أَعِنis it from جِوارِprotection أَبيAbu (father of) إِسحاقَIshaq تَطمَعُyou hope أَنto
أَعِن جِوارِ أَبي إِسحاقَ تَطمَعُ أَن
تُزيلَyou remove رَحلِيَmy camp ياO بُهلَBuhl بنَson of بُهلاناBuhlan
تُزيلَ رَحلِيَ يا بُهلَ بنَ بُهلانا
Is it from Abu Ishaq's protection that you hope to
Near Abu Ishaq's abode you hope
remove my camp, O Buhl son of Buhlan?
To move my encampment, O Buhl son of Buhlan!
غَبينَةٌan unfair bargain سُمتَنيهاyou offered it to me لَوif سَمَحتُI consented بِهاto it
غَبينَةٌ سُمتَنيها لَو سَمَحتُ بِها
يَوماًone day لَأَكفَلتُهاI would have imposed it لَخماًLakhm وَغَسّاناand Ghassan
يَوماً لَأَكفَلتُها لَخماً وَغَسّانا
An unfair bargain you offered me; had I accepted it
An untamed she-camel, though she be docile to me
even once, I would have saddled Lakhm and Ghassan with it.
For a day, I'd restrain for Lakhmu and Ghassan.
أَعدَدتَyou have prepared مِنfrom قُطرِكَyour region الأَقصىthe farthest لِتَقمُرَنيto beat me at gambling
أَعدَدتَ مِن قُطرِكَ الأَقصى لِتَقمُرَني
بَنىthe sons of المُدَبِّرِal-Mudabbir أَنصاراًas supporters وَأَعواناand helpers
بَنى المُدَبِّرِ أَنصاراً وَأَعوانا
You have mustered, from your farthest region, to beat me at gambling,
From your far reach you prepared
the sons of al-Mudabbir as supporters and helpers.
Helpers for the Manager's offspring as comrades,
يَرضاهُمُaccept them الناسُthe people أَرباباًas lords لِسُؤدُدِهِمfor their nobility
يَرضاهُمُ الناسُ أَرباباً لِسُؤدُدِهِم
فَكَيفَso how أَسخَطُهُمI spurn them ياO بُهلُBuhl إِخواناas brothers
فَكَيفَ أَسخَطُهُم يا بُهلُ إِخوانا
People accept them as lords because of their nobility;
Whom people accept as lords for their munificence -
so how could I spurn them as brothers, O Buhl?
How could I resent them, O Buhl, as brethren?
هَبنيsuppose that I غَنيتُI became independent بِوَفريthrough my wealth عَنof نَوالِهِمِtheir bounty
هَبني غَنيتُ بِوَفري عَن نَوالِهِمِ
فَكَيفَso how أَصنَعُI do بِالإِلفِwith the intimacy الَّذيthat كاناexisted
فَكَيفَ أَصنَعُ بِالإِلفِ الَّذي كانا
Suppose my wealth made me independent of their bounty;
My independence has made me self-sufficient, unneedful
then what shall I do with the intimacy we have shared?
Of their bounty - so what can I do with the bond we once shared?
عَهدٌa bond مِنَof الأُنسِcompanionship عاقَرناwe drank deeply الكُؤوسَthe cups عَلىat
عَهدٌ مِنَ الأُنسِ عاقَرنا الكُؤوسَ عَلى
بَديإِهِits beginning وَخَبَطناand we wandered فيهِthrough it أَزماناfor ages
بَديإِهِ وَخَبَطنا فيهِ أَزمانا
A bond of fellowship—we drank deep from the cups at
A pact of friendship - though we drank to its freshness,
its beginning, and wandered through it for ages.
In those times we blundered blindly ahead.
نَمّازُwe part عَنهُfrom it كُهولاًas middle-aged men بَعدَafter كَبرَتِناour growing old
نَمّازُ عَنهُ كُهولاً بَعدَ كَبرَتِنا
وَقَدand already قَطَعناwe spent بِهِin it الأَيّامَthe days شُبّاناas young men
وَقَد قَطَعنا بِهِ الأَيّامَ شُبّانا
Shall we part from it in middle age, after we have grown older,
We now shun in old age what we relished in heedless youth -
when we spent our days in it as young men?
Days we traversed in blinkered abandon back then.
أَصادِقٌfriends لَمnot أُكاذِبهُمI was false to them مَوَدَّتَهُمtheir affection
أَصادِقٌ لَم أُكاذِبهُم مَوَدَّتَهُم
وَلَمand not أَدَعهُمI abandoned them لِشَيءٍfor anything عَزَّwas precious أَوor هاناwas paltry
وَلَم أَدَعهُم لِشَيءٍ عَزَّ أَو هانا
Friends whose affection I have never falsely returned,
True friends - I never lied in professing affection,
nor have I abandoned them for anything, precious or paltry.
Never called on them for honor or pelf.
وَلَمand not أَكُنI was بائِعاًa seller بِالرَغبِout of greed عَبدَهُمُtheir slave
وَلَم أَكُن بائِعاً بِالرَغبِ عَبدَهُمُ
وَأَنتَand you تَطلُبُهُمyou seek them ياO بُهلُBuhl مَجّاناfree of charge
وَأَنتَ تَطلُبُهُم يا بُهلُ مَجّانا
Nor have I been one to sell their slave out of greed,
Nor was I ever a slave they could purchase with favors,
yet you seek them, O Buhl, free of charge.
While you, O Buhl, court them so cravenly!
إِذهَبgo إِلَيكَto yourself فَلاso not مُحظىًfavored بِعارِفَةٍwith a benefaction
إِذهَب إِلَيكَ فَلا مُحظىً بِعارِفَةٍ
وَلاand not مُصيباًobtaining بِماin what حاوَلتَyou attempted إِمكاناan opportunity
وَلا مُصيباً بِما حاوَلتَ إِمكانا
Go away, then—you shall receive no favor,
Go your own way - no reward for befriending the noble,
nor gain any opportunity for what you attempted.
No gain for pursuing what never could be.