وَأَيُّand whichسَائِلٍaskerكَانَwasأَلْحَفَmore persistentمِنَthanالْحُطَيْئَةِAl-Hutay'ahوَلَاand notالْأَمِّthe mother؟?
And which asker was more persistent than Al-Hutay'ah or the mother?
وَمِنَand fromالْأُمِّthe motherمِنْofجَرِيرٍJarirابْنِson ofالْخَطَفَى1Al-Khatafaوَأَبْخَلِand more miserly؟?
And from the mother of Jarir son of Al-Khatafa, who is more miserly?
وَمَنْand whoأَمْنَعُmore protectiveمِنْthanكَثِيرٍ2Kuthayyir،,وَأَشَحُّand more stingyمِنْthanابْنِson ofهَرِمَةَ3Harma؟?
And who is more protective than Kuthayyir, and more stingy than Ibn Harma?
وَمَنْand whoكَانَwasيَشُقُّcleavesغُبَارَdust ofابْنِson ofأَبِيAbuحَفْصَةَ4Hafsa؟?
And who used to cleave the dust of Ibn Abi Hafsa?
وَمَنْand whoكَانَwasيَصْطَلِيwarms himselfبِنَارِwith fire ofأَبِيAbuالْعَتَاهِيَةِ5Al-Atahiya؟?
And who used to warm himself with the fire of Abu al-Atahiya?
وَمَنْand whoكَانَwasكَأَبِيlike Abuنُوَاسٍ6Nuwasفِيinبُخْلِهِhis miserliness،,أَوْorكَأَبِيlike AbuيَعْقُوبَYa'qubالْخُرَيْمِيِّAl-Khuraymiفِيinدِقَّةِfineness ofنَظَرِهِhis visionوَكَثْرَةِand abundance ofكَسْبِهِhis earning؟?
And who was like Abu Nuwas in his miserliness, or like Abu Ya'qub al-Khuraymi in the sharpness of his sight and his abundant earning?
وَمَنْand whoكَانَwasأَكْثَرَmoreنَحْرًاslaughteringلِجَزُرَةٍ7for a camelلَمْnotتُخْلَقْcreatedمِنْfromابْنِson ofهَرِمَةَHarma،,وَأَطْعَنُand more piercingبِرُمْحٍwith a spearلَمْnotيَنْبُتْgrown،,وَأَطْعَمُand more feedingلِطَعَامٍfor foodلَمْnotيُزْرَعْplanted،,مِنَthanالْخُرَيْمِيِّ8Al-Khuraymi؟?
And who slaughtered more camels that were not created (i.e., imaginary) than Ibn Harma, and pierced more with a spear that did not grow, and fed more food that was not planted than al-Khuraymi?
فَأَيْنَso whereأَنْتَare youعَنْfromابْنِson ofيَسِيرٍ9Yasirوَأَيْنَand whereتَذْهَبُdo you goعَنْaway fromابْنِson ofأَبِيAbuكَرِيمَةَKarima؟?
So where are you from Ibn Yasir, and where do you go away from Ibn Abi Karima?
وَلِمَand whyتُقَصِّرُdo you fall shortفِيinذِكْرِmentioningالرِّقَاشِيِّAl-Riqashiوَمَنْand whoلَمْnotيُذْكَرْmentionedشَرُّهُhis evil؟?
And why do you fall short in mentioning Al-Riqashi and those whose evil was not mentioned?
وَالْأَعْرَابِيُّand the Bedouinشَرٌّworseمِنَthanالْحَاضِرِthe settled::سَائِلٌaskerجَبَّارٌtyrant،,وَثَّابَةٌleaperمِلَّاقٌfinder..
And the Bedouin is worse than the settled: an oppressive asker, a leaping finder.
إِنْifمَدَحَhe praisedكَذَبَhe lied،,وَإِنْand ifهَجَاhe satirizedكَذَبَhe lied،,وَإِنْand ifأَيِسَhe despairedكَذَبَhe lied،,وَإِنْand ifطَمِعَhe covetedكَذَبَhe lied..
If he praises, he lies; if he satirizes, he lies; if he despairs, he lies; and if he covets, he lies.
لَاnotيُقَرِّبُهُapproaches himإِلَّاexceptنُطَفٌ10spermأَحْمَقُfoolish،,وَلَاand notيُعْطِيهِgives himإِلَّاexceptمَنْwhoيُحِبُّهُloves him،,وَلَاand notيُحِبُّهُloves himإِلَّاexceptمَنْwhoهُوَheفِيinطِبَاعِهِhis nature..
Only a foolish sperm approaches him, and only the one who loves him gives him, and only the one who is in his nature loves him.
مَاwhatأَبْطَأَكُمْhow slow you areعَنِfromالْبَذْلِthe givingفِيinالْحَقِّthe truth،,وَأَسْرَعَكُمْand how quick you areإِلَىtoالْبَذْلِthe givingفِيinالْبَاطِلِthe falsehood..
How slow you are to give in truth, and how quick you are to give in falsehood!
فَإِنْfor ifكُنْتُمُyou wereالشُّعَرَاءَthe poetsتُفَضِّلُونَyou prefer،,وَإِلَىand toقَوْلِهِمْtheir sayingتَرْجِعُونَyou return،,فَقَدْindeedقَالَsaidالشَّاعِرُthe poet::
For if you prefer the poets and return to their saying, indeed the poet said:
Footnotes
- 1.جَرِيرُ بْنُ الْخَطَفَى: شَاعِرٌ مَعْرُوفٌ، وَأُمُّهُ مِنْ نِسَاءِ بَنِي تَمِيمٍ.
Jarir ibn al-Khatafa: a famous poet, and his mother was from the women of Banu Tamim.
- 2.كَثِيرُ عَزَّةَ: شَاعِرٌ مَعْرُوفٌ.
Kuthayyir 'Azza: a famous poet.
- 3.ابْنُ هَرِمَةَ: شَاعِرٌ مَعْرُوفٌ.
Ibn Harma: a famous poet.
- 4.ابْنُ أَبِي حَفْصَةَ: شَاعِرٌ مَعْرُوفٌ, وَهُوَ مَرْوَانُ بْنُ أَبِي حَفْصَةَ.
Ibn Abi Hafsa: a famous poet, he is Marwan ibn Abi Hafsa.
- 5.أَبُو الْعَتَاهِيَةِ: شَاعِرٌ مَعْرُوفٌ.
Abu al-Atahiya: a famous poet.
- 6.أَبُو نُوَاسٍ: شَاعِرٌ مَعْرُوفٌ.
Abu Nuwas: a famous poet.
- 7.الْجَزُرَةُ: الْجَزُورُ، وَهِيَ النَّاقَةُ.
Al-jazura: the camel (al-jazur), that is the she-camel.
- 8.الْخُرَيْمِيُّ: شَاعِرٌ مَعْرُوفٌ.
Al-Khuraymi: a famous poet.
- 9.ابْنُ يَسِيرٍ: شَاعِرٌ مَعْرُوفٌ.
Ibn Yasir: a famous poet.
- 10.النُّطَفُ: جَمْعُ نُطْفَةٍ، وَهُوَ الْمَاءُ الْقَلِيلُ.
Nutaf: plural of nutfa, meaning a small amount of water.