مَعنُ يا مَعنُ يا اِبنَ زائِدَةِ الكَل

مَعنُ يا مَعنُ يا اِبنَ زائِدَةِ الكَل

بِ الَّتي في الذِراعِ لا في البَنانِ

بِ الَّتي في الذِراعِ لا في البَنانِ

Maʿn, O Maʿn, O son of Zāʾidah—the dog's dewclaw,

Ma'n, O Ma'n, O son of Za'ida the unwise,

which is on the foreleg, not among the toes.

With hers who is slender of arm, not full breasted,

لا تُفاخِر إِذا فَخَرتَ بِآبا

لا تُفاخِر إِذا فَخَرتَ بِآبا

ئِكَ وَاِفخَر بِعَمِّكَ الحَوفَزانِ

ئِكَ وَاِفخَر بِعَمِّكَ الحَوفَزانِ

Do not boast of your forefathers when you boast;

Do not boast when you pride yourself on your fathers,

rather, boast of your uncle al-Ḥawfazān.

Rather pride yourself on your uncle al-Hawfazan.

فَهِشامٌ مِن وائِلٍ في مَكانٍ

فَهِشامٌ مِن وائِلٍ في مَكانٍ

أَنتَ تَرضى بِدونِ ذاكَ المَكانِ

أَنتَ تَرضى بِدونِ ذاكَ المَكانِ

For Hishām of Wāʾil holds a rank;

For Hisham is of Wail in an exalted place,

you would be content with less than that rank.

While you consent to be less than he in station.

وَمَتى كُنتَ يا اِبنَ ظَبيَةَ تَرجو

وَمَتى كُنتَ يا اِبنَ ظَبيَةَ تَرجو

أَن تُبَنّي عَلى اِبنَةِ الغَضبانِ

أَن تُبَنّي عَلى اِبنَةِ الغَضبانِ

And when did you, O son of Ẓabyah, ever hope

And when were you, O son of Dhabi'a, ever hoping

to wed the daughter of al-Ghaḍbān?

To wed the daughter of the angry tyrant?

هِيَ حَوراءُ كَالمَهاةِ هِجانٌ

هِيَ حَوراءُ كَالمَهاةِ هِجانٌ

لِهِجانٍ وَأَنتَ غَيرُ هِجانِ

لِهِجانٍ وَأَنتَ غَيرُ هِجانِ

She is dark-eyed like an oryx, purebred,

She is a maiden like the wild onager, a filly

for a purebred man—and you are not purebred.

Too fierce for one not fierce as the onager.

وَبَناتُ السَليلِ عِندَ بَني ظَب

وَبَناتُ السَليلِ عِندَ بَني ظَب

يَةَ أُفٍّ لَكُم بَني شَيبانِ

يَةَ أُفٍّ لَكُم بَني شَيبانِ

And al-Salīl's daughters are among the sons of Ẓabyah—

And the daughters of Salil are in the eyes of Banu

fie upon you, sons of Shaybān!

Dhabi'a but wind eggs, O Banu Shayban!

قيلَ مَعنٌ لَنا فَلَمّا اِختَبَرنا

قيلَ مَعنٌ لَنا فَلَمّا اِختَبَرنا

كانَ مَرعىً وَلَيسَ كَالسَعدانِ

كانَ مَرعىً وَلَيسَ كَالسَعدانِ

We were told of Maʿn; but when we tested him,

They said, "Ma'n is ours," but when we tested him

he proved a pasture, but not like saʿdān.

He was but pasturage, no rain like Sa'dan's.