عَجِبتُI marvel لِحِلمٍat judgment ياO اِبنَson of شَيبَةَShaybah عازِبٍgone astray
عَجِبتُ لِحِلمٍ يا اِبنَ شَيبَةَ عازِبٍ
وَأَحلامِand the minds of أَقوامٍpeople لَدَيكَaround you سِخافِshallow
وَأَحلامِ أَقوامٍ لَدَيكَ سِخافِ
I marvel, O son of Shaybah, at judgment gone astray,
I am amazed, son of Shaybah, at the forbearance of an unmarried man,
And at the shallow minds of people around you.
And at the dreams of people with you being absurd.
يَقولونَthey say شايِعside with مَنwhoever أَرادَtargets مُحَمَّداًMuhammad
يَقولونَ شايِع مَن أَرادَ مُحَمَّداً
بِظُلمٍwith injustice وَقُمand stand فيin أَمرِهِhis cause بِخِلافِin opposition
بِظُلمٍ وَقُم في أَمرِهِ بِخِلافِ
They say, 'Side with whoever targets Muhammad
They say, defame whoever intended Muhammad
Unjustly, and oppose him in his cause.'
With injustice, and take a stand against him in defiance.
أَضاميمُmotley bands إِمّاeither حاسِدٌan envier ذوpossessing خِيانَةٍtreachery
أَضاميمُ إِمّا حاسِدٌ ذو خِيانَةٍ
وَإِمّاor else قَريبٌa kinsman مِنكَof yours غَيرُnot مُصافِa sincere friend
وَإِمّا قَريبٌ مِنكَ غَيرُ مُصافِ
A motley crowd—either a treacherous envier,
Either a treacherous envier or a disloyal relative of yours,
Or a kinsman of yours who is no sincere friend.
So do not let time control you because of him,
فَلاso do not تَركَبَنَّincur الدَهرَever مِنهُon his account ذِمامَةًdisgrace
فَلا تَركَبَنَّ الدَهرَ مِنهُ ذِمامَةً
وَأَنتَand you اِمرُؤٌa man مِنamong خَيرِthe best of عَبدِAbd مَنافِManaf
وَأَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ مِن خَيرِ عَبدِ مَنافِ
So never incur disgrace on his account,
And you are a man from the best of slaves of Manaf.
When you are among the finest men of Abd Manaf's line.
And do not leave him as long as you live for a glorified one,
وَلاand do not تَترُكَنهُabandon him ماas long as حَييتَyou live لِمُعظمٍto grave trouble
وَلا تَترُكَنهُ ما حَييتَ لِمُعظمٍ
وَكُنand be رَجُلاًa man ذاpossessing نَجدَةٍcourage وَعَفافِand moral restraint
وَكُن رَجُلاً ذا نَجدَةٍ وَعَفافِ
And never, while you live, abandon him to grave trouble.
And be a man of help and chastity,
And be a man of courage and moral restraint,
Who wards off enemies from a Hashemite peak.
يَذودُwho drives away العِداthe enemies عَنfrom ذِروَةٍa summit هاشِمِيَّةٍHashimite
يَذودُ العِدا عَن ذِروَةٍ هاشِمِيَّةٍ
إِلافهُمtheir fellowship فيamong الناسِpeople خَيرُthe finest إِلافِfellowship
إِلافهُم في الناسِ خَيرُ إِلافِ
Who drives foes away from a Hashimite summit.
For he has close kinship to you, a near relation,
Their fellowship among people is the finest fellowship.
And is not of an ally or client.
فَإِنَّfor indeed لَهُhe has قُربىkinship لَدَيكَwith you قَريبَةًclose
فَإِنَّ لَهُ قُربى لَدَيكَ قَريبَةً
وَلَيسَand he is not بِذيone bound by حِلفٍa pact وَلاnor بِمُضافِan attached outsider
وَلَيسَ بِذي حِلفٍ وَلا بِمُضافِ
For he has close kinship with you,
Rather, he is from Hashim, of its core,
And is no mere ally by pact, nor an outsider attached to the clan.
Swimming beyond the seas, sailing.
وَلَكِنَّهُbut he مِنfrom هاشِمٍHashim ذوpossessing صَميمِهاits purest stock
وَلَكِنَّهُ مِن هاشِمٍ ذو صَميمِها
إِلىto أَبحُرٍseas فَوقَabove البُحورِthe seas طَوافِrising high
إِلى أَبحُرٍ فَوقَ البُحورِ طَوافِ
But he is of Hashim, of its purest stock,
And confront all the people about him and be for him
Reaching back to seas that rise above the seas.
An advisor against enemies without being stern.
وَزاحِمand contend with جَميعَall الناسِpeople عَنهُin his defense وَكُنand be لَهُfor him
وَزاحِم جَميعَ الناسِ عَنهُ وَكُن لَهُ
وَزيراًa helper عَلىagainst الأَعداءِthe enemies غَيرَnot مُجافِholding aloof
وَزيراً عَلى الأَعداءِ غَيرَ مُجافِ
Contend with all people in his defense, and be for him
And if Quraysh becomes angry with him, then tell it:
A helper against the enemies, never holding aloof.
“O cousins, your people are not weak.”
وَإِنand if غَضِبَتgrows angry مِنهُwith him قُرَيشٌQuraysh فَقُلthen say لهاto them
وَإِن غَضِبَت مِنهُ قُرَيشٌ فَقُل لها
بَنيO sons of عَمِّناour paternal uncle ماnot قَومُكُمyour people بِضِعافِweak
بَني عَمِّنا ما قَومُكُم بِضِعافِ
And if Quraysh grows angry with him, say to them:
“What is with you covering him in darkness?
'Sons of our uncle, your people are not weak.
What is with latent hatreds there, fears?”
وَماand what بالُكُمis the matter with you تَغشَونَyou perpetrate مِنهُagainst him ظُلامَةًan injustice
وَما بالُكُم تَغشَونَ مِنهُ ظُلامَةً
وَماand what بالُis the matter with أَحقادٍgrudges هُناكَthere خَوافِhidden
وَما بالُ أَحقادٍ هُناكَ خَوافِ
And why do you inflict injustice upon him?
“Our people do not cover people's darkness,
And what of the grudges hidden there?
Nor are we with what saddened them too light.”
فَماfor not قَومُناour people بِالقَومِthe sort of people يَغشَونَwho perpetrate ظُلمَناinjustice against us
فَما قَومُنا بِالقَومِ يَغشَونَ ظُلمَنا
وَماand not نَحنُwe فيماregarding what ساءَهُمgrieves them بِخِفافِlight-minded
وَما نَحنُ فيما ساءَهُم بِخِفافِ
For our people are not the sort to inflict injustice on us,
“But we are people of pacts and prohibitions
Nor do we take lightly what grieves them.
And honor at Bat’haa of Mash’ar everlasting.”
وَلَكِنَّناbut we أَهلُpeople of الحَفائِظِprotective zeal وَالنُهىand reason
وَلَكِنَّنا أَهلُ الحَفائِظِ وَالنُهى
وَعِزٍّand might بِبَطحاءِon the gravel plain of المَشاعِرِthe sacred sites وافِabundant
وَعِزٍّ بِبَطحاءِ المَشاعِرِ وافِ
But we are people of protective zeal and reason,
And of abundant might on the gravel plain of the sacred sites.'
Partial English translation: 24 of 26 Arabic lines translated.