أَلا لا تَلوماني كَفى اللَومَ ما بِيا

أَلا لا تَلوماني كَفى اللَومَ ما بِيا

وَما لَكُما في اللَومِ خَيرٌ وَلا لِيا

وَما لَكُما في اللَومِ خَيرٌ وَلا لِيا

Ah, do not blame me, you two; I suffer enough without blame.

Oh, do not blame me, enough with blame

And blame brings no good to you two, nor to me.

What good in blaming me or you the same

أَلَم تَعلَما أَنَّ المَلامَةَ نَفعُها

أَلَم تَعلَما أَنَّ المَلامَةَ نَفعُها

قَليل وَما لَومي أَخي مِن شمالِيا

قَليل وَما لَومي أَخي مِن شمالِيا

Did you two not know that the benefit of reproach

Don't you know, of blame the benefit's small

is slight? Nor is it my way to blame my brother.

My blaming brother, does nothing at all

فَيا راكِباً إِمّا عَرَضتَ فَبَلَّغَن

فَيا راكِباً إِمّا عَرَضتَ فَبَلَّغَن

نَدامايَ مِن نَجرانَ أَن لا تَلاقِيا

نَدامايَ مِن نَجرانَ أَن لا تَلاقِيا

So, O rider, if you pass that way, be sure to tell

So rider, if you're going to Narjan way

my drinking companions from Najran that we shall meet no more:

Convey my sorrow that we can't meet today

أَبا كَرِبٍ وَالأَيهَمَينِ كِلَيهِما

أَبا كَرِبٍ وَالأَيهَمَينِ كِلَيهِما

وَقَيساً بِأَعلى حَضرَمَوتَ اليَمانِيا

وَقَيساً بِأَعلى حَضرَمَوتَ اليَمانِيا

Abu Karib, and both the Ayhams,

Abu Karib and Ahyam's tribe entire

and Qays the Yemeni, in upper Hadramawt.

And Qais at the highlands of Yemen's spire

جَزى اللَهُ قَومي بِالكُلابِ مَلامَةً

جَزى اللَهُ قَومي بِالكُلابِ مَلامَةً

صَريحَهُم وَالآخَرينَ المَوالِيا

صَريحَهُم وَالآخَرينَ المَوالِيا

May God requite my people at al-Kulab with reproach—

May God requite my people with disdain

their pureborn and the others, their clients.

Those straightforward and the covert remain

وَلَو شِئتُ نَجَّتني مِنَ الخَيلِ نَهدَةٌ

وَلَو شِئتُ نَجَّتني مِنَ الخَيلِ نَهدَةٌ

تَرى خَلفَها الحُوَّ الجِيادَ تَوالِيا

تَرى خَلفَها الحُوَّ الجِيادَ تَوالِيا

Had I wished, a powerful mare would have saved me from the cavalry;

Had I wished, a spear could have saved my soul

you would see dark, noble steeds trailing behind her.

With horses trailing, an unbroken shoal

وَلَكِنّني أَحمي ذِمارَ أَبيكُم

وَلَكِنّني أَحمي ذِمارَ أَبيكُم

وَكانَ الرِماحُ يَختَطِفنَ المُحامِيا

وَكانَ الرِماحُ يَختَطِفنَ المُحامِيا

But I was defending your father's honor,

But I defend your father's bond of grace

while spears were snatching defenders away.

As spears snatched the lawyers in their race

وَتَضحَكُ مِنّي شَيخَةٌ عَبشَمِيَّةٌ

وَتَضحَكُ مِنّي شَيخَةٌ عَبشَمِيَّةٌ

كَأَن لَم تَرى قَبلي أَسيراً يَمانِيا

كَأَن لَم تَرى قَبلي أَسيراً يَمانِيا

And an old woman of Abd Shams laughs at me,

An old Abshami woman laughs at me

as though she had never seen a Yemeni captive before me.

As though she'd never seen a Yemeni

وَقَد عَلِمَت عَرسي مُلَيكَةُ أَنَّني

وَقَد عَلِمَت عَرسي مُلَيكَةُ أَنَّني

أَنا اللَيثُ مَعدُوّاً عَلَيَّ وَعادِيا

أَنا اللَيثُ مَعدُوّاً عَلَيَّ وَعادِيا

And my wife Mulayka knows well that I

The she-wolf knows I'm a lion set free

am the lion, whether attacked or attacking.

Enemy to her, and she to me

أَقولُ وَقَد شَدّوا لِساني بِنِسعَةٍ

أَقولُ وَقَد شَدّوا لِساني بِنِسعَةٍ

أَمَعشَرَ تَيمٍ أَطلِقوا عَن لِسانِيا

أَمَعشَرَ تَيمٍ أَطلِقوا عَن لِسانِيا

I say, though they have bound my tongue with a plaited strap:

Though they've tied my tongue, in rage I state

O people of Taym, unbind my tongue!

O tribe of Taim, release my tongue's weight!

