ألاAh! مَنwho مُبلِغٌone who conveys word to زَفرَZufar بنَson of عَمروٍAmr
ألا مَن مُبلِغٌ زَفرَ بنَ عَمروٍ
وَخيرُand the best القَولِspeech ماwhat نَطَقَutters الحكيمُthe wise man
وَخيرُ القَولِ ما نَطَقَ الحكيمُ
Ah, who will carry word to Zufar ibn Amr?
O deliverer of Zufar son of 'Amr
And the best speech is what the wise man utters.
The best of words are those spoken by the wise
ألَمhave you not تَرَseen كالنعامةِlike an ostrich يَدَّرينيhe stalks me
ألَم تَرَ كالنعامةِ يَدَّريني
ولمand not يَكُbe يَدَّريstalking مثليone like me الحليمُthe discerning man
ولم يَكُ يَدَّري مثلي الحليمُ
Have you not seen him stalk me as though I were an ostrich?
Do you not see me shunned like an ostrich
Yet no discerning man would stalk one like me.
Yet none shun the mild-mannered like me
اتختُلُنيdo you stalk me by stealth وتحسَبُنيand think me كخِشفٍlike a fawn
اتختُلُني وتحسَبُني كخِشفٍ
منamong الغِزلانِgazelles اغفلَthe most heedless ماthat which يريمُmoves
من الغِزلانِ اغفلَ ما يريمُ
Do you stalk me by stealth, thinking me a fawn
I am mocked and thought a mere gazelle
among gazelles, the most heedless creature that moves?
The brave ignore what I endure
يُقحّمُforces his way فيالخبارِinto the soft ground ويختلينيand stalks me by stealth
يُقحّمُ فيالخبارِ ويختليني
وضغثُand the handful of المختليthe grass-cutter كَلأٌfodder وَخيمُnoxious
وضغثُ المختلي كَلأٌ وَخيمُ
He forces his way into soft ground and stalks me by stealth;
He interferes with news and mocks me
but the grass-cutter's handful is noxious fodder.
The mockery of the wretched is painful and bleak
لَعلَّperhaps الصيدَthe quarry سوفwill يصيرُbecome شئناًrough and formidable
لَعلَّ الصيدَ سوف يصيرُ شئناً
يُبيّننُreveals itself حينَwhen يَنهِمit growls أوor يقومُrises
يُبيّننُ حينَ يَنهِم أو يقومُ
Perhaps the quarry will become a rough, formidable beast,
Perhaps the hunt will become something
revealing itself when it growls or rises:
That shows itself when it pounces or rises
هِزَبراًa lion ترهَبُfear الأَقرانُthe rivals منهُof it
هِزَبراً ترهَبُ الأَقرانُ منهُ
منamong اللائيthose which يبيتُlasts through the night لهاfor them نئيمُa roar
من اللائي يبيتُ لها نئيمُ
a lion whose rivals fear it,
A terrifying sight that makes peers recoil
one of those whose roaring lasts through the night.
From those who spend the night wailing for it
ابنَّfrequented (uncertain reading) موارِدَthe watering places of الغَمرينِal-Ghamrayn عَصراًfor a time
ابنَّ موارِدَ الغَمرينِ عَصراً
وطَوراًand at other times فيamong مساكِنهِits haunts القَصيمُal-Qassim
وطَوراً في مساكِنهِ القَصيمُ
It frequented al-Ghamrayn's watering places for a time,
He roams the meadows of Al-Ghamrin
and at other times al-Qassim was among its haunts.
At times dwelling in his barren abodes
أذلكis it that أمor رياضةُtaming راسِthe head of قرمٍa camel-stallion
أذلك أم رياضةُ راسِ قرمٍ
تخمَّطgrew proud and fierce وهوwhile it تركبُهُride it الهمومُcares
تخمَّط وهو تركبُهُ الهمومُ
Is it that, or taming the head of a camel-stallion,
Is this but an amusement for the leader of Quraysh
grown proud and fierce while cares ride upon it,
Burdened with worries, his brow furrowed
منamong العُصلِthe tough-limbed الشوابِكِthe tightly jointed نَشرُa revival of حربٍwar
من العُصلِ الشوابِكِ نَشرُ حربٍ
عَلندَىmassive المنكبينِin both shoulders بهِon it العصيمُdried sweat
عَلندَى المنكبينِ بهِ العصيمُ
one of the tough-limbed, tightly jointed beasts—war reborn—
From the firm knotted bows, the unleashing of war
massive in both shoulders, caked with dried sweat?
