أَلَمdid ... not? يَكُنthere be فيin وُسومٍbrands قَدalready وَسَمتُI branded بِهاwith them
أَلَم يَكُن في وُسومٍ قَد وَسَمتُ بِها
مَنthose who حانَmet their doom مَوعِظَةٌa warning ياO حارِثَHarith اليَمَنِof Yemen
مَن حانَ مَوعِظَةٌ يا حارِثَ اليَمَنِ
Was there not, in the brands with which I branded
Did you not bear the marks with which I branded
those whose doom had come, a warning, O Harith of Yemen?
Him whose admonition was opportune, O Hārith of Yemen?
إِنَّindeed القَصائِدَthe poems قَدalready جازَتhave travelled غَرائِبُهاtheir rare wonders
إِنَّ القَصائِدَ قَد جازَت غَرائِبُها
ماwhat lies بَينَbetween مِصرَEgypt إِلىto الأَجزاعِthe valley bends مِنof عَدَنِAden
ما بَينَ مِصرَ إِلى الأَجزاعِ مِن عَدَنِ
Indeed, the poems’ rare wonders have travelled
The poems have indeed exhausted their wonders,
from Egypt to the valley bends of Aden.
From Egypt to the trunks of ‘Adan.
يُخزيshames اليَمانِيَةَthe Yemenis المُخضَرَّturned green عَرمَضُهاtheir pond-scum
يُخزي اليَمانِيَةَ المُخضَرَّ عَرمَضُها
تَجريدُlaying bare لاneither طَيِّبٍgood مِنهاamong them وَلاnor حَسَنِfair
تَجريدُ لا طَيِّبٍ مِنها وَلا حَسَنِ
The Yemenis, whose pond-scum has turned green, are shamed
The greenness of her oryx saddles shames al-Yamanīyah;
by laying bare what is neither good nor fair among them.
They are bare, with neither fragrance nor beauty.
تَلقىyou find حِياضَwatering pools بَنيsons of الدَيّانِal-Dayyan مُترَعَةًbrimful
تَلقى حِياضَ بَني الدَيّانِ مُترَعَةً
وَغالَand has spoiled حَوضَكَyour pool خُبثُfoulness الماءِof the water وَالعَطَنِand the camels’ watering-ground
وَغالَ حَوضَكَ خُبثُ الماءِ وَالعَطَنِ
You find the watering pools of the sons of al-Dayyan brimful,
They come to the cisterns of Banū al-Dayyān all speckled,
while foulness in the water and the camels’ watering-ground has spoiled your pool.
While foul water and stench have defiled your cistern.
إِنّاindeed we وَجَدناwe found قَنانَpinnacles اللُؤمِof baseness إِذwhen نَبَتواthey sprouted
إِنّا وَجَدنا قَنانَ اللُؤمِ إِذ نَبَتوا
أَصلاًa root خَبيثاًvile وَفَرعاًand a branch بادِيَplainly showing الأُبَنِknots
أَصلاً خَبيثاً وَفَرعاً بادِيَ الأُبَنِ
We found the pinnacles of baseness, when they sprouted,
We have found the jars of meanness, when they sprouted,
a vile root and a branch with plainly visible knots.
An evil stock and branches manifestly rotten.
أَمسىhave become سَراةُthe nobles بَنيsons of الدَيّانِal-Dayyan ناصِيَةًa forelock
أَمسى سَراةُ بَني الدَيّانِ ناصِيَةً
وَاللُؤمُand baseness يَأويtakes refuge إِلَيكُمwith you ياO بَنيsons of قَطَنِQatan
وَاللُؤمُ يَأوي إِلَيكُم يا بَني قَطَنِ
The nobles of the sons of al-Dayyan now stand as the forelock,
The herd of Banū al-Dayyān has become a watering place,
and baseness takes refuge with you, O sons of Qatan.
While meanness takes refuge with you, O Banū Qaṭan!
Sol 6.1