أَعُتبَةُ إِن تَطاوَلَتِ اللَيالي

أَعُتبَةُ إِن تَطاوَلَتِ اللَيالي

عَلَيكَ فَإِنَّ شِعري سَمُّ ساعَه

عَلَيكَ فَإِنَّ شِعري سَمُّ ساعَه

O ʿUtbah, if the nights grow long

A'tubah, though nights have been long upon you

for you, my verse is poison that kills within an hour.

My poetry remains potent when recited

وَما وَفَدَ المَشيبُ عَلَيكَ إِلّا

وَما وَفَدَ المَشيبُ عَلَيكَ إِلّا

بِأَخلاقِ الدَناءَةِ وَالوَضاعَه

بِأَخلاقِ الدَناءَةِ وَالوَضاعَه

And gray hair has come upon you only

And old age came upon you only

with the traits of baseness and lowliness.

With the traits of meanness and indecency

فَأَشهَدُ ما جَسَرتَ عَلَيَّ إِلّا

فَأَشهَدُ ما جَسَرتَ عَلَيَّ إِلّا

وَزَيدُ الخَيلِ عَبدُكَ في الشَجاعَه

وَزَيدُ الخَيلِ عَبدُكَ في الشَجاعَه

So I testify: you dared challenge me only

So I bear witness you dared against me only

with Zayd al-Khayl your slave in bravery.

While Zaid, your servant, excelled in bravery

وَوَجهُكَ إِذ قَنِعتَ بِهِ نَديماً

وَوَجهُكَ إِذ قَنِعتَ بِهِ نَديماً

فَأَنتَ نَسيجُ وَحدِكَ في القَناعَه

فَأَنتَ نَسيجُ وَحدِكَ في القَناعَه

And since you were content with your face as a companion,

And your face, which you deemed sufficient as companion

you are one of a kind in contentment.

You are its sole weaver, in contentment

فَلَو بُدِّلتُهُ وَجهاً إِذَن لَم

فَلَو بُدِّلتُهُ وَجهاً إِذَن لَم

أُصَلِّ بِهِ نَهاراً في جَماعَه

أُصَلِّ بِهِ نَهاراً في جَماعَه

So if I were given it as a face instead, then I would not

If I were to change it for another face

pray with it by day in a congregation.

I would not pray with it in congregation

وَلَكِن قَد رُزِقتَ بِهِ سِلاحاً

وَلَكِن قَد رُزِقتَ بِهِ سِلاحاً

لَوِ اِستَعصَيتَ ما أَدَّيتَ طاعَه

لَوِ اِستَعصَيتَ ما أَدَّيتَ طاعَه

And yet, through it you have been granted a weapon:

But you were granted it as a weapon

were you to rebel, you would render no obedience.

With which, if you rebelled, you would not obey

مَناسِبُ كَلبَ قَد قُسِمَت فَدَعها

مَناسِبُ كَلبَ قَد قُسِمَت فَدَعها

فَلَيسَت مِثلَ نِسبَتِكَ المُشاعَه

فَلَيسَت مِثلَ نِسبَتِكَ المُشاعَه

Kalb's lineages have been apportioned, so leave them alone;

The pedigree of dogs has been distributed, so leave it be

they are not like your lineage, shared by all.

It is not like your common lineage

وَرَوِّح مِنكَبَيكَ فَقَد أُعيدا

وَرَوِّح مِنكَبَيكَ فَقَد أُعيدا

حُطاماً مِن زِحامِكَ في قُضاعَه

حُطاماً مِن زِحامِكَ في قُضاعَه

And rest your shoulders, for they have been reduced

And rest your shoulders, for they have been returned

to wreckage by your jostling among Qudaʿah.

As wreckage from your bustling in wastelands

وَلا يَغرُركَ أَوغادٌ تَعاوَوا

وَلا يَغرُركَ أَوغادٌ تَعاوَوا

لِنَصرِكَ بِالحُلاقِ وَبِالرَقاعَه

لِنَصرِكَ بِالحُلاقِ وَبِالرَقاعَه

And do not be deceived by lowlifes who howled together

And let not the rogues delude you, whobanded together

to champion you with death and folly.

To support you with shaving and tattered robes

رَأَوني حَيثُ كُنتُ لَهُم عَدُوّاً

رَأَوني حَيثُ كُنتُ لَهُم عَدُوّاً

وَأَنتَ لَهُم شَريكٌ في الصِناعَه

وَأَنتَ لَهُم شَريكٌ في الصِناعَه

They saw me as their enemy,

They saw me as their enemy wherever I was

while you are their partner in the craft.

While you were their partner in the profession