ومَن يَكُ مثلي يَلقَهُ المَوتُ خالياً

ومَن يَكُ مثلي يَلقَهُ المَوتُ خالياً

منَ المالِ والأهلين في رَأسِ فَدفَدِ

منَ المالِ والأهلين في رَأسِ فَدفَدِ

And whoever is like me, death will find him bereft

He who is like me, death meets him empty

of wealth and kin, on the crest of a barren waste.

Of wealth and family at the top of the grave

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري أَيّ دَخلٍ يُصيبُني

أَلا لَيتَ شِعري أَيّ دَخلٍ يُصيبُني

وإنَّ ذنوبي تَلقَني وهو مَوعِدي

وإنَّ ذنوبي تَلقَني وهو مَوعِدي

Ah, if only I knew what affliction will befall me!

Oh, I wish I knew what fate has in store for me

And indeed my allotted share will meet me: that is my appointed end.

Though my sins await me, it is my destiny

سَعَيتُ لعبدِ اللَّهِ بَعضَ حَشاشَتي

سَعَيتُ لعبدِ اللَّهِ بَعضَ حَشاشَتي

وَنِلتُ حِزاماً مُهدياً بِمُهَنَّدي

وَنِلتُ حِزاماً مُهدياً بِمُهَنَّدي

I pursued Abd Allah with some of my remaining life-breath,

I strove for Abdullah's sake with some recklessness

and reached Hizam, bringing a gift with my Indian blade.

And got a belt gifted by al-Muhannadi

وَإنِّي لَذو أَنفٍ حَمِيٍّ مُرَقَّعٍ

وَإنِّي لَذو أَنفٍ حَمِيٍّ مُرَقَّعٍ

وَإنَّ لَثَأري حيثُ كنتُ بِمَرصَدِ

وَإنَّ لَثَأري حيثُ كنتُ بِمَرصَدِ

And I have a fiercely proud, patched-up nose,

I am one with a haughty, mended nose

and my vengeance lies in wait wherever I may be.

And my revenge is wherever I lie in wait

وقالوا أَخوكُم جَهرَةً وابنُ عَمِّكُم

وقالوا أَخوكُم جَهرَةً وابنُ عَمِّكُم

ألا فَاجعَلوني مَثلاً بَعد أبعَدِ

ألا فَاجعَلوني مَثلاً بَعد أبعَدِ

And they said openly, 'Your brother and your cousin!'

They called your brother hot-tempered and your cousin

Ah, then make me an example after the outcast.

So make me an example after being distanced

أَنا ابنُ الأُلى شدُّوا وَراءَ أَكُفِّهِم

أَنا ابنُ الأُلى شدُّوا وَراءَ أَكُفِّهِم

وَلَستُ بِفَقعِ القاعِ من بَين قُردُدِ

وَلَستُ بِفَقعِ القاعِ من بَين قُردُدِ

I am the son of those whose hands were bound behind them,

I am the son of Al-Ula, tie their hands behind their backs

and I am no lowland truffle amid rugged heights.

I am not rubbish amongst monkeys and apes

أَضَعتُم أَبي قتلاً فَكُنتُم بِثَأرِهِ

أَضَعتُم أَبي قتلاً فَكُنتُم بِثَأرِهِ

عَلى قَومِكُم يا آلَ عَمرِو بن مَرثَدِ

عَلى قَومِكُم يا آلَ عَمرِو بن مَرثَدِ

You abandoned my father to slaughter, and so brought blood-vengeance

You killed my father, so by his revenge

upon your own people, O clan of Amr ibn Marthad.

Upon your people, O family of Amr ibn Marthad

فَها أَنَذا كَاللَّيثِ يَحمي عَرينَه

فَها أَنَذا كَاللَّيثِ يَحمي عَرينَه

وَإن كُنتُ عانٍ في وِثاقي مُصَفَّدِ

وَإن كُنتُ عانٍ في وِثاقي مُصَفَّدِ

So here I am, like a lion defending his lair,

Though I am helpless in my shackles

even though I am a captive, shackled in my bonds.

If you cut off my hands, how many blows

فَإِن تَقطَعوا كَفِّي أَلا رُبَّ ضَربَةٍ

فَإِن تَقطَعوا كَفِّي أَلا رُبَّ ضَربَةٍ

ضَرَبتُ وَقَلبي ثابِتٌ غير مُرعِدِ

ضَرَبتُ وَقَلبي ثابِتٌ غير مُرعِدِ

And if you cut off my hand—ah, many a blow

Have I struck, my heart steady, not trembling

I have struck with my heart steadfast, never trembling.

You killed my father when the side of his pillow

أَضَعتُم أَبي إذ مالَ شِقُّ وِسادِه

أَضَعتُم أَبي إذ مالَ شِقُّ وِسادِه

عَلى جَنَفٍ قد ضاعَ مَن لَم يُوَسَّدِ

عَلى جَنَفٍ قد ضاعَ مَن لَم يُوَسَّدِ

You abandoned my father when one side of his pillow tilted

Slipped to a side that had no one to rest on

askew; indeed, lost is whoever is left without a pillow.

If you assassinate the old man whom you could not

فَإِن تَطعَنوا الشَّيخَ الذي لم تُفَوِّقوا

فَإِن تَطعَنوا الشَّيخَ الذي لم تُفَوِّقوا

مَنِيَّتَهُ وَغِبتُ إِذ لَم أُشَهَّدِ

مَنِيَّتَهُ وَغِبتُ إِذ لَم أُشَهَّدِ

And if you stab the old man, having granted no delay

Outlive his demise and I was absent when witnessed

to his death—while I was absent, not summoned to witness it—

So your treacherous stab which you left

فَطَعنَةُ خِلس مِنكُمُ قَد تَركتُها

فَطَعنَةُ خِلس مِنكُمُ قَد تَركتُها

تَمجُّ عَلى أَقطارِها سُمَّ أَسودِ

تَمجُّ عَلى أَقطارِها سُمَّ أَسودِ

then I have left among you a stealthy stab-wound

Flows with black poison over its edges

spewing black-serpent venom along its edges.

If you kill me, you kill one who does not retreat

فَإِن تَقتُلوني تَقتُلوا غَيرَ ناكِصٍ

فَإِن تَقتُلوني تَقتُلوا غَيرَ ناكِصٍ

ولا يرم هام عَلَى الحيرِ مُلهَدِ

ولا يرم هام عَلَى الحيرِ مُلهَدِ

And if you kill me, you kill no retreating man,

Nor does he fling arrows randomly on the battlefield

nor a straying wanderer, beaten down in confusion [reading uncertain].

Oh, just kill me, I shall not return

أَلا فَاقتُلوني إِنَّني غَيرُ رَاجِعٍ

أَلا فَاقتُلوني إِنَّني غَيرُ رَاجِعٍ

إِلَيكُم وَلا أُعطي عَلَى الذُّلِّ مِقوَدي

إِلَيكُم وَلا أُعطي عَلَى الذُّلِّ مِقوَدي

Ah, then kill me: I will not return

To you, nor will I give in to humiliation

to you, nor surrender my leading-rein in humiliation.