تَقاصَرَتِ الجِبالُ لَهُ وَطَمَّت

تَقاصَرَتِ الجِبالُ لَهُ وَطَمَّت

بِهِ حَوماتُ آخَرُ قَد أَنابا

بِهِ حَوماتُ آخَرُ قَد أَنابا

The mountains shrank before it, and there surged

The mountains diminished before him, and the last remnants were annihilated.

with it the deep waters of another sea that had turned back.

With what spears of yours will you acquire glory,

بِأَيَّةِ زَنمَتَيكَ تَنالُ قَومي

بِأَيَّةِ زَنمَتَيكَ تَنالُ قَومي

إِذا بَحرِي رَأَيتُ لَهُ عُبابا

إِذا بَحرِي رَأَيتُ لَهُ عُبابا

With which of your two wattles can you reach my people,

When you see that my sea has raging waves?

when I behold my sea in surging flood?

You see its billows like mountains of luban,

تَرى أَمواجَهُ كَجِبالِ لُبنى

تَرى أَمواجَهُ كَجِبالِ لُبنى

وَطَودِ الخَيفِ إِذ مَلَأَ الجَنابا

وَطَودِ الخَيفِ إِذ مَلَأَ الجَنابا

You see its waves like the mountains of Lubna

And the surging crests when they fill the expanse.

and the peak of al-Khayf, when it filled the surrounding land.

When its sprays surge in the wings of night,

إِذا جاشَت ذُراهُ بِجُنحِ لَيلٍ

إِذا جاشَت ذُراهُ بِجُنحِ لَيلٍ

حَسِبتَ عَلَيهِ حَرّاتٍ وَلابا

حَسِبتَ عَلَيهِ حَرّاتٍ وَلابا

When its crests surge in the darkness of night,

You would think there were burning coals upon it.

you would think it bore lava fields and basalt wastes.

With mountains around it, it has shadows

مُحيطاً بِالجِبالِ لَهُ ظِلالٌ

مُحيطاً بِالجِبالِ لَهُ ظِلالٌ

مَعَ الجَرباءِ قَد بَلَغَ الطِبابا

مَعَ الجَرباءِ قَد بَلَغَ الطِبابا

Encompassing the mountains, it casts shadows

That have reached the morning draught with the gerboa.

beside the scabby sky; it has reached the cloud-bands.

So you are in vilifying the clan of Numayr

فَإِنَّكَ مِن هِجاءِ بَني نُمَيرٍ

فَإِنَّكَ مِن هِجاءِ بَني نُمَيرٍ

كَأَهلِ النارِ إِذ وَجَدوا العَذابا

كَأَهلِ النارِ إِذ وَجَدوا العَذابا

For you, through lampooning Banu Numayr,

Like the people of Hell when they found the torment.

are like the people of the Fire when they encountered torment.

They hoped that they would find rest from its heat,

رَجَوا مِن حَرِّها أَن يَستَريحوا

رَجَوا مِن حَرِّها أَن يَستَريحوا

وَقَد كانَ الصَديدُ لَهُم شَرابا

وَقَد كانَ الصَديدُ لَهُم شَرابا

They hoped to find relief from its heat,

Yet boiling pitch had become their drink.

though pus was their drink.

If you live in prosperity and good fortune,

فَإِن تَكُ عامِراً أَثرَت وَطابَت

فَإِن تَكُ عامِراً أَثرَت وَطابَت

فَما أَثرى أَبوكَ وَما أَطابا

فَما أَثرى أَبوكَ وَما أَطابا

So if Amir has grown wealthy and noble,

Neither your father nor forefathers ever prospered or had good fortune.

your father neither grew rich nor begot worthy offspring.

You have not inherited the knights of Numayr,

وَلَم تَرِثِ الفَوارِسِ مِن نُمَيرٍ

وَلَم تَرِثِ الفَوارِسِ مِن نُمَيرٍ

وَلا كَعباً وَرِثتَ وَلا كِلابا

وَلا كَعباً وَرِثتَ وَلا كِلابا

Nor did you inherit the horsemen of Numayr,

Nor Kab nor inherited Kilab.

nor did you inherit Ka'b or Kilab.

Rather, you have inherited the evil and worthless estates

وَلَكِن قَد وَرِثتَ بَني كُلَيبٍ

وَلَكِن قَد وَرِثتَ بَني كُلَيبٍ

حَظائِرَها الخَبيثَةَ وَالزِرابا

حَظائِرَها الخَبيثَةَ وَالزِرابا

But you have inherited Banu Kulayb—

Of the clan of Kulaib.

its foul pens and sheepfolds.

Whoever chooses Hawazin, then chooses Numayr,

وَمَن يَختَر هَوازِنَ ثُمَّ يَختَر

وَمَن يَختَر هَوازِنَ ثُمَّ يَختَر

نُمَيراً يَختَرِ الحَسَبَ اللُبابا

نُمَيراً يَختَرِ الحَسَبَ اللُبابا

And whoever chooses Hawazin, then chooses

Chooses a lineage of stupidity and shame.

Numayr, chooses the choicest ancestral honor,

And he who holds back their sprays by the forelocks

وَيُمسِك مِن ذُراها بِالنَواصي

وَيُمسِك مِن ذُراها بِالنَواصي

وَخَيرَ فَوارِسٍ عُلِموا نِصابا

وَخَيرَ فَوارِسٍ عُلِموا نِصابا

and grasps the forelocks of its foremost men,

Are the best horsemen, known to be deadly.

and the finest horsemen known for their lineage.

They are the ones who raided the encampments and ransacked

هُمُ ضَرَبوا الصَنائِعَ وَاِستَباحوا

هُمُ ضَرَبوا الصَنائِعَ وَاِستَباحوا

بِمَذحِجَ يَومَ ذي كَلَعٍ ضِرابا

بِمَذحِجَ يَومَ ذي كَلَعٍ ضِرابا

They struck the retainers and freely dealt

On the day of Madhij, the striking of calamity.

blows to Madhhij on the day of Dhu Kala'.

Yet you have left the clan of Kulaib

وَإِنَّكَ قَد تَرَكتَ بَني كُلَيبٍ

وَإِنَّكَ قَد تَرَكتَ بَني كُلَيبٍ

لِكُلِّ مُناضِلٍ غَرَضاً مُصابا

لِكُلِّ مُناضِلٍ غَرَضاً مُصابا

And you have left Banu Kulayb

To every contender, an easy target.

a target struck by every archer.

Kulaib is a servant, evil and base;

كُلَيبٌ دِمنَةٌ خَبُثَت وَقَلَّت

كُلَيبٌ دِمنَةٌ خَبُثَت وَقَلَّت

أَبى الآبي بِها إِلّا سِبابا

أَبى الآبي بِها إِلّا سِبابا

Kulayb is a dung-heap, foul and paltry;

None but the most debauched would vilify with it.

the scorner will have nothing for it but abuse.

You think that when you dispraise with Kulaib,

وَتَحسِبُ مِن مَلائِمِها كُلَيبٍ

وَتَحسِبُ مِن مَلائِمِها كُلَيبٍ

عَلَيها الناسُ كُلَّهُمُ غِضابا

عَلَيها الناسُ كُلَّهُمُ غِضابا

And from Kulayb's disgraces, you would think

All people are angry at them.

that all people were angry with it.