أَلاَlisten ياO عمروAmr عمروAmr قَبيلِtribe of سَهْمٍSahm
أَلاَ يا عمرو عمرو قَبيلِ سَهْمٍ
لقدindeed أخطأتَyou erred رأيكَyour judgment فيconcerning عَقيلِAqil
لقد أخطأتَ رأيكَ في عَقيلِ
Listen, O Amr—Amr of the tribe of Sahm—
Alas, O Amr, before the arrow strikes,
you have indeed erred in your judgment of Aqil.
You have erred in judgment, O Aqil.
بُليتَyou were afflicted بِحَيّةٍwith a serpent صَمّاءَdeaf باتَتْit spent the night
بُليتَ بِحَيّةٍ صَمّاءَ باتَتْ
تَلَفّتُlooking around أينَwhere مُلْتَمَسُthe place to seek القبيلِthe clan
تَلَفّتُ أينَ مُلْتَمَسُ القبيلِ
You have been afflicted with a deaf serpent that spent the night
You were stung by a deaf adder
looking about for where the clan might be found,
As I search - where can the tribe be found?
بِعَيْنٍwith an eye تَنْفُذُpierces البيداءَthe desert لحظاًwith a glance
بِعَيْنٍ تَنْفُذُ البيداءَ لحظاً
ونابٍand a fang غيرِnot موصولٍgrafted كليلِblunt
ونابٍ غيرِ موصولٍ كليلِ
with an eye whose glance pierces the desert,
With an eye piercing the horizon in a glance
and a fang—not a grafted, blunt one.
And fangs unleashed like a smooth file.
وقدand indeed كانتْhad been تُرَجِّمُهُmaking guesses about him قريشٌQuraysh
وقد كانتْ تُرَجِّمُهُ قريشٌ
علىin عَمياءَblind ignorance مِنْthrough قالٍgossip وقيلِand hearsay
على عَمياءَ مِنْ قالٍ وقيلِ
And Quraysh had indeed been judging him by guesswork,
The Quraysh used to translate it for him
blindly, through gossip and hearsay.
Based on the blindness of saying and telling.
أَلاَah للهِto God درُّexcellence أبيAbu (father of) يَزيدٍYazid
أَلاَ للهِ درُّ أبي يَزيدٍ
لِهَرْجِfor the turmoil of الأَمْرِaffairs والخَطْبِand the calamity الجليلِgrave
لِهَرْجِ الأَمْرِ والخَطْبِ الجليلِ
Ah, God be praised for Abu Yazid,
Alas! Praiseworthy is my father Yazid
amid the turmoil of affairs and grave calamity!
For the tumultuous affair and momentous event.
فماfor never خاصَمْتُI disputed مِثْلَكَone like you منamong خصِيمٍadversaries
فما خاصَمْتُ مِثْلَكَ من خصِيمٍ
ولاnor حالوتَyou contended مِثْلَكَone like you مِنْamong حَويلِrivals
ولا حالوتَ مِثْلَكَ مِنْ حَويلِ
For I have never disputed with an adversary like you,
Never have I contended with the like of you,
nor have you contended with a rival like yourself.
Nor been confounded by the like of your wiles.
أتانيhe came to me زائراًas a visitor ورأىand he saw عَلِيّاAli
أتاني زائراً ورأى عَلِيّا
قَليلَshort of المالِmoney مُنْقَطِعَcut off from الخَليلِa close friend
قَليلَ المالِ مُنْقَطِعَ الخَليلِ
He came to me as a visitor, and saw Ali
You came to me as a visitor and saw
short of money, bereft of close friends.
Me, with little wealth, deserted by friends.
فأَجْزَلتُso I gave lavishly العطاءthe gift لهto him ودَبّتْand crept
فأَجْزَلتُ العطاء له ودَبّتْ
عَقَارِبُهُhis scorpions لِسَالِفَةِover the earlier الدّخولِentry
عَقَارِبُهُ لِسَالِفَةِ الدّخولِ
So I lavished gifts on him, and there crept
So I was generous to you, though your toes
his scorpions, over that earlier entry.
Itched to flee once your wants were fulfilled.
فلمyet not يرضَhe was content الكثيرَmuch وقدand indeed أراهُI see him
فلم يرضَ الكثيرَ وقد أراهُ
سَخُوطاًdiscontented للكثيرِwith much وَلِلْقَلِيلِand with little
سَخُوطاً للكثيرِ وَلِلْقَلِيلِ
Yet he was not content with much, and I see him
You were ungrateful for much, though I showed it to you,
discontented with much and with little alike.
Scowling at plenty and little alike.
Sol 6.1