ماnot لِلفَرَزدَقِfor al-Farazdaq مِنany عِزٍّstrength يَلوذُseeks refuge بِهِin it
ما لِلفَرَزدَقِ مِن عِزٍّ يَلوذُ بِهِ
إِلّاexcept بَنوsons of العَمِّthe paternal uncle فيin أَيديهِمُtheir hands الخَشَبُthe wood
إِلّا بَنو العَمِّ في أَيديهِمُ الخَشَبُ
Al-Farazdaq has no strength to shelter behind
Al-Farazdaq has no glory to take refuge in
except his paternal cousins, with wood in their hands.
Except the Banu ‘Amr whose hands wield clubs
سيرواgo بَنيsons of العَمِّthe paternal uncle فَالأَهوازُfor Ahwaz مَنزِلُكُمyour home
سيروا بَني العَمِّ فَالأَهوازُ مَنزِلُكُم
وَنَهرُand the river تيرىTira فَلَمfor ... not تَعرِفكُمُknow you العَرَبُthe Arabs
وَنَهرُ تيرى فَلَم تَعرِفكُمُ العَرَبُ
Go, paternal cousins, for Ahwaz is your home,
Proceed O Banu ‘Amr, for the marshes are your abode
and Nahr Tira; for the Arabs have not known you.
The Tigris knows you not, nor do the Arabs recognize you
الضارِبوthose who strike النَخلَthe palms لاnot تَنبوglance off مَناجِلُهُمtheir sickles
الضارِبو النَخلَ لا تَنبو مَناجِلُهُم
عَنِfrom العُذوقِthe date clusters وَلاand not يُعيِيهِمُwearies them الكَرَبُthe palm-frond bases
عَنِ العُذوقِ وَلا يُعيِيهِمُ الكَرَبُ
Those who strike the palms—their sickles never glance off
Wielders of palms unsheathing not their sickles
the date clusters, nor do the palm-frond bases weary them.
From unripe dates, nor does fatigue burden them