وَأُنبِئتُand I was told ذاthe one with الضَرعِthe udder اِبنِson of جُدعانَJudʿān سَبَّنيreviled me
وَأُنبِئتُ ذا الضَرعِ اِبنِ جُدعانَ سَبَّني
وَإِنّيand indeed I بِذيabout the one with الضَرعِthe udder اِبنِson of جُدعانَJudʿān عالِمُwell acquainted
وَإِنّي بِذي الضَرعِ اِبنِ جُدعانَ عالِمُ
And I was told that Ibn Judʿān, the uddered one, reviled me;
and indeed I know Ibn Judʿān, the uddered one, well.
أَغَرَّكَhas it deluded you? أَنthat كانَتthere was لِبَطنِكَon your belly عُكنَةٌa fold of fat
أَغَرَّكَ أَن كانَت لِبَطنِكَ عُكنَةٌ
وَأَنَّكَand that you مَكفِيٌّprovided for بِمَكَّةَin Mecca طاعِمُfed
وَأَنَّكَ مَكفِيٌّ بِمَكَّةَ طاعِمُ
Has it deluded you that your belly bears a fold of fat,
and that in Mecca you are provided for and fed?
وَتَرضىand you are content بِأَنwith the fact that يُهدىbe given as a gift لَكَto you العَفلُthe ram’s scrotal fat مُصلَحاًprepared for eating
وَتَرضى بِأَن يُهدى لَكَ العَفلُ مُصلَحاً
وَتَحنُقُand you rage أَنthat تُجنىbe inflicted عَلَيكَupon you العَظائِمُgrievous outrages
وَتَحنُقُ أَن تُجنى عَلَيكَ العَظائِمُ
And you are content to be given prepared ram’s scrotal fat,
yet rage when grievous outrages are inflicted upon you.
أَبىhas thwarted لَكُمُfor you أَنَّthat النُفوسَthe souls أَذِلَّةٌabject
أَبى لَكُمُ أَنَّ النُفوسَ أَذِلَّةٌ
وَأَنَّand that القِرىhospitality عَنwith respect to واجِبِthe due of الضَيفِthe guest عاتِمُtardy
وَأَنَّ القِرى عَن واجِبِ الضَيفِ عاتِمُ
What thwarts you is that your souls are abject,
and that your hospitality is slow to meet a guest’s due,
وَأَنَّand that الحُلومَthe wits لاno حُلومَwits وَأَنتُمand you
وَأَنَّ الحُلومَ لا حُلومَ وَأَنتُم
مِنَfrom الجَهلِignorance طَيرٌbirds تَحتَهاbeneath them الماءُthe water دائِمُstagnant
مِنَ الجَهلِ طَيرٌ تَحتَها الماءُ دائِمُ
and that your wits are no wits; and you are,
in your ignorance, birds with stagnant water beneath them.
وَلَولاand were it not for رِجالٌmen مِنfrom عَلِيٍّʿAlī أَعِزَّةًmighty
وَلَولا رِجالٌ مِن عَلِيٍّ أَعِزَّةً
سَرَقتُمyou would have stolen ثِيابَcoverings of البَيتِthe House وَالبَيتُand the House قائِمُstanding
سَرَقتُم ثِيابَ البَيتِ وَالبَيتُ قائِمُ
And were it not for mighty men of ʿAlī,
you would have stolen the House’s coverings while the House stood.
وَلَولاand were it not for بَنوthe sons of بَكرٍBakr وَحَدُّand the edge of سُيوفِهِمtheir swords
وَلَولا بَنو بَكرٍ وَحَدُّ سُيوفِهِم
لَجالَتwould have circulated عَلَيكُمover you فيamong الحَجيجِthe pilgrims المَقاسِمُthe shares of booty
لَجالَت عَلَيكُم في الحَجيجِ المَقاسِمُ
And were it not for the sons of Bakr and the edge of their swords,
you would have been shared out as booty among the pilgrims.