مِنَamong الشَرِّevil وَالتَبريحِand torment أَولادُsons مَعشَرٍa clan
مِنَ الشَرِّ وَالتَبريحِ أَولادُ مَعشَرٍ
كَثيرٍnumerous وَلاand not يُعطونَthey give فيin حادِثٍa calamity بَكراa young male camel
كَثيرٍ وَلا يُعطونَ في حادِثٍ بَكرا
The sons of a clan are evil and torment—
From evil and calamity, many sons of a tribe,
a numerous clan, yet they give no young camel when calamity strikes.
Numerous, who are not given precedence in any event.
هُمُthey حَرمَلٌwild rue أَعياproved too difficult عَلىfor كُلِّevery آكِلٍeater
هُمُ حَرمَلٌ أَعيا عَلى كُلِّ آكِلٍ
مُبيرٌdeadly وَلَوand even if أَمسىbecame سَوامُهُمُtheir grazing herds دَثراplentiful
مُبيرٌ وَلَو أَمسى سَوامُهُمُ دَثرا
They are wild rue, too much for any eater,
They are wild donkeys who tire every eater,
deadly, even if their grazing herds become plentiful.
Aged even if their threadbare clothes were new.
جَمادٌbarren بِهاin it البَسباسُthe wasteland تَرهُصُbruises the feet of مَعزُهاits stony ground
جَمادٌ بِها البَسباسُ تَرهُصُ مَعزُها
بَناتِdaughters اللُبونِmilk-giving she-camels وَالسَلاقِمَةَand the large camels الحُمراthe red ones
بَناتِ اللُبونِ وَالسَلاقِمَةَ الحُمرا
Barren is the wasteland there; its stony ground bruises the feet of
Livestock whose young goats bleat,
two-year-old she-camels and the great red camels.
Daughters of white and red sheep.
فَماso what ذَنبُناour fault فيin أَنthat أَداءَتbecame diseased خُصاكُمُyour testicles
فَما ذَنبُنا في أَن أَداءَت خُصاكُمُ
وَأَنand that كُنتُمُyou were فيamong قَومِكُمyour people مَعشَراًa band أُدراmen with swollen scrotums
وَأَن كُنتُمُ في قَومِكُم مَعشَراً أُدرا
So what fault is ours if your testicles have become diseased,
What is our crime that your herd wandered,
and among your people you are a band of men with swollen scrotums?
And that you were among your people a large clan?
إِذاwhen جَلَسواthey sat خَيَّلتَyou imagined تَحتَbeneath ثِيابِهِمtheir clothes
إِذا جَلَسوا خَيَّلتَ تَحتَ ثِيابِهِم
خَرانِقَyoung hares توفيfulfilling بِالضَغيبِwith squeals لَهاof their own نَذراa vow
خَرانِقَ توفي بِالضَغيبِ لَها نَذرا
When they sit, you imagine beneath their clothes
When they sit, you'd think beneath their clothes
young hares fulfilling with squeals a vow of their own.
Were beetles repaying the pact made to them.
أَباO father of كَرِبٍKarib أَبلِغconvey لَدَيكَwhere you are رِسالَتيmy message
أَبا كَرِبٍ أَبلِغ لَدَيكَ رِسالَتي
أَباto the father of جابِرٍJabir عَنّيfrom me وَلاand do not تَدَعَنever leave out عَمراAmr
أَبا جابِرٍ عَنّي وَلا تَدَعَن عَمرا
O Abu Karib, convey my message where you are
O Father of Sorrows, deliver my message,
to Abu Jabir from me, and do not leave out Amr.
O Father of Youth, about me, and do not neglect, O friend.
هُمُthey سَوَّدواthey made chief رَهواًa crane تَزَوَّدَhe stocked up فيin اِستِهِhis anus
هُمُ سَوَّدوا رَهواً تَزَوَّدَ في اِستِهِ
مِنَof الماءِwater خالَhe imagined الطَيرَthe birds وارِدَةًcoming to drink عَشراevery ten days
مِنَ الماءِ خالَ الطَيرَ وارِدَةً عَشرا
They made a crane their chief, who stored in his anus
They darkened a place of rest, frequented by
so much water that he imagined birds coming to drink every ten days.
Birds coming to drink, ten at a time.