أَبلِغ أَبا سَلمى رَسولاً يَروعُهُ

أَبلِغ أَبا سَلمى رَسولاً يَروعُهُ

وَلَو حَلَّ ذا سِدرٍ وَأَهلي بِعَسجَلِ

وَلَو حَلَّ ذا سِدرٍ وَأَهلي بِعَسجَلِ

Convey to Abu Salma a message that will alarm him,

Convey to Abū Salamah a messenger that alarms him

even if he has settled at Dhu Sidr and my people are at ʿAsjal.

Even if he has settled with a lote-tree and my family with common mallow

رَسولَ اِمرِيءٍ أَهدى إِليكَ نَصيحَةً

رَسولَ اِمرِيءٍ أَهدى إِليكَ نَصيحَةً

فَإِن مَعشَرٌ جادوا بِعِرضِكَ فَاِبخَلِ

فَإِن مَعشَرٌ جادوا بِعِرضِكَ فَاِبخَلِ

The message of a man who offered you counsel:

A messenger from Imri' al-Qays who gifted you sincere advice

if people are lavish with your honor, then be miserly with it.

For a group of men were stingy with your honor so deny them

فَإِن بَوَّءوكَ مَنزِلاً غَيرَ طائِلٍ

فَإِن بَوَّءوكَ مَنزِلاً غَيرَ طائِلٍ

غَليظاً فَلا تَنزِل بِهِ وَتَحَوَّلِ

غَليظاً فَلا تَنزِل بِهِ وَتَحَوَّلِ

If they lodge you in a dwelling of no worth,

If they direct you to an improper dwelling

a harsh one, then do not settle there, and move away.

Harsh, do not take it up and turn away

وَلا تَطعَمَن ما يُطعِمونَكَ إِنَّما

وَلا تَطعَمَن ما يُطعِمونَكَ إِنَّما

أَتَوكَ عَلى قُربانِهِم بِالمُثَمَّلِ

أَتَوكَ عَلى قُربانِهِم بِالمُثَمَّلِ

And never eat what they feed you; they have only

Do not eat what they feed you, verily

come to you, for all their closeness, with poison.

They only came to you for their rites with sweetmeats

وَحُلَّ النَجاةَ لَيسَ مَن حَلَّ نَجوَةً

وَحُلَّ النَجاةَ لَيسَ مَن حَلَّ نَجوَةً

كَمَن حَلَّ في فَرجِ السِماكِ بِمَحفِلِ

كَمَن حَلَّ في فَرجِ السِماكِ بِمَحفِلِ

And settle on high ground: one who dwells on a height is not

The escape to safety is not like one who escaped to safety

like one who dwells in al-Simak's cleft amid a throng.

As one who escaped into the vulva of a poisonous fish openly

أَبَعدَ الإِزارِ مُجسَداً لَكَ شاهِداً

أَبَعدَ الإِزارِ مُجسَداً لَكَ شاهِداً

أَتَيتَ بِهِ في الدارِ لَم يَتَزَيَّلِ

أَتَيتَ بِهِ في الدارِ لَم يَتَزَيَّلِ

After the red-stained loincloth, a witness for you,

Without his lower garment, displaying himself as a witness for you

which you brought into the house and which has not been moved,

You brought him into the house but he did not get dressed

أَراكَ إِذاً قَد صِرتَ لِلقَومِ ناضِحاً

أَراكَ إِذاً قَد صِرتَ لِلقَومِ ناضِحاً

يُقالُ لَهُ بِالغَربِ أَدبِر وَأَقبِلِ

يُقالُ لَهُ بِالغَربِ أَدبِر وَأَقبِلِ

do I see you now turned into a water-drawing camel for the people,

I then see you have become an open enemy of the people

told while drawing the great bucket, 'Go back! Come forward!'?

It is said to him from behind, turn around and turn back

وَأُنبِئتُ أَن قَد أَلزَموكَ نُفوذَهُ

وَأُنبِئتُ أَن قَد أَلزَموكَ نُفوذَهُ

وَذَلِكَ لِلجيرانِ عَزلٌ بِمَعزِلِ

وَذَلِكَ لِلجيرانِ عَزلٌ بِمَعزِلِ

And I have been told that they have obliged you to carry it through,

And I was informed that they made you take an oath

and that leaves the neighbors excluded, in isolation.

And that is isolation from the neighbors in isolation

كِلانا عَدُوٌّ لَو يَرى في عَدُوِّهِ

كِلانا عَدُوٌّ لَو يَرى في عَدُوِّهِ

مَساغاً وَكُلٌّ في العِدا غَيرُ مُجمِلِ

مَساغاً وَكُلٌّ في العِدا غَيرُ مُجمِلِ

Each of us is an enemy, should he find in his foe

Kilāna is an enemy, if he sees in his enemy

an opening; neither shows restraint in enmity.

Vulnerability, while each one in enmity is unforgiving

إِذا ما اِلتَقَينا كانَ أُنسُ حَديثِنا

إِذا ما اِلتَقَينا كانَ أُنسُ حَديثِنا

صُماتا بِطَرفٍ كالمَعابِلِ أَطحَلِ

صُماتا بِطَرفٍ كالمَعابِلِ أَطحَلِ

When we meet, the warmth of our conversation is

When we meet, the intimacy of our conversation is

silence, with a dusky gaze like broad arrowheads.

Silent with a glance, like the full moon rising

فَخُذها فَلَيسَت لِلعَزيزِ بِخُطَّةٍ

فَخُذها فَلَيسَت لِلعَزيزِ بِخُطَّةٍ

وَفيها مَقالٌ لِاِمريءٍ مُتَذَلِّلِ

وَفيها مَقالٌ لِاِمريءٍ مُتَذَلِّلِ

So take it, for it is no course for a man of honor,

So take it, for it is no scheme for the honored one

and in it there is something for a submissive man to say.

In it is speech for one who is submissive

وَأُنبِئتُ أَن قَد أَحرَمَ الغُسلَ عامِرٌ

وَأُنبِئتُ أَن قَد أَحرَمَ الغُسلَ عامِرٌ

وَأَنّي لَراضٍ عَنكَ ما لَم تُرَجَّلِ

وَأَنّي لَراضٍ عَنكَ ما لَم تُرَجَّلِ

And I have been told that ʿAmir has forbidden himself bathing,

And I was informed that ʿĀmir has forbidden himself from bathing

and I am indeed pleased with you so long as your hair is not combed.

And that I am pleased with you as long as you do not become senile

وَقَد عَلِمَ الأَقوامُ ما بِخُوَيلِدٍ

وَقَد عَلِمَ الأَقوامُ ما بِخُوَيلِدٍ

عَلى خالِدٍ في القَومِ مِن مُتَفَضَّلِ

عَلى خالِدٍ في القَومِ مِن مُتَفَضَّلِ

And the tribes know that Khuwaylid has no

The people have known what Khawalid has over Khālid

superiority over Khalid among the people.

Among the people of grace and favor

فَإِن كانَ باغٍ نالَ مِنكَ ظُلامَةً

فَإِن كانَ باغٍ نالَ مِنكَ ظُلامَةً

فَإِنَّ شِفاءَ البَغي سَيفُكَ فَاِقتُلِ

فَإِنَّ شِفاءَ البَغي سَيفُكَ فَاِقتُلِ

If an oppressor has taken something from you unjustly,

So if a hater has taken darkness from you

then the cure for oppression is your sword—so kill.

Then healing his hatred is your sword, so kill him