تَعَلَّمknow أَنَّthat شَرَّthe worst of الناسِmankind حَيٌّa clan
تَعَلَّم أَنَّ شَرَّ الناسِ حَيٌّ
يُنادىis called out فيin شِعارِهِمُtheir rallying cry يَسارُYasār
يُنادى في شِعارِهِمُ يَسارُ
Know that the worst of mankind are a clan
in whose rallying cry “Yasār” is shouted.
وَلَولاand were it not for عَسبُهُhis stud-service لَرَدَدتُموهُyou would surely have returned him
وَلَولا عَسبُهُ لَرَدَدتُموهُ
وَشَرُّand the worst مَنيحَةٍloaned gift عَسبٌstud-service مُعارُlent out
وَشَرُّ مَنيحَةٍ عَسبٌ مُعارُ
Were it not for his stud-service, you would surely have sent him back,
and the worst loan is stud-service lent out.
إِذاwhen جَمَحَتrush headlong نِساؤُكُمُyour women إِلَيهِtoward him
إِذا جَمَحَت نِساؤُكُمُ إِلَيهِ
أَشَظَّhe becomes erect كَأَنَّهُas though he were مَسَدٌa fibre rope مُغارُtightly twisted
أَشَظَّ كَأَنَّهُ مَسَدٌ مُغارُ
When your women rush headlong toward him,
he grows erect, like a tightly twisted fibre rope.
يُبَربِرُhe gibbers حينَwhen يَعدوhe runs مِنfrom بَعيدٍafar
يُبَربِرُ حينَ يَعدو مِن بَعيدٍ
إِلَيهاtoward her وَهوَwhile he is قَبقابٌa noisy fellow قُطارُa lumbering fellow (uncertain sense)
إِلَيها وَهوَ قَبقابٌ قُطارُ
He gibbers as he runs from afar
toward her, a noisy, lumbering fellow,
كَطِفلٍlike a child ظَلَّkept يَهدِجُtottering مِنfrom بَعيدٍafar
كَطِفلٍ ظَلَّ يَهدِجُ مِن بَعيدٍ
ضَئيلِslight الجِسمِof body يَعلوهُovercomes him اِنبِهارُbreathlessness
ضَئيلِ الجِسمِ يَعلوهُ اِنبِهارُ
like a child who keeps tottering from afar,
slight of body, overcome by breathlessness.
إِذاwhen أَبزَتshe raises her rump بِهِbeneath him يَوماًone day أَهَلَّتshe cries aloud
إِذا أَبزَت بِهِ يَوماً أَهَلَّت
كَماjust as تُبزيraise their rumps الصَعائِدُshe-camels that have miscarried وَالعِشارُand ten-month-pregnant she-camels
كَما تُبزي الصَعائِدُ وَالعِشارُ
When one day she raises her rump beneath him, she cries aloud,
as she-camels that have miscarried and those ten months pregnant raise theirs.
فَأَبلِغthen convey إِنif عَرَضتَyou happen to come لَهُمto them رَسولاًa message
فَأَبلِغ إِن عَرَضتَ لَهُم رَسولاً
بَنيthe sons of الصَيداءِal-Ṣaydāʾ إِنif نَفَعِavails الجِوارُneighborly ties
بَني الصَيداءِ إِن نَفَعِ الجِوارُ
Convey, if you happen upon them, a message
to the sons of al-Ṣaydāʾ—if neighborly ties avail—
بِأَنَّthat الشِعرَpoetry لَيسَthere is not لَهُfor it مَرَدٌّany turning back
بِأَنَّ الشِعرَ لَيسَ لَهُ مَرَدٌّ
إِذاwhen وَرَدَreach المِياهَthe watering places بِهِwith it التِجارُthe merchants
إِذا وَرَدَ المِياهَ بِهِ التِجارُ
that poetry cannot be turned back
once merchants bring it to the watering places.
Sol 6.1