Sol 6.1

  1. أَلا لا تَلوماني كَفى اللَومَ ما بِيا

    وَما لَكُما في اللَومِ خَيرٌ وَلا لِيا

    Ah, do not reproach me, you two; my suffering is reproach enough.

    And reproach holds no good for you two, nor for me.

  2. أَلَم تَعلَما أَنَّ المَلامَةَ نَفعُها

    قَليل وَما لَومي أَخي مِن شمالِيا

    Did you two not know that the benefit of reproach

    Is slight, and reproaching my brother is not my way?

  3. فَيا راكِباً إِمّا عَرَضتَ فَبَلَّغَن

    نَدامايَ مِن نَجرانَ أَن لا تَلاقِيا

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

    My drinking companions of Najran that there will be no reunion—

  4. أَبا كَرِبٍ وَالأَيهَمَينِ كِلَيهِما

    وَقَيساً بِأَعلى حَضرَمَوتَ اليَمانِيا

    Abu Karib and the two Ayhams, both of them,

    And Qays, the Yemeni, in upper Hadramawt.

  5. جَزى اللَهُ قَومي بِالكُلابِ مَلامَةً

    صَريحَهُم وَالآخَرينَ المَوالِيا

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

    Their trueborn men and the others, the client-allies.

  6. وَلَو شِئتُ نَجَّتني مِنَ الخَيلِ نَهدَةٌ

    تَرى خَلفَها الحُوَّ الجِيادَ تَوالِيا

    And had I wished, a powerful mare would have saved me from the horsemen,

    You would see the dark bay steeds trailing behind her.

  7. وَلَكِنّني أَحمي ذِمارَ أَبيكُم

    وَكانَ الرِماحُ يَختَطِفنَ المُحامِيا

    But I was guarding your father's honor,

    And the spears were snatching the defender away.

  8. وَتَضحَكُ مِنّي شَيخَةٌ عَبشَمِيَّةٌ

    كَأَن لَم تَرى قَبلي أَسيراً يَمانِيا

    And an old woman of Abd Shams laughs at me,

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

  9. وَقَد عَلِمَت عَرسي مُلَيكَةُ أَنَّني

    أَنا اللَيثُ مَعدُوّاً عَلَيَّ وَعادِيا

    And my wife Mulayka knows well that I

    Am the lion, whether attacked or attacking.

  10. أَقولُ وَقَد شَدّوا لِساني بِنِسعَةٍ

    أَمَعشَرَ تَيمٍ أَطلِقوا عَن لِسانِيا

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

    O people of Taym, free my tongue!

  11. أَمَعشَرَ تَيمٍ قَد مَلَكتُم فَأَسجِحوا

    فَإِنَّ أَخاكُم لَم يَكُن مِن بَوائِيا

    O people of Taym, you have me in your power; be lenient,

    For your brother was not my equal in blood-vengeance.

  12. فَإِن تَقتُلوني تَقتُلوا بِيَ سَيِّداً

    وَإِن تُطلِقوني تَحرُبوني بِمالِيا

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

    And if you release me, you will strip me of my wealth.

  13. وَكُنتُ إِذا ما الخَيلُ شَمَّصَها القَنا

    لبيق بِتَصريفِ القَناة بنَانِيا

    And whenever the spears made the horses bolt, I was

    Deft-fingered at wielding the spear.

  14. فيا عاصِ فكَّ القَيد عنّي فإنني

    صَبور على مرِّ الحوادثِ ناكِيا

    So, O ʿAs, unfasten my fetters, for I am

    Patient under bitter calamities, yet able to wound my foes.

  15. أَحَقّاً عِبادَ اللَهِ أَن لَستُ سامِعاً

    نَشيدَ الرُعاءِ المُعزِبينَ المَتالِيا

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

    The song of herdsmen far afield, with young beasts following their dams?

  16. وَقَد كُنتُ نَحّارَ الجَزورِ وَمُعمِلَ ال

    مطيَّ وأمضي حيث لاحي ماضيا

    And I would slaughter camels often, and drive the

    Riding camels hard, and venture where no living soul would go.

  17. وَأَنحَرُ لِلشَربِ الكِرامِ مِطِيَّتي

    وَأَصدَعُ بَينَ القَينَتَينِ رِدائِيا

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

    And split my cloak between the two singing girls.

  18. وَعادِيَةٍ سَومَ الجَرادِ وَزَعتُها

    بِكَفّي وَقَد أَنحَوا إِلَيَّ العَوالِيا

    And many a charging host, swarming like locusts, I held back

    With my hand, though they had aimed their spearheads at me.

  19. كَأَنِّيَ لَم أَركَب جَواداً وَلَم أَقُل

    لِخَيلِيَ كُرّي نَفِّسي عَن رِجالِيا

    As though I had never ridden a fine steed, or said

    To my cavalry: 'Charge back! Bring relief to my men!'

  20. وَلَم أَسبَإِ الزِقَّ الرَوِيَّ وَلَم أَقُل

    لِأَيسارِ صِدقٍ أَعظِموا ضَوءَ نارِيا

    Nor bought the brimming wineskin, nor said

    To trusty gaming companions: 'Make my firelight brighter!'