سائِلask بَنيthe sons of الأَشعَرِal-Ashʿar إِنif جِئتَهُمyou come to them
سائِل بَني الأَشعَرِ إِن جِئتَهُم
ماwhat كانَwas أَنباءُthe news of أَبيAbu (father of) واسِعِWasiʿ
ما كانَ أَنباءُ أَبي واسِعِ
Ask the sons of al-Ashʿar, if you come to them,
Ask Banu al-Ashʿar, if you come to them,
what befell Abū Wāsiʿ.
what news there was of Abu Wasiʿ.
لاmay ... not وَسَّعَmake spacious اللَهُGod لَهُfor him قَبرَهُhis grave
لا وَسَّعَ اللَهُ لَهُ قَبرَهُ
بَلrather ضَيَّقَmake narrow اللَهُGod عَلىupon القاطِعِthe one who severed
بَل ضَيَّقَ اللَهُ عَلى القاطِعِ
May God grant him no spacious grave;
May God not make his grave spacious for him;
rather, may God constrict it upon the one who severed
rather, may God constrict it around the one who severed
رِحمَkinship with نَبِيٍّa prophet جَدُّهُhis grandfather جَدُّهُhis grandfather
رِحمَ نَبِيٍّ جَدُّهُ جَدُّهُ
يَدعوhe calls إِلىto نورِthe light of هُدىًguidance ساطِعِradiant
يَدعو إِلى نورِ هُدىً ساطِعِ
the kinship of a Prophet whose forefather was his own—
kinship with a prophet—their grandfather one and the same—
a Prophet calling to the radiant light of guidance.
who calls to the radiant light of guidance.
أَسبَلَhe let loose بِالحِجرِat al-Hijr لِتَكذيبِهِto call him a liar
أَسبَلَ بِالحِجرِ لِتَكذيبِهِ
دونَapart from قُرَيشٍQuraysh نُهزَةَan opportunity القاذِعِthe foul reviler
دونَ قُرَيشٍ نُهزَةَ القاذِعِ
At the Hijr he let his robe trail in arrogant denial of him,
He let loose at al-Hijr to call him a liar,
before Quraysh, seizing the foul reviler’s chance.
apart from Quraysh, seizing a foul reviler's chance.
فَاِستَوجَبَso he earned الدَعوَةَthe prayer against him مِنهُfrom him فَقَدfor indeed
فَاِستَوجَبَ الدَعوَةَ مِنهُ فَقَد
بَيَّنَmade clear لِلناظِرِto the watcher وَالسامِعِand the listener
بَيَّنَ لِلناظِرِ وَالسامِعِ
So he earned the Prophet’s imprecation; indeed, it
So he earned that curse from him; indeed,
made the truth clear to every eye and ear:
it was made plain to watcher and listener
أَنthat سَلَّطَunleashed اللَهُGod بِهِupon him كَلبَهُHis hound
أَن سَلَّطَ اللَهُ بِهِ كَلبَهُ
يَمشيit walks الهُوَيناslowly مِشيَةَthe gait of الخادِعِthe deceiver
يَمشي الهُوَينا مِشيَةَ الخادِعِ
that God unleashed against him His hound,
that God had set His hound upon him,
padding softly with the stealthy stalker’s gait.
walking slowly with a deceiver's gait.
فَاِلتَهَمَthen it devoured الرَأسَthe head بِيافوخِهِwith its crown
فَاِلتَهَمَ الرَأسَ بِيافوخِهِ
وَالحَلقَand the throat مِنهُof him فَغرَةَthe gape of الجائِعِthe hungry one
وَالحَلقَ مِنهُ فَغرَةَ الجائِعِ
Then it devoured his head, crown and all,
Then it devoured the head, crown and all,
and his throat, in the ravenous one’s gaping maw.
and his throat, with the gape of a hungry beast.
أَسلَمتُموهُyou abandoned him وَهوَwhile he يَدعوكُمُhe calls to you
أَسلَمتُموهُ وَهوَ يَدعوكُمُ
بِالنَسَبِby kinship الأَدنىthe nearest وَبِالجامِعِand by the shared bond
بِالنَسَبِ الأَدنى وَبِالجامِعِ
You abandoned him while he appealed to you
You abandoned him while he called to you,
by the nearest kinship and the bond uniting all,
invoking the closest kinship and the shared bond,
وَاللَيثُand the lion يَعلوهُbears down on him بِأَنيابِهِwith its fangs
وَاللَيثُ يَعلوهُ بِأَنيابِهِ
مُنعَفِراًdust-smeared وَسطَamid الدَمِthe blood الناقِعِpooled
مُنعَفِراً وَسطَ الدَمِ الناقِعِ
while the lion bestrode him with its fangs,
while the lion bore down on him with its fangs,
flung face-down amid pooling blood.
as he lay dust-smeared amid the pooled blood.
لاmay ... not يَرفَعِraise up الرَحمَنُthe Most Merciful مَصروعَكُمyour fallen one
لا يَرفَعِ الرَحمَنُ مَصروعَكُم
وَلاand may ... not يُوَهِّنweaken قُوَّةَthe strength of الصارِعِthe one who felled him
وَلا يُوَهِّن قُوَّةَ الصارِعِ
May the All-Merciful not raise your fallen man,
May the Most Merciful not raise your fallen one,
nor weaken the strength of the one who felled him.
nor weaken the strength of the one who struck him down.
مَنwhoever يَرجِعِreturns العامَthis year إِلىto أَهلِهِhis family
مَن يَرجِعِ العامَ إِلى أَهلِهِ
فَماthen ... not أَكيلُthe prey of السَبعِthe wild beast بِالراجِعِreturning at all
فَما أَكيلُ السَبعِ بِالراجِعِ
Whoever returns home to his people this year—
Whoever may return this year to his family,
the lion’s devoured prey will not return.
the beast's prey will not return.
قَدindeed كانَthere was فيهِin him لَكُمُfor you عِبرَةٌa lesson
قَد كانَ فيهِ لَكُمُ عِبرَةٌ
لِلسَيِّدِfor the leader المَتبوعِwho is followed وَالتابِعِand the follower
لِلسَيِّدِ المَتبوعِ وَالتابِعِ
In this there has indeed been a warning for you,
Indeed, in him there was a lesson for you,
for the obeyed chieftain and the follower alike.
for the leader who is followed and for the follower.
مَنwhoever عادَrepeats it فَاللَيثُthen the lion لَهُfor him عائِدٌreturning
مَن عادَ فَاللَيثُ لَهُ عائِدٌ
أَعظِمhow great بِهِit is مِنas a خَبَرٍreport شائِعِwidely spread
أَعظِم بِهِ مِن خَبَرٍ شائِعِ
Whoever repeats the offense, the lion will return for him:
Whoever repeats it, the lion will return for him.
how momentous a tale, spread far and wide!
How momentous this widely spread report is!
Sol 6.1