غِيّاًruin لِباهِلَةَto Bahilah الَّتيwho شَقِيَتsuffered بِناthrough us
غِيّاً لِباهِلَةَ الَّتي شَقِيَت بِنا
غِيّاًruin يَكونُwill be لَهاfor it كَغُلٍّlike a fetter مُجلَبِimposed
غِيّاً يَكونُ لَها كَغُلٍّ مُجلَبِ
Ruin to Bahilah, who have suffered through us!
Curse the Bahila who have wronged us
Ruin that shall be theirs, like a fetter laid upon them.
Their punishment will be like a neck shackle
فَلَعَلَّso perhaps باهِلَةَBahilah بنَson of يَعصُرَYa'sur مِثلُناour equal
فَلَعَلَّ باهِلَةَ بنَ يَعصُرَ مِثلُنا
حَيثُwhere اِلتَقىmet بِمِنىًat Mina مُناخُthe encampment of الأَركُبِthe mounted bands
حَيثُ اِلتَقى بِمِنىً مُناخُ الأَركُبِ
So perhaps Bahilah ibn Ya'sur is our equal,
Perhaps Bahila will squeeze us like grapes
where the riders' encampments met at Mina.
Where the riding beasts gathered at Mina
تُعطىis given رَبيعَةُRabi'ah of عامِرٍ'Amir أَموالَهاits wealth
تُعطى رَبيعَةُ عامِرٍ أَموالَها
فيfor غَيرِother than ماwhat اِجتَرَمواthey committed وَهُمand they are كَالأَرنَبِlike a hare
في غَيرِ ما اِجتَرَموا وَهُم كَالأَرنَبِ
Rabi'ah of 'Amir is given their wealth,
The wealth of ‘Amir’s Rabī‘ah is given away
though they have committed no offense, and are like a hare.
For crimes they never committed, like rabbits
تُرمىis pelted وَتُحذَفُand is struck بِالعِصِيِّwith sticks وَماand not لَهاfor it
تُرمى وَتُحذَفُ بِالعِصِيِّ وَما لَها
مِنfrom ذيthe possessor of المَخالِبِclaws فَوقَهاabove it مِنany مَهرَبِescape
مِن ذي المَخالِبِ فَوقَها مِن مَهرَبِ
It is pelted and struck with sticks, and has no
Pelted and chased with sticks though innocent
escape from the clawed creature above it.
With no refuge from the clawed predator above
أَنتُمyou شَرارُthe worst of عَبيدِthe slaves of حَيِّيُthe two clans of عامِرٍ'Amir
أَنتُم شَرارُ عَبيدِ حَيِّيُ عامِرٍ
حَسَباًin pedigree وَأَلأَمُهُand its basest سَنوخَroots of مُرَكَّبِstock
حَسَباً وَأَلأَمُهُ سَنوخَ مُرَكَّبِ
You are the worst slaves of 'Amir's two clans,
You are the worst slaves of Ḥayy of ‘Amir
in pedigree, and the basest-rooted of its stock.
Enough! May his assembled army collapse
لاnot تَمنَعونَyou protect لَهُمfor them حَرامَthe sanctity of حَليلَةٍa wife
لا تَمنَعونَ لَهُم حَرامَ حَليلَةٍ
وَتُنالُand is taken أَيُّمُهُمtheir unmarried woman وَإِنand even if لَمnot تُخطَبِshe is asked in marriage
وَتُنالُ أَيُّمُهُم وَإِن لَم تُخطَبِ
You do not safeguard their wives' sanctity,
You don’t stop them from forbidden women
and their unmarried woman is taken, though not asked in marriage.
And any of them can have her without proposal
أَظَنَنتُمُdid you think أَنthat قَدalready عُتِقتُمyou were freed بَعدَماafter
أَظَنَنتُمُ أَن قَد عُتِقتُم بَعدَما
كُنتُمyou were عَبيدَslaves of إِتاوَةٍtribute فيamong تَغلِبِTaghlib
كُنتُم عَبيدَ إِتاوَةٍ في تَغلِبِ
Did you think you had been freed, after
Did you think you were freed after being
you had been tribute-paying slaves among Taghlib?
Slaves of the Itāwah in Taghlib’s land?
مِنّاfrom among us الرَسولُthe Messenger وَكُلُّand every أَزهَرَradiant man بَعدَهُafter him
مِنّا الرَسولُ وَكُلُّ أَزهَرَ بَعدَهُ
كَالبَدرِlike the full moon وَهوَand he is خَليفَةٌa caliph فيin المَوكِبِthe procession
كَالبَدرِ وَهوَ خَليفَةٌ في المَوكِبِ
The Messenger is of us, and every radiant man after him,
The Messenger is from us, and each successor
like the full moon, a caliph amid the procession.
