يا راكِباً إِمّا عَرَضتَ فَبَلَّغَن

يا راكِباً إِمّا عَرَضتَ فَبَلَّغَن

عَلى النَأيِ مِنّي عَبدَ شَمسٍ وَهاشِما

عَلى النَأيِ مِنّي عَبدَ شَمسٍ وَهاشِما

O rider, if you pass that way, be sure to convey

O rider, if you pass by my beloved

from me, despite the distance, to Abd Shams and Hashim:

Convey my greetings to the one far from me, a servant of the sun and a Hashemite

هَلّا أَمَرتُم حينَ حانَ هَجينُكُم

هَلّا أَمَرتُم حينَ حانَ هَجينُكُم

بِشَتمِ سِوى حَسّانَ إِن كانَ شاتِما

بِشَتمِ سِوى حَسّانَ إِن كانَ شاتِما

Why did you not, when your half-breed met his doom, order him

Why didn’t you command when it was time for your departure

to insult someone other than Hassan, if he was going to insult?

That I be rebuked except for Hassan if he is one who reproaches

ثَكِلتُ اِبنَتي إِن لَم يُقَطِّعكَ ماجِدٌ

ثَكِلتُ اِبنَتي إِن لَم يُقَطِّعكَ ماجِدٌ

حُسامٌ يَرُدُّ العَيرَ مِثلَكَ واحِما

حُسامٌ يَرُدُّ العَيرَ مِثلَكَ واحِما

May I lose my daughter if a noble one does not cut you to pieces—

May my daughter be bereaved if Majid does not hack you to pieces

a keen sword that sends an ass like you back craving—

With a sword that repels the likes of you, O protector

وَإِن لَم تَقُل سِرّاً لِنَفسِكَ إِنَّني

وَإِن لَم تَقُل سِرّاً لِنَفسِكَ إِنَّني

أَصَبتُ كَريماً ثُمَّ أَصبَحتَ نادِما

أَصَبتُ كَريماً ثُمَّ أَصبَحتَ نادِما

and if you do not say secretly to yourself, 'Indeed, I

And if you do not say to yourself in secret, “I have attained

have struck a noble man,' and then become remorseful.

A generous man, and in the morning I became regretful”

تَخَيَّر ثَلاثاً كُلُّهُنَّ مَهانَةٌ

تَخَيَّر ثَلاثاً كُلُّهُنَّ مَهانَةٌ

سَلاسِلُ أَغلالٍ تَشينُ المَقادِما

سَلاسِلُ أَغلالٍ تَشينُ المَقادِما

Choose among three, all of them humiliating:

Choose from three, all of them humiliations:

chains of fetters that disgrace the foreparts;

Chains and shackles that disgrace the newcomer

وَتُترَكُ مِثلَ الكَلبِ يَملُجُ أَيرَهُ

وَتُترَكُ مِثلَ الكَلبِ يَملُجُ أَيرَهُ

وَتَنزِعُ مَحسوراً وَتَقعُدُ آثِما

وَتَنزِعُ مَحسوراً وَتَقعُدُ آثِما

and being left like a dog sucking its penis;

And you are left like a dog licking his sores

and withdrawing exhausted and sitting in guilt.

And you are dragged away in humiliation, sitting in sin