أَو قارِحٌ في الغُرابِيّاتِ ذُو نَسَبٍ

أَو قارِحٌ في الغُرابِيّاتِ ذُو نَسَبٍ

وَفي الجِراءِ مِسَحُّ الشَدِّ إِجفيلُ

وَفي الجِراءِ مِسَحُّ الشَدِّ إِجفيلُ

Or a mature horse of pedigree among the Ghurabiyyat,

A brave man of noble lineage in ghuraabiyyaat

And in racing, pouring forth his speed, fleet-footed.

And a wiper of milk-skins in al-jiraa'

وَلا أَقولُ لِجارِ البَيتِ يَتبَعُني

وَلا أَقولُ لِجارِ البَيتِ يَتبَعُني

نَفِّس مَحَلَّكَ إِنَّ الجَوَّ مَحلولُ

نَفِّس مَحَلَّكَ إِنَّ الجَوَّ مَحلولُ

Nor do I say to the neighbor of my house who follows me,

I do not say to my neighbor who follows me

"Move your camp farther off; the open country is free for settling."

Ventilate your abode, the weather is stifling

وَلا أُخالِفُ جاري في حَليلَتِهِ

وَلا أُخالِفُ جاري في حَليلَتِهِ

وَلا اِبنُ عَمِّيَ غالَتني إِذاً غولُ

وَلا اِبنُ عَمِّيَ غالَتني إِذاً غولُ

Nor do I go behind my neighbor's back with his wife,

Nor do I oppose my neighbor regarding his concubine

Nor my cousin; if I did, may a calamity destroy me!

Lest the son of my uncle resent me

وَلا أَقولُ وَجَمُّ الماءِ ذو نَفَسٍ

وَلا أَقولُ وَجَمُّ الماءِ ذو نَفَسٍ

مِنَ الحَرارَةِ إِنَّ الماءَ مَشغولُ

مِنَ الحَرارَةِ إِنَّ الماءَ مَشغولُ

Nor do I say, while the abundant water gives off a breath

I do not say when the water is hot and steaming

Of heat, "The water is reserved."

That the water is preoccupied

وَلا أُحَدِّدُ أَظفاري أُقاتِلُهُ

وَلا أُحَدِّدُ أَظفاري أُقاتِلُهُ

إِنَّ اللِطامَ وَقَولَ السَوءِ مَحمولُ

إِنَّ اللِطامَ وَقَولَ السَوءِ مَحمولُ

Nor do I sharpen my nails to fight him;

I do not sharpen my nails to fight him

For slaps and abusive speech can be borne.

For restraint and foul words are incumbent

وَلا أَكونُ وِكاءَ الزادِ أَحبِسُهُ

وَلا أَكونُ وِكاءَ الزادِ أَحبِسُهُ

إِنّي لأَعلَمُ أنَّ الزادَ مَأكولُ

إِنّي لأَعلَمُ أنَّ الزادَ مَأكولُ

Nor am I a cord binding up the provisions, withholding them;

Nor do I hoard provisions

For I know full well that provisions are to be eaten.

I know provisions are for eating

حَتّى يُقالَ وَقَد عوليتُ في حَرَجٍ

حَتّى يُقالَ وَقَد عوليتُ في حَرَجٍ

أَينَ اِبنُ عَوفٍ أَبو قُرّانَ مَجعولُ

أَينَ اِبنُ عَوفٍ أَبو قُرّانَ مَجعولُ

Until they say, once I have been raised upon a bier,

Until it is said, when I am troubled

"Where has Ibn Awf, Abu Qurran, been laid?"

Where is the son of ‘Awf, Abu Qurrah the blessed

إِنّي أُعِدُّ لِأَقوامٍ أُفاخِرُهُم

إِنّي أُعِدُّ لِأَقوامٍ أُفاخِرُهُم

إِذا تُنوزِعَ عِندَ المَشهَدِ القيلُ

إِذا تُنوزِعَ عِندَ المَشهَدِ القيلُ

I make ready for men with whom I vie in glory,

I make preparations for a people to compete with

When speech is contested in the assembly.

When the fighters gather on the battlefield

وَلا أُجَلِّلُ قَومي خِزيَةً أَبَداً

وَلا أُجَلِّلُ قَومي خِزيَةً أَبَداً

فيها القُرودُ رُدافاً وَالتَنابيلُ

فيها القُرودُ رُدافاً وَالتَنابيلُ

Nor do I ever cloak my people in a disgrace

I never humiliate my people out of cowardice

In which apes and dwarfs ride behind.

