قِفstop بناwith us ياO صاحfriend وارand linger (word continues)
قِف بنا يا صاح وار
بَعْcompletion of 'linger' بالمغانيat the dwelling places الموحشاتِdesolate
بَعْ بالمغاني الموحشاتِ
Stop with us, friend, and linger
Stop, O night companion, and move away with your gloomy songs,
at the desolate dwelling places.
O trustee of Allah, O best of governors,
ياO أمينَtrusted one of اللهGod ياO منfirst part of 'Mansur'
يا أمينَ الله يا من
صورُcompletion of 'Mansur' ياO خيرَbest of الولاةِthe governors
صورُ يا خيرَ الولاةِ
O God's trusted one, O Mansur,
Surely, Sawwar ibn Abdillah is among the evildoers of judges,
O best of governors!
Surely Sawwar is blind, from those of loud immorality,
إنّindeed سوّارSawwar بنَson of عبدAbd ('servant of') الfirst part of 'Allah'
إنّ سوّار بنَ عبد ال
لهِcompletion of 'Allah' منamong شرِّthe worst of القُضاةِthe judges
لهِ من شرِّ القُضاةِ
Indeed, Sawwar ibn Abdullah
A lame Nathali, certainly not manly for you all,
is among the worst of judges.
His grandfather a thief of she-goats, one of the immoral ones,
إنّindeed سَوّاراًSawwar لأعْمىindeed blind
إنّ سَوّاراً لأعْمى
منamong ذويthose possessing جَهْرٍan imposing appearance جُناةِcriminals
من ذوي جَهْرٍ جُناةِ
Indeed, Sawwar is truly blind,
He insults the Messenger of Allah, and charges him with abhorrent things,
one of those imposing-looking criminals.
He who used to call out from behind the apartments,
نَعْثَليُّa Naʿthali (ʿUthman partisan) جَمَليٌّa Camel-faction partisan
نَعْثَليُّ جَمَليٌّ
لكمُtoward you (plural) غيرُnot مواتِin accord
لكمُ غيرُ مواتِ
A Naʿthali, a partisan of the Camel,
"O Hanaa, come out to us, we are the people of perversion,"
not in accord with you.
He made traditions for us, which were the inheritances of tyrants,
جَدُّهُhis grandfather سارقُa thief of عنزٍa she-goat
جَدُّهُ سارقُ عنزٍ
فجرةًa wicked deed منamong فَجَراتِwicked deeds
فجرةً من فَجَراتِ
His grandfather was the thief of a she-goat—
So we insulted him, and whoever we insult is pelted with spitting,
one wicked deed among wicked deeds—
So forbid him, may Allah not forbid him the evils of the night visitors.
لِرسولbelonging to the Messenger of اللهِGod والand the
لِرسول اللهِ وال
قلذفُهُunclear as written; perhaps 'slandering him' بالمُنْكَراتِwith abominations
قلذفُهُ بالمُنْكَراتِ
belonging to God's Messenger, and the one
who slandered him with abominations [uncertain reading].
والذيand the one who كانused to يُناديcall out
والذي كان يُنادي
منfrom وراءِbehind الحُجُراتِthe chambers
من وراءِ الحُجُراتِ
And the one who used to call
from behind the chambers:
ياO هناةُfellow (dismissive address) اخرجْcome out إليناto us
يا هناةُ اخرجْ إلينا
إنّناindeed we أهلُpeople of هَناتِmisdeeds
إنّنا أهلُ هَناتِ
"You there, come out to us!
Indeed, we are people of misdeeds!"
سَنَّhe instituted فيناamong us سُنَناcustoms
سَنَّ فينا سُنَنا
كانتwere مواريثَlegacies of الطغاةِthe tyrants
كانت مواريثَ الطغاةِ
He instituted among us customs
that were legacies of tyrants.
فهجوناهُso we lampooned him ومنand whoever نهجوwe lampoon
فهجوناهُ ومن نهجو
يُصَبْis afflicted بالزًَّفراتِwith deep sighs
يُصَبْ بالزًَّفراتِ
So we lampooned him; and whoever we lampoon
is afflicted with deep sighs.
فاكفنيهِso protect me from him لاmay not كفاهُprotect him الfirst part of 'Allah'
فاكفنيهِ لا كفاهُ ال
لهُcompletion of 'Allah' شَرَّthe evil of الطَّارقاتِcalamities that strike by night
لهُ شَرَّ الطَّارقاتِ
So protect me from him—may God not protect him
from the evil of calamities that strike by night.
Partial English translation: 12 of 24 Arabic lines translated.