حَلقَةُthe ring المِحمَلِof the sword-belt
كَما نُوِّطَت حَلقَةُ المِحمَلِ
But you are a half-breed fastened to them,
But you are a mongrel tied to them,
as a sword-belt’s ring is fastened.
As the nose ring is tied to the camel's nose.
تَجيشُseethe مِنَfrom اللُؤمِbaseness أَحسابُكُمyour ancestral honors
تَجيشُ مِنَ اللُؤمِ أَحسابُكُم
كَجَيشِlike the boiling of المُشاشَةِgristle فيin المِرجَلِthe cauldron
كَجَيشِ المُشاشَةِ في المِرجَلِ
Your ancestral honors seethe with baseness,
Your calculations seethe with vileness,
like gristle boiling in a cauldron.
Like the seething of mash in a cooking pot.
فَلَوfor if كُنتَyou were مِنof هاشِمِHashim فيin الصَميthe very core (continued)
فَلَو كُنتَ مِن هاشِمِ في الصَمي
مِcompletes ‘the very core’ لَمnot (past negation) تَهجُناyou lampoon us وَرِكَيO two haunches of مُصطَليone warming himself at a fire
مِ لَم تَهجُنا وَرِكَي مُصطَلي
For had you been of Hashim to the very core,
If you were from Hashim despite your defiance,
you would not have lampooned us, O fire-warmer’s haunches!
You would not disparage us, headstrong rascal.
Sol 6.1