بِعَيساat ʿĪsā- باذَ-bādh (completing the place-name) حُرٌّa freeborn nobleman مِنof قُرَيشٍQuraysh
بِعَيسا باذَ حُرٌّ مِن قُرَيشٍ
عَلىon جَنَباتِهِhis sides الشَربُthe drinking companions الرِواءُthirst-quenched
عَلى جَنَباتِهِ الشَربُ الرِواءُ
At ʿĪsābādh is a nobleman of Quraysh,
In Isabad resides a free man of Quraysh, surrounded by quenching drafts,
with drinkers around him, their thirst quenched.
To whose protection Muslims fly for refuge whenever fear or hope arises.
يَعوذُseek refuge المُسلِمونَthe Muslims بِحَقوَتَيهِat his two flanks
يَعوذُ المُسلِمونَ بِحَقوَتَيهِ
إِذاwhenever ماan emphatic particle كانَthere is خَوفٌfear أَوor رَجاءُhope
إِذا ما كانَ خَوفٌ أَو رَجاءُ
The Muslims seek refuge at his flanks
And in the square stand lofty mansions, erected by a people of false lineage;
whenever there is fear or hope.
How many claim, "I am of sound stock," while their nature and bearing belie them.
وَبِالميدانِand at al-Maydān دَورٌhouses مُشرِفاتٌlofty
وَبِالميدانِ دَورٌ مُشرِفاتٌ
يُشَيِّدُهُنَّbuild them high قَومٌmen أَدعِياءُof falsely claimed lineage
يُشَيِّدُهُنَّ قَومٌ أَدعِياءُ
And at al-Maydān stand lofty houses,
He has honor he hoards that it might endure, yet for what he hoards there is no endurance.
which men of spurious lineage erect.
Upon the Dabbiy lies a baseness that is not hidden; he tries to veil it, but the veil is torn away.
وَكَمand many مِنof قائِلٍone saying إِنّيindeed I am صَحيحٌof genuine lineage
وَكَم مِن قائِلٍ إِنّي صَحيحٌ
وَتَأباهُyet belie him الخَلائِقُcharacter traits وَالرُواءُand outward appearance
وَتَأباهُ الخَلائِقُ وَالرُواءُ
And many a man says, “I am true-born,”
By my life, had Abu Khudayj undertaken the raising of the house, the structure would not have collapsed.
yet his character and outward appearance belie him.
لَهُhe has حَسبٌancestral honor يَضِنُّhe is miserly بِهِwith it لِيَبقىso it may endure
لَهُ حَسبٌ يَضِنُّ بِهِ لِيَبقى
وَلَيسَyet there is no لِماfor what يَضِنُّhe is miserly بِهِwith it بَقاءُendurance
وَلَيسَ لِما يَضِنُّ بِهِ بَقاءُ
He has ancestral honor he hoards so it may last,
yet what he hoards will not endure.
عَلىupon الضَبِّيِّal-Ḍabbī لُؤمٌbaseness لَيسَis not يَخفىhidden
عَلى الضَبِّيِّ لُؤمٌ لَيسَ يَخفى
يَغطيهِhe covers it فَيَنكَشِفُbut falls away الغِطاءُthe covering
يَغطيهِ فَيَنكَشِفُ الغِطاءُ
Al-Ḍabbī bears a baseness that is plain to see;
he covers it, but the covering falls away.
لَعَمريby my life لَوif (counterfactual) أَقامَerected أَبوAbū (father of) خُدَيجٍKhudayj
لَعَمري لَو أَقامَ أَبو خُدَيجٍ
بِناءَthe structure of الدارِthe house ماnot اِنهَدَمَcollapsed البِناءُthe structure
بِناءَ الدارِ ما اِنهَدَمَ البِناءُ
By my life, had Abū Khudayj erected
the house’s structure, that structure would not have collapsed.
Partial English translation: 7 of 14 Arabic lines translated.