أَباO father of حاتمHatim ماnot أَنتَyou حاتمُHatim طَيّئٍTayy (the tribe)
أَبا حاتم ما أَنتَ حاتمُ طَيّئٍ
وَماand not أَنتَyou إِلاexcept حاتمُthe ill-omened raven الحدثانmisfortune
وَما أَنتَ إِلا حاتمُ الحدثان
O Abu Hatim, you are no Hatim of Tayy;
you are nothing but the raven of misfortune.
خطبتyou delivered a speech فَفَرَّقتَand so you scattered الجَميعthe whole gathering بلكنَةٍwith faltering speech
خطبت فَفَرَّقتَ الجَميع بلكنَةٍ
فَماthen what الظَنُّthe expectation لَوif تُعطىyou were granted بَيانَeloquence لِسانof tongue
فَما الظَنُّ لَو تُعطى بَيانَ لِسان
You spoke and scattered the whole gathering with your faltering speech;
what, then, might we expect if you were granted an eloquent tongue?
كَأَنَّهمُas though they مِنjudging by سُرعَةِthe swiftness of البَينparting أودِعُواhad been lodged
كَأَنَّهمُ مِن سُرعَةِ البَين أودِعُوا
جَناحيكyour two wings وَاستُحثِثتَand you were spurred on للطيرانto fly
جَناحيك وَاستُحثِثتَ للطيران
They parted so swiftly, as though they had been lodged
in your two wings, and you had been spurred to fly.