Like the full moon leading the caravan
لَوif غَيرُsomeone other than عَبدِthe slave of بَنيthe sons of جُؤَيَّةَJu'ayyah سَبَّنيinsulted me
لَو غَيرُ عَبدِ بَني جُؤَيَّةَ سَبَّني
مِمَّنfrom among those who يَدِبُّhobble عَلىon العَصاthe staff لَمnot أَغضَبِI become angry
مِمَّن يَدِبُّ عَلى العَصا لَم أَغضَبِ
If someone other than Banu Ju'ayyah's slave had insulted me,
If not for ‘Abd of Jusham's sons insulting me
one of those who hobble on a staff, I would not have been angered.
I wouldn't be angry at one who walks with a cane
وَجَدَتكَfound you أُمُّكَyour mother وَالَّذيand the one whom مَنَّيتَهاyou promised her
وَجَدَتكَ أُمُّكَ وَالَّذي مَنَّيتَها
كَالبَحرِlike the sea أَقبَلَcame forward زاخِراًsurging وَالثَعلَبِand the fox
كَالبَحرِ أَقبَلَ زاخِراً وَالثَعلَبِ
Your mother found you and the one you promised her
Your mother found you like a raging sea
like the sea surging forward, and the fox:
With a fox inside trying to dam its current
أَقعىit squatted لِيَحبِسَto hold back بِاِستِهِwith its anus تَيّارَهُits current
أَقعى لِيَحبِسَ بِاِستِهِ تَيّارَهُ
فَهوىso it fell عَلىupon حَدَبٍa crest لَهُof it مُتَنَصِّبِrising upright
فَهوى عَلى حَدَبٍ لَهُ مُتَنَصِّبِ
it squatted to block the sea's current with its anus,
He collapsed on a sandy bank formed against him
then fell upon a towering crest of the sea.
When he tried to contain its flow with his mouth
كَمhow many فِيَّin me مِنof مَلِكٍa king أَغَرَّillustrious وَسوقَةٍand a commoner
كَم فِيَّ مِن مَلِكٍ أَغَرَّ وَسوقَةٍ
حَكَمٍan arbiter بِأَردِيَةَin cloaks of المَكارِمِnoble deeds مُحتَبيseated with knees drawn up
حَكَمٍ بِأَردِيَةَ المَكارِمِ مُحتَبي
How many illustrious kings and commoners are in my lineage,
How many kings have I made proud, and ministers
arbiters seated, wrapped in cloaks of noble deeds!
Judging with the gown of nobility wrapped around them
وَإِذاand when عَدَدتَyou counted وَجَدتَنيyou found me لِنَجيبَةٍof a noble dam
وَإِذا عَدَدتَ وَجَدتَني لِنَجيبَةٍ
غَرّاءَradiant قَدalready أَدَّتshe bore offspring لِفَحلٍfor a sire مُنجِبِbegetting noble offspring
غَرّاءَ قَد أَدَّت لِفَحلٍ مُنجِبِ
And when you reckon ancestry, you find me born of a noble dam,
If you count my ancestors, you'll find me a descendant
radiant, who bore offspring for a noble-breeding sire.
Of a noble stud covering a pedigree mare
إِنّيindeed I أَسُبُّrevile قَبيلَةًa tribe لَمnot يَمنَعواthey defended
إِنّي أَسُبُّ قَبيلَةً لَم يَمنَعوا
حَوضاًa watering trough وَلاnor شَرِبواthey drank بِصافيfrom the clear waters of المَشرَبِthe watering-place
حَوضاً وَلا شَرِبوا بِصافي المَشرَبِ
Indeed, I revile a tribe that never defended
I insult a tribe who didn't protect
a watering trough, nor drank from a clear watering-place.
A drinking pool or drink clear spring water
وَالباهِلِيُّand the Bahili بِكُلِّin every أَرضٍland حَلَّهاhe settled in it
وَالباهِلِيُّ بِكُلِّ أَرضٍ حَلَّها
عَبدٌa slave يُقِرُّacquiesces عَلىin الهَوانِhumiliation المُجلِبِclamor-raising
عَبدٌ يُقِرُّ عَلى الهَوانِ المُجلِبِ
And the Bahili, in every land he settles in,
The Bahila are slaves in every land they settled
is a slave who submits to resounding humiliation.
Bowing in disgrace and shackled servitude
وَالباهِلِيُّand the Bahili وَلَوand even if رَأىhe saw عِرساًa wife لَهُof his
وَالباهِلِيُّ وَلَو رَأى عِرساً لَهُ
يُغشىis entered حَرامُthe sanctity of فِراشِهاher bed لَمnot يَغضَبِhe becomes angry
يُغشى حَرامُ فِراشِها لَم يَغضَبِ
And the Bahili, even if he saw a wife of his
Even if the Bahila saw a forbidden marriage bed
with her bed's sanctity violated, would not grow angry.
They wouldn't be angry if it was violated