إِنَّindeed الَّذيthe one who أَعطىgave الرِجالَmen حُظوظَهُمtheir shares
إِنَّ الَّذي أَعطى الرِجالَ حُظوظَهُم
عَلىover الناسِmankind أَعطىgave خِندِفاًKhindif بِالخَزائِمِwith the nose-reins
عَلى الناسِ أَعطى خِندِفاً بِالخَزائِمِ
Indeed, He who gave men their shares
Gave Khindif the nose-reins over mankind.
لِخِندِفَfor Khindif قَبلَbefore الناسِmankind بَيتانِtwo houses فيهِماin them both
لِخِندِفَ قَبلَ الناسِ بَيتانِ فيهِما
عَديدُa number equal to الحَصىthe pebbles وَالمَأثُراتِand glorious deeds العَظائِمِmighty
عَديدُ الحَصى وَالمَأثُراتِ العَظائِمِ
Khindif has, ahead of all others, two houses holding
Men numerous as pebbles, and mighty deeds of glory.
أَخَذتُI secured عَلىover الناسِmankind اِثنَتَينِtwo things لِيَmine are الحَصىthe pebbles
أَخَذتُ عَلى الناسِ اِثنَتَينِ لِيَ الحَصى
مَعَalong with المَجدِglory ماno ليfor me فيهِماin them both مِنany مُخاصِمِchallenger
مَعَ المَجدِ ما لي فيهِما مِن مُخاصِمِ
I have won two advantages over men: mine are numbers like pebbles,
Along with glory; in these two I have no challenger.
أَبوناour forefather خَليلُthe intimate friend of اللَهِGod وَاِبنُand the son of خَليلِهِHis intimate friend
أَبونا خَليلُ اللَهِ وَاِبنُ خَليلِهِ
أَبوناour forefather أَبوfather of المُستَخلَفينَthe appointed successors الأَكارِمِthe noble
أَبونا أَبو المُستَخلَفينَ الأَكارِمِ
Our forefather is God's friend, and the son of His friend
Is our forefather, father of the noble successors.
وَماand no أَحَدٌone مِنbecause of فَخرِناour boasting بِالَّذيof what لَناis ours
وَما أَحَدٌ مِن فَخرِنا بِالَّذي لَنا
عَلىover الناسِmankind مِمّاof what يَعرِفونَthey acknowledge بِراغِمِresentful
عَلى الناسِ مِمّا يَعرِفونَ بِراغِمِ
No one resents our boasting of what is ours
Above mankind, of merits they acknowledge.
وَهَلand is there مِنany أَبٍforefather فيamong الناسِmankind يَدعونَthey call themselves بِاِسمِهِby his name
وَهَل مِن أَبٍ في الناسِ يَدعونَ بِاِسمِهِ
لَهُhe has اِبنانِtwo sons كاناwho were مِثلَlike سَعدٍSa'd وَدارِمِand Darim
لَهُ اِبنانِ كانا مِثلَ سَعدٍ وَدارِمِ
Is there among men a forefather whose name they bear,
Who had two sons like Sa'd and Darim?
إِذاwhen ماever هَبَطناwe descend بَلدَةًa town كانَwere أَهلُهاits inhabitants
إِذا ما هَبَطنا بَلدَةً كانَ أَهلُها
بِهاthere وُلِدواwere born يَظعَنdeparts بِهاin it كُلُّevery جارِمِoffender
بِها وُلِدوا يَظعَن بِها كُلُّ جارِمِ
When we descend upon a town, though its people
Were born there, every offender in it departs.
لَناours is العِزُّmight مَنwhoever تَحلُلsettle عَلَيهِupon him بُيوتُناour tents
لَنا العِزُّ مَن تَحلُل عَلَيهِ بُيوتُنا
يَمُتdies غَرَقاًby drowning أَوor يَحتَمِلbears أَنفَa nose راغِمِof one humbled
يَمُت غَرَقاً أَو يَحتَمِل أَنفَ راغِمِ
Ours is might; whoever has our tents settle upon him
Dies by drowning, or bears a nose humbled in dust.