Against the resilient, on them the blame lies
اذاwhen سَمِعَتhear لهfrom it القَعدانُthe young male camels عزفاًa rumbling cry
اذا سَمِعَت له القَعدانُ عزفاً
ذَرَفنَthey shed tears وَهُنَّwhile they منfrom فَزَعٍfear كظومُstifled
ذَرَفنَ وَهُنَّ من فَزَعٍ كظومُ
When the young male camels hear its rumbling cry,
When the sedentary hear his battle cry
they shed tears, stifled and silent with fear.
They tremble and cower in tremendous fright
مُعرّىunharnessed فهوso it يربضُlies down حيثwherever أمسىis at nightfall
مُعرّى فهو يربضُ حيث أمسى
منthrough الاهمالِbeing left untended تعرفُهُknow it النجومُthe stars
من الاهمالِ تعرفُهُ النجومُ
Unharnessed, it lies down wherever evening finds it;
Bared, he crouches wherever night befalls
because it roams untended, the stars know it.
By neglect, the stars know him
تبيتspends the night الغُولُthe ghoul تهزجُsinging أنbecause تراهshe sees it
تبيت الغُولُ تهزجُ أن تراه
وصنجand the cymbal of الجنَthe jinn منfrom طَربrapture يهيمُruns wild
وصنج الجنَ من طَرب يهيمُ
The ghoul spends the night singing at the sight of it,
Ghouls wander howling should they see him
and the jinn's cymbal runs wild with rapture.
And jinn rejoice in ecstatic delirium
أبيّunyielding مايnot (with following verb) قادُis led الدهرَever قسراًby force
أبيّ ماي قادُ الدهرَ قسراً
ولاnor لهوىto the wishes of المصرِّفِthe handler يَستقيمُyields
ولا لهوى المصرِّفِ يَستقيمُ
Unyielding, never in all time led by force,
My father who led fate forcibly
nor yielding to its handler's wishes.
His passion unbridled, refusing compliance
تصدُّturn away عَضارِطَthe menial servants of الركبانِthe riders عَنهُfrom it
تصدُّ عَضارِطَ الركبانِ عَنهُ
وشَهراًand for a month منfrom تَخَمُّطِهِits proud fury يَصُومُit fasts
وشَهراً من تَخَمُّطِهِ يَصُومُ
The riders' menial servants turn away from it,
Balking the riders' steeds away from him
and for a month it fasts in its proud fury.
And fasting a month from his fervent rage
أنوفٌdefiant حينَwhen يغضبُit grows angry مستعزّfiercely proud
أنوفٌ حينَ يغضبُ مستعزّ
جنوحٌwayward يستبدُّholds sole sway بهover it الغريمُthe adversary
جنوحٌ يستبدُّ به الغريمُ
Defiant when it grows angry, fiercely proud,
When enraged, his nostrils flare
wayward, with its adversary holding sole sway over it.
As passion seizes him vehemently
وقبلَand before ابنِthe son of النعامةِal-Na'amah كنتI was نِكلاًa scourge
وقبلَ ابنِ النعامةِ كنت نِكلاً
ملداًunyielding in dispute حينwhen تنتطحُlock horns الخصومُthe adversaries
ملداً حين تنتطحُ الخصومُ
And before Ibn al-Na'amah, I was a scourge,
Before the son of the ostrich I was hapless
unyielding when adversaries lock horns.
Subdued when adversaries clash
فماthen how أدنىlower نعامَةَNa'amah منthan أبينَاour father
فما أدنى نعامَةَ من أبينَا
اذاwhen عُدَّare reckoned الخؤولَةُthe maternal uncles والعمومُand the paternal uncles
اذا عُدَّ الخؤولَةُ والعمومُ
How much lower Na'amah stands than our father,
How inferior is the ostrich to my father
when maternal and paternal uncles are reckoned!
When ancestry and unclehood are counted
فخاليfor my maternal uncle الشيخُthe elder صعصعةُSa'sa'ah بنُson of سعدٍSa'd
فخالي الشيخُ صعصعةُ بنُ سعدٍ
وتننمينيand traces my descent لاكرمِهاto its noblest تميمُTamim
وتننميني لاكرمِها تميمُ
For my maternal uncle is the elder Sa'sa'ah ibn Sa'd,
My venerable uncle is Sa'd's son Sa'sa'ah
and Tamim traces my descent to its noblest.
