سَأَمدَحُ مالِكاً في كُلِّ رَكب

سَأَمدَحُ مالِكاً في كُلِّ رَكب

لَقيتُهُم وَأَترُكُ كُلَّ رَذلِ

لَقيتُهُم وَأَترُكُ كُلَّ رَذلِ

I shall praise Mālik in every company of riders

I shall praise Malik among every caravan

I will praise a chief among all tribes

whose people I meet, and leave every base fellow aside.

I meet, and shun every base man.

I met them and leave behind all disgrace

فَما أَنا وَالبكارَةُ أَو مَخاضٌ

فَما أَنا وَالبكارَةُ أَو مَخاضٌ

عِظامٌ جِلَّةٌ سُدسٌ وَبُزلُ

عِظامٌ جِلَّةٌ سُدسٌ وَبُزلُ

What have I to do with young camels or pregnant she-camels?

So what have I to do with young camels or pregnant she-camels—

Neither am I a virgin or in childbirth

Great, full-grown beasts: camels at the sixth-tooth stage, and mature ones whose canines have erupted.

Large, aged beasts, six-toothed and tusk-grown?

Bones piled high, a sixth and remnants

وَقَد عَرَفَت كِلابُكُم ثِيابي

وَقَد عَرَفَت كِلابُكُم ثِيابي

كَأَنِّي مِنكُمُ وَنَسيتُ أَهلي

كَأَنِّي مِنكُمُ وَنَسيتُ أَهلي

Your dogs have already come to know my clothes,

And your dogs have come to know my clothes,

Yet your dogs knew my clothes

as though I were one of you and had forgotten my own people.

As though I were one of you, and I have forgotten my family.

As if I'm one of you, forgot my people

نَمَت بِكَ مِن بَني شَمخٍ زِنادٌ

نَمَت بِكَ مِن بَني شَمخٍ زِنادٌ

لَها ما شِئتَ مِن فَرعٍ وَأَصلِ

لَها ما شِئتَ مِن فَرعٍ وَأَصلِ

Through you, fire-sticks of Banū Shamkh have flourished,

Fire-sticks from Banu Shamkh have borne you aloft;

Many from the sons of Shamkh committed sins with you

with every branch and root one could wish.

They have all you could wish for in branch and root.

You have whatever you wished of branches and roots