لَقَد كِدتُ لَولا الحِلمُ تُدرِكُ حِفظَتي

لَقَد كِدتُ لَولا الحِلمُ تُدرِكُ حِفظَتي

عَلى الوَقَبى يَوماً مَقالَةُ دَيسَمِ

عَلى الوَقَبى يَوماً مَقالَةُ دَيسَمِ

Indeed, but for forbearance, my wrath was nearly roused

I almost lost my composure, were it not for my forbearance,

one day at al-Waqba by Daysam's remark.

One day at Al-Waqbah when accusing Daisam.

وَنَهنَهتُ نَفسي عَن مُعاذٍ وَقَد بَدَت

وَنَهنَهتُ نَفسي عَن مُعاذٍ وَقَد بَدَت

مُقاتِلُ مَجهورِ الرَكِيَّةِ مُسلَمِ

مُقاتِلُ مَجهورِ الرَكِيَّةِ مُسلَمِ

And I restrained myself from Mu'adh, though there lay exposed

I held myself back from Mu'adh though he had clearly

the vital spots of Muslam, whose well was laid bare.

Become the fighter of the throng at Rukiyah.

وَلَولا بَنو هِندٍ لَنالَت عُقوبَتي

وَلَولا بَنو هِندٍ لَنالَت عُقوبَتي

قُدامَةَ أَولى ذا الفَمِ المُتَثَلِّمِ

قُدامَةَ أَولى ذا الفَمِ المُتَثَلِّمِ

And but for the sons of Hind, my punishment would have reached

Were it not for the Banu Hind, I would have punished

Qudama, more deserving of it—the man with the chipped mouth.

Qudamah or he of the snarling mouth.

وَلَكِنَّني اِستَبقَيتُ أَعرادَ مازِنٍ

وَلَكِنَّني اِستَبقَيتُ أَعرادَ مازِنٍ

لِأَيّامِها مِن مُستَنيرٍ وَمُظلِمِ

لِأَيّامِها مِن مُستَنيرٍ وَمُظلِمِ

But I spared the stalwart men of Mazin

Rather, I called on the nobles of Mazin

for its days, both bright and dark:

For its days of brightness and gloom.

أُناسٍ بِثَغرٍ ما تَزالُ رِماحُهُم

أُناسٍ بِثَغرٍ ما تَزالُ رِماحُهُم

شَوارِعَ مِن غَيرِ العَشيرَةِ في الدَمِ

شَوارِعَ مِن غَيرِ العَشيرَةِ في الدَمِ

men on a frontier, whose spears are forever

Men with mouths from which spears never depart,

thrust into the blood of those outside their clan.

Whose streets flow not with their tribesmen's blood.

لَعَصَّبتُهُ مِمّا أَقولُ عِصابَةً

لَعَصَّبتُهُ مِمّا أَقولُ عِصابَةً

طَويلاً أَذاها مِن عِصابَةِ قَيِّمِ

طَويلاً أَذاها مِن عِصابَةِ قَيِّمِ

I would have bound him with a headband made from my words,

I have bound them with a pact from what I say -

long-lasting in its hurt—a keeper's headband.

A long lasting one, unlike the flimsy one of Qayyim.

عَلامَ بَنَت أُختُ اليَرابيعِ بَيتَها

عَلامَ بَنَت أُختُ اليَرابيعِ بَيتَها

عَلَيَّ وَقالَت لي بِلَيلٍ تَعَمَّمِ

عَلَيَّ وَقالَت لي بِلَيلٍ تَعَمَّمِ

Why did the sister of the Yarabi' build her home

Why did the sister of Yarbu build her abode against me

with me, and say to me by night, 'Put on your turban,'

And say to me on a night of masks:

إِذا أَنا لَم أَجعَل مَكانَ لَبونِها

إِذا أَنا لَم أَجعَل مَكانَ لَبونِها

لَبوناً وَأَفقَء ناظِرَ المُتَظَلِّمِ

لَبوناً وَأَفقَء ناظِرَ المُتَظَلِّمِ

if I do not replace her milch camel

"When I do not make her perfume a perfume but blind

with another milch camel, and gouge out the complainant's eye?

The eyes of the complainers?"

وَنابُ اليَرابيعِ الَّتي حَنَّ سَقبُها

وَنابُ اليَرابيعِ الَّتي حَنَّ سَقبُها

إِلى أُمِّهِ مِن ضَيعَةٍ عِندَ دَهثَمِ

إِلى أُمِّهِ مِن ضَيعَةٍ عِندَ دَهثَمِ

And the old she-camel of the Yarabi', whose male calf yearned

The she-camel of Yarbu which bowed its ceiling

for its mother because of neglect at Dahtham's—

To its mother from a pasture near Dahtham.

تَجاوَزتُما أَنعامَ بَكرِ اِبنِ وائِلٍ

تَجاوَزتُما أَنعامَ بَكرِ اِبنِ وائِلٍ

إِلى لِقحَتَي راعي نُعَيمِ اِبنِ دِرهَمِ

إِلى لِقحَتَي راعي نُعَيمِ اِبنِ دِرهَمِ

you two passed over the herds of Bakr ibn Wa'il

You both passed the cattle of Bakr ibn Wa'il

for the two milch camels of Nu'aym ibn Dirham's herdsman.

To the two she-camels of the herdsman Nu'aym ibn Dirham.

فَلَولا اِبنُ مَسعودٍ سَعيدٌ رَمَيتُهُ

فَلَولا اِبنُ مَسعودٍ سَعيدٌ رَمَيتُهُ

بِنافِذَةٍ تَستَكرِهُ الجِلدَ بِالدَمِ

بِنافِذَةٍ تَستَكرِهُ الجِلدَ بِالدَمِ

But for Sa'id ibn Mas'ud, I would have struck him

Were it not for Ibn Mas'ud Sa'eed, I would have hit him

with a piercing blow that forces the skin to bleed.

With a piercing arrow disliked by skin and blood.