And Tamim's glory brings me prestige
وترفِدُنيand support me الاراقمُal-Araqim كلَّevery رفدٍsupport
وترفِدُني الاراقمُ كلَّ رفدٍ
وشيبانُand Shayban بنُson of ثعلبةًَTha'labah القرومُthe mighty stallion-chiefs
وشيبانُ بنُ ثعلبةًَ القرومُ
And al-Araqim give me every support,
The banners of 'Araquim all rally to me
and Shayban ibn Tha'labah, those mighty stallions.
As do Shuayban son of Thu'alabah's cavalry
ابيmy father عنهfrom him وَرِثتُI inherited سوامَgrazing herds مَجدٍof glory
ابي عنه وَرِثتُ سوامَ مَجدٍ
وكلُّand every أبِfather سيورِثُwill bequeath ماwhat يسومُhe pastures
وكلُّ أبِ سيورِثُ ما يسومُ
From my father I inherited grazing herds of glory,
From him I inherited glory's summit
and every father will bequeath what he pastures.
And every father bequeaths what he holds dear
فماso what آلُthe house of الحُبابِal-Hubab الىbeside نفيلٍNufayl
فما آلُ الحُبابِ الى نفيلٍ
اذاwhen عُدّare reckoned الممهلُthose still spared والقديمُand those of old
اذا عُدّ الممهلُ والقديمُ
What is al-Hubab's house beside Nufayl,
But Al-Hubab's progeny are now worthless
when those still spared and those of old are reckoned?
When the tardy and old are counted
كأنَّas though أباAbu, father of الحُبابِal-Hubab الىbeside نفيلٍNufayl
كأنَّ أبا الحُبابِ الى نفيلٍ
حمارٌa donkey عَضَّهُbit it فَرَسٌa horse عَذومُa fierce biter
حمارٌ عَضَّهُ فَرَسٌ عَذومُ
It is as though Abu al-Hubab, beside Nufayl, were
As if Abu Al-Hubab's progeny are now
a donkey bitten by a vicious horse.
A donkey bitten by a vicious stallion
بنىbuilt لكfor you عامِرٌAmir وبنوand the sons of كلابٍKilab
بنى لك عامِرٌ وبنو كلابٍ
أروماًancestral stock ماnot يوازِنُهُequals it أرومُancestral stock
أروماً ما يوازِنُهُ أرومُ
Amir and the sons of Kilab built for you
A'mir and Bana Kilab have built for you
a rootstock no other stock can equal.
A lofty edifice that equals no other
اذاwhen عدَّتis reckoned هوازنُHawazin أوor سُليمٌSulaym
اذا عدَّت هوازنُ أو سُليمٌ
فأنتمthen you فَرعُهاits branch الشرفُthe noble الصميمُthe true-born
فأنتم فَرعُها الشرفُ الصميمُ
When Hawazin or Sulaym is reckoned,
When Hawazin or Sulaym are counted
you are its noble, true-born branch.
You are their noblest scion, their essence
وَجَدناwe found الصعقَal-Sa'iq كبشَthe ram of بنيthe sons of نَفيلٍNufayl
وَجَدنا الصعقَ كبشَ بني نَفيلٍ
حرىworthy بالمجدِof glory قدindeed علمَknew العليمُthe discerning one
حرى بالمجدِ قد علمَ العليمُ
We found al-Sa'iq, the ram of the sons of Nufayl,
We found Sa'q like a ram of Bani Nufayl
worthy of glory—the discerning knew it well.
Worthy of glory, the Wise One knows
وكانand he would اذاwhen يَعَضُّbite سفيهthe fool of قومٍa clan
وكان اذا يَعَضُّ سفيه قومٍ
عصىresisted الراقينَthe charmers فيregarding الحُمةthe venom السليمُthe snakebitten man
عصى الراقينَ في الحُمة السليمُ
And whenever he bit the fool of a clan,
When he would bite some foolish folk
the snakebitten man resisted the charmers' treatment of the venom,
He would butt the riders in the protected herd
بعضةِfrom a bite of رأسِa head اقرعَbald ذيpossessing لغامٍmouth-froth
بعضةِ رأسِ اقرعَ ذي لغامٍ
يُسكَرُis stilled أوor يسَنَّيهِcoaxes it العليمُthe skilled man
يُسكَرُ أو يسَنَّيهِ العليمُ
from the bite of a bald head with froth at its mouth,
With the bite of a bald scabby cheeked lout
which is stilled, or coaxed, by one who knows.
He knocks him senseless, the Wise One knows
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.