أَزِيادُ إِنَّكَ وَالَّذي أَنا عَبدُهُ

أَزِيادُ إِنَّكَ وَالَّذي أَنا عَبدُهُ

ما دونَ آدَمَ مِن أَبٍ لكَ يُعلَمُ

ما دونَ آدَمَ مِن أَبٍ لكَ يُعلَمُ

O Ziyad, surely you—by Him whose servant I am—

Oh Ziyad, I swear by Him whom I worship

have no known father this side of Adam.

That beyond Adam no known father you can claim

فَالحَقْ بِأَرضِكِ يا زِيادُ وَلا تَرُم

فَالحَقْ بِأَرضِكِ يا زِيادُ وَلا تَرُم

ما لا تُطيقُ وَأَنتَ عِلجٌ أَعجَم

ما لا تُطيقُ وَأَنتَ عِلجٌ أَعجَم

So return to your land, O Ziyad, and do not seek

So keep to your lands, Ziyad, do not overreach

what you cannot do, being a foreign, non-Arabic-speaking brute.

What you cannot manage, you who are a foreign barbarian

أَظَنَنتَ لُؤمَكَ يا زِيادُ يَسُدُّهُ

أَظَنَنتَ لُؤمَكَ يا زِيادُ يَسُدُّهُ

قَوسٌ سَتَرتَ بِها قَفاكَ وَأَسهُمُ

قَوسٌ سَتَرتَ بِها قَفاكَ وَأَسهُمُ

Did you think your baseness, O Ziyad, could be remedied

You thought, Ziyad, that your shame could be covered

by a bow with which you covered your nape, and arrows?

By the bows that shielded your neck and arrows

عِلجٌ تَعَصَّبَ ثُمَّ راقَ بِقَوسِهِ

عِلجٌ تَعَصَّبَ ثُمَّ راقَ بِقَوسِهِ

وَالعِلجُ تَعرِفُهُ إِذا يَتَعَمَّمُ

وَالعِلجُ تَعرِفُهُ إِذا يَتَعَمَّمُ

A foreign brute tied on a headband, then cut a fine figure with his bow;

A foreigner who was zealous but his bow soon cracked

and you recognize the foreign brute when he wears a turban.

And you can recognize a foreigner when he veils himself

أَلقِ العصابَةَ يا زِيادُ فَإِنَّما

أَلقِ العصابَةَ يا زِيادُ فَإِنَّما

أَخزاكَ رَبّي إِذ غَدَوتَ تَرَنَّمُ

أَخزاكَ رَبّي إِذ غَدَوتَ تَرَنَّمُ

Cast off the headband, O Ziyad, for it was only

Cast off your headcloth, Ziyad, for my Lord has degraded you

my Lord who disgraced you when you went forth chanting.

When you began to act pretentiously

واِعلَم بِأَنَّكَ لِستَ مِنّي ناجِياً

واِعلَم بِأَنَّكَ لِستَ مِنّي ناجِياً

إِلّا وَأَنتَ بِبَظرِ أُمِّكَ مُلجَمُ

إِلّا وَأَنتَ بِبَظرِ أُمِّكَ مُلجَمُ

And know that you will not escape me

And know that you will not escape from me

unless you are bridled with your mother's clitoris.

Unless you are back inside your mother's womb concealed

تَهجو الكِرامَ وَأَنتَ أَلأَمُ مَن مَشى

تَهجو الكِرامَ وَأَنتَ أَلأَمُ مَن مَشى

حَسَباً وَأَنتَ العِلجُ حينَ تَكَلَّمُ

حَسَباً وَأَنتَ العِلجُ حينَ تَكَلَّمُ

You satirize the noble, though you are the basest of all who have walked

You insult honorable men yet you are more vile than one who walks

in ancestral honor; and you are the foreign brute when you speak.

That is enough, while you are the foreigner when you speak

وَلَقَد سَأَلتُ بَني نِزارٍ كُلّهُم

وَلَقَد سَأَلتُ بَني نِزارٍ كُلّهُم

وَالعالِمينَ مِنَ الكُهولِ فَأَقسَموا

وَالعالِمينَ مِنَ الكُهولِ فَأَقسَموا

And indeed I asked all the sons of Nizar,

I asked all the Bani Nizar and the learned elders

and the learned among men of mature years; so they swore

And they swore by God that among all the tribes

بِاللَهِ ما لَكَ في مَعَدٍّ كُلِّها

بِاللَهِ ما لَكَ في مَعَدٍّ كُلِّها

حَسَبٌ وَإِنَّكَ يا زِيادُ مُوَذَّمُ

حَسَبٌ وَإِنَّكَ يا زِيادُ مُوَذَّمُ

by God: you have, in all of Ma'add, no

You have no origin, and you, Ziyad, are damned

ancestral honor; and you, O Ziyad, are indeed disgraced.