أَعاذِلَ لا أَنامُ عَلى اِقتِسارِ

أَعاذِلَ لا أَنامُ عَلى اِقتِسارِ

وَلا أَلقى عَلى مَولىً وَجارِ

وَلا أَلقى عَلى مَولىً وَجارِ

O reprover, I do not sleep under coercion,

I do not sleep smug and self-satisfied

Nor do I impose it upon a client or a neighbor.

Nor do I lean on any lord or neighbor

سَأُخبِرُ فاخِرَ الأَعرابِ عَنّي

سَأُخبِرُ فاخِرَ الأَعرابِ عَنّي

وَعَنهُ حينَ بارَزَ لِلفَخارِ

وَعَنهُ حينَ بارَزَ لِلفَخارِ

I shall tell the Bedouin boaster about myself,

I will inform the boastful Bedouin about me

And about him, when he came forth to vie in pride.

And about him when he sallied forth for glory

أَنا اِبنُ الأَكرَمينَ أَباً وَأُمّاً

أَنا اِبنُ الأَكرَمينَ أَباً وَأُمّاً

تَنازَعَني المَرازِبُ مِن طُخارِ

تَنازَعَني المَرازِبُ مِن طُخارِ

I am the son of the noblest on both father's and mother's sides;

I am the son of the two most honorable parents

The marzbans of Tukhar vie to claim me as their own.

The spears disputed me from Tujar

نُغاذى الدَرمَكَ المَنفوطَ عِزّاً

نُغاذى الدَرمَكَ المَنفوطَ عِزّاً

وَنَشرَبُ في اللُجَينِ وَفي النُظارِ

وَنَشرَبُ في اللُجَينِ وَفي النُظارِ

We are fed oil-baked fine-flour bread in honor,

We lash the bellowing camel for honor’s sake

And drink from silver and from gold.

And we drink in pitchers and drinking horns

وَنَركَبُ في الفَريدِ إِلى النَدامى

وَنَركَبُ في الفَريدِ إِلى النَدامى

وَفي الديباجِ لِلحَربِ الحِبارِ

وَفي الديباجِ لِلحَربِ الحِبارِ

And we ride adorned with pearls to our drinking companions,

And we ride the unique steeds to the clubs

And in brocade for war that leaves its scars.

And the silk curtains for fierce wars

أُسِرتُ وَكَم تَقَدَّمَ مِن أَسيرٍ

أُسِرتُ وَكَم تَقَدَّمَ مِن أَسيرٍ

يُزَيِّنُ وَجهُهُ عَقدَ الأَسارِ

يُزَيِّنُ وَجهُهُ عَقدَ الأَسارِ

I was taken captive, and how many a captive went before me,

I was captured but how many captives went before

Whose face adorned the knot of his bonds.

Whose faces are adorned with the necklace of captivity

كَكَعبٍ أَو كَبِسطامِ بنِ قَيسٍ

كَكَعبٍ أَو كَبِسطامِ بنِ قَيسٍ

أُصيبا ثُمَّ ما دَنِسا بِعارِ

أُصيبا ثُمَّ ما دَنِسا بِعارِ

Like Ka'b, or like Bistam ibn Qays:

Like Kaab or like Bistam son of Qais

Both were captured, yet were not stained with shame.

Who were struck but their honor was never stained

فَكَيفَ يَنالُني ما لَم يَنَلهُم

فَكَيفَ يَنالُني ما لَم يَنَلهُم

أَعِد نَظَراً فَإِنَّ الحَقَّ عارِ

أَعِد نَظَراً فَإِنَّ الحَقَّ عارِ

How, then, can what never touched them touch me?

So how can what did not befall them befall me

Look again, for the truth is bare.

Reconsider, for truth is indeed bare

إِذا اِنقَلَبَ الزَمانُ عَلا بَعَبدٍ

إِذا اِنقَلَبَ الزَمانُ عَلا بَعَبدٍ

وَسَفَّلَ بِالبَطاريقِ الكِبارِ

وَسَفَّلَ بِالبَطاريقِ الكِبارِ

When fortune turns, it raises a slave,

When time changes it elevates some slaves

And brings the great patricians low.

And debases some great lords

مَلَكناكُم فَغَطَّينا عَلَيكُم

مَلَكناكُم فَغَطَّينا عَلَيكُم

وَلَم نَنصِبكُمُ غَرَضاً لِزارِ

وَلَم نَنصِبكُمُ غَرَضاً لِزارِ

We ruled you and shielded you,

We ruled you then covered over you

And did not make you targets for a reviler.

And did not make you targets of defamation

أَحينَ لَبِستَ بَعدَ العُريِ خَزّاً

أَحينَ لَبِستَ بَعدَ العُريِ خَزّاً

وَنادَمتَ الكِرامَ عَلى العُقارِ

وَنادَمتَ الكِرامَ عَلى العُقارِ

Is it when you don silken cloth after nakedness,

When after nakedness you wore rags

And keep noblemen company over wine,

And regretted generosity over stinginess

وَنِلتَ مِنَ الشَبارِقِ وَالقَلايا

وَنِلتَ مِنَ الشَبارِقِ وَالقَلايا

وَأُعطيتَ البَنَفسَجَ في الخُمارِ

وَأُعطيتَ البَنَفسَجَ في الخُمارِ

And enjoy sliced meats and fried dishes,

And got from apricots and dried yogurt

And are given violets during your hangover,

And were given borage in broth

تُفاخِرُ يا اِبنَ راعِيَةٍ وَراعٍ

تُفاخِرُ يا اِبنَ راعِيَةٍ وَراعٍ

بَني الأَحرارِ حَسبُكَ مِن خَسارِ

بَني الأَحرارِ حَسبُكَ مِن خَسارِ

That you vie in pride, O son of a shepherdess and a shepherd,

You boast, o son of a shepherd and shepherdess

With the sons of the freeborn? That is loss enough for you.

