لَوif شِئتُI wished لُمتُI would reproach بَنيthe sons of زَبينَةَZabina صادِقاًtruthfully
لَو شِئتُ لُمتُ بَني زَبينَةَ صادِقاً
وَمَطِيَّتيand my mount لِبَنيagainst the sons of زَبينَةَZabina أَلوَمُmore reproachful
وَمَطِيَّتي لِبَني زَبينَةَ أَلوَمُ
If I wished, I would truthfully reproach the sons of Zabina,
Had I desired, I would have stayed with the clan of Zabina truthfully,
And my mount reproaches the sons of Zabina still more.
And my she-camel would have stayed with the clan of Zabina patiently,
نَزَلَتshe alighted بِمائِهِمُat their water وَتَحسِبُand she thinks رَحلَهاher saddle
نَزَلَت بِمائِهِمُ وَتَحسِبُ رَحلَها
عَنهاoff her سَيَحمِلُهُwill carry it السَنامُthe hump الأَكوَمُtowering
عَنها سَيَحمِلُهُ السَنامُ الأَكوَمُ
She alighted at their water, thinking her saddle
She descended to their waterhole as if her saddlebags
Would be carried off her by a towering hump.
Would be unloaded by the humpbacked camel laden compliantly,
زَعَمَتshe claimed زَبينَةُZabina أَنَّماthat only أَموالُهاher livestock
زَعَمَت زَبينَةُ أَنَّما أَموالُها
غَنَمٌsheep and goats وَلَيسَand there is not لَهاbelonging to her بَعيرٌa camel يُعلَمُknown
غَنَمٌ وَلَيسَ لَها بَعيرٌ يُعلَمُ
Zabina claimed that her livestock were only
Zabina claimed their livestock was all just sheep, with no known camels,
Sheep and goats, and that she had no known camel.
You will know when I state my case, which of us has acted unjustly,
فَسَتَعلَمونَso you will know إِذاwhen نَطَقتُI speak بِحُجَّتيwith my argument
فَسَتَعلَمونَ إِذا نَطَقتُ بِحُجَّتي
أَنّيthat I وَأَيُّand which بَنيthe sons of زَبينَةَZabina أَظلَمُmore unjust
أَنّي وَأَيُّ بَني زَبينَةَ أَظلَمُ
So you will learn, when I state my case,
If they only knew the lineage extending to them through Munaikh,
Whether I or a son of Zabina is more unjust.
And that the route to their abodes is the unkempt path obstinately,
لَوif only يَعلَمواthey knew حَسَبَancestral honor المُنيخِthe man halting his camel إِلَيهِمُto them
لَو يَعلَموا حَسَبَ المُنيخِ إِلَيهِمُ
وَعَلىand beside بُيوتِهِمُtheir houses الطَريقُthe road اللَهجَمُbroad and clear
وَعَلى بُيوتِهِمُ الطَريقُ اللَهجَمُ
If only they knew the ancestral honor of the man halting his camel with them,
If there was among the clan of Zabina one named Asim,
And beside their houses lies the broad highway.
And Al-Awsoran and Dho Al-Ti’an the unyielding cripple indignantly,
لَوif كانَwere وَسطَamid بَنيthe sons of زَبينَةَZabina عاصِمٌAsim
لَو كانَ وَسطَ بَني زَبينَةَ عاصِمٌ
وَالعَوسَرانُand al-Awsaran وَذوand the possessor of الطِعانِspear-thrusting الأَجذَمُthe maimed one
وَالعَوسَرانُ وَذو الطِعانِ الأَجذَمُ
Had Asim been among the sons of Zabina,
They would have ordered Zabina when I appealed to them
And al-Awsaran, and the maimed master of spear-thrusts,
With eternal truth and that which is most dignified incorruptibly,
أَمَرواthey instructed زَبينَةَZabina إِذwhen أَنَختُI made my camel kneel إِلَيهِمُto them
أَمَروا زَبينَةَ إِذ أَنَختُ إِلَيهِمُ
بِالباقِياتِto enduring deeds وَبِالَّتيand to that which هِيَit أَكرَمُmore noble
بِالباقِياتِ وَبِالَّتي هِيَ أَكرَمُ
They would have instructed Zabina, when I halted my camel with them,
But no, they neither carried out the duty nor feared
To deeds that endure, and to the nobler course.
The two sharp fangs brought together by Al-Arqam spitingly,
وَأَبيكَand by your father ماnot حَمَلواthey supplied a mount المُكِلَّthe man whose mount is weary وَلاnor اِتَّقواthey guarded against
وَأَبيكَ ما حَمَلوا المُكِلَّ وَلا اِتَّقوا
نابَينَtwo fangs ضَمَّهُماhe drew both close إِلَيهِto himself الأَرقَمُthe speckled serpent
نابَينَ ضَمَّهُما إِلَيهِ الأَرقَمُ
And by your father, they gave no mount to the man whose beast was weary, nor guarded against
Whoever provokes them is as one flung from where
Two fangs the speckled serpent had drawn close to itself.
The unassailable cliffs rise loftily,
مَنwhoever يَجرَحاthe two wound فَكَأَنَّماthen as though يُرمىis hurled بِهِwith him
مَن يَجرَحا فَكَأَنَّما يُرمى بِهِ
مِنfrom حَيثُwhere يَرتَفِعُclimbs الشَبوبُthe mature ibex الأَعصَمُwhite-forelegged
مِن حَيثُ يَرتَفِعُ الشَبوبُ الأَعصَمُ
Whoever they wound is as though he were hurled
If only Kabiyah the son of Hurqoos were there with them
From where the mature, white-forelegged ibex climbs.
When my thirsty she-camel descended with her kindling ferocity,
لَوif أَنَّthat كابِيَةَKabiyah اِبنَson of حُرقوصٍHurqus بِهِمamong them
لَو أَنَّ كابِيَةَ اِبنَ حُرقوصٍ بِهِم
نَزَلَتshe alighted قَلوصيmy young she-camel وَهيَand she جِذوَتُهاher firebrand الدَمُblood
نَزَلَت قَلوصي وَهيَ جِذوَتُها الدَمُ
Had Kabiyah, son of Hurqus, been among them
They would have loaded the traveling bags without hesitation or pause,
When my young she-camel alighted, with blood for her firebrand,
As no load could burden Kabiyah’s humpbacked camel obstinately.
حَمَلواthey supplied a mount مُرَدَّفَةَbearing stacked الرِحالِthe saddles وَلَمand not يَكُنbe
حَمَلوا مُرَدَّفَةَ الرِحالِ وَلَم يَكُن
حَمَلاًa lamb لِكابِيَةَfor Kabiyah العَتودُthe yearling he-goat الأَزنَمُthe wattled one
حَمَلاً لِكابِيَةَ العَتودُ الأَزنَمُ
They would have supplied a mount with saddles stacked; nor would
The wattled yearling goat have counted as a lamb for Kabiyah.
Partial English translation: 20 of 22 Arabic lines translated.