In which there are monkeys as riders and tambourines

وَغارَةٍ كَجَرادِ الريحِ زَعزَعَها

وَغارَةٍ كَجَرادِ الريحِ زَعزَعَها

مِخراقُ حَربٍ كَنَصلِ السَيفِ بُهلولُ

مِخراقُ حَربٍ كَنَصلِ السَيفِ بُهلولُ

And many a raid, like wind-borne locusts, set in motion

And a raid like locusts blown by the wind

By a battle-cleaver, like a sword's blade, noble and merry,

Stirred up by the kindling of war, like the blade of a polished sword

يَعلو بِها البيدَ مَيمونٌ نَقيبَتُهُ

يَعلو بِها البيدَ مَيمونٌ نَقيبَتُهُ

أَروَعَ قَد قَلَصَت عَنهُ السَرابيلُ

أَروَعَ قَد قَلَصَت عَنهُ السَرابيلُ

Who leads it over the deserts, fortunate in his nature,

With which the auspicious Meemoon charges, his loincloth

A dashing man, his tunics already hitched up,

More frightening, having shed his trousers

شَهِدتُ ثُمَّتَ لَم أَحوِ الرِكابَ إِذا

شَهِدتُ ثُمَّتَ لَم أَحوِ الرِكابَ إِذا

سوقِطنَ ذو قَتَبٍ مِنها وَمَرحولُ

سوقِطنَ ذو قَتَبٍ مِنها وَمَرحولُ

I joined; then I did not herd the riding camels when

I witnessed thrusts but did not flee when

They were urged on at speed, pack-saddled and riding-saddled alike,

One wearing a helmet fell and was dragged

بِساهِمِ الوَجهِ لَم تُقطَع أَباجِلُهُ

بِساهِمِ الوَجهِ لَم تُقطَع أَباجِلُهُ

يُصانُ وَهوَ لِيَومِ الرَوعِ مَبذولُ

يُصانُ وَهوَ لِيَومِ الرَوعِ مَبذولُ

On a lean-faced steed whose leg-veins were not severed.

With arrows piercing his face, his forelocks were not cut

It is guarded, yet freely offered for the day of terror.

He is protected as he is exposed on the day of clamor

كَأَنَّهُ بَعدَما صَدَّرنَ مِن عَرَقٍ

كَأَنَّهُ بَعدَما صَدَّرنَ مِن عَرَقٍ

سيدٌ تَمطَّرَ جُنحَ اللَيلِ مَبلولُ

سيدٌ تَمطَّرَ جُنحَ اللَيلِ مَبلولُ

As though, after they had come back sweating, it were

As if after perspiring in the melee

A drenched wolf racing through the darkness of night.

A chieftain is drenched by the wings of night

إِنَّ النِساءَ كَأَشجارٍ نَبَتنَ مَعاً

إِنَّ النِساءَ كَأَشجارٍ نَبَتنَ مَعاً

مِنها المِرارُ وَبَعضُ المُرِّ مَأكولُ

مِنها المِرارُ وَبَعضُ المُرِّ مَأكولُ

Indeed, women are like trees that have grown together:

Women are indeed like trees grown together

Some are bitter plants, and some bitter things are eaten.

Among them are bitter and some sweet to eat

إِنَّ النِساءَ مَتى يَنهَينَ عَن خُلُقٍ

إِنَّ النِساءَ مَتى يَنهَينَ عَن خُلُقٍ

فَإِنَّهُ واجِبٌ لا بُدَّ مَفعولُ

فَإِنَّهُ واجِبٌ لا بُدَّ مَفعولُ

Indeed, whenever women forbid a way of behaving,

When women abandon moral behavior

Then it is obligatory and must, without fail, be done.

Punishing them becomes imperative, unavoidable

لا يَنثَنينَ لِرُشدٍ إِن مُنينَ لَهُ

لا يَنثَنينَ لِرُشدٍ إِن مُنينَ لَهُ

وَهُنَّ بَعدُ مَلوماتٌ مَخاذيلُ

وَهُنَّ بَعدُ مَلوماتٌ مَخاذيلُ

They do not turn toward sound judgment, even if destined for it;

They do not repent when guided, if they incline to it

And they are, after all, blamed and unsupportive.

Then they are blamable, deceitful