سَأَلتَyou asked قُرَيشاًQuraysh فَلَمso did not يَكذِبواthey lie
سَأَلتَ قُرَيشاً فَلَم يَكذِبوا
فَسَلso ask وَحوَحاًWaḥwaḥ وَأَباand Abū عامِرِʿĀmir
فَسَل وَحوَحاً وَأَبا عامِرِ
You asked Quraysh, and they did not lie;
You asked the Quraysh, and they did not lie,
so ask Waḥwaḥ and Abū ʿĀmir
So ask Wahwah and Abu Amer,
ماwhat أَصلُancestry of حَسّانَḤassān فيamong قَومِهِhis people
ما أَصلُ حَسّانَ في قَومِهِ
وَلَيسَand is not المُسائِلُthe questioner كَالخابِرِlike one who knows firsthand
وَلَيسَ المُسائِلُ كَالخابِرِ
what Ḥassān's ancestry is among his people;
What is the origin of Hassan among his people,
and the questioner is not like one who knows firsthand.
And questions are not like news.
فَلَوso if يَصدُقونَthey speak truthfully لَأَنبَوكُمُthey would tell you all
فَلَو يَصدُقونَ لَأَنبَوكُمُ
بِأَنّاthat we are ذَوُوpossessors of الحَسَبِancestral honor القاهِرِsurpassing
بِأَنّا ذَوُو الحَسَبِ القاهِرِ
For if they spoke truthfully, they would tell you
If they were truthful, they would tell you
that we possess surpassing ancestral honor,
That we are of noble and victorious lineage,
وَأَنّاand that we are مَساعيرُkindlers of war عِندَamid الوَغىthe din of battle
وَأَنّا مَساعيرُ عِندَ الوَغى
نَرُدُّwe repel شَباthe sharp points of الأَبلَخِthe arrogant man الفاجِرِthe evildoer
نَرُدُّ شَبا الأَبلَخِ الفاجِرِ
and that in battle we are kindlers of its fire;
And that we are quick to the fray,
we repel the sharp points of the arrogant evildoer.
Repulsing the insolent, transgressing youth.
وَرِثتُI inherited الفَعالَnoble deeds وَبَذلَand giving التِلاancestral wealth (start of التلاد)
وَرِثتُ الفَعالَ وَبَذلَ التِلا
دِcompletion of التلاد (ancestral wealth) وَالمَجدَand glory عَنfrom كابِرٍgreat forebear كابِرِgreat forebear
دِ وَالمَجدَ عَن كابِرٍ كابِرِ
I inherited noble deeds and the giving of ancestral
I inherited gallantry and generosity
wealth, and glory, from great forebear after great forebear,
And glory from many a magnificent ancestor.
وَحَملَand bearing الدِياتِblood-money payments وَفَكَّand freeing العُناcaptives (start of العناة)
وَحَملَ الدِياتِ وَفَكَّ العُنا
ةِcompletion of العناة (captives) وَالعِزَّand dignity فيin الحَسَبِancestral honor الفاخِرِillustrious
ةِ وَالعِزَّ في الحَسَبِ الفاخِرِ
and taking on blood-money payments, and freeing
And took upon myself blood-money and ransom,
captives, and dignity in illustrious ancestry,
And honor and noble rank.
بِكُلِّwith every مَتينٍsturdy spear أَصَمِّsolid الكُعوshaft-joints (start of الكعوب)
بِكُلِّ مَتينٍ أَصَمِّ الكُعو
بِcompletion of الكعوب (shaft-joints) وَأَبيَضَand a white sword ذيpossessing رَونَقٍsheen باتِرِcleaving
بِ وَأَبيَضَ ذي رَونَقٍ باتِرِ
with every sturdy spear, solid at its
The shoulders of every tall, fully armed warrior,
joints, and a white sword, gleaming and cleaving,
And bright-faced, graceful, slender-waisted.
وَبَيضاءَand a white coat of mail كَالنَهيِlike a pool فَضفاضَةٍample
وَبَيضاءَ كَالنَهيِ فَضفاضَةٍ
تَثَنّىfolding over بِعولٍwith weight عَلىupon الناشِرِthe one spreading it out
تَثَنّى بِعولٍ عَلى الناشِرِ
and an ample white coat of mail, like a pool,
And white-faced women like prohibition, languid,
folding heavily over the one who spreads it out.
Swaying with chubby, round-faced infants.
بِهاwith it نَختَليwe reap مُهَجَthe lifeblood of الدارِعيarmored men (start of الدارعين)
بِها نَختَلي مُهَجَ الدارِعي
نَcompletion of الدارعين (armored men) إِذاwhen نَوَّرَbrightens الصُبحُthe dawn لِلناظِرِfor the beholder
نَ إِذا نَوَّرَ الصُبحُ لِلناظِرِ
With it we reap the lifeblood of armored
With them we while away the watches of the night
men, when dawn brightens for the beholder.
When the dawn gleams for the onlooker.
إِذاwhen اِستَبَقَrace الناسُthe people غاياتِهِمtheir goals
إِذا اِستَبَقَ الناسُ غاياتِهِم
وَجَدتَyou find الزِبَعرىal-Zibaʿrā مَعَwith الآخِرِthe last one
وَجَدتَ الزِبَعرى مَعَ الآخِرِ
When people race toward their goals,
When people vie for their utmost goals
you find al-Zibaʿrā with the last to arrive.
You will find Zib'ar in the rear.
وَماand what يَجعَلُmakes العَيَّthe tongue-tied man وَسطَamid النَدِيthe assembly (start of النديّ)
وَما يَجعَلُ العَيَّ وَسطَ النَدِي
يِcompletion of النديّ (the assembly) كَالمَحرَبِlike the combative man المِصقَعِthe eloquent speaker الشاعِرِthe poet
يِ كَالمَحرَبِ المِصقَعِ الشاعِرِ
And what makes the tongue-tied man amid the assembly
And nothing places a fault in the midst of praise
like the combative, eloquent poet?
Like the heavily-armed, eloquent poet.
وَكَيفَand how يُناصِبُنيchallenges me مُفحَمٌone unable to compose verse
وَكَيفَ يُناصِبُني مُفحَمٌ
يُنَصُّis traced back إِلىto مُلصَقٍone falsely attached to a lineage بائِرِworthless
يُنَصُّ إِلى مُلصَقٍ بائِرِ
And how can one incapable of verse challenge me,
How can an ignorant man disparage me,
his descent traced to a worthless man of false lineage?
One who clings to a shining sword?
فَبِئسَso wretched is الخَطيبُthe orator وَنِعمَand excellent is الأَجيرُthe hireling
فَبِئسَ الخَطيبُ وَنِعمَ الأَجيرُ
وَمُستَأبِطُand one carrying under his arm القِدرِthe cooking pot لِلجازِرِfor the butcher
وَمُستَأبِطُ القِدرِ لِلجازِرِ
A wretched orator, then, and a fine hireling,
Evil is the orator and excellent the hireling,
and one who carries the pot under his arm for the butcher!
And the despicable the butcher.
Sol 6.1