أيا أَيُّها المُهدي لِيَ الشَتمَ ظالِماً

أيا أَيُّها المُهدي لِيَ الشَتمَ ظالِماً

وَلَستُ بِأَهلٍ حينَ أُذكَرُ لِلشَتمِ

وَلَستُ بِأَهلٍ حينَ أُذكَرُ لِلشَتمِ

O you who unjustly offer me abuse,

O Mahdi who insults me unjustly

though, when I am mentioned, I do not deserve abuse.

I am not deserving when I am mentioned with insult

أَبى الشَتمَ أَنّي سَيِّدٌ وَاِبنُ سادَةٍ

أَبى الشَتمَ أَنّي سَيِّدٌ وَاِبنُ سادَةٍ

مَطاعينَ في الهَيجا مَطاعيمَ لِلجُرمِ

مَطاعينَ في الهَيجا مَطاعيمَ لِلجُرمِ

My being a chief and the son of chiefs bars such abuse—

Insult refuses that I am a master and son of masters

fierce spearmen in battle, lavish feeders of the multitude.

Obeyed in heyjah, obeyed for crime

هُم مَنَحوا الضُرّا أَباكَ وَطاعَنوا

هُم مَنَحوا الضُرّا أَباكَ وَطاعَنوا

وَذاكَ الَّذي يُرمى ذَليلاً وَلا يَرمي

وَذاكَ الَّذي يُرمى ذَليلاً وَلا يَرمي

They bestowed suffering on your father and fought with spears,

They granted harm upon your father and stabbed

and he is the one shot at in humiliation, who does not shoot back,

And that which is thrown disgracefully and does not throw

كَمُستَلحَمٍ في ظُلمَةِ اللَيلِ مِحزِماً

كَمُستَلحَمٍ في ظُلمَةِ اللَيلِ مِحزِماً

رَأى المَوتَ صِرفاً وَالسُيوفَ بِها تُضمي

رَأى المَوتَ صِرفاً وَالسُيوفَ بِها تُضمي

like a man hemmed in, girt, in the darkness of night,

Like a shaved in the darkness of night, belted

who saw sheer death and swords drawing blood.

Saw death turning and the swords with it stabbing

أَدِبّ عَلى أَنماطِ بَيضاءَ حُرَّةٍ

أَدِبّ عَلى أَنماطِ بَيضاءَ حُرَّةٍ

مُقابَلَةِ الجَدَّينِ ماجِدَةِ العَمِ

مُقابَلَةِ الجَدَّينِ ماجِدَةِ العَمِ

I crawl upon the patterned rugs of a fair, freeborn woman,

Educated on the patterns of free white (women)

noble through both grandfathers, with an illustrious paternal uncle.

Facing the two grandfathers, glorious pillar

وَأَنتَ لِحُنَفاءِ اليَدَينِ لَو أَنَّها

وَأَنتَ لِحُنَفاءِ اليَدَينِ لَو أَنَّها

تُباعُ لِما جاءَت بِزِندٍ وَلا سَهمِ

تُباعُ لِما جاءَت بِزِندٍ وَلا سَهمِ

But you belong to a crooked-handed woman; were she

And you for skilled hands, if sold

sold, she would not fetch a fire-stick or an arrow.

Would not have come with a spear or arrow

وَإِني عَلى ما كانَ أَوَّلُ أَوَّلي

وَإِني عَلى ما كانَ أَوَّلُ أَوَّلي

عَلَيهِ كَذاكَ القَرمُ يُنتَجُ لِلقَرمِ

عَلَيهِ كَذاكَ القَرمُ يُنتَجُ لِلقَرمِ

And I hold to what the earliest of my forebears

And I am upon what was the first of firsts

held to: thus a stud camel is born to a stud camel.

Upon it is the palm produced for the palm

وَأُكرِمُ نَفسي عَن أُمرٍ دَنيئَةٍ

وَأُكرِمُ نَفسي عَن أُمرٍ دَنيئَةٍ

أَصونُ بِها عِرضي وَآسو بِها كَلمي

أَصونُ بِها عِرضي وَآسو بِها كَلمي

And I hold myself above base affairs;

And I honor myself from a lowly matter

thereby I guard my honor and heal my wound.

With which I protect my honor and console my words

وَأَصفَحُ عَمَّن لَو أَشاءُ جَزَيتُهُ

وَأَصفَحُ عَمَّن لَو أَشاءُ جَزَيتُهُ

فَيَمنَعُني رُشدي وَيُدرُكني حُلُمي

فَيَمنَعُني رُشدي وَيُدرُكني حُلُمي

And I pardon one whom, if I wished, I could requite,

And I pardon whoever, if I wished, I would repay him

but my sound judgment restrains me, and my forbearance overtakes me.

But my rationality prevents me and my patience reaches me

وَأَغفِرُ لِلمَولى وَإِن ذو عَظيمَةٍ

وَأَغفِرُ لِلمَولى وَإِن ذو عَظيمَةٍ

عَلى البَغيِ مِنها لا يَضيقُ بِها جُرمي

عَلى البَغيِ مِنها لا يَضيقُ بِها جُرمي

And I forgive my kinsman, even if guilty of a grave offense;

And I forgive the master even if of great

despite its injustice, my frame is not constricted by it.

Transgression, it does not narrow within my body

فَهَذيِ فِعالي ما بَقيتُ وإنَّني

فَهَذيِ فِعالي ما بَقيتُ وإنَّني

لَموصٍ بِها عَقبي وَقَومي وَذا رَحمي

لَموصٍ بِها عَقبي وَقَومي وَذا رَحمي

These are my deeds as long as I live, and indeed I

So these are my actions as long as I remain

surely enjoin them upon my descendants, my people, and my blood-kin.

Entrusted with them are my consequence, my people, and my kin