يا مَن تَوَعَّدَني جَهلاً بِكَثرَتِهِ

يا مَن تَوَعَّدَني جَهلاً بِكَثرَتِهِ

مَتى تَهَدَّدَني بِالعِزِّ وَالعَدَدِ

مَتى تَهَدَّدَني بِالعِزِّ وَالعَدَدِ

O one who ignorantly threatened me with his numbers,

O you who out of ignorance threatens me with your many,

When can you threaten me with might and numbers?

When will you intimidate me with glory and numbers?

فَاِقدِر بِذَرعِكَ إِنّي لَن يُقَوِّمَني

فَاِقدِر بِذَرعِكَ إِنّي لَن يُقَوِّمَني

قَولُ الضِجاجِ إِذا ما كُنتُ ذا أَوَدِ

قَولُ الضِجاجِ إِذا ما كُنتُ ذا أَوَدِ

So gauge your own limits: I shall not be set straight

Use your full strength, for no clamor of the rabble

By a loudmouth's words, even if I were crooked.

Will make me swerve when I am determined.

لا تَحسِبَنِّيَ مَجهولاً بِمَخبَأَةٍ

لا تَحسِبَنِّيَ مَجهولاً بِمَخبَأَةٍ

إِنّي أَنا البَدرُ لا أَخفى عَلى أَحَدِ

إِنّي أَنا البَدرُ لا أَخفى عَلى أَحَدِ

Do not think me unknown, concealed in a hiding place;

Do not think me unknown in any hiding place,

Indeed, I am the full moon, hidden from no one.

For I am the full moon, not hidden from anyone.

إِن كُنتَ ناقِلَ عِزّي عَن مَباءَتِهِ

إِن كُنتَ ناقِلَ عِزّي عَن مَباءَتِهِ

فَاِنقُل أَباناً بِما جَمَّعتَ مِن عَدَدِ

فَاِنقُل أَباناً بِما جَمَّعتَ مِن عَدَدِ

If you would move my honor from its abode,

If you convey my honor from its protection,

Then move Abān with the numbers you have mustered,

Then convey it purely with whatever numbers you have gathered.

وَالهَضبَ هَضبَ شَرَورى إِن مَرَرتَ بِهِ

وَالهَضبَ هَضبَ شَرَورى إِن مَرَرتَ بِهِ

وَرَحرَحانِ فَأَطلِعهُ إِلى أُحُدِ

وَرَحرَحانِ فَأَطلِعهُ إِلى أُحُدِ

And the crags—the crags of Sharawrā—if you pass them,

And Al-Hadab is the mound of my worst enemies. If you pass by it

And Raḥraḥān: then lift it up to Uḥud.

Then let it look toward Ohod.

إِنّي وَجَدتُكَ وَرّاداً إِذا اِنقَطَعَت

إِنّي وَجَدتُكَ وَرّاداً إِذا اِنقَطَعَت

عُميُ المَوارِدَ صَدّاراً عَنِ الوُرُدِ

عُميُ المَوارِدَ صَدّاراً عَنِ الوُرُدِ

I found you ever seeking water when they were cut off—

I have found you, when the springs were cut off,

The obscure watering places—yet ever withdrawing from those coming to drink.

To be one who holds back from roses.

أَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ نالَ مِن عِرضي وَعِزَّتُهُ

أَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ نالَ مِن عِرضي وَعِزَّتُهُ

كَعِزَّةِ العَيرِ يَرعى تَلعَةَ الأَسَدِ

كَعِزَّةِ العَيرِ يَرعى تَلعَةَ الأَسَدِ

You are a man who assailed my honor, whose might

You are a man who has attacked my honor and glory

Is like the might of a wild ass grazing in a lion's ravine.

Like the glory of a caravan that grazes around a lion.

جاءَت بِهِ مِن قُرى بَيسانَ تَحمِلُهُ

جاءَت بِهِ مِن قُرى بَيسانَ تَحمِلُهُ

سَوئى مُخَضَّرَةُ الآباطِ وَالكَتَدِ

سَوئى مُخَضَّرَةُ الآباطِ وَالكَتَدِ

She brought him from the villages of Baysān, carrying him:

She came to him from the villages of Baisan carrying him,

A vile woman, green-stained at the armpits and upper back.

Her camel-litters green and her shoulder-bones weary.

لَو كُنتَ مِن أَحَدٍ يُهجى هَجَوتُكُمُ

لَو كُنتَ مِن أَحَدٍ يُهجى هَجَوتُكُمُ

يا اِبنَ الرِقاعِ وَلَكِن لَستَ مِن أَحَدِ

يا اِبنَ الرِقاعِ وَلَكِن لَستَ مِن أَحَدِ

Were you descended from anyone one could lampoon, I would lampoon you all,

If you were from someone who could be insulted, I would insult you,

O son of al-Riqāʿ—but you descend from no one.

O son of Raqaa’, but you are from no one.

تَأبى قُضاعَةُ أَن تَعرِف لَكُم نَسَباً

تَأبى قُضاعَةُ أَن تَعرِف لَكُم نَسَباً

وَاِبنا نِزارٍ فَأَنتُم بَيضَةُ البَلَدِ

وَاِبنا نِزارٍ فَأَنتُم بَيضَةُ البَلَدِ

Qudāʿa refuses to recognize any lineage for you,

The tribe of Kuda’a refuses to recognize for you ancestry,

And so do Nizār's two sons: you are the wasteland's forsaken egg.

And the son of Nizār, so you are a stray goat.

بيضُ الوُجوهِ مَطاعيمٌ إِذا يَسَروا

بيضُ الوُجوهِ مَطاعيمٌ إِذا يَسَروا

رَدّوا المَخاضَ عَلى المَقرومَةِ العُنُدِ

رَدّوا المَخاضَ عَلى المَقرومَةِ العُنُدِ

White of face, lavish in feeding others when they cast lots,

When the pale faced mix with those of good ancestry,

They returned the pregnant she-camels to the nose-marked, headstrong studs.

They drive back the birthing down upon the barren she-camel.

وَمَوقِدِ النارِ قَد بادَت حَمامَتُهُ

وَمَوقِدِ النارِ قَد بادَت حَمامَتُهُ

ما إِن تَبَيَّنَهُ في جُدَّةِ البَلَدِ

ما إِن تَبَيَّنَهُ في جُدَّةِ البَلَدِ

And a hearth whose fiery core has perished—

By the fire whose dove has perished,

You cannot discern it along the land's track.

Which became clear in Juddah of the town.

كانَت بِها خُرُفاً وافٍ سَنابِكُها

كانَت بِها خُرُفاً وافٍ سَنابِكُها

فَطَأطَأَت بُؤرَةً في رَهوَةً جَدَدِ

فَطَأطَأَت بُؤرَةً في رَهوَةً جَدَدِ

They stayed there for autumns, their hooves sound,

It had decayed beams with its windows fallen in,

So they trod down a hearth-pit in a hollow of firm, level ground.

Lowering into a pit amidst the debris.