بَني مُتَيَّمَ هَل تَدرونَ ما الخَبَرُ

بَني مُتَيَّمَ هَل تَدرونَ ما الخَبَرُ

وَكَيفَ يُستَرُ أَمرٌ لَيسَ يَستَتِرُ

وَكَيفَ يُستَرُ أَمرٌ لَيسَ يَستَتِرُ

Sons of Mutayyam, do you know the news?

O clan of Mutayyam, do you know the news,

And how can a matter be hidden when it will not stay hidden?

And how can something be concealed when it cannot be concealed?

حاجَيتُكُم مَن أَبوكُم يا بَني عُصَبٍ

حاجَيتُكُم مَن أَبوكُم يا بَني عُصَبٍ

شَتّى وَلكِنَّما لِلعاهِرِ الحَجَرُ

شَتّى وَلكِنَّما لِلعاهِرِ الحَجَرُ

I set you a riddle: who is your father, sons of bands

I ask you, who is your father, O sons of fornicators

so disparate? Yet the adulterer's lot is the stone.

Scattered about, but stones are for the prostitute.

قَد كانَ شَيخُكُمُ شَيخاً لَهُ خَطَرٌ

قَد كانَ شَيخُكُمُ شَيخاً لَهُ خَطَرٌ

لكِنَّ أُمَّكُمُ في أَمرِها نَظَرُ

لكِنَّ أُمَّكُمُ في أَمرِها نَظَرُ

Indeed, your elder was an elder of standing,

Your elder was an elder who had prestige,

but your mother's affairs are open to question.

But your mother, by God, was one to be blamed.

وَلَم تَكُن أُمُّكُم وَاللَهُ يَكلَؤُها

وَلَم تَكُن أُمُّكُم وَاللَهُ يَكلَؤُها

مَحجوبَةً دونَها الحُرّاسُ وَالسُتُرُ

مَحجوبَةً دونَها الحُرّاسُ وَالسُتُرُ

Your mother—may God guard her—was not

Your mother was not veiled from them, with guards and curtains around her.

secluded behind guards and curtains.

She was a singer for the youths when they drank,

كانَت مُغَنِّيَةَ الفِتيانِ إِن شَرِبوا

كانَت مُغَنِّيَةَ الفِتيانِ إِن شَرِبوا

وَغَيرَ مَمنوعَةٍ مِنهُم إِذا سَكِروا

وَغَيرَ مَمنوعَةٍ مِنهُم إِذا سَكِروا

She was the young men's singer when they drank,

And she was not forbidden to them when they got drunk.

and was not withheld from them when they grew drunk.

And his brothers were fools and jesters.

وَكانَ إِخوانُهُ غُرّاً غَطارِفَةً

وَكانَ إِخوانُهُ غُرّاً غَطارِفَةً

لا يُمكِنُ الشَيخَ أَن يَعصي إِذا أَمَروا

لا يُمكِنُ الشَيخَ أَن يَعصي إِذا أَمَروا

And his companions were bright-faced noblemen;

The elder could not disobey if they commanded.

the elder could not disobey when they commanded.

They were chaste men, except in your homes,

قَومٌ أَعِفّاءُ إِلّا في بُيوتِكُمُ

قَومٌ أَعِفّاءُ إِلّا في بُيوتِكُمُ

فَإِنَّ في مِثلِها قَد تُخلَعُ العُذُرُ

فَإِنَّ في مِثلِها قَد تُخلَعُ العُذُرُ

Men chaste except in your houses,

For in the likes of them, chastity is removed.

for in houses like those, bridles may well be cast off.

So she became like pastures filled

فَأَصبَحَت كَمُراحِ الشَولِ حافِلَةً

فَأَصبَحَت كَمُراحِ الشَولِ حافِلَةً

مِن كُلِّ لاقِحَةٍ في بَطنِها دِرَرُ

مِن كُلِّ لاقِحَةٍ في بَطنِها دِرَرُ

So she became like a fold of dry she-camels, teeming

With every inseminator, her womb holding jewels.

with every pregnant she-camel bearing streams of milk within her belly.

