أُنبِئتُI was told أَنَّthat لِخاليbelonging to my maternal uncle هَجمَةًa large herd of camels حُبساkept confined
أُنبِئتُ أَنَّ لِخالي هَجمَةً حُبسا
كَأَنَّهُنَّas though they were بِجَنبِbeside المَشعَرِal-Mash'ar النُصُلُthe blades
كَأَنَّهُنَّ بِجَنبِ المَشعَرِ النُصُلُ
I was told my maternal uncle has a large herd of camels kept confined,
I was told that my uncle has a herd of camels confined
As though they were blades beside al-Mash'ar.
As if they are next to Mash'ar with cut off humps
قَدindeed كُنتَyou were فيماin what مَضىhad passed قِدماًlong ago تُجاوِرُناyou lived beside us
قَد كُنتَ فيما مَضى قِدماً تُجاوِرُنا
لاno ناقَةٌshe-camel لَكَbelonging to you تَرعاهاyou tend her وَلاnor جَمَلُmale camel
لا ناقَةٌ لَكَ تَرعاها وَلا جَمَلُ
Long ago, in days gone by, you used to live beside us,
You used to dwell with us in the past as a neighbor
With no she-camel of your own to tend, nor a male camel.
You have neither a she-camel to pasture nor a camel
ماwhat ضَرَّharmed خالِيَmy maternal uncle عَمرواًAmr لَوif تَقَسَّمَهاshared it out
ما ضَرَّ خالِيَ عَمرواً لَو تَقَسَّمَها
بَعضُsome of الحِياضِthe watering troughs وَجَمُّand the collected water البِئرِof the well مُحتَفِلُplentiful
بَعضُ الحِياضِ وَجَمُّ البِئرِ مُحتَفِلُ
What harm would it have done my uncle Amr had the herd been shared out
It would not have harmed my uncle ‘Amr if he had divided it
Among some of the watering troughs, while the well's water was plentiful?
Among some of the enclosures and the entirety of the well laden
Sol 6.1