لاno قَومَpeople أَكرَمُnobler مِنthan تَميمٍTamim إِذwhen غَدَتwere at daybreak
لا قَومَ أَكرَمُ مِن تَميمٍ إِذ غَدَت
عوذُnewly delivered mothers النِساءِthe women يُسَقنَare driven كَالآجالِlike herds of wild cattle
عوذُ النِساءِ يُسَقنَ كَالآجالِ
No people are nobler than Tamim when, at dawn,
No people are more honorable than Tamim
new mothers are driven like herds of wild cattle.
When their virgins go out watered like camels ready to depart.
الضارِبونَthose who strike إِذاwhen الكَتيبَةُthe battalion أَحجَمَتheld back
الضارِبونَ إِذا الكَتيبَةُ أَحجَمَت
وَالنازِلونَand those who dismount غَداةَon the morning of كُلَّevery نِزالِbattle
وَالنازِلونَ غَداةَ كُلَّ نِزالِ
Those who strike when the battalion holds back,
The warriors when the battalion withdraws in defeat
and those who dismount on the morning of every battle;
And those who spend the night after every halt.
وَالضامِنونَand those who safeguard عَلىin the face of المَنِيَّةِdeath جارَهُمtheir neighbor
وَالضامِنونَ عَلى المَنِيَّةِ جارَهُم
وَالمُطعِمونَand those who feed others غَداةَon the morning of كُلَّevery شَمالِnorth wind
وَالمُطعِمونَ غَداةَ كُلَّ شَمالِ
and those who safeguard their neighbor in the face of death,
Those who guarantee protection to their neighbor against death
and those who feed others on every north-wind morning.
And those who in the morning feed every outcast.
أَبَنيO sons of غُدانَةَGhudana إِنَّنيindeed I حَرَّرتُكُمI freed you
أَبَني غُدانَةَ إِنَّني حَرَّرتُكُم
وَوَهَبتُكُمand I gave you لِعَطِيَّةَto Atiyya اِبنِson of جِعالِJi'al
وَوَهَبتُكُم لِعَطِيَّةَ اِبنِ جِعالِ
O sons of Ghudana, I have set you free,
O sons of Gudanah, I have set you free
and given you to Atiyya, son of Ji'al.
And gifted you to ‘Adiyy the son of Ji’al.
فَوَهَبتُكُمso I gave you لِأَحَقَّكُمto the most entitled among you بِقَديمِكُمto your ancestral honor
فَوَهَبتُكُم لِأَحَقَّكُم بِقَديمِكُم
قِدماًfrom of old وَأَفعَلِهِand its readiest giver لِكُلِّfor every نَوالِbounty
قِدماً وَأَفعَلِهِ لِكُلِّ نَوالِ
So I gave you to the one among you most entitled to your ancestral honor,
So I gifted you to the most deserving of you in your ancient ways
from of old, and the readiest of that line to bestow every bounty.
An exemplar in all good fortune.
لَولاwere it not for عَطِيَّةُAtiyya لَاِجتَدَعتُI would have cut off أُنوفَكُمyour noses
لَولا عَطِيَّةُ لَاِجتَدَعتُ أُنوفَكُم
مِنfrom بَينِamong أَلأَمِthe basest آنِفٍnoses وَسِبالِand moustaches
مِن بَينِ أَلأَمِ آنِفٍ وَسِبالِ
Were it not for Atiyya, I would have cut off your noses,
Were it not for ‘Adiyy I would have docked your noses
from among the basest noses and moustaches.
From between the flesh of a delicate nose and mustache.
إِنّيindeed I كَذاكَin that way إِذاwhen هَجَوتُI lampooned قَبيلَةًa tribe
إِنّي كَذاكَ إِذا هَجَوتُ قَبيلَةً
جَدَّعتُهُمI mutilated them بِعَوارِمِwith savage الأَمثالِproverbial sayings
جَدَّعتُهُم بِعَوارِمِ الأَمثالِ
That is how I am: whenever I lampoon a tribe,
That is how I satirize a tribe when I lampoon them
I mutilate them with savage proverbial sayings.
I pulverize them with the missiles of proverbs.
