لَوif خُلِقَwere created اللُؤمُbaseness إِنساناًas a human being يُكَلِّمُهُمspeaks to them
لَو خُلِقَ اللُؤمُ إِنساناً يُكَلِّمُهُم
لَكانَthen he would be خَيرَthe best of هُذَيلٍHudhayl حينَwhen ياتيهاhe comes to it
لَكانَ خَيرَ هُذَيلٍ حينَ ياتيها
If baseness were created as a man who spoke to them,
If cowardice were a man who spoke to them,
He would be the best of Hudhayl when he came to them.
He would be better than Hudhayl when he visits them.
تَرىyou see مِنَof اللُؤمِbaseness رَقماًa mark بَينَbetween أَعيُنِهِمtheir eyes
تَرى مِنَ اللُؤمِ رَقماً بَينَ أَعيُنِهِم
كَماas كَوىbranded أَذرُعِthe forelegs of العاناتِthe wild-ass herds كاويهاtheir brander
كَما كَوى أَذرُعِ العاناتِ كاويها
You see a mark of baseness between their eyes,
You see brands between the cowards' eyes -
As their brander branded the forelegs of wild-ass herds.
Like the marks of hot irons branding the slave girls.
تَبكيweep القُبورُthe graves إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle ماتَdies مَيِّتُهُمtheir dead one
تَبكي القُبورُ إِذا ما ماتَ مَيِّتُهُم
حَتّىuntil يَصيحَcries out بِمَنto those who فيin الأَرضِthe earth داعيهاtheir caller
حَتّى يَصيحَ بِمَن في الأَرضِ داعيها
The graves weep whenever one of theirs dies,
The graves weep when their coward dies -
Until their caller cries out to those within the earth.
Crying out to whoever is in the earth to mourn him.
مِثلُlike القَنافِذِhedgehogs تَخزىare ashamed أَنthat تُفاجِئَهاyou surprise them
مِثلُ القَنافِذِ تَخزى أَن تُفاجِئَها
شَدَّat the height of النَهارِthe day وَيُلقىand is met اللَيلَat night ساريهاtheir night-roamer
شَدَّ النَهارِ وَيُلقى اللَيلَ ساريها
Like hedgehogs, they are ashamed should you surprise them
Like hedgehogs, the cowards are too timid to face
At the height of day; at night, their night-roamer is met.
The harshness of daylight or the night spreading its veil.
Sol 6.1