وَكائِنand many a مِنof فَتىyoung man سَوءٍwickedness تَرَيهِyou see him
وَكائِن مِن فَتى سَوءٍ تَرَيهِ
يُعَلِّكَhe hoards هَجمَةًa large camel herd حُمراًred ones وَجُوناand black ones
يُعَلِّكَ هَجمَةً حُمراً وَجُونا
And many a wicked young man you see,
No matter what evil youth you see
Hoarding a great herd of red and black camels;
Assailing you with rancor and malice,
يَضَنُّhe is miserly بِحَقِّهاwith its due وَيُذَمُّand he is blamed فيهاover it
يَضَنُّ بِحَقِّها وَيُذَمُّ فيها
وَيَترُكُهاand he leaves it لِقَومٍto people آخَريناother ones
وَيَترُكُها لِقَومٍ آخَرينا
He begrudges its due and is blamed for it,
Begrudging you your right while blaming you,
And leaves it to other people.
Then leaving it to other hands.
فَإِنَّكِfor you indeed إِنif تَرَيyou see إِبِلاًcamels سِواناother than us
فَإِنَّكِ إِن تَرَي إِبِلاً سِوانا
وَنُصبِحُand we awake لاnot تَرَينَyou see لَناbelonging to us لَبُوناa milk-giving she-camel
وَنُصبِحُ لا تَرَينَ لَنا لَبُونا
For if you see camels belonging to others,
For if you see the camels large and sleek,
And we wake with no milch-camel of ours for you to see,
Yet find at dawn no milking pails for us,
فَإِنَّthen indeed لَناwe have حَظائِرَenclosed groves ناعِماتٍluxuriant
فَإِنَّ لَنا حَظائِرَ ناعِماتٍ
عَطاءَthe gift of اللَّهِGod رَبِّLord of العالَمِيناthe worlds
عَطاءَ اللَّهِ رَبِّ العالَمِينا
Then surely we have luxuriant enclosed groves,
Still we've fat sheepfolds, gifts of God
The gift of God, Lord of all worlds.
Dispenser of all boons to mortal men.
طَلَبنَthey sought البَحرَthe sea بِالأَذنابِwith the tails حَتّىuntil
طَلَبنَ البَحرَ بِالأَذنابِ حَتّى
شَرِبنَthey drank جِمامَهُits gathered waters حَتّىuntil رَوِيناthey drank their fill
شَرِبنَ جِمامَهُ حَتّى رَوِينا
They sought the sea with their tails, until
They longed and longed for seas until,
They drank its brimming waters until they were sated.
With straining necks, they had their fill of brine.
تُطاوِلُrivals in height مَخرِمَىthe two passes of صُدُدَيthe two flanks of أُشَيٍّUshayy
تُطاوِلُ مَخرِمَى صُدُدَي أُشَيٍّ
بَوَائِكَmassive palms ماnot يُبالِينَthey heed السنيناthe years
بَوَائِكَ ما يُبالِينَ السنينا
They rival in height the two passes on Ushayy's two flanks—
My stead's tall branches dare the yelling winds
Massive palms that take no heed of the years.
In every gust, swaying but still standing straight.
كَأَنَّas though فُرُوعَهاtheir branches فيin كُلِّevery ريحٍwind
كَأَنَّ فُرُوعَها في كُلِّ ريحٍ
جَوارٍmaidens بِالذَّوائِبِby the tresses يَنتَصيناthey pull one another's hair
جَوارٍ بِالذَّوائِبِ يَنتَصينا
As though their branches, in every wind,
The daughters of fate honor no abode
Were maidens pulling one another by the tresses.
That lacks a tent peg driven deep to stay.
بَناتُdaughters of الدَّهرِTime لاnot يَحفِلنَthey care about مَحلاًdrought
بَناتُ الدَّهرِ لا يَحفِلنَ مَحلاً
إِذاwhen لَمnot تَبقَremain سائِمَةٌa grazing beast بَقيناthey remained
إِذا لَم تَبقَ سائِمَةٌ بَقينا
Daughters of Time, they care nothing for drought;
When years turn harsh, they're off, and never mind
When no grazing beast is left, they remain.
The decades past. Guests come and go: they stay
إِذاwhen كانَwere السّنونَthe years مُجَلِّحاتٍharsh with drought
إِذا كانَ السّنونَ مُجَلِّحاتٍ
خَرَجنَthey emerged وَماand not عَجِفنَthey grew lean مِنَfrom السِنيناthe years
خَرَجنَ وَما عَجِفنَ مِنَ السِنينا
When the years bring ruinous drought,
Awhile, received with honor, then move on.
They emerge, unthinned by the years.
That for us is riches. Praise endures.
يَسِيرُtravels الضَّيفُthe guest ثُمَّthen يَحُلُّlodges فيهاin them
يَسِيرُ الضَّيفُ ثُمَّ يَحُلُّ فيها
مَحَلّاًa lodging مُكرَماًhonored حَتّىuntil يَبيناhe departs
مَحَلّاً مُكرَماً حَتّى يَبينا
The guest travels, then lodges among them,
So temper, man, your blame—don't play the fool.
In an honored lodging, until he departs.
Their daughters' daughters drew; they had their fill,
فَتِلكَso those لَناfor us غِنىًwealth وَالأَجرُand the reward باقٍlasting
فَتِلكَ لَنا غِنىً وَالأَجرُ باقٍ
فَغُضِّيso lessen بَعضَsome of لَومِكِyour blame ياO ظَعيناlady
فَغُضِّي بَعضَ لَومِكِ يا ظَعينا
So those are our wealth, and the reward endures;
No arrow missed its mark. And now
So ease some of your blame, O lady.
The spider's mother comes to upbraid us!
بَناتُdaughters of بَناتِهاtheir daughters وَبَناتُand daughters أُخرىother
بَناتُ بَناتِها وَبَناتُ أُخرى
صَوادٍtall palms ماnot صَدِينَthey thirsted وَقَدand indeed رَوِيناthey drank their fill
صَوادٍ ما صَدِينَ وَقَد رَوِينا
Daughters of their daughters, and other daughters—
I said, "Forbear! Forget those ancient days."
Tall palms that know no thirst, having drunk their fill.
She spied a riftless ruin, proof against
غَدَتshe began أُمُّmother of الخُنابِسِal-Khunabis أَيَّsome عَصْرٍtime
غَدَت أُمُّ الخُنابِسِ أَيَّ عَصْرٍ
تُعاتِبُناshe reproaches us فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her ذَرِيناleave us alone
تُعاتِبُنا فَقُلتُ لَها ذَرِينا
Once Umm al-Khunabis began
Assault. I share it out for debts and alms.
Reproaching us; I said to her, 'Leave us be.'
رَأَتshe saw ليbelonging to me صِرمَةًa small camel herd لاno شَرخَyoung stock فيهاin it
رَأَت لي صِرمَةً لا شَرخَ فيها
أُقاسِمُهاI divide it المَسائِلَpleas for alms وَالدُّيوناand debts
أُقاسِمُها المَسائِلَ وَالدُّيونا
She saw I had a small herd with no young stock,
Which I divide between pleas for alms and debts.
Partial English translation: 25 of 28 Arabic lines translated.