أبْلِغْ لدَيْكَ بَنِي قَحْطَانَ مَألُكَةً

أبْلِغْ لدَيْكَ بَنِي قَحْطَانَ مَألُكَةً

غصَّتْ بأيْرِ أبيهَا سَادَةُ اليَمَنِ

غصَّتْ بأيْرِ أبيهَا سَادَةُ اليَمَنِ

Convey a message to the sons of Qahtan there with you:

Convey to your kinsmen of Qahtan my distress,

The lords of Yemen have choked on their father's cock.

The chiefs of Yemen were choked in the abode of their father.

أمسي دَعِيُّ زِيَادٍ فَقْعَ قَرْقَرَةٍ

أمسي دَعِيُّ زِيَادٍ فَقْعَ قَرْقَرَةٍ

يَا للعجَائِبِ يَلْهُو بابْنِ ذِي يَزَنِ

يَا للعجَائِبِ يَلْهُو بابْنِ ذِي يَزَنِ

Ziyad's bastard has become a truffle on a flat plain;

Last night Ziyad's cupbearer became the rattling of a dice-box,

Oh, the wonders! He toys with the son of Dhu Yazan.

Oh, the wonders! He toys with the son of the man from Yazan.

وَالأجْبَهُ بْنُ نُمَيْرٍ فَوقَ مُفْرَشَةٍ

وَالأجْبَهُ بْنُ نُمَيْرٍ فَوقَ مُفْرَشَةٍ

يَرْنُو إلى أحْوَرِ الْعَيْنَيْنْ ذِي عُكَنِ

يَرْنُو إلى أحْوَرِ الْعَيْنَيْنْ ذِي عُكَنِ

And al-Ajbah ibn Numayr, upon a bedspread,

And Ajbah the son of Numayr atop a bed,

gazes at a dark-eyed man with folds of belly fat.

Glances at the whites of the eyes of the one from Ukaz.

قُومُوا فَقُولُوا أمِيرَ المُؤمِنينَ لَنَا

قُومُوا فَقُولُوا أمِيرَ المُؤمِنينَ لَنَا

حَقٌ عَلَيْكَ وَمَنٌّ لَيْسَ كَالْمِنَنِ

حَقٌ عَلَيْكَ وَمَنٌّ لَيْسَ كَالْمِنَنِ

Rise and say: “Commander of the Faithful, we have

Rise and say to the Commander of the Faithful, you owe us

a claim upon you, and a favor unlike other favors.

A right, not a favor, this is not a benefaction!

فازْجُرْ دَعِيَّ زِيَادٍ عَنْ كَرِيمَتِنَا

فازْجُرْ دَعِيَّ زِيَادٍ عَنْ كَرِيمَتِنَا

مَاذا تُرِيدُ إلى الأحْقادِ وَالدًّمَنِ

مَاذا تُرِيدُ إلى الأحْقادِ وَالدًّمَنِ

So drive Ziyad's bastard away from our noble lady.

So deter Ziyad's cupbearer from our honorable lady,

What do you want with grudges and lingering rancor?”

What do you want with hatreds and ransoms?