ضَلَّتْwent astray قُبَيِّلَةٌa petty tribe رامُواthey sought مُساجَلَتيrivalry with me
ضَلَّتْ قُبَيِّلَةٌ رامُوا مُساجَلَتي
وَلَمْand did not تَطَأْtread صَفْحَةَthe face of الغَبْراءِthe dusty earth أَمْثاليmy equals
وَلَمْ تَطَأْ صَفْحَةَ الغَبْراءِ أَمْثالي
A petty tribe went astray, seeking to rival me;
And no equals of mine have trodden the face of the dusty earth.
وَقَدْand indeed فَضَلْتُهُمُI have surpassed them فيin كُلِّevery مَكْرُمَةٍnoble quality
وَقَدْ فَضَلْتُهُمُ في كُلِّ مَكْرُمَةٍ
إِلّاexcept الغِنىwealth وَالعُلاand eminence فيin الفَضْلِmerit لاnot المالِmoney
إِلّا الغِنى وَالعُلا في الفَضْلِ لا المالِ
And I have indeed surpassed them in every noble quality
Except wealth—and eminence lies in merit, not money.
فَكَمْso often تَمَرَّسَchallenged بيwith me فيin الفَخْرِboasting جاهِلُهُمْtheir fool
فَكَمْ تَمَرَّسَ بي في الفَخْرِ جاهِلُهُمْ
تَمَرُّسَthe rubbing of الأَجْرَبِthe mangy camel المَهْنوءِtar-smeared بِالطّاليagainst the tar-dauber
تَمَرُّسَ الأَجْرَبِ المَهْنوءِ بِالطّالي
How often their fool has challenged me in boasting,
Like a mangy, tar-smeared camel rubbing against its tar-dauber.
إِنْif طُوِّقُواthey are adorned about the neck نِعَماًblessings وَاللُّؤْمُwhile baseness مُشْتَمِلٌenfolding
إِنْ طُوِّقُوا نِعَماً وَاللُّؤْمُ مُشْتَمِلٌ
عَلَيْهِمُaround them فَهْيَthen they are أَطْواقٌneck-rings كَأَغْلالِlike shackles
عَلَيْهِمُ فَهْيَ أَطْواقٌ كَأَغْلالِ
If blessings adorn their necks while baseness enfolds
Them, those neck-rings are like shackles.
وَليand I have أَبٌa father لَوْif أُعيرَwere lent النّاسُmankind سُؤدَدَهُhis nobility
وَلي أَبٌ لَوْ أُعيرَ النّاسُ سُؤدَدَهُ
لَمnot يَرْغَبواthey would long الدّهْرَever فيfor عَمٍّa paternal uncle وَلاnor خَالِa maternal uncle
لَم يَرْغَبوا الدّهْرَ في عَمٍّ وَلا خَالِ
And I have a father—were his nobility lent to mankind,
They would never long for a paternal or maternal uncle.
Translation model: Sol 6.1