قُل لذوي سيفٍ وسيف ألستُم

قُل لذوي سيفٍ وسيف ألستُم

أقلَّ بني سعدٍ حصاداً ومزرعا

أقلَّ بني سعدٍ حصاداً ومزرعا

Say to Sayf’s kin and Sayf: are you not

Tell those who bear swords, are you not

the least of Banu Sa'd in harvest and cultivated land?

The least of the sons of Sa'd in harvest and plantation

كأنكم جعلانُ دارٍ مُقامةٍ

كأنكم جعلانُ دارٍ مُقامةٍ

على عذرات الحيّ أصبحنَ وقّعا

على عذرات الحيّ أصبحنَ وقّعا

You are like the dung beetles of an inhabited dwelling,

As though you made Dar's abode

perched at dawn upon the clan’s dung.

Settled upon the riding camels' resting place

لقد نالَ سيفُ في سجستان نُهزةً

لقد نالَ سيفُ في سجستان نُهزةً

تطاول منها فوق ما كان إصبعا

تطاول منها فوق ما كان إصبعا

Sayf indeed gained an opportunity in Sijistan,

Indeed the sword attained in Sijistan a defeat

and through it rose a finger’s breadth above what he had been.

That has stretched beyond what was a finger

أصباَ الزناد الخمرَ حتى لقد نَمَت

أصباَ الزناد الخمرَ حتى لقد نَمَت

له سُرّةٌ تُسقى الشرابَ المشعشَعا

له سُرّةٌ تُسقى الشرابَ المشعشَعا

[Opening wording unclear: “the fire-sticks ... wine”], until indeed there grew

The wine-skins have emptied wine until they slept

upon him a navel, watered with diluted wine.

For him a secret to be watered with agitated drink

فلولا هوانُ الخمر ما ذُقتَ طعمَها

فلولا هوانُ الخمر ما ذُقتَ طعمَها

ولا شُقنتَ إبريقاً بكفّك مترعا

ولا شُقنتَ إبريقاً بكفّك مترعا

But for wine’s cheapness, you would not have tasted it,

So had it not been for the disgrace of wine you would not have tasted its flavor

nor grasped a brimming ewer in your hand.

Nor tipped over a pitcher with your palm hastening

كما لم يذقها أن تكون عزيزةً

كما لم يذقها أن تكون عزيزةً

أبوك ولم يُعرَض عليها فيطمعا

أبوك ولم يُعرَض عليها فيطمعا

Just as he never tasted it, because it was costly—

Just as your father did not taste it to make it honorable

your father—nor was he brought before it, to grow hopeful.

Nor was it offered to him for him to covet

وكان مكان الكلب أو من ورائه

وكان مكان الكلب أو من ورائه

إذا ما المُغَنّى للذاذةِ أسمعا

إذا ما المُغَنّى للذاذةِ أسمعا

And he was in the dog’s place, or behind it,

And your place was that of a dog or behind it

whenever the singer sang to give delight.

When the singer sang the pleasing song they heard