سَمّاهُnamed him مَعشَرُهُhis people أَباfather of حَكَمٍHakam (arbiter)
سَمّاهُ مَعشَرُهُ أَبا حَكَمٍ
وَاللَهِand God سَمّاهُnamed him أَباfather of جَهلِJahl (ignorance)
وَاللَهِ سَمّاهُ أَبا جَهلِ
His people named him Abu Hakam,
His people called him Abu Hakam
and God named him Abu Jahl.
But by God they named him Abu Jahl
فَماso never يَجيءُhe comes الدَهرَever مُعتَمِراًwearing a turban
فَما يَجيءُ الدَهرَ مُعتَمِراً
إِلّاexcept وَمِرجَلُand the cauldron جَهلِهِof his ignorance يَغليboils
إِلّا وَمِرجَلُ جَهلِهِ يَغلي
So never does he come wearing a turban
Time does not pass pilgriming
without the cauldron of his ignorance boiling.
Without his ignorance boiling over
وَكَأَنَّهُand he seems مِمّاfrom what يَجيشُseethes بِهِwithin him
وَكَأَنَّهُ مِمّا يَجيشُ بِهِ
يُبديhe displays الفُجورَwickedness وَسَورَةَand the fury الجَهلِof ignorance
يُبدي الفُجورَ وَسَورَةَ الجَهلِ
And he seems, from what seethes within him,
It's as if he's roused by it
to display wickedness and the fury of ignorance.
To show immorality and the chapter of ignorance
يُغرىare drawn بِهِto him سُفعٌdark-faced ones لَعامِظَةٌgluttonous
يُغرى بِهِ سُفعٌ لَعامِظَةٌ
مِثلُlike السِباعِwild beasts شَرَعنَentered فيinto الضَحلِthe shallows
مِثلُ السِباعِ شَرَعنَ في الضَحلِ
Dark-faced gluttons are drawn to him,
With it fools are tempted, violent like beasts
like wild beasts that have entered the shallows.
Who crept into the shallow water
أَبقَتleft behind رَياسَتُهُhis leadership لِمَعشَرِهِfor his people
أَبقَت رَياسَتُهُ لِمَعشَرِهِ
غَضَبَthe wrath الإِلَهِof God وَذِلَّةَand the abasement الأَصلِof lineage
غَضَبَ الإِلَهِ وَذِلَّةَ الأَصلِ
His leadership has left his people
His leadership left his people
God's wrath and the abasement of their lineage.
Angry with God and despised origins
إِنif يَنتَصِرhe fights back يَدمىbleeds الجَبينُthe brow وَإِنand if
إِن يَنتَصِر يَدمى الجَبينُ وَإِن
يُلبَثhe is delayed قَليلاًa little while يودَruin is brought بِالرَحلِupon the baggage
يُلبَث قَليلاً يودَ بِالرَحلِ
If he fights back, his brow bleeds; and if
If he's victorious his forehead bleeds and if
he is delayed a little, ruin befalls his baggage.
He lingers a little he wishes for departure
قَدindeed رامَنيassailed me الشُعَراءُthe poets فَاِنقَلَبواso they returned
قَد رامَني الشُعَراءُ فَاِنقَلَبوا
مِنّيfrom me بِأَفوَقَwith a broken-nocked arrow ساقِطِfallen off النَصلِthe arrowhead
مِنّي بِأَفوَقَ ساقِطِ النَصلِ
The poets have assailed me, only to return
The poets challenged me but they returned
from me with a broken-nocked arrow, its point fallen off.
From me with the tips of their blades broken
وَيَصُدُّand turn away عَنّيfrom me المُفحَمونَthe silenced poets كَماjust as
وَيَصُدُّ عَنّي المُفحَمونَ كَما
صَدَّrecoiled البِكارَةُthe young she-camels عَنfrom حَرىthe heat الفَحلِof the male camel
صَدَّ البِكارَةُ عَن حَرى الفَحلِ
And the silenced poets recoil from me, just as
And the confounded turn away from me as
young she-camels recoiled from the male camel's heat.
The virgins turned away from the excited stud
يَخشَونَthey fear مِنfrom حَسّانَHassan ذاone bearing بَرَدٍhail
يَخشَونَ مِن حَسّانَ ذا بَرَدٍ
هَزِمَthundering العَشِيَّةِat evening صادِقَunfailing in الوَبلِthe downpour
هَزِمَ العَشِيَّةِ صادِقَ الوَبلِ
They fear from Hassan a hail-bearing cloud,
They fear Hassân of cool sword
thundering at evening, unfailing in its downpour.
Who defeated the evening the sincereblade
Sol 6.1