أَميرَO Commander المؤمِنينَof the Faithful جُزيتَmay you be rewarded خَيراًwith good
أَميرَ المؤمِنينَ جُزيتَ خَيراً
أَرِحناrelieve us مِنof قُباعِQubāʿ بَنيthe sons of المُغيرَهal-Mughīrah
أَرِحنا مِن قُباعِ بَني المُغيرَه
O Commander of the Faithful, may you be rewarded with good.
Relieve us of Qubāʿ of the sons of al-Mughīrah.
بَلَوناهُwe tested him وَلُمناهُand reproached him فَأَعياbut he proved intractable
بَلَوناهُ وَلُمناهُ فَأَعيا
عَلَيناto us ماnot يُمِرُّhe twists tight لَناfor us مَريرَهa stout cord
عَلَينا ما يُمِرُّ لَنا مَريرَه
We have tested him and reproached him, but he has baffled
us: he twists no stout cord for us.
عَلىdespite أَنَّthe fact that الفَتىthe young man نِكحٌmuch given to intercourse أَكولٌa voracious eater
عَلى أَنَّ الفَتى نِكحٌ أَكولٌ
وَمِسهابٌand long-winded مَذاهِبُهُhis paths كَثيرَهmany
وَمِسهابٌ مَذاهِبُهُ كَثيرَه
Though the young man is lustful and gluttonous,
and long-winded, his byways many.
كَأَنّاas though we حينَwhen جِئناهُwe came to him أَطَفناwe gathered around
كَأَنّا حينَ جِئناهُ أَطَفنا
بِضَبعانٍaround a male hyena تَوَرَّطُbecame trapped فيin حَظيرَهa pen
بِضَبعانٍ تَوَرَّطُ في حَظيرَه
It was as though, when we came to him, we had gathered around
a male hyena that had blundered into a pen.