أقولI say لنعمانٍto Nuʿmān وقدand already ساقhas driven طبُّهhis medicine
أقول لنعمانٍ وقد ساق طبُّه
نفوساًsouls نفيساتٍprecious إلىinto باطنthe interior of الأرضِthe earth
نفوساً نفيساتٍ إلى باطن الأرضِ
I say to Nuʿmān, now that his medicine has driven
I say to Nu'man as he leads
precious souls into the depths of the earth:
Precious souls to the earth's depths -
أباO father of منذرٍMundhir أفنيتَyou have annihilated فاستبقso spare بعضَناsome of us
أبا منذرٍ أفنيتَ فاستبق بعضَنا
حنانيكَshow your mercy! بعضُsome الشرِّevil أهونless grievous منthan بعضِsome
حنانيكَ بعضُ الشرِّ أهون من بعضِ
O Abū Mundhir, you have wiped us out—so spare some of us!
O Abu Munthir you destroyed us, so preserve
Have mercy! Some evils are less grievous than others.
Some of your affection, some evil is less than some.