It is enough loss for you, o sons of the free

لَعَمرُ أَبي لَقَد بُدِّلتَ عَيشاً

لَعَمرُ أَبي لَقَد بُدِّلتَ عَيشاً

بِعَيشِكَ وَالأُمورُ إِلى مَجارِ

بِعَيشِكَ وَالأُمورُ إِلى مَجارِ

By my father's life, you have indeed been given a new way of life

By my father's life, you have changed a life

In place of your old one; all things follow their courses.

For your life, as things slide to their destined ends

وَكُنتَ إِذا ظَمِئتَ إِلى قَراح

وَكُنتَ إِذا ظَمِئتَ إِلى قَراح

شَرِكتَ الكَلبَ في ذاكَ الإِطارِ

شَرِكتَ الكَلبَ في ذاكَ الإِطارِ

And whenever you thirsted for pure water,

When you were thirsty for alcohol

You shared that bowl's rim with the dog.

You shared your dog in that company

تُريعُ بِخَطبِهِ كِسَرَ المَوالي

تُريعُ بِخَطبِهِ كِسَرَ المَوالي

وَتَرقُصُ لِلعَصيرِ وَلِلسِمارِ

وَتَرقُصُ لِلعَصيرِ وَلِلسِمارِ

You seek the patrons' crusts, begging for them,

You dance at the words of the debauched

And dance for juice and watered milk.

And jump to the strains of music and wine

وَتَقضُمُ هامَةَ الجُعَلِ المُصَلّى

وَتَقضُمُ هامَةَ الجُعَلِ المُصَلّى

وَلا تُعنى بِدُرّاجِ الدِيارِ

وَلا تُعنى بِدُرّاجِ الدِيارِ

And gnaw the head of a fire-roasted dung beetle,

You gnaw the truffle of the salted hyrax

And care nothing for the homesteads' francolins.

And care not for the pearls of homes

وَتُدلِجُ لِلقَنافِذِ تَدَّريها

وَتُدلِجُ لِلقَنافِذِ تَدَّريها

وَيُنسيكَ المَكارِمَ صَيدُ فارِ

وَيُنسيكَ المَكارِمَ صَيدُ فارِ

And go out at night for hedgehogs, stalking them,

You roll hedgehogs down for their prey

And hunting mice makes you forget noble deeds.

And the chase of vermin makes you forget noble deeds

وَتَغبِطُ شاوِيَ الحِرباءِ حَتّى

وَتَغبِطُ شاوِيَ الحِرباءِ حَتّى

تَروحَ إِلَيهِ مِن حُبِّ القُتارِ

تَروحَ إِلَيهِ مِن حُبِّ القُتارِ

And envy the roaster of a chameleon until

You envy the roaster of chickpeas until

You go to him at evening for love of the roasting fumes.

You go to him out of love for meanness

وَتَرتَعِدُ النُقادَ أَوِ البَكاعا

وَتَرتَعِدُ النُقادَ أَوِ البَكاعا

مُسارَقَةً وَتَرضى بِالصَغارِ

مُسارَقَةً وَتَرضى بِالصَغارِ

And you snatch small sheep or runts,

You tremble before the critic or peddler

Furtively, and are content with abasement.

Stealing and content with petty things

وَتغدو في الكَراءِ لِنَيلِ زادٍ

وَتغدو في الكَراءِ لِنَيلِ زادٍ

وَلَيسَ بِسَيِّدِ القَومِ المُكاري

وَلَيسَ بِسَيِّدِ القَومِ المُكاري

And go out in the morning hauling for hire to earn provisions,

You go in the morning to get provisions

And a carrier for hire is no chief of the people.

And forget the noble man’s generosity

وَفَخرُكَ بَينَ يَربوعٍ وَضَبٍّ

وَفَخرُكَ بَينَ يَربوعٍ وَضَبٍّ

عَلى مِثلي مِنَ الحَدَثِ الكِبارِ

عَلى مِثلي مِنَ الحَدَثِ الكِبارِ

And your boasting, among jerboas and spiny-tailed lizards,

Your pride between lizards and hyenas

Over one like me is one of the great calamities.

Over one like me of the great youth

مَقامُكَ بَينَنا دَنَسٌ عَلَينا

مَقامُكَ بَينَنا دَنَسٌ عَلَينا

فَلَيتَكَ غائِبٌ في حَرِّ نارِ

فَلَيتَكَ غائِبٌ في حَرِّ نارِ

Your presence among us is a stain upon us;

Your place among us is a disgrace upon us

So would that you were absent, in the heat of a fire!

Would that you were absent in the heat of fire