Thus you came as a tribe from every side,

فَجِئتُمُ عُصَباً مِن كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ

فَجِئتُمُ عُصَباً مِن كُلِّ ناحِيَةٍ

نَوعاً مًخانيثَ في أَعناقِهِما الكَبَرُ

نَوعاً مًخانيثَ في أَعناقِهِما الكَبَرُ

So you came in bands from every quarter,

A mixed breed, upon your necks lies old age.

a breed of effeminate men, with the drum about both their necks.

One is Kisrawi in his features,

فَواحِدٌ كِسرَوِيٌ في قَراطِقِهِ

فَواحِدٌ كِسرَوِيٌ في قَراطِقِهِ

وَآخَرٌ قُرَشِيٌّ حينَ يُختَبَرُ

وَآخَرٌ قُرَشِيٌّ حينَ يُختَبَرُ

So one is Khosrovian in his tunics,

And another Qurashi when examined.

and another is Qurayshi when examined.

Your mother did not know who dropped his waist-wrap,

ما عِلمُ أُمِّكُمُ مَن حَلَّ مِئزَرَها

ما عِلمُ أُمِّكُمُ مَن حَلَّ مِئزَرَها

وَمَن رَماها بِكُم يا أَيُّها القَذَرُ

وَمَن رَماها بِكُم يا أَيُّها القَذَرُ

What knowledge has your mother of who untied her waistcloth,

And who impregnated her with you, O filth!

and who cast you into her, you filthy lot?

A people who when traced back, have one mother,

قَومٌ إِذا نُسِبوا فَالأُمُّ واحِدَةٌ

قَومٌ إِذا نُسِبوا فَالأُمُّ واحِدَةٌ

وَاللَهُ أَعلَمُ بِالآباءِ إِذ كَثُروا

وَاللَهُ أَعلَمُ بِالآباءِ إِذ كَثُروا

A people who, when their lineage is traced, have one mother;

And God knows best the fathers when they are many.

and God knows best about the fathers, since they were so many.

You have not known slander except in your origins,

لَم تَعرِفوا الطَعنَ إِلّا في أَسافِلِكُم

لَم تَعرِفوا الطَعنَ إِلّا في أَسافِلِكُم

وَأَنتُمُ في المَخازي فِتيَةٌ صُبُرُ

وَأَنتُمُ في المَخازي فِتيَةٌ صُبُرُ

You have known thrusting only in your backsides,

While you are noble youths in pedigree.

and in shameful deeds you are steadfast young men.

I wanted to inform you that I know of your matter,

أَحبَبتُ إِعلامَكُم أَنّي بِأَمرِكُمُ

أَحبَبتُ إِعلامَكُم أَنّي بِأَمرِكُمُ

وَأَمرِ غَيرِكُمُ مِن أَهلِكُم خَبِرُ

وَأَمرِ غَيرِكُمُ مِن أَهلِكُم خَبِرُ

I wished to inform you that, about your affairs

And the matter of others among your family.

and those of others among your kin, I am well informed.

You jest with the honors of the noble, while you

تَفَكَّهونَ بِأَعراضِ الكِرامِ وَما

تَفَكَّهونَ بِأَعراضِ الكِرامِ وَما

أَنتُم وَذِكرُكُمُ الساداتِ يا عُرَرُ

أَنتُم وَذِكرُكُمُ الساداتِ يا عُرَرُ

You make sport of noble men's honor—and what

And your lineage are not masters, O deaf ones!

have you to do with mentioning lords, you blemishes?

This satire which will remain

هذا الهِجاءُ الَّذي تَبقى مَياسِمُهُ

هذا الهِجاءُ الَّذي تَبقى مَياسِمُهُ

عَلى جِباهِكُمُ ما أَورَقَ الشَجَرُ

عَلى جِباهِكُمُ ما أَورَقَ الشَجَرُ

This is the satire whose brands will remain

Upon your brows as long as trees grow leaves.

upon your foreheads as long as trees put forth leaves.