إِذا رابَني الأَقوامُ بَعدَ وَدادَةٍ

إِذا رابَني الأَقوامُ بَعدَ وَدادَةٍ

لَبِستُ القِلى نَعلاً بِغَيرِ قِبالِ

لَبِستُ القِلى نَعلاً بِغَيرِ قِبالِ

If people arouse my suspicion after affection,

When people turn against me after friendship

I wear hatred as a sandal without a thong.

I don my shoes the wrong way round in defiance

وَأَغبَطُ رَحلَ الهَمِّ في ظَهرِ عَزمَةٍ

وَأَغبَطُ رَحلَ الهَمِّ في ظَهرِ عَزمَةٍ

مُواشِكَةٍ مِن عَجرَفٍ وَنِقالِ

مُواشِكَةٍ مِن عَجرَفٍ وَنِقالِ

And I cinch worry's saddle onto the back of resolve,

And I envy the camel carrying worries on its determined back

Swift with a headlong, nimble gait.

About to charge with pride and vigor

وَما كُنتُ إِن فارَقتُ حَيّاً ذَمَمتُهُ

وَما كُنتُ إِن فارَقتُ حَيّاً ذَمَمتُهُ

بِطولِ نِزاعي أَو تَحِنُّ جِمالي

بِطولِ نِزاعي أَو تَحِنُّ جِمالي

And if I leave a tribe I have condemned, I do not

Never did I, if estranged from a dear friend, yearn for him

Linger in longing, nor do my camels pine.

Due to prolonged conflict or longing for beauty

إِذا عَلِموا مِنّي عَلاقَةَ وامِقٍ

إِذا عَلِموا مِنّي عَلاقَةَ وامِقٍ

فَلا يَأمَنوا يَوماً نُزاعَةَ سالي

فَلا يَأمَنوا يَوماً نُزاعَةَ سالي

If they recognize in me a lover's attachment,

When they know my strong tie is severed

Let them never feel safe from the withdrawal of one who has ceased to love.

They will never feel safe from my attacking sword

أَأَذهَبُ عَن قَومٍ كِرامٍ أَعِزَّةٍ

أَأَذهَبُ عَن قَومٍ كِرامٍ أَعِزَّةٍ

إِلى جِذمِ قَومٍ عاجِزينَ بِخالِ

إِلى جِذمِ قَومٍ عاجِزينَ بِخالِ

Shall I leave a noble, mighty people

Shall I leave a noble, dear people

For the stock of a helpless, miserly people?

For the company of incapable, inferior men?

كَمَن بادَلَ الإِجلاءَ في العَينِ بِالقَذى

كَمَن بادَلَ الإِجلاءَ في العَينِ بِالقَذى

وَآبَ بِداءٍ لا يُطَبُّ عُضالُ

وَآبَ بِداءٍ لا يُطَبُّ عُضالُ

Like one who trades clarity in the eye for grit,

Like one who swaps a speck in the eye for a cinder

And returns with an intractable illness that cannot be cured.

And is afflicted with a malady that has no cure

يُنازِعُني الأَحسابَ مُستَضعَفُ القُوى

يُنازِعُني الأَحسابَ مُستَضعَفُ القُوى

لَهُ عَن رِهانِ المَجدِ أَيُّ عِقالِ

لَهُ عَن رِهانِ المَجدِ أَيُّ عِقالِ

A man of feeble strength contests my ancestral honors;

The weak-bodied rival challenges me

What a tether keeps him from the race for glory!

What logic steers his quest for glory?

إِذا مُغرَمٌ غادى اِتَّقاهُ بِعِرضِهِ

إِذا مُغرَمٌ غادى اِتَّقاهُ بِعِرضِهِ

أَمامَ يَدَيهِ وَاِتَّقَيتُ بِمالي

أَمامَ يَدَيهِ وَاِتَّقَيتُ بِمالي

If a debt-burdened man comes in the morning, he shields himself with his honor

When a pauper defiantly protects his honor

Before him, while I shield myself with my wealth.

I defended mine with my money

يَمُدُّ يَداً مَخبولَةً لِيَنالَني

يَمُدُّ يَداً مَخبولَةً لِيَنالَني

وَقَد أَعجَزَ الأَيدي الصِحاحَ مَنالي

وَقَد أَعجَزَ الأَيدي الصِحاحَ مَنالي

He extends a crippled hand to reach me,

He extends a feeble hand to grasp me

Yet reaching me has defeated even sound hands.

Though my hands have frustrated even the mighty

تَعَرَّضتُ لِلعَريضِ حَتّى عَلِقتُهُ

تَعَرَّضتُ لِلعَريضِ حَتّى عَلِقتُهُ

بِأُظفورِ أَقنى ذي نَدىً وَظِلالِ

بِأُظفورِ أَقنى ذي نَدىً وَظِلالِ

I confronted the young goat until I caught it

I confronted the pompous one until I pinned him

With the talon of a hook-beaked one, endowed with bounty and shade.

With the claws of a strong-beaked eagle

وَمَن لَم يَدَع إيقادَ نارٍ بِقَرَّةٍ

وَمَن لَم يَدَع إيقادَ نارٍ بِقَرَّةٍ

فَلا بُدَّ يَوماً أَن يَجيءَ بِصالي

فَلا بُدَّ يَوماً أَن يَجيءَ بِصالي

And whoever will not stop lighting a fire in the cold

He who does not stop kindling a dormant fire

Must one day bring someone to warm himself at it.

Will one day face the flames

وَإِنّي عَلى بُعدٍ بِرَميِ قَوارِضي

وَإِنّي عَلى بُعدٍ بِرَميِ قَوارِضي

لَأَرغَبُ جُرحاً مِن رَمِيِّ نِبالي

لَأَرغَبُ جُرحاً مِن رَمِيِّ نِبالي

And even from afar, when I shoot my biting verses,

And though I stand back from my enemy

I make a wider wound than when I shoot my arrows.

My arrows will outdo his in wounding

يُشَكِّكُ فِيَّ الناظِرونَ أَفَلَّهُ

يُشَكِّكُ فِيَّ الناظِرونَ أَفَلَّهُ

غِرارُ مَقالي أَم غِرارُ نِصالي

غِرارُ مَقالي أَم غِرارُ نِصالي

Onlookers wonder about me: was he blunted by

The onlookers doubt, did my words fail

The edge of my speech, or the edge of my blades?

Or the failure lies in my arrows?

لَئِن أَطمَعَ الأَقوامَ حِلمي فَرُبَّما

لَئِن أَطمَعَ الأَقوامَ حِلمي فَرُبَّما

أَخافَهُمُ بَعدَ الأَمانِ صِيالي

أَخافَهُمُ بَعدَ الأَمانِ صِيالي

If my forbearance has emboldened people, often

If my patience emboldens people

My onslaught has frightened them after they felt safe.

Perhaps later my spear will frighten them

وَلَيسَ قُبوعُ الصِلِّ مانِعَ وَثبِهِ

وَلَيسَ قُبوعُ الصِلِّ مانِعَ وَثبِهِ

إِذا نالَ مِنهُ والِغٌ بِمَنالِ

إِذا نالَ مِنهُ والِغٌ بِمَنالِ

Nor does the viper's lying low prevent its leap,

The coat of mail cannot stop the leap

When a lapping creature harms it with a touch.

Of a fierce assailant intent on his goal