أَمَرتُكَ يومَ ذي صَنعا

أَمَرتُكَ يومَ ذي صَنعا

ءَ أمراً بادياً رَشَدُه

ءَ أمراً بادياً رَشَدُه

I instructed you on the day of Dhū Ṣanʿāʾ,

I ordered you one day at Dhi Sanaa

with counsel whose rightness was plain.

An obvious order, proper was its guidance

أَمرتُكَ باتّقاء اللَ

أَمرتُكَ باتّقاء اللَ

هِ والمعروفِ تَتَّعِدُه

هِ والمعروفِ تَتَّعِدُه

I instructed you to fear God

I ordered you to fear Allah

and to pledge yourself to what is right.

And to persist in virtue

خَرَجتَ من المُنى مثلَ ال

خَرَجتَ من المُنى مثلَ ال

حُمَيِّرِ غَرَّهُ وَتِدُه

حُمَيِّرِ غَرَّهُ وَتِدُه

You emerged from wishful dreams like the

You left Muna like an ass

little donkey deceived by its tethering peg.

Deceived by its tether and peg

تَمَنَّاني على فَرَسٍ

تَمَنَّاني على فَرَسٍ

عليه جالساً أَسَدُه

عليه جالساً أَسَدُه

He wished to face me on a horse,

Wishing me upon a horse

its lion seated upon it.

While you sit upon it, it bites you

عَلَيَّ مُفاضَةٌ كَالنِّه

عَلَيَّ مُفاضَةٌ كَالنِّه

يِ أَخلَصَ ماءَهُ جَدَدُه

يِ أَخلَصَ ماءَهُ جَدَدُه

Upon me is a full-length coat of mail, like a

To me belongs pure overflowing generosity

pool whose firm bed has made its water clear.

Like a spring whose water is renewed

تَرُدُّ الرُمحَ مُنثنيَ ال

تَرُدُّ الرُمحَ مُنثنيَ ال

سِنانِ عَوائراً قِصَدُه

سِنانِ عَوائراً قِصَدُه

It repels the spear with a bent

You return the spear bending

point, its splinters flying astray.

Aimlessly, purposeful is its straightness

فلو لاقيتني لَلَقِي

فلو لاقيتني لَلَقِي

تَ ليثاً فوقَهُ لِبَدُه

تَ ليثاً فوقَهُ لِبَدُه

So if you met me, you would surely meet

So had you faced me, you'd have faced

a lion with his mane upon him.

A lion, bloody are its paws

تُلاقي شَنَبَثا شَثنَ ال

تُلاقي شَنَبَثا شَثنَ ال

براثِنِ ناشِزاً كَتَدُه

براثِنِ ناشِزاً كَتَدُه

You would meet a thickset lion with thick, rough

You meet a writhing serpent

paws, his withers jutting high.

Bucking, stubborn is its piercing sting

يُسامي القِرنَ إِن قِرنٌ

يُسامي القِرنَ إِن قِرنٌ

تَيَمَّمَهُ فيعتَضِدُه

تَيَمَّمَهُ فيعتَضِدُه

He vies with his opponent, if an opponent

It confronts the horn, if a horn

makes for him; then he strikes his upper arm.

Inclines towards it, it braces against it

فيأخذُهُ فيرفعُهُ

فيأخذُهُ فيرفعُهُ

فيَخفِضُهُ فَيَقتَصِدُه

فيَخفِضُهُ فَيَقتَصِدُه

Then he takes him and lifts him;

It takes it and lifts it

then lowers him and kills him outright;

Then lowers it and moderates it

فَيَدمَغُهُ فيَحطِمُهُ

فَيَدمَغُهُ فيَحطِمُهُ

فيَخضِمُهُ فَيَزدَرِدُه

فيَخضِمُهُ فَيَزدَرِدُه

then smashes his skull and crushes him;

Then crushes it and shatters it

then chews him up and swallows him.

Then chews it and grinds it

ظَلومُ الشِّركِ فيما أح

ظَلومُ الشِّركِ فيما أح

رَزَت أَنيابُهُ وَيدُه

رَزَت أَنيابُهُ وَيدُه

Unjust to a partner over whatever

Unjust is the polytheist in what

his fangs and his paw have secured.

His fangs seized, and his hands

متى ما يَغدُ أو يُغدى

متى ما يَغدُ أو يُغدى

به فَقَبُولُه بَرَدُه

به فَقَبُولُه بَرَدُه

Whenever he goes forth at dawn, or is taken

Whenever he comes and goes

forth, his welcome is his hail.

Therein, his acceptance is cold to him

فَيَخطِرُ مِثلَ خَطرِ الفَح

فَيَخطِرُ مِثلَ خَطرِ الفَح

لِ فوقَ شَرابِهِ زَبَدُه

لِ فوقَ شَرابِهِ زَبَدُه

Then he struts like the strutting of a

He worries like the foam's worry

bull camel, his foam above his drink.

Above his drink, is its scum

فَأَمسى يَعتريه من ال

فَأَمسى يَعتريه من ال

بعوضِ مُمَنَّعاً بَلَدُه

بعوضِ مُمَنَّعاً بَلَدُه

Then by evening he is visited by

So he spent the night, plagued by

mosquitoes, his territory impregnable.

Gnats, forbidden became his land

فَلا تَتَمنَّني وَتَمَن

فَلا تَتَمنَّني وَتَمَن

نَ غيري لَيِّناً كَتَدُه

نَ غيري لَيِّناً كَتَدُه

So do not wish to face me; wish instead

So do not wish me, and wish

for someone else, whose withers are soft,

Another unlike me, pliant is its peg

وَثَوى له وطناً

وَثَوى له وطناً

كثيراً حوله عَدَدُه

كثيراً حوله عَدَدُه

and who has settled in a homeland of his own,

And he took as a home

with his many followers around him.

Aample, numerous around it are its people