مَجانيقُcatapults شُؤمِكَyour ill omen مَنصوبَةٌset up
مَجانيقُ شُؤمِكَ مَنصوبَةٌ
عَلىagainst آلِthe house of وَهبٍWahb تُثيرُstirring up الغُباراdust
عَلى آلِ وَهبٍ تُثيرُ الغُبارا
The catapults of your ill omen are set up
Your ill-omened catapults are set up
against the house of Wahb, stirring up dust.
Against the family of Wahb, stirring up dust
صَحِبتَهُمُyou accompanied them حينَwhen نالواthey attained الغِنىwealth
صَحِبتَهُمُ حينَ نالوا الغِنى
فَكُنتُso I was الهَلاكَdestruction وَكُنتَand you were الدَماراdevastation
فَكُنتُ الهَلاكَ وَكُنتَ الدَمارا
You kept them company when they attained wealth,
You were their companion when they attained wealth
so I was destruction, and you were devastation.
So you were their doom and their destruction
إِذاwhen ماever (emphatic) دَلَفتَyou approached إِلىtoward نِعمَةٍa blessing
إِذا ما دَلَفتَ إِلى نِعمَةٍ
عَصَفَتyou raged بِرَونَقِهاat its splendor فَاِستَطاراso it flew away
عَصَفَت بِرَونَقِها فَاِستَطارا
Whenever you draw near to a blessing,
Whenever you come upon a blessing
you ravage its splendor, and it flies away.
It withers, its beauty destroyed
يَبيتُspends the night عَدُوُّكَyour enemy مُستَأنِساًat ease
يَبيتُ عَدُوُّكَ مُستَأنِساً
وَيَأبىand refuses صَديقُكَyour friend إِلّاexcept عِثاراa stumble
وَيَأبى صَديقُكَ إِلّا عِثارا
Your enemy spends the night at ease,
Your enemy sleeps reassured
and your friend will accept nothing but a fall.
While your friend refuses all but misfortune
نَثَرتَyou scattered الأَخِلّاءَclose friends نَثرَthe scattering of الجُماpearls (first part)
نَثَرتَ الأَخِلّاءَ نَثرَ الجُما
نِcompletion of 'pearls' وَأَنفَقتَهُمand you spent them حينَwhen تَمّواthey were complete بِداراin haste
نِ وَأَنفَقتَهُم حينَ تَمّوا بِدارا
You scattered your friends as pearls are scattered,
You scattered sincere friends like stray camels
and spent them in haste once their number was complete.
And finished them off when they owned a house
بَلَغتَyou reached بِأَحمَدَwith Ahmad أَقصىthe farthest point of الدُجَيDujayl (first part)
بَلَغتَ بِأَحمَدَ أَقصى الدُجَي
لِcompletion of 'Dujayl' فَأَمسَتso they became مَغانيهِhis dwellings مِنهُof him قِفاراdesolate
لِ فَأَمسَت مَغانيهِ مِنهُ قِفارا
You took Ahmad to the farthest reaches of Dujayl,
You took Ahmad to the depths of misery
so his dwellings became wastelands, bereft of him.
So that his places of joy are now empty
وَهَرثَمَةٌand Harthama ماتَdied لَمّاwhen رَآكَhe saw you
وَهَرثَمَةٌ ماتَ لَمّا رَآكَ
مِنَfrom الخَوفِfear تَبنيyou build عَلَيهِover him المَناراthe monument
مِنَ الخَوفِ تَبني عَلَيهِ المَنارا
And Harthama died when he saw you,
Harthama died when he saw you
from fear, as you built a monument over him.
From fear, as the minaret was built over him
كَفَيتَyou spared الهِلالِيَّal-Hilali حَربَwarfare العِباmankind (first part)
كَفَيتَ الهِلالِيَّ حَربَ العِبا
دِcompletion of 'mankind' فَقَرَّso he rested وَماand not كانَhe was يَرجوhoping for قَراراrest
دِ فَقَرَّ وَما كانَ يَرجو قَرارا
You spared al-Hilali warfare against mankind,
You were enough of a war for the Hilalis
so he rested, though he had not hoped for rest.
So he became poor and hoped for no peace
وَجَدناكَwe found you أَنبَلَnobler مِنهُthan him صَريعاًa slain victim
وَجَدناكَ أَنبَلَ مِنهُ صَريعاً
لَدَيناamong us وَأَبعَدَand farther-reaching مِنهُthan him مُغاراin raiding
لَدَينا وَأَبعَدَ مِنهُ مُغارا
We found your slain victims nobler than his
We found you nobler than him as a corpse
among us, and your raids farther-ranging than his.
Farther from us than him in a cave
أَخيmy brother مِنfrom بَنيthe sons of قَطَنٍQatan لاnot يَزاhe ceases (first part)
أَخي مِن بَني قَطَنٍ لا يَزا
لُcompletion of 'ceases' يَميرُhe provisions القُبورَthe graves وَيُخليand empties الدِياراthe homes
لُ يَميرُ القُبورَ وَيُخلي الدِيارا
My brother from Banu Qatan never ceases
My brother of the Bani Katan, he still roams
to provision the graves and empty the homes.
The graves and abandons the houses
إِذاwhen نِعَمُthe blessings of القَومِthe people عايَنَّهُthey behold him
إِذا نِعَمُ القَومِ عايَنَّهُ
تَوَلَّينَthey turn away يَهرُبنَthey flee مِنهُfrom him فِراراin flight
تَوَلَّينَ يَهرُبنَ مِنهُ فِرارا
Whenever the people's blessings behold him,
When the people attained blessings
they turn away, fleeing headlong from him.
They avoided it, fleeing from it in haste