لَستُ بِمُعطي الحُكمَ عَن شَفِّ مَنصِبٍ

لَستُ بِمُعطي الحُكمَ عَن شَفِّ مَنصِبٍ

وَلا عَن بَناتِ الحَنظَلِيِّنَ راغِبُ

وَلا عَن بَناتِ الحَنظَلِيِّنَ راغِبُ

I will not pay an imposed award out of any weakness of lineage,

I do not give judgment from a lofty office,

nor am I averse to the daughters of the Hanzalis.

Nor am I desirous of the daughters of Hanzala.

أَراهُنَّ ماءَ المُزنِ يُشفى بِهِ الصَدى

أَراهُنَّ ماءَ المُزنِ يُشفى بِهِ الصَدى

وَكانَت مِلاحاً غَيرَهُنَّ المَشارِبُ

وَكانَت مِلاحاً غَيرَهُنَّ المَشارِبُ

I see them as rain-cloud water, by which thirst is cured,

I see them as the water of Muzn that cures thirst,

while all other sources of drink were brackish.

While others were brackish water to drink.

لَقَد كُنتَ أَهلاً إِذ تَسوقُ دِياتِكُم

لَقَد كُنتَ أَهلاً إِذ تَسوقُ دِياتِكُم

إِلى آلِ زيقٍ أَن يَعيبَكَ عائِبُ

إِلى آلِ زيقٍ أَن يَعيبَكَ عائِبُ

You were indeed deserving, when you drove your blood-money

You were indeed qualified when you paid blood-money

to Ziq's clan, of a fault-finder's reproach.

To the family of Ziyad, though the critic found fault.

وَماعَدَلَت ذاتُ الصَليبِ ظَعينَةً

وَماعَدَلَت ذاتُ الصَليبِ ظَعينَةً

عُتَيبَةُ وَالرِدفانِ مِنها وَحاجِبُ

عُتَيبَةُ وَالرِدفانِ مِنها وَحاجِبُ

The woman bearing the cross did not equal a lady in her litter,

The cross-marked one did not straighten her humpback

from whom came Utaybah, the two royal deputies, and Hajib.

Utaibah, with the saddlebags on either side of her neck.

أَلا رُبَّما لَم نُعطِ زيقاً بِحُكمِهِ

أَلا رُبَّما لَم نُعطِ زيقاً بِحُكمِهِ

وَأَدّى إِلَينا الحُكمَ وَالغُلُّ لازِبُ

وَأَدّى إِلَينا الحُكمَ وَالغُلُّ لازِبُ

Indeed, many a time we refused Ziq the payment he decreed,

Oh, sometimes we did not give Ziyad his due judgment

and he paid us the adjudged sum, the neck-shackle clinging fast.

And he submitted the judgment and booty to us.

حَوَينا أَبا زيقٍ وَزيقاً وَعَمَّهُ

حَوَينا أَبا زيقٍ وَزيقاً وَعَمَّهُ

وَجَدَّةُ زيقٍ قَد حَوَتها المَقانِبُ

وَجَدَّةُ زيقٍ قَد حَوَتها المَقانِبُ

We captured Ziq's father, Ziq, and his uncle;

We protected Abu Ziyad, Ziyad and his paternal uncle,

and Ziq's grandmother was captured by the cavalry bands.

And the grandmother of Ziyad whom spears had protected.

أَلَم تَعرِفوا يا آلَ زيقٍ فَوارِسي

أَلَم تَعرِفوا يا آلَ زيقٍ فَوارِسي

إِذا اِغبَرَّ مِن كَرِّ الطَرادِ الحَواجِبُ

إِذا اِغبَرَّ مِن كَرِّ الطَرادِ الحَواجِبُ

Did you not recognize, O clan of Ziq, my horsemen,

Did you not recognize, O people of Ziyad, my steeds

when brows grew dusty from repeated charges in mounted combat?

When the dust swirled from the racing of warriors?

حَوَت هانِئً يَومَ الغَبيطَينِ خَيلُنا

حَوَت هانِئً يَومَ الغَبيطَينِ خَيلُنا

وَأَدرَكنَ بِسطاماً وَهُنَّ شَوازِبُ

وَأَدرَكنَ بِسطاماً وَهُنَّ شَوازِبُ

Our horses captured Hani on the day of al-Ghabitayn,

Our horses hemmed in Hani on the day of Ghubaytain

and overtook Bistam, lean as they were.

And reached Bistam and his horses that were nimble.

صَبَحناهُمُ جُرداً كَأَنَّ غُبارَها

صَبَحناهُمُ جُرداً كَأَنَّ غُبارَها

شَآبيبُ صَيفٍ يَزدَهيهِنَّ حاصِبُ

شَآبيبُ صَيفٍ يَزدَهيهِنَّ حاصِبُ

We assailed them at dawn on sleek steeds, as though their dust were

We attacked them at dawn when their dust

summer showers swept about by a stone-flinging wind,

Was like the gray hair of summer, thriving, growing.

