يا عَبدَ باهِلَةَ الَّذي يَتَوَعَّدُ

يا عَبدَ باهِلَةَ الَّذي يَتَوَعَّدُ

أَعَلَيَّ تُبرِقُ إِذ شَبِعتَ وَتُرعِدُ

أَعَلَيَّ تُبرِقُ إِذ شَبِعتَ وَتُرعِدُ

O slave of Bahila, who makes threats!

O ignorant slave who threatens me

Is it at me you flash lightning, now you are sated, and thunder?

Will you flash lightning at me once your belly is full and thunder?

يا عَبدَ باهِلَةَ اِبتُليتَ بِحَيَّةٍ

يا عَبدَ باهِلَةَ اِبتُليتَ بِحَيَّةٍ

فَتَرَكتَ طاعَتَنا وَرُحتَ تُهَدِّدُ

فَتَرَكتَ طاعَتَنا وَرُحتَ تُهَدِّدُ

O slave of Bahila, you have been afflicted with a serpent,

O ignorant slave, you were tested by a serpent

So you abandoned obedience to us and went off threatening.

So you abandoned obeying us and went on to threaten

وَشَتَمتَ رَبَّكَ في العَشيرَةِ قائِماً

وَشَتَمتَ رَبَّكَ في العَشيرَةِ قائِماً

لِتَكونَ مَوجوداً وَلَيتَكَ توجُدُ

لِتَكونَ مَوجوداً وَلَيتَكَ توجُدُ

And standing among the clan, you insulted your master,

You insulted your Lord among the clan while standing

To make yourself noticed—if only you were!

Just to make yourself present, if only you wouldn't exist

وَكَذاكَ عَبدُ السوءِ يَشتُمُ رَبَّهُ

وَكَذاكَ عَبدُ السوءِ يَشتُمُ رَبَّهُ

سَفَهاً وَلَكِن هَل تُجابُ الأَعبُدُ

سَفَهاً وَلَكِن هَل تُجابُ الأَعبُدُ

And likewise a wicked slave insults his master

That's how an evil slave insults his Lord

In folly—but are slaves ever answered?

Foolishly, but do the slaves get answered?

اِقعُد فَإِنَّكَ باهِلِيٌّ واغِلٌ

اِقعُد فَإِنَّكَ باهِلِيٌّ واغِلٌ

يَجزيكَ سَوأَتَكَ الضِياعُ الرُوَّدُ

يَجزيكَ سَوأَتَكَ الضِياعُ الرُوَّدُ

Sit down: you are a Bahili, an uninvited drinker.

Sit down, for you are foolish and stubborn

The roaming wastrels reward you for your shame.

Your wickedness will only lead you to ruin

وَإِذا سَكِرتَ فَخُذ بِأَيرِ مُساعِفٍ

وَإِذا سَكِرتَ فَخُذ بِأَيرِ مُساعِفٍ

وَاِسكُن فَإِنَّكَ ناطِقٌ لا تُرشَدُ

وَاِسكُن فَإِنَّكَ ناطِقٌ لا تُرشَدُ

And when you are drunk, take hold of an obliging man's penis,

And if you get drunk, take the rope of a brave one

And be still: you are a talker who is not guided aright.

And settle down, for you are a talker not guided

تَجري مِنَ الذَهَبِ المُصَنَّمِ راحَتي

تَجري مِنَ الذَهَبِ المُصَنَّمِ راحَتي

كَرَماً وَناري بِاليَفاعِ تَوَقَّدُ

كَرَماً وَناري بِاليَفاعِ تَوَقَّدُ

My palm streams with figure-stamped gold,

My gold adorned palms flow

Generously, and my fire blazes on the heights.

With generosity, while my fire is lit with dry wood

وَلَئِن عَمِرتَ لَتَعرِفَنَّ قَصيدَةً

وَلَئِن عَمِرتَ لَتَعرِفَنَّ قَصيدَةً

تَجِبُ الصَلاةُ لَها عَلَيكَ فَتَسجُدُ

تَجِبُ الصَلاةُ لَها عَلَيكَ فَتَسجُدُ

And if you live on, you will surely come to know a poem

And if you live long enough, you will recognize a poem

For which prayer will be your duty, and you will prostrate yourself.

For which you must bow in prayer to it and prostrate

وَتَظَلُّ تُرعَدُ مِن هَديلِ حَمامَةٍ

وَتَظَلُّ تُرعَدُ مِن هَديلِ حَمامَةٍ

وَإِذا دُعيتَ لِسَوأَةٍ لا تُرعَدُ

وَإِذا دُعيتَ لِسَوأَةٍ لا تُرعَدُ

And you keep trembling at a dove's coo,

And you will remain thunderstruck by the cooing of a dove

Yet when summoned to an indecency, you do not tremble.

Yet if called upon for an evil you do not shudder

وَمَلَأتَ ثَوبَكَ إِن رَأَيتَ كَتيبَةً

وَمَلَأتَ ثَوبَكَ إِن رَأَيتَ كَتيبَةً

في النَومِ أَلَّلَها الحَديدُ الموجَدُ

في النَومِ أَلَّلَها الحَديدُ الموجَدُ

And you soil your robe if you see a battalion

And you filled your garment if you saw in your dream

In sleep, bristling with sharpened steel.

