تَفَرَّقَ أَهلي مِن مُقيمٍ وَظاعِنٍ

تَفَرَّقَ أَهلي مِن مُقيمٍ وَظاعِنٍ

فَلِلَّهِ دَرّي أَيَّ أَهلِيَ أَتبَعُ

فَلِلَّهِ دَرّي أَيَّ أَهلِيَ أَتبَعُ

My kin have split: some stay, and some depart.

My people parted, some staying, some departing,

God bless me—which of my kin should I follow?

So by God, which of my people should I follow?

أَقامَ الَّذينَ لا أُبالي فِراقَهُم

أَقامَ الَّذينَ لا أُبالي فِراقَهُم

وَشَطَّ الَّذينَ بَينَهُم أَتَوقَّعُ

وَشَطَّ الَّذينَ بَينَهُم أَتَوقَّعُ

Those whose parting does not trouble me have stayed,

Those who stayed I don't care for their leaving,

While those whose separation I dread have gone far away.

And those who left, I longed that we'd meet.

عَلى كُلِّهِم آسَى وَلِلأَصلِ زُلفَةٌ

عَلى كُلِّهِم آسَى وَلِلأَصلِ زُلفَةٌ

فَزَحزِح عَنِ الأَدنَينَ أَن يَتَصَدَّعوا

فَزَحزِح عَنِ الأَدنَينَ أَن يَتَصَدَّعوا

I grieve for them all, yet there is closeness to one’s roots.

I grieve for them all, though my roots pull me near,

So keep your closest kin from breaking apart.

So move the closer ones, lest our bond crack and tear.

وَفارَقَ أَهلي أَهلَ عَوفِ بنِ عامرٍ

وَفارَقَ أَهلي أَهلَ عَوفِ بنِ عامرٍ

وَكانَت خَوى عَوفٍ قَديماَ تَطَلَّعُ

وَكانَت خَوى عَوفٍ قَديماَ تَطَلَّعُ

And my kin parted from the people of ʿAwf ibn ʿĀmir,

My people left the family of Awff ibn Amer,

And ʿAwf’s hunger had long been showing itself.

Though long they were allies Awff hoped to pair.

قَضَى اِبنُ مُعاذٍ مَرَّةً دونَ قَومهِ

قَضَى اِبنُ مُعاذٍ مَرَّةً دونَ قَومهِ

بِعَيبٍ وَأَمري ما يَكادُ يُجَمَّعُ

بِعَيبٍ وَأَمري ما يَكادُ يُجَمَّعُ

Ibn Muʿādh once ruled without his people,

Ibn Mu'az judged against his people once,

With a flawed judgment, while my affairs scarcely come together.

With a fault, though a commander should rarely err.

أَمَرتُهمُ أَمري بمُنعَرَجِ الِلوى

أَمَرتُهمُ أَمري بمُنعَرَجِ الِلوى

وَلا أَمرَ لِلمَعصِيِّ إلاّ مُضَيَّعُ

وَلا أَمرَ لِلمَعصِيِّ إلاّ مُضَيَّعُ

I gave them my counsel at the bend of the dunes,

I sent them where the paths wind through the pastures,

And the counsel of one disobeyed is nothing but wasted.

But disobedience only brings loss, nothing gained.

أَلِكني إِلى قَومي ضُبَيعَةَ إِنَّهُم

أَلِكني إِلى قَومي ضُبَيعَةَ إِنَّهُم

أُناسي فَلومُوا بَعدَ ذَلِكَ أَو دَعُوا

أُناسي فَلومُوا بَعدَ ذَلِكَ أَو دَعُوا

Carry my message to my people, Ḍubayʿah: indeed, they are

Take me to my people Dhubay'ah, they are still

My own folk—so blame me after that, or refrain.

My folk, so blame me later or hold back the pain.

وَقَد كانَ أَخوالي كَريماً جِوارُهُم

وَقَد كانَ أَخوالي كَريماً جِوارُهُم

وَلَكِنَّ أَصلَ العودِ مِن حَيثُ يُنزَعُ

وَلَكِنَّ أَصلَ العودِ مِن حَيثُ يُنزَعُ

And my maternal uncles’ protection had indeed been generous,

And my in-laws were generous, gracious hosts,

But a bough’s root lies where it is torn away.

But a branch must bend back to whence it was lain.

فَلا تَحسِبَنّي خاذِلاً مُتَخَلِّفاً

فَلا تَحسِبَنّي خاذِلاً مُتَخَلِّفاً

وَلا عَينُ صَيدٍ مِن هَوايَ وَلَعلَعُ

وَلا عَينُ صَيدٍ مِن هَوايَ وَلَعلَعُ

So do not think me a deserter, hanging back;

Think not that I abandoned, shirked the battle,

Nor do I yearn for ʿAyn Ṣayd or Laʿlaʿ.

Or tired like a hunter of sport and the chase.

وَلَكِنَّني أَغرَبتُ في جَيشِ طَوَّسٍ

وَلَكِنَّني أَغرَبتُ في جَيشِ طَوَّسٍ

وَكَانَت مَعَدٌّ كُلَّ أَوبٍ تَصَدَّعُ

وَكَانَت مَعَدٌّ كُلَّ أَوبٍ تَصَدَّعُ

But I went far afield in Ṭawwas’s army,

Nay, but I wandered with the army of Tawwus,

While Maʿadd was scattering in every direction.

And Mu'add was an ally time can't efface.