لا تَدفَع الباهِلِيَّ عَن حَسَبِه
دَعهُ وَما يَدَّعيهِ مِن نَسَبِه
Do not dispute al-Bāhilī’s claim to pedigree;
leave him to whatever lineage he claims.
سَلِّم لِدَعواهُ باهِلِيَّتهُ
لَعَلَّهُ أَن يلجّ في كَذِبِه
Concede his claim to Bāhilī descent,
that he may persist in his lie.
إِنَّكَ إِن تَبغِهِ فَما أَحَدٌ
أَلأَمَ مِن قَومِه وَلا حَسَبِه
For if you look into him, there is no man
baser than his people—or than his pedigree.
فَإِن طَغا أَو زَها عَلَيكَ بِما
صَحَّ لَهُ في اللِئامِ مِن عَرَبِه
And if he grows overbearing, or vaunts himself over you because of
the standing he truly holds among the vile of his Arab kin,
فَاِرفَع حَواشي إِزارِهِ تَرَ ما
يَلوحُ مِن وَسمِهِ عَلى ذَنَبِه
then lift the skirts of his waistcloth, and you will see what
shows of his brand-mark upon his tail.
Sol 5.6