ولولا أمير المؤمنين وذبّه

ولولا أمير المؤمنين وذبّه

بجيلَ عن العجل المبرقع ما صهلْ

بجيلَ عن العجل المبرقع ما صهلْ

And were it not for the Commander of the Faithful and his defense

Were it not for the Commander of the Faithful and his generosity

Of the veiled calf, O Bajīl, it would not have neighed.

With mud from Bejila instead of musk upon the glistening camel

هززتكم لو أن فيكم مهزة

هززتكم لو أن فيكم مهزة

وذكرت ذا التأنيث فاستنوق الجمل

وذكرت ذا التأنيث فاستنوق الجمل

I would have stirred you, had you any capacity to be stirred.

I would have disturbed you had there been disturbance in you

And I made the feminine one male—then the male camel turned she-camel.

And mentioned the feminine so the camel feels uneasy

وقرَّظتكم لو أن تقريظ مادح

وقرَّظتكم لو أن تقريظ مادح

يواري عواراً من أديمكم النغل

يواري عواراً من أديمكم النغل

And I would have praised you, if a praiser's praise

And presented you with a eulogy if the eulogizer’s praise

Could conceal a blemish in your rotten hide.

Conceals a defect from your flawless skin

غسلنا وجوهاً من بجيلة لاصق

غسلنا وجوهاً من بجيلة لاصق

به حمم لم ينقها قبله الغسل

به حمم لم ينقها قبله الغسل

We washed faces of Bajīla, encrusted

We washed faces with mud from Bejila still stuck

With charcoal; no earlier washing had cleansed them.

To it, embers that even washing could not remove

قصرت كأني وامتداحي خالداً

قصرت كأني وامتداحي خالداً

واسرته حادٍ وليس له ابلْ

واسرته حادٍ وليس له ابلْ

I fell short, as though, in praising Khālid

As if I and my praise of him will remain forever

And his family, I were a camel-driver with no camels.

A prisoner, wandering with no way to return