أَبلِغtell رَبيعَةَRabīʿah وَاِبنَand the son of أُمِّهِhis mother نَوفَلاًNawfal
أَبلِغ رَبيعَةَ وَاِبنَ أُمِّهِ نَوفَلاً
أَنيthat I مُصيبُone who strikes العُظمِthe bone إِنif لَمnot أَصْفَحِI pardon
أَني مُصيبُ العُظمِ إِن لَم أَصْفَحِ
Tell Rabīʿah and his mother's son, Nawfal,
Tell Rabee'ah and Ibn Ummuhu Nowfal
that I strike to the bone if I do not pardon.
That I bear a grudge if I do not pardon.
وَكَأَنَّنيand as though I were رِئبالُa lion غابٍthickets ضَيغَمٍa fierce lion
وَكَأَنَّني رِئبالُ غابٍ ضَيغَمٍ
يَقروhe roams الأَماعِزَthe stony tracts بِالفَجاجِthrough the passes الأَفيَحِthe spacious
يَقرو الأَماعِزَ بِالفَجاجِ الأَفيَحِ
And I am like a fierce lion of the thickets,
I am like a hungry wolf in the rugged land
roaming the stony ground through spacious passes.
Who bleats at the goats in the barren valley.
غَرَثَتgrew hungry حَليلَتُهُhis mate وَأَرمَلَand ran out of food لَيلَةُa night
غَرَثَت حَليلَتُهُ وَأَرمَلَ لَيلَةُ
فَكَأَنَّهُso he seems غَضبانُenraged ماas long as لَمْnot يَجرَحِhe wounds
فَكَأَنَّهُ غَضبانُ ما لَمْ يَجرَحِ
His mate has grown hungry, and he has gone a night without food,
His female has miscarried and a night has widowed him,
so he seems enraged until he draws blood.
So he is wrathful if he is not vicious.
فَتَخالُهُso you would take him for حَسّانَḤassān إِذwhen حَرَّبتَهُyou provoked him
فَتَخالُهُ حَسّانَ إِذ حَرَّبتَهُ
فَدَعِso leave الفَضاءَthe open ground إِلىfor مَضيقِكَyour narrow confines وَاِفسَحِand make room
فَدَعِ الفَضاءَ إِلى مَضيقِكَ وَاِفسَحِ
You would take him for Ḥassān when you have provoked him.
Deem him to be singing when you have provoked him,
So leave the open ground for your narrow confines, and make room.
So leave the open country for your narrow pass and give room.
إِنَّindeed الخِيانَةَtreachery وَالمَغالَةَand guile وَالخَناand foul speech
إِنَّ الخِيانَةَ وَالمَغالَةَ وَالخَنا
وَاللُؤمَand baseness أَصبَحَhas become ثاوِياًresident بِالأَبطَحِin al-Abṭaḥ
وَاللُؤمَ أَصبَحَ ثاوِياً بِالأَبطَحِ
Indeed, treachery, guile, and foul speech,
Truly treachery, sinfulness, and baseness.
and baseness have come to dwell in al-Abṭaḥ.
Have become desolate in the stony tracts.
قَومٌa people إِذاwhen نَطَقَutters الخَناfoul speech ناديهِمِtheir assembly
قَومٌ إِذا نَطَقَ الخَنا ناديهِمِ
تُبِعَis followed الخَناfoul speech وَأُضيعَand is ignored أَمرُthe command of المُصلِحِthe reformer
تُبِعَ الخَنا وَأُضيعَ أَمرُ المُصلِحِ
A people: when their assembly utters foul speech,
A people, if an evildoer addresses them,
foul speech is followed, and the reformer's command is ignored.
Evil is followed and the good deed of the reformer is lost.
وَاِشَتقَّand launched into speech عِندَbeside الحِجرِal-Ḥijr كُلُّevery مُزَلَّجٍbaseborn man
وَاِشَتقَّ عِندَ الحِجرِ كُلُّ مُزَلَّجٍ
إِلّاif not يَصِحhe shouts عِندَduring المَقالَةِthe discussion يَنبَحِhe barks
إِلّا يَصِح عِندَ المَقالَةِ يَنبَحِ
And every baseborn man launches into speech beside al-Ḥijr;
Everyone slick withdrew at the stone(-throwing)
if he does not shout in discussion, he barks.
Except the barking of the fools in altercation.
أَهَجَوتَdid you lampoon حَمزَةَḤamzah أَنbecause تُوَفِّيَhe died صابِراًsteadfast
أَهَجَوتَ حَمزَةَ أَن تُوَفِّيَ صابِراً
وَكَفاكَand sufficed you أَهلُكَyour kin كَالرِئالِlike ostrich chicks الرُزَّحِthe exhausted
وَكَفاكَ أَهلُكَ كَالرِئالِ الرُزَّحِ
Did you lampoon Ḥamzah because he died steadfast,
You censured Hamzah hoping he would show forbearance
while your own kin, like exhausted ostrich chicks, were enough for you?
While your family suffices you like jointed puppets.
فَلَبِئسَso wretched indeed ماwhat قاتَلتَyou fought يَومَthe day لَقيتَناyou met us
فَلَبِئسَ ما قاتَلتَ يَومَ لَقيتَنا
أَيرٌa penis تَقَلقَلَwobbled فيin حِرٍa vulva لَمnot يُصلَحِbe mended
أَيرٌ تَقَلقَلَ في حِرٍ لَم يُصلَحِ
How badly you fought the day you met us—
Evil is that for which you fought us the day you met us -
a penis wobbling in a vulva left unmended.
A blind man tottering in barren heat that cannot be rectified.
عَبدٌa slave إِذاwhen فَعَلَperformed العَظائِمَgreat deeds أَهلُهاthose worthy of them
عَبدٌ إِذا فَعَلَ العَظائِمَ أَهلُها
جَعدُcurled الأَنامِلِthe fingertips فيin الشِتاءِthe winter المَدلَحِrain-laden
جَعدُ الأَنامِلِ في الشِتاءِ المَدلَحِ
A slave, when those worthy of great deeds perform them,
When a slave commits enormities, his people
tight-fingered in the rain-laden winter.
Are ruffled hair in winter's violent cold.
Sol 6.1