An army fully equipped with polished swords

وَمَجِنتَ حَتّى ما تُصَلّي رَكعَةً

وَمَجِنتَ حَتّى ما تُصَلّي رَكعَةً

وَنَسيتَ ما قالَ النَبِيُّ مُحَمَّدُ

وَنَسيتَ ما قالَ النَبِيُّ مُحَمَّدُ

And you have grown so dissolute you do not perform one cycle of prayer,

You frowned until you did not pray a single bow

And have forgotten what the Prophet Muhammad said.

And forgot what Prophet Muhammad said

وَحَسِبتَني كَأَبيكَ لا يَنكي العِدى

وَحَسِبتَني كَأَبيكَ لا يَنكي العِدى

فَاِصبِر لِحِسبَتِكَ الَّتي لا تُحمَدُ

فَاِصبِر لِحِسبَتِكَ الَّتي لا تُحمَدُ

And you thought me like your father, who does not wound his foes;

And you reckoned me like your father who does not reproach injustice

So endure the consequences of that ill-judged belief.

So be patient for your reckoning that is not praised

مَولاكَ أَرقَبُ مِن رَبيعَةِ عامِرٍ

مَولاكَ أَرقَبُ مِن رَبيعَةِ عامِرٍ

أَهدى لِكَفِّكَ قائِماً لا يَرقُدُ

أَهدى لِكَفِّكَ قائِماً لا يَرقُدُ

Your long-necked master, of Rabi'a of Amir,

Your Master keeps watch over you more than Rabia and Amir

Gave your palm an erect thing that never sleeps.

He guides your palms while standing, never slumbering

فَتَرَكتُ عُقرَ قَناتِكُم عِندَ اِمرِىءٍ

فَتَرَكتُ عُقرَ قَناتِكُم عِندَ اِمرِىءٍ

جَمَحَ الشَبابُ بِهِ الأَنيقُ الأَغيَدُ

جَمَحَ الشَبابُ بِهِ الأَنيقُ الأَغيَدُ

So I left the root of your spear with a man

So I left the uprooting of your CHANNEL to a man

Whom graceful, supple youth had carried headlong.

Whose youth was adorned by grace and beauty

وَكَذاكَ كانَ أَبوكَ يُؤثَرُ بِالهُنى

وَكَذاكَ كانَ أَبوكَ يُؤثَرُ بِالهُنى

وَيَظَلُّ في لَقطِ النَوى يَتَرَدَّدُ

وَيَظَلُّ في لَقطِ النَوى يَتَرَدَّدُ

Likewise, your father used to be favored with cocks,

That's how your father always preferred dishonor

And would keep going to and fro, gathering date stones.

And kept lurking for fallen seeds

فَلَئِن قَعَدتَ عَلى الخَنا وَحَسَدتَني

فَلَئِن قَعَدتَ عَلى الخَنا وَحَسَدتَني

إِنَّ الكَريمَ إِذا جَرى لَمُحَسَّدُ

إِنَّ الكَريمَ إِذا جَرى لَمُحَسَّدُ

So if you persist in obscenity and envy me,

So if you sit upon the tavern and envy me

Indeed, the noble man, when he races, is surely envied.

Surely the generous one is not envied when he flows

يا عَبدَ باهِلَةَ الَّذي لَزَمَ الخَنا

يا عَبدَ باهِلَةَ الَّذي لَزَمَ الخَنا

وَأَضاعَ عُقرَ قَناتِهِ لا تَسعَدُ

وَأَضاعَ عُقرَ قَناتِهِ لا تَسعَدُ

O slave of Bahila, who clung to obscenity

O ignorant slave who stuck to the tavern

And squandered the root of his spear—may you never prosper!

And wasted the uprooting of his channel, you will not be fortunate

لَولا دَلَفتَ لِمَن دَهاكَ بِأَيرِهِ

لَولا دَلَفتَ لِمَن دَهاكَ بِأَيرِهِ

فَحَسَرتَ عَنكَ حَزازَةً لا تَبرُدُ

فَحَسَرتَ عَنكَ حَزازَةً لا تَبرُدُ

Why did you not advance on the man who overwhelmed you with his penis,

Had you not deferred to the one who misguided you with his rope

And strip from yourself a resentment that never cools?

You would have felt remorse beyond cooling

لَو كُنتَ مِن أَسدِ العَشيرَةِ لَم تَنَم

لَو كُنتَ مِن أَسدِ العَشيرَةِ لَم تَنَم

حَتّى يُخالِطَهُ الحُسامُ الأَربَدُ

حَتّى يُخالِطَهُ الحُسامُ الأَربَدُ

Had you been one of the clan's lions, you would not have slept

If you were from the lion of the clan, you wouldn't have slept

Until the dusky-gray sword had pierced him.