فَإِنَّfor indeed بَنيthe sons of سَعدٍSa'd هُمُthey are اللَيلُthe night فيهِمُamong them
فَإِنَّ بَني سَعدٍ هُمُ اللَيلُ فيهِمُ
حُلومٌminds رَسَتare firmly anchored وَالظالِموand the oppressors of كُلِّevery ظالِمِoppressor
حُلومٌ رَسَت وَالظالِمو كُلِّ ظالِمِ
For the sons of Sa'd are the night; among them
Are minds firmly anchored, and oppressors of every oppressor.
فَإِنَّfor indeed بَنيthe sons of سَعدٍSa'd هُمُthey are الهامَةُthe head الَّتيwhich
فَإِنَّ بَني سَعدٍ هُمُ الهامَةُ الَّتي
بِهاthrough it مُضَرٌMudar دَمّاغَةٌa crusher لِلجَماجِمِof skulls
بِها مُضَرٌ دَمّاغَةٌ لِلجَماجِمِ
For the sons of Sa'd are the head through which
Mudar shatters skulls.
أَبَتrefused لِبَنيfor the sons of سَعدٍSa'd جِبالٌmountains رَسَتstood firm بِهِمamong them
أَبَت لِبَني سَعدٍ جِبالٌ رَسَت بِهِم
شَوامِخُهاtheir towering peaks لاnot تُرتَقىare scaled بِالسَلالِمِwith ladders
شَوامِخُها لا تُرتَقى بِالسَلالِمِ
For Sa'd's sons, mountains stand defiant, rooted among them;
Their towering peaks cannot be scaled with ladders.
وَماand no أَحَدٌone مِمَّنamong those who هَجانيlampooned me عَلِمتُهُI have known him
وَما أَحَدٌ مِمَّن هَجاني عَلِمتُهُ
يَكونُis وَفاءًa match عِرضُهُhis honor ليfor me بِدائِمِenduring
يَكونُ وَفاءً عِرضُهُ لي بِدائِمِ
No man I have known among those who lampooned me
Whose honor matches mine can endure.
وَماand not كُنتُI was أَخشىfearing طَيِّأَنTayy أَنthat تَسُبَّنيit would revile me
وَما كُنتُ أَخشى طَيِّأَن أَن تَسُبَّني
وَهُمwhile they are نَبَطٌNabataeans لَمnever تَعتَصِبbound their heads بِالعَمائِمِwith turbans
وَهُم نَبَطٌ لَم تَعتَصِب بِالعَمائِمِ
I had never feared that Tayy would revile me,
They being Nabataeans who never bound on turbans.
نَبيطُNabataeans القُرىof the villages لَمnever تَختَمِرveiled themselves أُمَّهاتُهُمtheir mothers
نَبيطُ القُرى لَم تَختَمِر أُمَّهاتُهُم
وَلاnor وَجَدَتfelt مَسَّthe touch of الحَديدِiron الكَوالِمِwounding
وَلا وَجَدَت مَسَّ الحَديدِ الكَوالِمِ
Village Nabataeans, whose mothers never veiled themselves,
Nor felt the touch of wounding iron.
وَماand not يَعلَمُknows الطائِيُّthe Tayyite مِمَّنfrom whom أَبٌa father لَهُhe has
وَما يَعلَمُ الطائِيُّ مِمَّن أَبٌ لَهُ
وَلَوeven if سَأَلواthey asked عَنabout طَيِّئٍTayy كُلَّevery عالِمِlearned man
وَلَو سَأَلوا عَن طَيِّئٍ كُلَّ عالِمِ
The Tayyite does not know from whom his father comes,
Even if they asked every learned man about Tayy.
