لا تهجُ يشكر يا زياد ولا تكُن

لا تهجُ يشكر يا زياد ولا تكُن

غَرَضاً وأنتَ عن الأذى في مَعزلِ

غَرَضاً وأنتَ عن الأذى في مَعزلِ

Do not satirize Yashkur, Ziyad, nor become

Do not satirize Yashkur, O Ziyad, and do not be

a target, while you remain safely beyond harm's reach.

a target while you are sheltered from harm.

وأعلم بأنهم إذا ما حصّلوا

وأعلم بأنهم إذا ما حصّلوا

خيرٌ وأكرمُ من أبيك الأعزل

خيرٌ وأكرمُ من أبيك الأعزل

Know that, when their true worth is weighed,

And know that, when they are assessed,

they are better and nobler than your defenseless father.

they are better and nobler than your unarmed father.

لولا زعيمُ بني المعلّى لم نَبُت

لولا زعيمُ بني المعلّى لم نَبُت

حتى نُصبِّحكم بجيشٍ جحفل

حتى نُصبِّحكم بجيشٍ جحفل

But for the chief of the sons of al-Mu‘alla, we would not have let the night pass

Were it not for the chief of Banū al-Muʿallā, we would not have slept

before assailing you at dawn with a vast army—

until we had attacked you at dawn with a mighty army.

تمشي الضراءَ رجالهم وكأنهم

تمشي الضراءَ رجالهم وكأنهم

أسدُ العرين بكلّ عَضب مُنصَل

أسدُ العرين بكلّ عَضب مُنصَل

their men striding through the thickets as though they were

Their men walk through the thickets, as though they were

lions of the lair, each bearing a keen, unsheathed sword.

lions of the lair, with every sharp sword drawn.

فأحذر زيادُ ولا تكُن ذا تُدراءٍ

فأحذر زيادُ ولا تكُن ذا تُدراءٍ

عند الرجالِ ونُهزةً للخُتَّل

عند الرجالِ ونُهزةً للخُتَّل

So beware, Ziyad; do not be rash and quarrelsome

So beware, Ziyad, and do not be defiant

among men, nor easy prey for the treacherous.

before men, or easy prey for deceivers.