ضَيَّعَ أَمري الأَقعَسانِ فَأَصبَحا

ضَيَّعَ أَمري الأَقعَسانِ فَأَصبَحا

عَلى نَدِبٍ يَدمى مِنَ الشَرِّ غارِبُه

عَلى نَدِبٍ يَدمى مِنَ الشَرِّ غارِبُه

The two swaybacks ruined my cause, and so they found themselves

The two imprudent men ruined my affair, so they weep

upon a spirited mount whose withers bleed from evil.

With bleeding lament for the absent one fiercely raging.

وَلَو أَخَذا أَسبابَ أَمري لَأَلجَآ

وَلَو أَخَذا أَسبابَ أَمري لَأَلجَآ

إِلى أَشَبِ العِصيانِ أَزوَرَ جانِبُه

إِلى أَشَبِ العِصيانِ أَزوَرَ جانِبُه

Had they grasped the reins of my cause, they would have sought refuge

Had they adopted proper measures for my affair, they would have forced

with one dense with staves, unapproachable in flank,

The most crooked side of disobedience into the straight path.

مَنيعٍ بَنو سُفيانَ تَحتَ لِوائِهِ

مَنيعٍ بَنو سُفيانَ تَحتَ لِوائِهِ

إِذا ثَوَّبَ الداعي وَجاءَت حَلائِبُه

إِذا ثَوَّبَ الداعي وَجاءَت حَلائِبُه

unassailable, with Banu Sufyan beneath his banner,

Impregnable are the clan of Sufyan beneath his banner

when the caller renews his cry and his allied bands arrive.

When the summoner rises and the milk-cows return.

سَتَذكُرُ أَفناءَ الرِفاقِ إِذا اِلتَقَت

سَتَذكُرُ أَفناءَ الرِفاقِ إِذا اِلتَقَت

مَزاداً وَتُرسى كَيفَ أَحدَثَ طالِبُه

مَزاداً وَتُرسى كَيفَ أَحدَثَ طالِبُه

The various traveling bands will remember, when they meet,

You will recall the days gone by with friends when you meet

waterskins and my shield—what his pursuer did.

As a guest, and see what his seeker has done to him.

حَسِبتُ أَبا قَيسٍ حِمارَ شَريعَةٍ

حَسِبتُ أَبا قَيسٍ حِمارَ شَريعَةٍ

قَعَدتَ لَهُ وَالصُبحُ قَد لاحَ حاجِبُه

قَعَدتَ لَهُ وَالصُبحُ قَد لاحَ حاجِبُه

I thought Abu Qays a wild ass at a watering place;

I thought Abu Qays to be the donkey of the law,

you lay in wait for him when dawn's brow had appeared.

While he stopped for you when dawn had made plain its eyebrow.

فَلَو كُنتَ بِالمَعلوبِ سَيفِ اِبنِ ظالِمٍ

فَلَو كُنتَ بِالمَعلوبِ سَيفِ اِبنِ ظالِمٍ

ضَرَبتَ لَزارَت قَبرَ عَوفٍ قَرائِبُه

ضَرَبتَ لَزارَت قَبرَ عَوفٍ قَرائِبُه

Had you, with al-Maʿlub, Ibn Zalim's sword,

If you were the sword of the son of the unjust tyrant,

struck, Awf's kinswomen would have visited his grave.

You would have struck till the kinsfolk of dead Auf cried out.

وَلَكِن وَجَدتَ السَهمَ أَهوَنَ فَوقَةً

وَلَكِن وَجَدتَ السَهمَ أَهوَنَ فَوقَةً

عَلَيكَ فَقَد أَودى دَمٌ أَنتَ طالِبُه

عَلَيكَ فَقَد أَودى دَمٌ أَنتَ طالِبُه

But you found the arrow easier to nock

But you found the arrow too heavy beyond your strength,

for you; the blood whose vengeance you seek has been lost.

So blood which you sought has destroyed you.

فَإِن أَنتُما لَم تَجعَلا بِأَخيكُما

فَإِن أَنتُما لَم تَجعَلا بِأَخيكُما

صَدىً بَينَ أَكماعِ السِباقِ يُجاوِبُه

صَدىً بَينَ أَكماعِ السِباقِ يُجاوِبُه

If you two have not set, in return for your brother,

If you two do not take thought for your brother

an owl among the hollows of al-Sibaq, answering him,

To make a voice echo between the bow-ends of the racers,

فَلَيتَكُما يا اِبنَي سُفَينَةَ كُنتُما

فَلَيتَكُما يا اِبنَي سُفَينَةَ كُنتُما

دَماً بَينَ حاذَيها تَسيلُ سَبائِبُه

دَماً بَينَ حاذَيها تَسيلُ سَبائِبُه

then would that you two, O sons of Sufayna, had been

Would that you two had been, sons of Sufyan, instead of blood

blood between her two haunches, its streaks flowing.

Flowing between its planks, the bilge of a ship!