وَماand nothing يَمنَعُprotects الطائِيُّthe Tayyite إِلّاexcept رَصاصَةٌa piece of lead
وَما يَمنَعُ الطائِيُّ إِلّا رَصاصَةٌ
بِهاon it نَقشُthe stamp of سُلطانٍa sovereign عَلىover الناسِthe people قائِمِruling
بِها نَقشُ سُلطانٍ عَلى الناسِ قائِمِ
Nothing protects the Tayyite except a piece of lead,
Bearing the stamp of a sovereign ruling over men.
مَتىwhenever يَهبِطُalights in الطائِيُّthe Tayyite أَرضاًa land وَلَمand not يَكُنthere is
مَتى يَهبِطُ الطائِيُّ أَرضاً وَلَم يَكُن
بِهِon him وَشمُa tattoo of مَوشومٍa tattooed man يَكُنhe becomes غُنمَthe spoil of غانِمِa plunderer
بِهِ وَشمُ مَوشومٍ يَكُن غُنمَ غانِمِ
Whenever the Tayyite enters a land without
A tattooed man's mark upon him, he becomes a plunderer's spoil.
مَتىwhenever يُمنَعِis barred الطائِيُّthe Tayyite مِنfrom حَيثُwhere يَرتَقيhe ascends
مَتى يُمنَعِ الطائِيُّ مِن حَيثُ يَرتَقي
يَكُنhe becomes مَغنَماًbooty مِنfrom طَيِّئٍTayy فيamong المَقاسِمِthe divided spoils
يَكُن مَغنَماً مِن طَيِّئٍ في المَقاسِمِ
Whenever the Tayyite is barred from the heights he climbs,
He becomes booty from Tayy in the division of spoils.
وَإِنَّand indeed هِجائيmy lampooning طَيِّئًTayy وَهيَwhile it is طَيِّئٌTayy
وَإِنَّ هِجائي طَيِّئً وَهيَ طَيِّئٌ
نَبيطُNabataeans القُرىof the villages إِحدىone of الكِبارِthe great calamities العَظائِمِtremendous
نَبيطُ القُرى إِحدى الكِبارِ العَظائِمِ
And indeed, my lampooning Tayy—Tayy being Tayy,
Village Nabataeans—is one of the great enormities.
بَنىbuilt اللُؤمُbaseness بَيتاًa house فَاِستَقَرَّتso stood firm عِمادُهُits pillars
بَنى اللُؤمُ بَيتاً فَاِستَقَرَّت عِمادُهُ
عَلىupon طَيِّءِthe Tayy of الأَنباطِthe Nabataeans ضَربَةَa stroke لازِمِlasting
عَلى طَيِّءِ الأَنباطِ ضَربَةَ لازِمِ
Baseness built a house, and its pillars stood firm
Upon Nabataean Tayy, once and for all.
إِذاwhen اِقتَسَمَdivided among themselves اللُؤمَbaseness اللِئامُthe base وَجَدتُهُI find it
إِذا اِقتَسَمَ اللُؤمَ اللِئامُ وَجَدتُهُ
يَكونُto be أَباthe father of الطائِيِّthe Tayyite دونَto the exclusion of العَماعِمِthe other clans
يَكونُ أَبا الطائِيِّ دونَ العَماعِمِ
When the base divide baseness among themselves, I find it
Father to the Tayyite alone, not to the other clans.
وَماand not طَيِّئٌTayy وَاللُؤمُwhile baseness فَوقَover رِقابِهِمtheir necks
وَما طَيِّئٌ وَاللُؤمُ فَوقَ رِقابِهِم
وَلَمand have not تَرِمِdeparted الأَحمالُthe burdens عَنهاfrom them بِرائِمِdeparting
وَلَم تَرِمِ الأَحمالُ عَنها بِرائِمِ
And Tayy, with baseness upon their necks,
Its burdens never leaving them, will never break away.