وَأَنْشَأَandيَقُولُheخَفِيفٌbegan to recite on Khafif meter
And he began to recite on the Khafif meter:
كُلُّEveryكَلْبٍdogحَفِظْتُهُthat I protectedلَكَأَرْغَىbarking...
Every dog I protected, barking... what remained for the Day of Calling?
......مَاwhatبَقِيَremainedلِيَوْمِfor the day ofالتَّنَادِcalling
... what remained for the Day of Calling?
مِنْfromخَلِيلٍa friendيَخُونُwho betraysفِيinالنَّفْسِthe soulوَالْمَالِand wealth
From a friend who betrays in soul and wealth,
وَفِيand inالْعِرْسِthe spouseبَعْدَafterصَفْوِthe purity ofالْوِدَادِaffection
And regarding the spouse after pure affection.
وَقَالَAnd saidآخَرُanotherخَفِيفٌon Khafif meter
And another said on the Khafif meter:
وَإِذَاAnd whenقُلْتُI saidوَيْكَwoe to youالْكَلْبُO dogإِخْسَأْbegone
And when I said, 'Woe to you, dog, begone,'
لَحَظَتْنِيglanced at meعَيْنَاكَyour two eyesلَحْظَةَwith the glance ofتُهْمَهْsuspicion
Your eyes glanced at me with suspicion.
أَتُرَىDo you thinkأَنِّيthat Iحَبَسْتُكَkept youكَلْبًاas a dog
Do you think I kept you as a dog,
أَنْتَwhile youعَنْهُfrom itمِنْofأَبْعَدِthe farthestالنَّاسِpeopleهِمَّةin ambition
While you are of all people the farthest from it in ambition?
ذَكَرُواThey mentionedأَنَّthatصَعْصَعَةَSa'sa'ahبْنَson ofخَالِدٍKhalidكَانَhadلَهُfor himصَدِيقٌa friend
They mentioned that Sa'sa'ah ibn Khalid had a friend
لَاwho does notيُفَارِقُهُleave himفَجَاءَso he cameيَوْمًاone dayفَرَآهُand saw himقَتِيلًاslain
Who never left him, so he came one day and saw him slain
عَلَىonفِرَاشِهِhis bedمَعَwithامْرَأَتِهِhis wifeفَأَيْقَنَso he became certainبِخِيَانَتِهِمَاof their betrayal
On his bed with his wife, and he became certain of their betrayal,
فَقَالَso he saidكَامِلٌon Kamil meter
And he recited on the Kamil meter:
الْغَدْرُBetrayalشِيمَةُis the trait ofكُلِّeveryنَدْلٍbaseسِفْلَةٌmean person
Betrayal is the trait of every base and mean person,
وَالْكَلْبُwhile the dogيَحْفَظُpreservesعَهْدَكَyour covenantالدَّهْرَاforever
While the dog preserves your covenant forever.
فَدَعِSo leaveاللِّئَامَthe ignobleوَكُنْand beلِكَلْبِكَfor your dogحَافِظًاa protector
So leave the ignoble and be a protector to your dog,
فَلْتَأْمَنَنَّso you will surely be safe fromالْغَدْرَbetrayalوَالْمَكْرَاand deceit
So you will surely be safe from betrayal and deceit.
وَحَدَّثَنِيAnd narrated to meبَعْضُsome ofأَصْدِقَائِيmy friendsقَالَwho saidخَرَجْتُI went outلَيْلَةًone night
And some of my friends narrated to me, saying: I went out one night
وَأَنَاwhile I wasسَكْرَانُdrunkفَقَصَدْتُso I headed toبَعْضَsome ofالْبَسَاتِينِthe orchards
While I was drunk, so I headed toward some of the orchards
لِأَمْرٍfor a matterمِنَofالْأُمُورِthe mattersوَمَعِيand with meكَلْبَانِwere two dogs
For a certain matter, and with me were two dogs
كُنْتُthat Iرَبَّيْتُهُمَاhad raisedوَمَعِيand with meعَصًاwas a staffفَحَمَلَتْنِيso overcame meعَيْنِيmy eyes
That I had raised, and with me was a staff, and my eyes became heavy with sleep,
فَإِذَاthen beholdالْكَلْبَانِthe two dogsيَنْبَحَانِwere barking
Then behold, the two dogs were barking.