أَراني كُلَّما قارَبتُ قَومي

أَراني كُلَّما قارَبتُ قَومي

نَأَوا عَنّي وَقَطعُهُمُ شَديدُ

نَأَوا عَنّي وَقَطعُهُمُ شَديدُ

I find that whenever I draw near my people,

Whenever I approach my people,

they draw away from me, and their estrangement is harsh.

They keep away from me, and their estrangement is hard.

سَئِمتُ عِتابَهُم فَصَفَحتُ عَنهُم

سَئِمتُ عِتابَهُم فَصَفَحتُ عَنهُم

وَقُلتُ لَعَلَّ حِلمَهُمُ يَعودُ

وَقُلتُ لَعَلَّ حِلمَهُمُ يَعودُ

I tired of reproaching them, so I forgave them,

I grew weary of their reproaches so I forgave them,

and said, “Perhaps their forbearance will return.”

And said perhaps their forbearance will return.

وَعَلَّ اللَهَ يُمكِنُ مِن خُفافٍ

وَعَلَّ اللَهَ يُمكِنُ مِن خُفافٍ

فَأَسقيهِ الَّتي عَنها يَحيدُ

فَأَسقيهِ الَّتي عَنها يَحيدُ

And perhaps God will put Khufaf in my power,

And perhaps God will enable me to give generously

so I may make him drink the draught he shuns,

To those from whom he turns away.

بِما اِكتَسَبَت يَداهُ وَجرَّ فينا

بِما اِكتَسَبَت يَداهُ وَجرَّ فينا

مِنَ الشَحنا الَّتي لَيسَت تَبيدُ

مِنَ الشَحنا الَّتي لَيسَت تَبيدُ

for what his hands have earned and what he brought upon us

By what his hands have earned and what he has drawn upon us

of rancor that does not die away.

Of rancor that does not fade away.

فَإِنّي لَو يُؤَدِّبُني خُفافٌ

فَإِنّي لَو يُؤَدِّبُني خُفافٌ

وَعَوفٌ وَالقُلوبُ لَها وَقودُ

وَعَوفٌ وَالقُلوبُ لَها وَقودُ

For if Khufaf should discipline me,

For if the docile censured me,

and Awf—hearts have fuel to burn.

As well as Awf and hearts that have their fuel,

وَإِنّي لا أَزالُ أُريدُ خَيراً

وَإِنّي لا أَزالُ أُريدُ خَيراً

وَعِندَ اللَهِ مِن نَعَمٍ مَزيدُ

وَعِندَ اللَهِ مِن نَعَمٍ مَزيدُ

And I never cease to seek good,

I always intend good,

and with God there is more bounty still.

And with God there is increase of bounty.

فَضاقَت بي صُدورُهُمُ وَغَصَّت

فَضاقَت بي صُدورُهُمُ وَغَصَّت

حُلوقٌ ما يَبِضُّ لَها وَريدُ

حُلوقٌ ما يَبِضُّ لَها وَريدُ

Their chests tightened because of me, and choked were

So their hearts have narrowed around me and constricted

throats whose jugular veins yielded not a drop.

Are throats that no vein feeds.

مَتى أَبعُد فَشَرُّهُمُ قَريبٌ

مَتى أَبعُد فَشَرُّهُمُ قَريبٌ

وَإِن أَقرُب فَوُدُّهُمُ بَعيدُ

وَإِن أَقرُب فَوُدُّهُمُ بَعيدُ

Whenever I draw away, their evil is near;

Whenever I keep away, their evil is near,

and if I draw close, their affection is far away.

And whenever I draw near, their love is far.

أَقولُ لَهُم وَقَد لَهِجوا بِشَتمي

أَقولُ لَهُم وَقَد لَهِجوا بِشَتمي

تَرَقَّوا يا بَني عَوفٍ وَزيدوا

تَرَقَّوا يا بَني عَوفٍ وَزيدوا

I tell them, as they persist in reviling me:

I say to them, though they have become abusive of me,

“Rise higher, sons of Awf, and add still more!”

Be refined, O Banu Awf, and augment good!

فَما شَتمي بِنافِعِ حَيِّ عَوفٍ

فَما شَتمي بِنافِعِ حَيِّ عَوفٍ

وَلا مِثلي بِضائِرِهِ الوَعيدُ

وَلا مِثلي بِضائِرِهِ الوَعيدُ

For reviling me does Awf’s clan no good,

Censuring me profits not the living of Banu Awf,

nor do threats harm one like me.

Nor the like of me with his threats.

فَما أَدري وَما يُدريهِ عَوفٌ

فَما أَدري وَما يُدريهِ عَوفٌ

أَيَنفَعُني الهُبوطُ أَمِ الصُعودُ

أَيَنفَعُني الهُبوطُ أَمِ الصُعودُ

I do not know, nor does Awf know it:

So neither I nor Awf knows,

does descending benefit me, or ascending?

Whether my rising or descending will benefit me.

أَتَجعَلُني سَراةُ بَني سُلَيمٍ

أَتَجعَلُني سَراةُ بَني سُلَيمٍ

كَكَلبٍ لا يَهِرُّ وَلا يَصيدُ

كَكَلبٍ لا يَهِرُّ وَلا يَصيدُ

Do the chiefs of the sons of Sulaym make me

Does the nobility of Banu Sulaim make me

like a dog that neither growls nor hunts?

Like a dog that neither barks nor hunts?

كَأَنّي لَم أَقُد خَيلاً عِتاقاً

كَأَنّي لَم أَقُد خَيلاً عِتاقاً

شَوازِبَ مِثلُها في الأَرضِ عودُ

شَوازِبَ مِثلُها في الأَرضِ عودُ

As though I had never led thoroughbred horses,

As though I never led noble stallions,

lean—on earth their like is wood.

The like of which on earth are rare.

أُجَشِّمُها مَهامِهَ طامِساتٍ

أُجَشِّمُها مَهامِهَ طامِساتٍ

كَأَنَّ رِمالَ صَحصَحِها قُعودُ

كَأَنَّ رِمالَ صَحصَحِها قُعودُ

I make them endure trackless desert wastes,

I spur them into the fray, plunging chargers,

as though the sands of their open flats were seated figures.

As though the sands of their threshing are sedentary.

عَلَيها مِن سَراةِ بَني سُلَيمٍ

عَلَيها مِن سَراةِ بَني سُلَيمٍ

فَوارِسُ نَجدَةٍ في الحَربِ صيدُ

فَوارِسُ نَجدَةٍ في الحَربِ صيدُ

Upon them, from the chiefs of the sons of Sulaym,

Upon them are the horsemen of Banu Sulaim

are horsemen of valor, proud in war.

Heroes of help in battle and prey.

فَأوطِىءُ مَن تُريدُ بَني سُلَيمٍ

فَأوطِىءُ مَن تُريدُ بَني سُلَيمٍ

بِكَلكَلِها وَمَن لَيسَت تُريدُ

بِكَلكَلِها وَمَن لَيسَت تُريدُ

So I make them trample whomever the sons of Sulaym wish,

So I trample with their hooves those of Banu Sulaim whom you wish,

with their breasts—and whomever they do not wish.

And those you do not wish.