لَعَمري لَقَد زارَ العُبَيدِيُّ رَهطَهُ

لَعَمري لَقَد زارَ العُبَيدِيُّ رَهطَهُ

بِخَيرٍ عَلى بُعدٍ زِيارَةَ أَشأَما

بِخَيرٍ عَلى بُعدٍ زِيارَةَ أَشأَما

By my life, al-ʿUbaydi indeed visited his clan,

By my life, the Ubaydi has surely visited his folks

bringing good despite the distance—the visit of a most ill-omened man.

With good, though from afar, an ominous visitation

فَأَظعَنتَ مَن يَرجو الكَرامَةَ مِنهُمُ

فَأَظعَنتَ مَن يَرجو الكَرامَةَ مِنهُمُ

وَخَيَّبتَ مَن يُعطي العَطاءَ المُكَرَّما

وَخَيَّبتَ مَن يُعطي العَطاءَ المُكَرَّما

So you drove away those among them who hoped for honor,

So you have disappointed those who hope for honor from them

and disappointed those who bestow noble bounty.

And failed those who generously and highly grant gifts

وَأَلفَيتَنا بِالجَفرِ يَومَ أَتَيتَن

وَأَلفَيتَنا بِالجَفرِ يَومَ أَتَيتَن

أَخاً وَاِبنَ عَمٍّ يَومَ ذَلِكَ وَاِبنَما

أَخاً وَاِبنَ عَمٍّ يَومَ ذَلِكَ وَاِبنَما

And you found us at al-Jafr, the day you came to us,

And you found us, when you came, bound by kinship

a brother and a cousin that day, and a son.

Brother, cousin, that day, and sons

وَأَلفَيتَنا رُمحاً عَلى الناسِ واحِد

وَأَلفَيتَنا رُمحاً عَلى الناسِ واحِد

فَنَظلِمُ أَو نَأبى عَلى مَن تَظَلَّما

فَنَظلِمُ أَو نَأبى عَلى مَن تَظَلَّما

And you found us a single spear against the people,

And you found us one spear against the people

so we wrong others, or resist whoever acts unjustly.

So we wrong or refuse whoever has been wronged

وَأَصبَحتَ قَد فَرَّقتَ بَينَ مَحَلِّن

وَأَصبَحتَ قَد فَرَّقتَ بَينَ مَحَلِّن

إِذا ما اِلتَقى الجَمعانِ لَن نَتَكَلَّما

إِذا ما اِلتَقى الجَمعانِ لَن نَتَكَلَّما

And now you have divided our encampment:

And you have come to divide between our abodes

when the two groups meet, we shall not speak.

When the two hosts meet, we will not speak

فَلَيتَكَ حالَ البَحرُ دونَكَ كُلُّهُ

فَلَيتَكَ حالَ البَحرُ دونَكَ كُلُّهُ

وَمَن بِالمَرادي مِن فَصيحٍ وَأَعجَمِ

وَمَن بِالمَرادي مِن فَصيحٍ وَأَعجَمِ

So, if only the whole sea had barred your way,

If only the sea, all of it, lay between you and us

and all at al-Maradi, speaking and speechless alike.

And whoever of eloquent speakers and foreigners is in the meadows