أَمّاas for الحِماسُthe Himas فَإِنّيthen indeed I غَيرُnot شاتِمِهِمreviling them
أَمّا الحِماسُ فَإِنّي غَيرُ شاتِمِهِم
لاnot هُمthey كِرامٌnoble وَلاand not عِرضيmy honor لَهُمfor them خَطَرُa match in worth
لا هُم كِرامٌ وَلا عِرضي لَهُم خَطَرُ
As for the Himas, I am not one to revile them.
As for courage, I do not blame them;
They are not noble, nor is my honor on their level.
They are neither noble nor do I risk harming them.
قَومٌa people لِئامٌbase أَقَلَّmay diminish اللَهُGod عِدَّتَهُمtheir number
قَومٌ لِئامٌ أَقَلَّ اللَهُ عِدَّتَهُم
كَماas تَساقَطَfell حَولَaround الفَقحَةِthe anus البَعَرُdung pellets
كَما تَساقَطَ حَولَ الفَقحَةِ البَعَرُ
A base people—may God diminish their number,
A base people whose number Allah has diminished,
As dung pellets fall around the anus.
Like insects falling around an empty camel pen.
كَأَنَّas though ريحَهُمُtheir stench فيamong الناسِthe people إِذwhen بَرَزواthey came forth
كَأَنَّ ريحَهُمُ في الناسِ إِذ بَرَزوا
ريحُthe stench الكِلابِthe dogs إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle بَلَّهاdrenched them المَطَرُthe rain
ريحُ الكِلابِ إِذا ما بَلَّها المَطَرُ
Their stench among people, when they come forth, is like
When they appeared before people, their smell
The stench of dogs when the rain has drenched them.
Was like that of dogs soaked by rain.
أَولادُchildren حامٍHam فَلَنso will not تَلقىyou find لَهُمfor them شَبَهاًa likeness
أَولادُ حامٍ فَلَن تَلقى لَهُم شَبَهاً
إِلّاexcept التُيوسَthe he-goats عَلىupon أَكتافِهاtheir shoulders الشَعَرُthe hair
إِلّا التُيوسَ عَلى أَكتافِها الشَعَرُ
Children of Ham—you will find no likeness to them
Descendants of Ham will never have equals
Except he-goats with hair upon their shoulders.
Except monkeys with shaggy hair on their shoulders.
لَمdid not يُنبِتواthey bring forth فَرعَa branch خَيرٍgoodness يُذكَرونَthey are remembered بِهِfor it
لَم يُنبِتوا فَرعَ خَيرٍ يُذكَرونَ بِهِ
حَتّىuntil يُنَبِّتَmakes grow عودَthe stem النَبعَةِthe nabʿ tree الكَمَرُpenis-heads
حَتّى يُنَبِّتَ عودَ النَبعَةِ الكَمَرُ
They have sprouted no branch of goodness for which they are remembered,
They produced no worthy branches that make them remembered
Until penis-heads sprout a stem of the nabʿ tree.
Until the vitex bush produces sweet camomile.
إِنif سابَقواthey raced سُبِقواthey were outrun أَوor نافَرواthey vied in honor نُفِرواthey were bested in honor
إِن سابَقوا سُبِقوا أَو نافَروا نُفِروا
أَوor كاثَرواthey vied in numbers أَحَداًanyone مِنfrom غَيرِهِمothers than themselves كُثِرواthey were outnumbered
أَو كاثَروا أَحَداً مِن غَيرِهِم كُثِروا
If they race, they are outrun; or if they vie in honor, they are bested.
Whether they excel or are shunned, flee or amass,
Or if they vie in numbers with anyone else, they are outnumbered.
Or proliferate without equal.
شِبهُlike الإِماءِslave women فَلاso no دينٌfaith وَلاand no حَسَبٌancestral honor
شِبهُ الإِماءِ فَلا دينٌ وَلا حَسَبٌ
لَوif قامَرواthey gambled الزَنجَthe Zanj عَنover أَحسابِهِمtheir ancestral honor قُمِرواthey were beaten at gambling
لَو قامَروا الزَنجَ عَن أَحسابِهِم قُمِروا
Like slave women, they have neither faith nor ancestral honor.
Like slave women, without religion or lineage;
If they gambled with the Zanj over their ancestral honor, they would lose.
Had they gambled with blacks, they would have been cheated.
تَلقىyou find الحِماسِيَّthe Himasi لاnot يَمنَعكَhe guards against you حُرمَتَهُhis inviolability
تَلقى الحِماسِيَّ لا يَمنَعكَ حُرمَتَهُ
شِبهَlike النَبيطِthe Nabataeans إِذاwhen اِستَعبَدتَهُمyou enslaved them صَبَرواthey endured patiently
شِبهَ النَبيطِ إِذا اِستَعبَدتَهُم صَبَروا
You find the Himasi does not defend his honor against you,
You will find the brave man does not prevent you his inviolability,
Like the Nabataeans: when you enslave them, they endure it patiently.
Like the Nabateans, if enslaved, they endure.