لَحاmay curse اللَهُGod قَوماًa people أَرَّشواthey kindled الحربthe war بَينَناbetween us
لَحا اللَهُ قَوماً أَرَّشوا الحرب بَينَنا
سَقَوناthey gave us to drink بِهاthrough it مُرّاًbitter مِنَof الشُربِdrink آجِناstagnant
سَقَونا بِها مُرّاً مِنَ الشُربِ آجِنا
May God curse the people who kindled war between us.
God has forsaken a people who dragged us into war
Through it they gave us a bitter, stagnant draught.
They made us drink bitter drink that churned our insides
وَحَرمَلَةَand Harmala الناهيهُمُwho forbids them عَنfrom قِتالِناfighting us
وَحَرمَلَةَ الناهيهُمُ عَن قِتالِنا
وَماand not دَهرُهُhis lifetime إِلّاexcept يَكونُhe is مُطاعِناexchanging spear-thrusts
وَما دَهرُهُ إِلّا يَكونُ مُطاعِنا
And Harmala, who forbids them to fight us,
And deemed forbidden shedding our blood
Yet all his life he does nothing but exchange spear-thrusts.
While time will only bring more stabs against us
أكلفI burden ذاthe possessor of الخصيينthe two testicles إنif كانhe is ظالماًa wrongdoer
أكلف ذا الخصيين إن كان ظالماً
وإنand if كانhe is مظلوماًwronged وإنand if كانhe is شاطناfar away
وإن كان مظلوماً وإن كان شاطنا
I burden the man with two testicles, whether he has done wrong,
I task the emasculated one, be he unjust
Or suffered wrong, or is far away.
Or wronged, or even openly hating
خصاهُcastrated him امرؤٌa man منfrom اهلِthe people of تيماءTayma طابِنٌskillful
خصاهُ امرؤٌ من اهلِ تيماء طابِنٌ
ولاand not يعدمُlacks الإنسيthe human والجنُّand the jinn طابناa skillful one
ولا يعدمُ الإنسي والجنُّ طابنا
A skillful man from Tayma castrated him;
A man of Taym castrated him, so finely done
Neither humans nor jinn lack a skillful one.
Humans and jinn alike could wish such castration
فَهَلّاthen why not بَنيthe sons of ذُبيانَDhubyan وَسطَamid بِيوتِهِمtheir homes
فَهَلّا بَني ذُبيانَ وَسطَ بِيوتِهِم
رَهَنتَyou pledged بِمَرِّagainst the passage of الريحِthe wind إِنif كُنتَyou were راهِناpledging
رَهَنتَ بِمَرِّ الريحِ إِن كُنتَ راهِنا
Why, then, were the sons of Dhubyan, amid their homes,
Why not, O Bani Dhubyan, in your homes’ midst
Not pledged by you against the wind's passage, if you meant to pledge?
Have you staked the winds’ bitterness should you stake this bet
وَخالَستُهُمand I snatched from them حَقّيmy due خِلالَamid بِيوتِهِمtheir homes
وَخالَستُهُم حَقّي خِلالَ بِيوتِهِم
وضإِنand though كُنتُI was أَلقىencountering مِنfrom رِجالٍmen ضَغائِناgrudges
وضإِن كُنتُ أَلقى مِن رِجالٍ ضَغائِنا
And I snatched my due from them amid their homes,
And in their homes I reclaimed my right stealthily
Though I met with rancor from men.
And if I meet men nursing rancor, violently
إِذاwhenever قُلتُI said قَدindeed أَفلَتِّI escaped مِنfrom شَرِّthe evil of حَنبَصٍHanbas
إِذا قُلتُ قَد أَفلَتِّ مِن شَرِّ حَنبَصٍ
لَقيتُI met بِأُخرىelsewhere حَنبَصاًa Hanbas مُتَباطِناlurking
لَقيتُ بِأُخرى حَنبَصاً مُتَباطِنا
Whenever I said, 'I have escaped Hanbas's evil,'
When I say I escaped evil Hanbas
I met, elsewhere, a Hanbas lurking.
I face another Hanbas, more cunning and covert
فَقَدfor indeed جَعَلَتhave begun أَكبادُناour livers تَجتَويهُمُto loathe them
فَقَد جَعَلَت أَكبادُنا تَجتَويهُمُ
كماjust as يَجتَويloathe سوقُthe trunks of العِضاهِthorn trees الكَرازِناthe axes
كما يَجتَوي سوقُ العِضاهِ الكَرازِنا
For our livers have indeed begun to loathe them,
For our livers bubble with wrath against them
As the trunks of thorn trees loathe axes.
As the flesh in the cooking pots of butchers seethes
يَدُرّونَناthey beguile us بِالمُنكَراتِwith vile deeds كَأَنَّماas though
يَدُرّونَنا بِالمُنكَراتِ كَأَنَّما
يَدُرّونَthey beguile وِلداناًboys تُرَمّيpelting الرَهادِناthe sparrows
يَدُرّونَ وِلداناً تُرَمّي الرَهادِنا
They beguile us with vile deeds, as though
They treat us so foul, as though
Beguiling boys who pelt sparrows.
They churn babies our she-camels cast
Sol 6.1