إِنَّindeed اِبنَson of عَمِّكَyour paternal uncle وَاِبنَand son of أُمmother (continued)
إِنَّ اِبنَ عَمِّكَ وَاِبنَ أُم
مِكَyour (completes 'your mother') مُعلِمٌbearing a battle-mark شاكيfully armed السِلاحِweapons
مِكَ مُعلِمٌ شاكي السِلاحِ
Indeed, your paternal cousin and your mother's son
Your cousin and your uncle's son, the weapons master
bears his battle-mark, fully armed.
Pursues the foe unsatisfied, though his wings beat down
يَقِصُbreaks the neck of العَدُوَّthe enemy وَلَيسَand is not يَرbegins 'is content'
يَقِصُ العَدُوَّ وَلَيسَ يَر
ضىcompletes 'is content' حينَwhen يَبطِشُstrikes violently بِالجَناحِwith the wing (flank)
ضى حينَ يَبطِشُ بِالجَناحِ
He breaks the enemy's neck and is not
Think not your cousin still a babe who milk-teats sucked
content, when he strikes, with the wing alone.
Nay, like aloes 'neath the grindstone with poison racked
لاdo not تَحسَبَنَّever think أَذىharm اِبنِson of عَمpaternal uncle (continued)
لا تَحسَبَنَّ أَذى اِبنِ عَم
مِكَyour (completes 'your paternal uncle') شِربَdrinking أَلبانِmilk اللَقاحِmilch she-camels
مِكَ شِربَ أَلبانِ اللَقاحِ
Do not think that harming your paternal cousin
See for yourself who comes to aid you midst the lances' points
is like drinking the milk of milch camels;
He who was grieved you in your absence might attack
بَلrather كَالشَجاlike a bone stuck in the throat تَحتَbeneath اللَهاbegins 'the uvula'
بَل كَالشَجا تَحتَ اللَها
ةِcompletes 'the uvula' إِذاwhen يُسَوَّغُis made to go down بِالقَراحِwith pure water
ةِ إِذا يُسَوَّغُ بِالقَراحِ
rather, it is like a bone lodged beneath the uvula
when it is washed down with pure water.
وَاِنظُرand consider لِنَفسِكَfor yourself مَنwho يُجيbegins 'answers'
وَاِنظُر لِنَفسِكَ مَن يُجي
بُكَcompletes 'answers you' تَحتَbeneath أَطرافِthe points of الرِماحِthe spears
بُكَ تَحتَ أَطرافِ الرِماحِ
And consider for yourself who will answer
you beneath the points of spears:
مَنone who لاnot يَزالُceases يَسوؤُهُit grieves him
مَن لا يَزالُ يَسوؤُهُ
بِالغَيبِin your absence أَنthat يَلحاكَreproaches you لاحِa faultfinder
بِالغَيبِ أَن يَلحاكَ لاحِ
one whom it never ceases to grieve
that a faultfinder should reproach you in your absence.
Partial English translation: 6 of 12 Arabic lines translated.