Until the polished swords mix with him

عَوَّدتَ نَفسَكَ أَن تُضامَ فَخَلِّها

عَوَّدتَ نَفسَكَ أَن تُضامَ فَخَلِّها

كُلُّ اِمرِىءٍ رَهنٌ بِما يَتَعَوَّدُ

كُلُّ اِمرِىءٍ رَهنٌ بِما يَتَعَوَّدُ

You have accustomed yourself to being wronged, so leave it be;

You accustomed yourself to being squeezed, so release it

Every man is hostage to what he grows used to.

Every man is hostage to what he accustoms himself to

وَأَبى لَكَ الحَسَبُ اللَئيمُ فَنالَهُ

وَأَبى لَكَ الحَسَبُ اللَئيمُ فَنالَهُ

وَكَساكَ ذِلَّتَهُ أَبوكَ القُعدُدُ

وَكَساكَ ذِلَّتَهُ أَبوكَ القُعدُدُ

Your base lineage thwarted you, then overtook him;

Your deficient lineage refused you, so it reached him

And your craven father clothed you in his abasement.

And clothed you in its humiliation, your sitting duck father

لا تَستَطيعُ مُرَفَّلاً مِن عامِرٍ

لا تَستَطيعُ مُرَفَّلاً مِن عامِرٍ

عَجِلَ العِقابَ وَأَنتَ عَبدٌ أَقفَدُ

عَجِلَ العِقابَ وَأَنتَ عَبدٌ أَقفَدُ

You cannot withstand a man in trailing robes from Amir,

You cannot withstand a knight from Amir

Swift to punish, while you are a crooked-footed slave.

Who hastens punishment while you are a shackled slave

وَخَشيتَ سَطوَةَ عامِرِيٍّ فاتِكٍ

وَخَشيتَ سَطوَةَ عامِرِيٍّ فاتِكٍ

تَقِفُ الوُفودُ بِبابِهِ وَالوُفَّدُ

تَقِفُ الوُفودُ بِبابِهِ وَالوُفَّدُ

And you feared the might of a ruthless Amiri,

And you feared the tyranny of a mighty Amirite

At whose door delegations and envoys stand.

Before whose door delegations and envoys stand

وَبَنَيتَ بِالبَعرِ المَحَلَّ وَبِالنَوى

وَبَنَيتَ بِالبَعرِ المَحَلَّ وَبِالنَوى

بَيتاً عَلَيهِ خَزايَةٌ لا تَنفَدُ

بَيتاً عَلَيهِ خَزايَةٌ لا تَنفَدُ

And with dung and date stones you built your dwelling,

And you built with fleabane and lupine

A house bearing shame that never ends.

A house upon which an unending pantry sits

وَطَلَبتَ بِالخَلَقِ المُرَقَّعِ شَأوَنا

وَطَلَبتَ بِالخَلَقِ المُرَقَّعِ شَأوَنا

فَلَتَرجِعَنَّ وَبَظرُ أُمِّكَ يُرعَدُ

فَلَتَرجِعَنَّ وَبَظرُ أُمِّكَ يُرعَدُ

In your patched, threadbare garment, you sought to match our stride;

And you sought through patchwork manners our esteem

So you shall surely turn back, with your mother's clitoris trembling.

So you will surely return while your mother's belly rumbles

مَهلاً مَوالينا أَقيموا خَرجَنا

مَهلاً مَوالينا أَقيموا خَرجَنا

وَإِذا غَضِبنا غَضبَةً فَتَبَدَّدوا

وَإِذا غَضِبنا غَضبَةً فَتَبَدَّدوا

Easy, our clients; pay our tribute,

Gently, our loyalists, prepare our campaign

And when we flare up in anger, scatter.

And when we rage, rage fully then scatter about

خَدَمُ المُلوكِ إِذا قَعَدنا في الحُبى

خَدَمُ المُلوكِ إِذا قَعَدنا في الحُبى

قاموا وَإِن نَفزَع لِرَوعٍ يَقعُدوا

قاموا وَإِن نَفزَع لِرَوعٍ يَقعُدوا

The servants of kings, when we sit with our knees bound up,

The servants of kings when we sit back in ease

Stand; and if we spring up at an alarm, they sit.

Rise up, and if we shudder from fright they sit

كونوا لِمَولاكُم يَداً وَصَلَت يَداً

كونوا لِمَولاكُم يَداً وَصَلَت يَداً

وَدَعوا الفَسادَ يَعيثُ فيهِ المُفسِدُ

وَدَعوا الفَسادَ يَعيثُ فيهِ المُفسِدُ

Be a hand for your master, joined to another hand,

Be for your Master a connected hand

And leave corruption for the corrupter to run riot in.

And leave corruption to flow through the corrupt

وَتَشَبَّهوا بِأَبٍ وَعَمٍّ صالِحٍ

وَتَشَبَّهوا بِأَبٍ وَعَمٍّ صالِحٍ

مُتَعَبِّدَينِ لَنا وَنِعمَ العُبَّدُ

مُتَعَبِّدَينِ لَنا وَنِعمَ العُبَّدُ

And emulate a father and a worthy uncle,

And emulate a righteous father and uncle

Both devoted to our service—what excellent servants!

Devoutly obedient to us - and excellent is the devout