إِنَّ رِجالَ الرومِ يَعرِفُ أَهلُها

إِنَّ رِجالَ الرومِ يَعرِفُ أَهلُها

حَديثي وَمَعروفٌ أَبي في المَنازِلِ

حَديثي وَمَعروفٌ أَبي في المَنازِلِ

Indeed, the men of Rome, its people, know

The men of Rome do know my clan

my story; my father is well known in the dwellings.

My talk is known, and my father’s grace in dwellings

وَإِن تَأتِ أَرضَ الأَشعَرَينِ تَجِدهُمُ

وَإِن تَأتِ أَرضَ الأَشعَرَينِ تَجِدهُمُ

يَخافونَني أَو أَرضَ تُركٍ وَكابُلِ

يَخافونَني أَو أَرضَ تُركٍ وَكابُلِ

And if you come to the land of al-Ashʿarayn, you will find them

And if you come to the land of the Ash'arites you’ll find them

fearing me—or if you come to the land of the Turks and Kabul.

Fearing me, or the land of Turks and Kabul

وَما مِن مُصَلٍّ تَعرِفُ الشَمسَ عَينُهُ

وَما مِن مُصَلٍّ تَعرِفُ الشَمسَ عَينُهُ

إِذا طَلَعَت أَو تائِهٍ غَيرِ عاقِلِ

إِذا طَلَعَت أَو تائِهٍ غَيرِ عاقِلِ

And there is no man of prayer whose eye recognizes the sun

There is no worshipper who knows the sun with his eye

when it rises, nor any witless wanderer,

When it rises, or lost, other than sane

فَتَسأَلَهُ عَنّي فَيَعيا بِنِسبَتي

فَتَسأَلَهُ عَنّي فَيَعيا بِنِسبَتي

وَلا اِسمي وَمَن يَعيا سِماكَ الأَعازِلِ

وَلا اِسمي وَمَن يَعيا سِماكَ الأَعازِلِ

who, if you ask him about me, cannot tell my lineage

Who if you ask about me will know my lineage

or my name—and who could fail to know Simāk of the unarmed?

Not my name, and who can know the lineage of outcasts?

أَنا السابِقُ المَعروفُ يَوماً إِذا اِنجَلَت

أَنا السابِقُ المَعروفُ يَوماً إِذا اِنجَلَت

عَجاجَةُ رَيعانِ الجِيادِ الأَوائِلِ

عَجاجَةُ رَيعانِ الجِيادِ الأَوائِلِ

I am the renowned front-runner on a day when there clears

I am the foremost, known one day when the racetrack

the dust-cloud of the first rush of the foremost steeds.

Of the short spear first horses is cleared

رَفَعتُ لِساني عَن غُذانَةَ بَعدَما

رَفَعتُ لِساني عَن غُذانَةَ بَعدَما

وَطِئتُ كُلَيباً وَطأَةَ المُتَثاقِلِ

وَطِئتُ كُلَيباً وَطأَةَ المُتَثاقِلِ

I drew my tongue back from Ghudhāna after

I held my tongue from raillery after I had trod

trampling Kulayb with a heavy-treading man's tread.

Kulayb with the tread of the plodding dullard.

فَلا أَعرِفَنكُم بَعدَ أَن كانَ مِسحَلي

فَلا أَعرِفَنكُم بَعدَ أَن كانَ مِسحَلي

شَميطاً وَهَزَّتني كِلابُ القَبائِلِ

شَميطاً وَهَزَّتني كِلابُ القَبائِلِ

So let me not find you, after my rasp was

So I will not know you after my whiskers were

Shamīṭ, and the tribes' dogs had roused me.

A lampwick and the dogs of the tribes worried me.

وَأَنتُم أُناسٌ تَملِكونَ أُمورَكُم

وَأَنتُم أُناسٌ تَملِكونَ أُمورَكُم

تَكونونَ كَالمَقتولِ غَيرِ المُقاتِلِ

تَكونونَ كَالمَقتولِ غَيرِ المُقاتِلِ

And you are people who control your own affairs,

While you are a people controlling your affairs

yet become like a man slain without fighting.

Being like one slain, other than warrior.

فَإِنَّ اِحتِمالَ الداءِ في غَيرِ كُنهِهِ

فَإِنَّ اِحتِمالَ الداءِ في غَيرِ كُنهِهِ

عَلى المَرءِ ذو ضَيمٍ شَديدُ التَلايِلِ

عَلى المَرءِ ذو ضَيمٍ شَديدُ التَلايِلِ

For bearing an affliction outside its proper measure

Bearing affliction ignorantly is upon a man

is a mighty-necked oppression upon a man.

Of abject woe, most vilely abject.

وَأَيُّكُمُ إِذ جَدَّ جِدّي وَجَدُّكُم

وَأَيُّكُمُ إِذ جَدَّ جِدّي وَجَدُّكُم

يُنيخُ مَعاً عِندَ اِعتِراكِ الكَلاكِلِ

يُنيخُ مَعاً عِندَ اِعتِراكِ الكَلاكِلِ

And which of you, when my striving and yours grow earnest,

And which of you, when my sire was resolute, was resolute,

will make his mount kneel with me when chests clash?

Bucking together at the clash of calamities?

وَما كُنتُ أَرمي قَبلَكُم مِن قَبيلَةٍ

وَما كُنتُ أَرمي قَبلَكُم مِن قَبيلَةٍ

رَمَت غَرَضي إِلّا بِصَقعِ المَعاوِلِ

رَمَت غَرَضي إِلّا بِصَقعِ المَعاوِلِ

And before you, I never shot at any tribe

I did not cast at a tribe before you from any tribe

that made me its target, save with blows of pickaxes.

That cast my intention, saving with the territory of spades.

فَإِن تَنهَكُم عَنّي العِظاتُ فَإِنَّني

فَإِن تَنهَكُم عَنّي العِظاتُ فَإِنَّني

أَنا الرَجُلُ الرامي فَريصَ المُقاتِلِ

أَنا الرَجُلُ الرامي فَريصَ المُقاتِلِ

So if admonitions keep you from me, then I—

If the reproaches weary you from me, then I

I am the man who shoots at the fighter's quivering flank-muscles.

Am the man shooting, keenest of the keen.

مَتى تَلقَ أَعدائي تَجِد في وُجوهِهِم

مَتى تَلقَ أَعدائي تَجِد في وُجوهِهِم

وَأَقفائِهِم مِنّي أَخاديدَ وابِلِ

وَأَقفائِهِم مِنّي أَخاديدَ وابِلِ

Whenever you meet my enemies, you will find in their faces

When your enemies meet me they will find in their breasts

and on their napes furrows left by my downpour.

And their shoulders because of me, gashes and sores.