أَلاShall … not? أَحميI defend وَأَذكُرُand I recall إِرثَthe heritage of قَومٍa people
أَلا أَحمي وَأَذكُرُ إِرثَ قَومٍ
هُمُthey حَلّواsettled in المُرَكَّنَةَal-Murakkana اليَباباdesolate
هُمُ حَلّوا المُرَكَّنَةَ اليَبابا
Lo, I defend and commemorate the legacy of a people—
Shall I not defend and recall the heritage of a people
It was they who settled al-Murakkana, that barren waste.
who settled in desolate al-Murakkana,
وَكانواand they were رَحمَةًa mercy لِلناسِto people طُرّاًall of them
وَكانوا رَحمَةً لِلناسِ طُرّاً
وَلَمand not يَكُwas كانَwas (grammatically redundant) كائِنُهُمanyone among them عَذاباa torment
وَلَم يَكُ كانَ كائِنُهُم عَذابا
They were a mercy to all humankind, without exception;
and were a mercy to all people,
their presence was never a scourge.
and among whom none was a torment?
وَلَوand if وُزِنَتwere weighed حُلومُهُمُtheir forbearance بِرَضوىagainst Radwa
وَلَو وُزِنَت حُلومُهُمُ بِرَضوى
وَفَتwould be greater مِنهاthan it وَلَوand even if زيدَتit were augmented by كَساباKasab
وَفَت مِنها وَلَو زيدَت كَسابا
Were their wisdom and forbearance weighed against Mount Radwa,
Were their forbearance weighed against Radwa,
they would outweigh it—even were Mount Kasab added.
it would outweigh it, even were Kasab added to it.
