تَمَنَّاني ليقتلني

تَمَنَّاني ليقتلني

وأنتَ لذاك مُعتَمَدُه

وأنتَ لذاك مُعتَمَدُه

He wished to meet me, to kill me,

He wished me dead that he might kill me,

and you are his support in that.

And you were his supporter in that.

فلو لاقيتُمُ فَرَسي

فلو لاقيتُمُ فَرَسي

وفوقَ سَرَاتِهِ أَسَدُه

وفوقَ سَرَاتِهِ أَسَدُه

So had you met my horse,

Had I met you riding your steed

with its lion upon its back,

With its lion-like vigor unfurled,

إِذن للقيتُمُ شَتنَ ال

إِذن للقيتُمُ شَتنَ ال

براثِنِ نابياً كَتَدُه

براثِنِ نابياً كَتَدُه

then you would have met one with thick

I'd have met you with bared teeth

clawed paws and towering withers,

Like fangs ready to pierce and rend.

ظَلومُ الشِّركِ فيما أَع

ظَلومُ الشِّركِ فيما أَع

لَقَت أَظفارُهُ وَيَدُه

لَقَت أَظفارُهُ وَيَدُه

unjust in sharing whatever

The unjust polytheist in all he concocted

his claws and paw have seized.

With his claws and hands outstretched

يلوثُ القِرنَ إِذ لاقا

يلوثُ القِرنَ إِذ لاقا

هُ يوماً ثم يضطهدُه

هُ يوماً ثم يضطهدُه

He twists his rival when he meets

Defiles the valley when he finds it one day

him one day, then overpowers him.

Then persecutes it and drives it away.

يَزيفُ كما يزيفُ الفَح

يَزيفُ كما يزيفُ الفَح

لُ فوقَ شُؤونهِ زَبَدُه

لُ فوقَ شُؤونهِ زَبَدُه

He struts as a bull camel struts,

He bubbles and seethes vainly

foam upon the ridges of its skull,

With the scum that rises above his affairs.

يُذَبِّبُ عن مَشَافِرِهِ ال

يُذَبِّبُ عن مَشَافِرِهِ ال

بعوضَ مُمَنَّعا بَلَدُه

بعوضَ مُمَنَّعا بَلَدُه

driving away from its thick lips

He brings forth from his claws

the mosquitoes, its territory well defended.

Gnats from a forbidden land.

ولو أَبصرتَ ما جَمَّعت

ولو أَبصرتَ ما جَمَّعت

تُ فوقَ الوَردِ تَزدَهِدُه

تُ فوقَ الوَردِ تَزدَهِدُه

And had you seen what I have gathered

Had you seen what I have gathered

upon al-Ward—what you disdain—

Above the roses you would spurn it.

رأيتَ مُفاضةً زَغفاً

رأيتَ مُفاضةً زَغفاً

وتَركاً مُبهَماً سَرَدُه

وتَركاً مُبهَماً سَرَدُه

you would have seen an ample, supple coat of mail,

You would see an overflowing crowd

and a helmet, its mesh tightly closed,

And a confusing, jumbled horde.

وصمصاماً بكفِّي لا

وصمصاماً بكفِّي لا

يذوقُ الماءَ مَن يَرِدُه

يذوقُ الماءَ مَن يَرِدُه

and a keen sword in my hand—no

And a churl with my hands who will not

one who comes to it tastes water.

Taste water if offered to him.

شمائل جَدِّهِ وكذا

شمائل جَدِّهِ وكذا

كَ أَشبَهَ والداً وَلَدُه

كَ أَشبَهَ والداً وَلَدُه

His grandfather's traits—and thus

The likeness of his grandfather is his

a son takes after his father.

Just as a father resembles his son.

أَمَرتُكَ يومَ ذي صنعا

أَمَرتُكَ يومَ ذي صنعا

ءَ أَمراً بَيِّناً رَشَدُه

ءَ أَمراً بَيِّناً رَشَدُه

I commanded you on the day of Dhu Sana'a,

I ordered you on the day of Badr

a command whose rightness was clear:

With an order clear and rightly guided.

فَعَالَ الخَيرِ تأتيه

فَعَالَ الخَيرِ تأتيه

فَتَفعَلُهُ وَتَتَّعِدُه

فَتَفعَلُهُ وَتَتَّعِدُه

to undertake good deeds,

"Do good" comes to the virtuous one

then do them and pledge to do them.

So he does it and is keen to obey.

فكنتَ كذي الحُميِّر غَ

فكنتَ كذي الحُميِّر غَ

رَّهُ من عَيرِهِ وَتِدُهُ

رَّهُ من عَيرِهِ وَتِدُهُ

So you were like the little donkey's owner,

Yet you were like the obstinate donkey

whom his tethering stake deceived about his donkey.

Annoyed by its saddle and tether.

وَلو أبصرتَ والبَصَرُ ال

وَلو أبصرتَ والبَصَرُ ال

مُبَيِّنُ قَلَّ مَن يَجِدُه

مُبَيِّنُ قَلَّ مَن يَجِدُه

And had you seen—and sight

Had you seen with clear-seeing eyes—

that makes things clear is found by few—

Few are those who find them—

إِذن لَعلمتَ أَنَّ أَبا

إِذن لَعلمتَ أَنَّ أَبا

كَ ليثٌ فوقَهُ لِبَدُه

كَ ليثٌ فوقَهُ لِبَدُه

then you would have known that your father

You would have known your father to be

is a lion, his thick mane upon him.

A lion whose claws strike and tear.