أَمَعشَرَ تَيمٍ قَد مَلَكتُم فَأَسجِحوا

أَمَعشَرَ تَيمٍ قَد مَلَكتُم فَأَسجِحوا

فَإِنَّ أَخاكُم لَم يَكُن مِن بَوائِيا

فَإِنَّ أَخاكُم لَم يَكُن مِن بَوائِيا

O people of Taym, you have me in your power, so show mercy,

O Taim you've won, so be compassionate

for your brother was no equal of mine.

Your brother wasn't of the submissive rate

فَإِن تَقتُلوني تَقتُلوا بِيَ سَيِّداً

فَإِن تَقتُلوني تَقتُلوا بِيَ سَيِّداً

وَإِن تُطلِقوني تَحرُبوني بِمالِيا

وَإِن تُطلِقوني تَحرُبوني بِمالِيا

For if you kill me, in me you kill a chieftain;

If you kill me, a master dies in me

and if you set me free, you may strip me of my wealth.

If you free me, you battle my money

وَكُنتُ إِذا ما الخَيلُ شَمَّصَها القَنا

وَكُنتُ إِذا ما الخَيلُ شَمَّصَها القَنا

لبيق بِتَصريفِ القَناة بنَانِيا

لبيق بِتَصريفِ القَناة بنَانِيا

And whenever lances made the horses rear,

When the horses neigh, sniffing the air

my fingers were deft at wielding the spear.

I announce with pride, pawing the bare

فيا عاصِ فكَّ القَيد عنّي فإنني

فيا عاصِ فكَّ القَيد عنّي فإنني

صَبور على مرِّ الحوادثِ ناكِيا

صَبور على مرِّ الحوادثِ ناكِيا

So, O ʿAs, undo my fetters, for I

So free me, O Aas, from these ropes and ties

am patient under bitter misfortunes, and inflict wounds.

I'm patient with whatever fate implies

أَحَقّاً عِبادَ اللَهِ أَن لَستُ سامِعاً

أَحَقّاً عِبادَ اللَهِ أَن لَستُ سامِعاً

نَشيدَ الرُعاءِ المُعزِبينَ المَتالِيا

نَشيدَ الرُعاءِ المُعزِبينَ المَتالِيا

Is it true, servants of God, that I shall not hear

Can it be, O Allah's servants, I can't hear

the chanting of herdsmen taking camels with their calves far afield?

The shepherd's songs from afar appearing?

وَقَد كُنتُ نَحّارَ الجَزورِ وَمُعمِلَ ال

وَقَد كُنتُ نَحّارَ الجَزورِ وَمُعمِلَ ال

مطيَّ وأمضي حيث لاحي ماضيا

مطيَّ وأمضي حيث لاحي ماضيا

And I used to slaughter camels freely and drive the

I was the slaughterer of meat full-grown

riding camels hard, going where no living soul would go.

Preparing horses, roaming on my own

وَأَنحَرُ لِلشَربِ الكِرامِ مِطِيَّتي

وَأَنحَرُ لِلشَربِ الكِرامِ مِطِيَّتي

وَأَصدَعُ بَينَ القَينَتَينِ رِدائِيا

وَأَصدَعُ بَينَ القَينَتَينِ رِدائِيا

And I would slaughter my riding camel for noble drinking companions,

Slaughtering my mare for drink honorable

and split my cloak between the two singing girls.

Splitting the saddle with my arms, able

وَعادِيَةٍ سَومَ الجَرادِ وَزَعتُها

وَعادِيَةٍ سَومَ الجَرادِ وَزَعتُها

بِكَفّي وَقَد أَنحَوا إِلَيَّ العَوالِيا

بِكَفّي وَقَد أَنحَوا إِلَيَّ العَوالِيا

And many a charging troop, sweeping like locusts, I held back

Battling locusts in numbers progressed

with my hand, though they leveled their spearheads at me.

I summoned them, to the hills they digressed

كَأَنِّيَ لَم أَركَب جَواداً وَلَم أَقُل

كَأَنِّيَ لَم أَركَب جَواداً وَلَم أَقُل

لِخَيلِيَ كُرّي نَفِّسي عَن رِجالِيا

لِخَيلِيَ كُرّي نَفِّسي عَن رِجالِيا

As though I had never ridden a swift steed, nor said

As if I never rode a horse before

to my cavalry: 'Charge! Give my men breathing room!'

Or said to my steed, pace yourself more

وَلَم أَسبَإِ الزِقَّ الرَوِيَّ وَلَم أَقُل

وَلَم أَسبَإِ الزِقَّ الرَوِيَّ وَلَم أَقُل

لِأَيسارِ صِدقٍ أَعظِموا ضَوءَ نارِيا

لِأَيسارِ صِدقٍ أَعظِموا ضَوءَ نارِيا

nor bought a brimming wineskin, nor said

As if I never Yemen's leather girt

to worthy gaming companions: 'Make my fire blaze brighter!'

Or said to the free, make the fire's light hurt