مِنfrom نازِعٍone casting off طاعَةًobedience حَتّىuntil تَكونَit becomes لَهُfor him
مِن نازِعٍ طاعَةً حَتّى تَكونَ لَهُ
بَعدَafter العَمىblindness مِنfrom فُؤادٍa heart ناكِثٍoath-breaking بَصَراsight
بَعدَ العَمى مِن فُؤادٍ ناكِثٍ بَصَرا
From one who casts off obedience, until it becomes for him
sight after blindness, from an oath-breaking heart.
لَأَمدَحَنَّكَI shall surely praise you مَدحاًpraise لاnot يُوازِنُهُequals it
لَأَمدَحَنَّكَ مَدحاً لا يُوازِنُهُ
مَدحٌany praise إِذاwhen أَنشَدَrecites الراويthe reciter بِهِwith it هَدَراhe thunders
مَدحٌ إِذا أَنشَدَ الراوي بِهِ هَدَرا
I shall surely praise you with praise unequalled
by any praise, when the reciter thunders it forth.
وَالقَومُand the people لَوif بادَروكَthey raced you المَجدَglory لَاِعتَرَفواthey would surely acknowledge
وَالقَومُ لَو بادَروكَ المَجدَ لَاِعتَرَفوا
عَلَيهِمُabove them فيin يَدَيكَyour two hands الشَمسَthe sun وَالقَمَراand the moon
عَلَيهِمُ في يَدَيكَ الشَمسَ وَالقَمَرا
And if men raced you for glory, they would acknowledge
the sun and moon in your hands above them.
ماnever اِقتَسَمَshared out الناسُpeople مِنof ميراثِthe inheritance مُقتَسَمٍone whose estate is divided
ما اِقتَسَمَ الناسُ مِن ميراثِ مُقتَسَمٍ
عِندَat التُراثِthe inheritance إِذاwhen فيinto قَبرِهِhis grave اِنحَدَراhe descended
عِندَ التُراثِ إِذا في قَبرِهِ اِنحَدَرا
Never have men shared out a man's inheritance,
at its division, when he descended into his grave,
مِثلَlike تُراثِthe heritage أَبيAbu (father of) العَبّاسِal-Abbas أَورَثَهُhe bequeathed to him
مِثلَ تُراثِ أَبي العَبّاسِ أَورَثَهُ
مِنَof الطِعانِspear-fighting وَبَينَand between الأَعيُنِthe eyes الغُرَراwhite blazes
مِنَ الطِعانِ وَبَينَ الأَعيُنِ الغُرَرا
like Abu al-Abbas's heritage, bequeathed to him—
of spear-fighting and white blazes between the eyes;
وَالعَبطُand slaughtering healthy animals لِلنيبِof aged she-camels حَتّىuntil لاnot تَهُبَّwafts لَهاof them
وَالعَبطُ لِلنيبِ حَتّى لا تَهُبَّ لَها
ريحٌa scent وَيَقتُلُand he kills بِالمَأدومَةِwith seasoned food القِرَراthe bitter cold
ريحٌ وَيَقتُلُ بِالمَأدومَةِ القِرَرا
and slaughtering healthy old she-camels until no scent of them
wafts; and he slays the cold with seasoned food.
ياO اِبنَson of السَوابِقِthe foremost إِنif مَدّواthey reach إِلىtoward حَسَبٍancestral honor
يا اِبنَ السَوابِقِ إِن مَدّوا إِلى حَسَبٍ
وَالأَعظَمينَand the greatest إِذاwhen ماfor emphasis خاطَرواthey vie خَطَراin rank
وَالأَعظَمينَ إِذا ما خاطَروا خَطَرا
O son of the foremost when they reach for ancestral honor,
and of the highest in rank whenever they vie,
وَالغابِقينَand those giving evening drink مِنَof المَحضَينِthe two pure milks جارَتَهُمtheir female neighbor
وَالغابِقينَ مِنَ المَحضَينِ جارَتَهُم
وَالزائِديهاand those adding to her إِلىto اِستِحيائِهاher modesty خَفَراbashful reserve
وَالزائِديها إِلى اِستِحيائِها خَفَرا
and of those who give their female neighbor both pure milks at evening,
and add bashful reserve to her modesty.
وَلَيسَand he does not مَتبِعَfollow up مَعروفٍa kindness تَنولُbestow بِهِwith it
وَلَيسَ مَتبِعَ مَعروفٍ تَنولُ بِهِ
يَداهُhis two hands مَنّاًreminders of favors إِذاwhen أَعطىhe gives وَلاnor كَدَراbitterness
يَداهُ مَنّاً إِذا أَعطى وَلا كَدَرا
And he does not follow up a kindness bestowed by
his hands with reminders of his favor when he gives, nor with bitterness.