أَبَنوare the sons of كُلَيبٍKulayb مِثلُlike آلِthe clan of مُجاشِعٍMujashi'
أَبَنو كُلَيبٍ مِثلُ آلِ مُجاشِعٍ
أَمor هَلis it that أَبوكَyour father مُدَعدِعاًcalling to goats كَعِقالِlike Iqal
أَم هَل أَبوكَ مُدَعدِعاً كَعِقالِ
Are the sons of Kulayb like the clan of Mujashi'?
O sons of Kulayb, are you like the family of Mujashi’
Or is your father, calling to goats, like Iqal?
Or, by your father, twittering like a sandgrouse?
دَعدِعcall to the goats بِأَعنَقِكَto your young she-goats التَوائِمَthe twin-born ones إِنَّنيindeed I
دَعدِع بِأَعنَقِكَ التَوائِمَ إِنَّني
فيin باذِخٍa towering height ياO اِبنَson of المَراغَةِal-Maragha عاليhigh
في باذِخٍ يا اِبنَ المَراغَةِ عالي
Call to your twin-born young she-goats; indeed, I
Twitter with your twin necks, for I
stand high on a towering peak, O son of al-Maragha.
Am a man who composes satires, of high stock.
وَاِبنُand the son of المَراغَةِal-Maragha قَدindeed تَحَوَّلَhas become راهِباًa monk
وَاِبنُ المَراغَةِ قَد تَحَوَّلَ راهِباً
مُتَبَرنِساًwearing a hooded cloak لِتَمَسكُنٍto appear humble وَسُؤالِand begging
مُتَبَرنِساً لِتَمَسكُنٍ وَسُؤالِ
And the son of al-Maragha has indeed become a monk,
And the son of Maragha has now turned monk
wearing a hooded cloak, to appear humble and beg.
Begging, praying, and asking.
وَمُكَبَّلٍand many a shackled man تَرَكَleft الحَديدُthe iron بِساقِهِon his leg
وَمُكَبَّلٍ تَرَكَ الحَديدُ بِساقِهِ
أَثَراًa mark مِنَfrom الرَسَفانِshuffling in chains فيin الأَحجالِthe ankle-fetters
أَثَراً مِنَ الرَسَفانِ في الأَحجالِ
And many a shackled man—on whose leg iron had left
And in shackles the iron left its mark upon his leg
a scar from shuffling in ankle-fetters—
A trace of the fetters on his ankles.
وَفَدَتcame as a delegation عَلَيهِto him شُيوخُthe elders of آلِthe clan of مُجاشِعٍMujashi'
وَفَدَت عَلَيهِ شُيوخُ آلِ مُجاشِعٍ
مِنهُمfrom among them بِكُلِّwith every مُسامِحٍopenhanded man مِفضالِlavishly generous
مِنهُم بِكُلِّ مُسامِحٍ مِفضالِ
was visited by the elders of Mujashi's clan,
The elders of the family of Mujashi’ ransomed him
with every openhanded, bountiful man among them.
Each of them being most generous.
فَفَدَوهِso they ransomed him لاnot لِثَوابِهِfor repayment from him وَلَقَدand indeed يُرىis seen
فَفَدَوهِ لا لِثَوابِهِ وَلَقَد يُرى
بِيَمينِهِon his right hand نَدَبٌa scar مِنَfrom الأَغلالِthe shackles
بِيَمينِهِ نَدَبٌ مِنَ الأَغلالِ
So they ransomed him, seeking no repayment from him; indeed, one sees
They ransomed him not for his own sake, and indeed may be seen
on his right hand a scar from the shackles.
On his right wrist the scar of chains.
ماnot كانَused to يَلبَسُwear تاجَthe crown of آلِthe house of مُحَرِّقٍMuharriq
ما كانَ يَلبَسُ تاجَ آلِ مُحَرِّقٍ
إِلّاexcept هُمُthey وَمُقاوِلُand the lords of الأَقوالِthe lords
إِلّا هُمُ وَمُقاوِلُ الأَقوالِ
None wore the crown of the house of Muharriq
He did not wear the crown of the family of Muharriq
but they and the lords of lords.
Except they and the fabricators of tales.