لَمّا أُجيلَت سِهامُ القَومِ فَاِقتَسَموا

لَمّا أُجيلَت سِهامُ القَومِ فَاِقتَسَموا

صارَ المُغيرَةُ في بَيتِ الخَفافيشِ

صارَ المُغيرَةُ في بَيتِ الخَفافيشِ

When the people's lot-arrows were cast and they divided their shares,

When the tribe’s arrows were postponed and partitioned

al-Mughira ended up in the house of bats,

al-Mughira took up residence in a bat’s abode

في مَنزِلٍ ما لَهُ في سُفلِهِ سَعَةٌ

في مَنزِلٍ ما لَهُ في سُفلِهِ سَعَةٌ

وَإِن تَرَقّى بِصُعدٍ غَيرَ مَفروشِ

وَإِن تَرَقّى بِصُعدٍ غَيرَ مَفروشِ

in a dwelling with no room in its lower part;

In a home not spacious in its base

and even if he climbed higher, there was no carpeting

Though you ascend uncarpeted stairs

إِلّا عَلى رَأسِ جِذعٍ باتَ يَنقُرُهُ

إِلّا عَلى رَأسِ جِذعٍ باتَ يَنقُرُهُ

جِرذانُ سَوءٍ وَفَرخٍ غَيرُ ذي ريشٍ

جِرذانُ سَوءٍ وَفَرخٍ غَيرُ ذي ريشٍ

except atop a tree trunk, pecked at all night

Save atop the trunk, residing there

by vile rats and a featherless chick.

Mice of mischief and unfledged chicks peck