سَقىmay … water حُجّاجَناour pilgrims نَوءُstar-associated rainfall الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades
سَقى حُجّاجَنا نَوءُ الثُرَيّا
عَلىdespite ماwhat كانَthere was مِنof لُؤمٍbaseness وَبُخلِand stinginess
عَلى ما كانَ مِن لُؤمٍ وَبُخلِ
May the rain of the Pleiades water our pilgrims,
despite their baseness and stinginess.
هُمُthey شَدّواthey pitched القِبابَthe tents وَأَحرَزوهاand they secured them
هُمُ شَدّوا القِبابَ وَأَحرَزوها
فَلَوso if only زادواthey had added لَهاto them باباًa door بِقُفلِwith a lock
فَلَو زادوا لَها باباً بِقُفلِ
They pitched the tents and secured them—
if only they had added a door with a lock!
وَقَدand indeed عَدّواthey reckoned لَناfor us شَيئاًone thing بِشَيءٍfor another thing
وَقَد عَدّوا لَنا شَيئاً بِشَيءٍ
مُقايَضَةًin barter لَهُfor it مِثلاًlike بِمِثلِfor like
مُقايَضَةً لَهُ مِثلاً بِمِثلِ
They reckoned for us one thing against another,
in barter, like for like.
فَإشنfor if (apparently فَإِن) أَهدَيتُI gave as a gift فاكِهَةًfruit وَكَبشاًand a ram
فَإشن أَهدَيتُ فاكِهَةً وَكَبشاً
وَعَشرَand ten دَجائِجٍchickens بَعَثواthey sent بِنَعلِwith a sandal
وَعَشرَ دَجائِجٍ بَعَثوا بِنَعلِ
For if I sent fruit and a ram,
and ten chickens, they sent a sandal,
وَمِسواكَينِand two toothsticks طولُهُماtheir length ذِراعٌa cubit
وَمِسواكَينِ طولُهُما ذِراعٌ
وَعَشرٍand ten مِنof صِغارِthe small ones المُقلِthe doum fruits خَشلِdried-up, worthless ones
وَعَشرٍ مِن صِغارِ المُقلِ خَشلِ
and two toothsticks, a cubit long,
and ten small, dried-up doum fruits.
فَإِنfor if أَهدَيتُI gave as a gift ذاكَthat لَيَحمِلونيso they would carry me
فَإِن أَهدَيتُ ذاكَ لَيَحمِلوني
عَلىupon نَعلٍa sandal فَدَقَّthen may … crush اللَهُGod رِجليmy foot
عَلى نَعلٍ فَدَقَّ اللَهُ رِجلي
If I gave all that so they would carry me
upon a sandal, then may God crush my foot!
أُناسٌpeople ماfirst fragment of مائِهون ('fine-looking') ئِهونَremaining fragment of مائِهون ('fine-looking') لَهُمthey have رُواءٌa handsome appearance
أُناسٌ ما ئِهونَ لَهُم رُواءٌ
تَغيمٌclouds over سَماؤُهُمtheir sky مِنwith غَيرِno وَبلِdownpour
تَغيمٌ سَماؤُهُم مِن غَيرِ وَبلِ
Fine-looking people, with a handsome outward show—
their sky clouds over without a downpour.
إِذاwhen نُسِبواtheir lineage is traced فَحَيٌّthen they are a clan مِنof قُرَيشٍQuraysh
إِذا نُسِبوا فَحَيٌّ مِن قُرَيشٍ
وَلَكِنَّbut الفِعالَthe deeds فِعالُthe deeds of عُكلِʿUkl
وَلَكِنَّ الفِعالَ فِعالُ عُكلِ
When their lineage is traced, they are a clan of Quraysh,
but their deeds are the deeds of ʿUkl.