فَسيري فَأُمّي أَرضَ قَومِكِ إِنَّني

فَسيري فَأُمّي أَرضَ قَومِكِ إِنَّني

أَرى حُقبَةً خَوقاءَ جَمّاً فُثوقُها

أَرى حُقبَةً خَوقاءَ جَمّاً فُثوقُها

Go on, then, and make for your people’s land—for I

So go, and head for your people's land, for I

see a gaping span of time, its breaches manifold.

See an age gaping wide, its rifts abundant.

وَأَثني عَلى سَعدٍ بِما هِيَ أَهلُهُ

وَأَثني عَلى سَعدٍ بِما هِيَ أَهلُهُ

وَخَيرُ أَحاديثِ الغَريبِ صَدوقُها

وَخَيرُ أَحاديثِ الغَريبِ صَدوقُها

And I praise Saʿd for what she truly merits;

And praise Sa'd as it deserves;

the best of a stranger’s tales is the truthful one.

The best of a stranger's tales are the truthful ones.

عِظامُ المَقاري يَأمَنُ الجارُ فَجعَها

عِظامُ المَقاري يَأمَنُ الجارُ فَجعَها

إِذا ما الثُرَيّا أَخلَفَتها بُروقُها

إِذا ما الثُرَيّا أَخلَفَتها بُروقُها

Her serving vessels are immense; the neighbor is safe from deprivation at her hands

Great are their guest-bowls; their neighbor is safe from their harm,

when the Pleiades’ flashes break their promise of rain to her.

When the Pleiades' lightning fails them.

خَلا أَنَّ أَعرافَ الكَوادِنِ مِنقَراً

خَلا أَنَّ أَعرافَ الكَوادِنِ مِنقَراً

قَبيلَةُ سوءٍ بارَ في الناسَ سوقُها

قَبيلَةُ سوءٍ بارَ في الناسَ سوقُها

But Minqar are the very manes of plodding nags—

Except that Minqar, the manes of sluggish packhorses,

an evil tribe whose market has gone unsold among the people.

Is a vile tribe whose market among men has stagnated.

تَحَمَّلَ باني مِنقِرٍ عَن مُقاعِسٍ

تَحَمَّلَ باني مِنقِرٍ عَن مُقاعِسٍ

مِنَ اللُؤمِ أَعباءً ثِقالاً وَسوقُها

مِنَ اللُؤمِ أَعباءً ثِقالاً وَسوقُها

The founder of Minqar took upon himself, on Muqāʿis’s behalf,

Minqir's founder took upon himself, on behalf of Muqa'is,

heavy burdens of baseness—and the driving of them.

Heavy burdens of baseness—he is their bearer.

إِوَزَّى بِها لا يَأطِرُ الحَملُ مَتنَهُ

إِوَزَّى بِها لا يَأطِرُ الحَملُ مَتنَهُ

وَيَعجِزُ عَن حَملِ العُلا لا يُطيقُها

وَيَعجِزُ عَن حَملِ العُلا لا يُطيقُها

He shoulders them; the load does not bend his back,

Stout under them, the load does not bend his back;

yet he is too weak to bear nobility—he cannot carry it.

Yet he cannot bear nobility; it is beyond his strength.

أَلَم تَعلَموا يا آلَ طَوعَةَ إِنَّما

أَلَم تَعلَموا يا آلَ طَوعَةَ إِنَّما

يَهيجُ جَليلاتِ الأُمورِ دَقيقُها

يَهيجُ جَليلاتِ الأُمورِ دَقيقُها

Have you two not learned, O house of Ṭawʿa, that

Did you not know, O house of Taw'ah, that it is

it is the smallest things that stir the gravest affairs?

Trifles that stir up great affairs?

تَنابِلَةٌ سودُ الوُجوهِ كَأَنَّهُم

تَنابِلَةٌ سودُ الوُجوهِ كَأَنَّهُم

حَميرُ بَني غَيلانَ إِذ ثارَ صيقُها

حَميرُ بَني غَيلانَ إِذ ثارَ صيقُها

Sluggish idlers, black of face, as though they were

Short, squat men with black faces, as though they were

the donkeys of Banū Ghaylān when their dust-cloud rises.

The asses of Banu Ghaylan when their dust rose.