بِكُلِّ رُدَينِيٍّ تَطارَدَ مَتنُهُ

بِكُلِّ رُدَينِيٍّ تَطارَدَ مَتنُهُ

كَما اختَبَّ سيدٌ بِالمَراضَينِ لاغِبُ

كَما اختَبَّ سيدٌ بِالمَراضَينِ لاغِبُ

with every Rudayni spear, its shaft swaying to and fro,

With each reddish-black horse whose back was protected

like a weary wolf trotting at al-Maradayn.

As if a master had tried the two trotting beasts.

جَزى اللَهُ زيقاً وَاِبنَ زيقٍ مَلامَةً

جَزى اللَهُ زيقاً وَاِبنَ زيقٍ مَلامَةً

عَلى أَنَّني في وُدِّ شَيبانَ راغِبُ

عَلى أَنَّني في وُدِّ شَيبانَ راغِبُ

May God requite Ziq and Ziq's son with reproach,

May God requite Ziyad and the son of Ziyad with blame

although I desire Shayban's friendship.

Because I am desirous of the love of Shayban.

أَأَهدَيتَ يازيقَ بنَ زيقٍ غَريبَةً

أَأَهدَيتَ يازيقَ بنَ زيقٍ غَريبَةً

إِلى شَرِّ ما تُهدى إِلَيهِ الغَرائِبُ

إِلى شَرِّ ما تُهدى إِلَيهِ الغَرائِبُ

Did you give, O Ziq son of Ziq, a bride from afar

Did you give, O Ziyad son of Ziyad, a strange woman

to the worst of those to whom such brides are given?

As a gift to the worst man gifts are given?

فَأَمثَلُ ما في صِهرِكُم أَنَّ صِهرَكُم

فَأَمثَلُ ما في صِهرِكُم أَنَّ صِهرَكُم

مُجيدٌ لَكُم لَيَّ الكَتيفِ وَشاعِبُ

مُجيدٌ لَكُم لَيَّ الكَتيفِ وَشاعِبُ

So the best thing about your son-in-law is that your son-in-law

The best thing about your in-laws is that your in-laws

is skilled at twisting leather straps for you, and at mending bowls.

Are excellent to you, O spider of the valley and boulders!

عَرَفناكَ مِن حوقِ الحِمارِ لِزِنيَةٍ

عَرَفناكَ مِن حوقِ الحِمارِ لِزِنيَةٍ

وَكانَ لِضَمّاتٍ مِنَ القَينِ غالِبُ

وَكانَ لِضَمّاتٍ مِنَ القَينِ غالِبُ

We knew you were born of adultery from the rim of a donkey's glans;

We recognized you from the rump of a donkey for adultery,

and Ghalib was born of the smith's embraces.

And for couplings from the tribe of Qain you were dominant.

بَني مالِكٍ أَدّوا إِلى القَينِ حَقَّهُ

بَني مالِكٍ أَدّوا إِلى القَينِ حَقَّهُ

وَلِلقَينِ حَقٌّ في الفَرَزدَقِ واجِبُ

وَلِلقَينِ حَقٌّ في الفَرَزدَقِ واجِبُ

Sons of Malik, pay the smith his due,

O tribe of Malik, give the Qain their due,

and the smith has a binding claim upon al-Farazdaq.

For the Qain have a right against Farazdaq.

أَثائِرَةٌ حَدراءُ مَن جُرَّ بِالنَقا

أَثائِرَةٌ حَدراءُ مَن جُرَّ بِالنَقا

وَهَل في بَني حَدراءَ لِلوِترِ طالِبُ

وَهَل في بَني حَدراءَ لِلوِترِ طالِبُ

Will Hadra avenge the man dragged at the sand dune,

Descendants of Hadra' who are dragged by the hock,

and is there among Hadra's sons anyone seeking blood-vengeance?

Is there among the descendants of Hadra' one who seeks vengeance?

ذَكَرتَ بَناتِ الشَمسِ وَالشَمسُ لَم تَلِد

ذَكَرتَ بَناتِ الشَمسِ وَالشَمسُ لَم تَلِد

وَأَيهاتَ مِن حوقِ الحِمارِ الكَواكِبُ

وَأَيهاتَ مِن حوقِ الحِمارِ الكَواكِبُ

You mentioned the sun's daughters, yet the sun has never given birth;

You mentioned the daughters of the sun, but the sun does not give birth,

and how far the stars are from the rim of a donkey's glans!

Strange indeed is the rump of the donkey and the stars!

وَلَو كُنتَ حُرّاً كانَ عَشرٌ سِياقَةً

وَلَو كُنتَ حُرّاً كانَ عَشرٌ سِياقَةً

إِلى آلِ زيقٍ وَالوَصيفُ المُقارِبُ

إِلى آلِ زيقٍ وَالوَصيفُ المُقارِبُ

Had you been freeborn, ten camels would have been driven

If you were a free man, ten would suffice

to Ziq's clan, along with a slave-boy of middling worth.

Against the family of Ziyad, and the neighbor who borders.