وقائِلَة لا يُبْعِدُ اللّهُ ضابئاً

وقائِلَة لا يُبْعِدُ اللّهُ ضابئاً

إِذا القِرْنُ لَمْ يُوجَدْ له مَنْ يُنازلُهْ

إِذا القِرْنُ لَمْ يُوجَدْ له مَنْ يُنازلُهْ

And a woman says, “May God not cast Ḍābiʾ away,

She who said: God does not keep harm from one

when no one is found to face the adversary in combat.”

If spears cannot be found to match it.

هَمَمْتُ ولمْ أَفعلْ وكِدْتُ وليتَني

هَمَمْتُ ولمْ أَفعلْ وكِدْتُ وليتَني

تركْتُ على عُثْمانَ تَبْكي حَلائِلُهْ

تركْتُ على عُثْمانَ تَبْكي حَلائِلُهْ

I intended to act but did not; I nearly did—if only I

I was determined but did not act, I plotted but would that

had left his wives weeping over ʿUthmān.

I had left Uthman's women weeping for their jewels.

فلا يُعْطِيَنْ بَعْدِي امْرُوءٌ ضَيْمَ خُطَّة

فلا يُعْطِيَنْ بَعْدِي امْرُوءٌ ضَيْمَ خُطَّة

حِذارَ لِقاءِ المَوْتِ والموتُ قاتِلُهْ

حِذارَ لِقاءِ المَوْتِ والموتُ قاتِلُهْ

So let no man after me submit to a humiliating condition,

So let no man after me oppress a marked forehead,

for fear of meeting death, though death will kill him.

Beware the encounter of death, and death is his encounter.

وما ألفيتك ما أمرت فيه ولا الذي

وما ألفيتك ما أمرت فيه ولا الذي

تحدث من لاقيت أنك فاعله

تحدث من لاقيت أنك فاعله

And I did not find you doing what you commanded concerning it, nor what

I did not know you as one I had ordered in this

you tell those you have met you will do.

Or whom I had heard you had done it.

وما الفتك إلا لامرئ ذي حفيظة

وما الفتك إلا لامرئ ذي حفيظة

إذا هم لم ترعد عليه خصائله

إذا هم لم ترعد عليه خصائله

And assassination is only for a man of fierce indignation,

Murder is only for a man of resolve

whose muscles do not tremble when he resolves to act.

When cares do not thunder within him.