شَهِدتُ غَداةَ خَصم بَني سُلَيمٍ

شَهِدتُ غَداةَ خَصم بَني سُلَيمٍ

وَجوهاً مِن قَضائِك غَيرَ سودِ

وَجوهاً مِن قَضائِك غَيرَ سودِ

I witnessed, on the morning of Banu Sulaym’s dispute,

I witnessed one morn the foes of Bani Sulaym

aspects of your judgment untouched by blackness.

With faces changed by your decrees, not made black.

قَضَيتَ بِسُنَّةٍ وَحَكَمتَ عَدلاً

قَضَيتَ بِسُنَّةٍ وَحَكَمتَ عَدلاً

وَلَم تَرِثِ الحَكومَةَ مِن بَعيدِ

وَلَم تَرِثِ الحَكومَةَ مِن بَعيدِ

You ruled according to tradition and judged justly,

You judged by precedent and ruled with equity,

and you did not inherit judicial authority from afar.

Not inheriting the rule from afar.

إِذا غُمِزَ القَنا وُجِدَت لَعَمري

إِذا غُمِزَ القَنا وُجِدَت لَعَمري

قَناتُكَ حينَ تُغمَزُ خَيرُ عودِ

قَناتُكَ حينَ تُغمَزُ خَيرُ عودِ

When spear-shafts are tested, it is found, by my life,

When the reed-pipe is squeezed, my life bears me witness,

that your shaft, when tested, is the finest wood.

Your reed-pipe is best when put under duress.

إِذا عَضَّ الثِقافَ بِها اِشمَأَزَّت

إِذا عَضَّ الثِقافَ بِها اِشمَأَزَّت

إِباءَ النَقسِ بائِنَةَ الصُعودِ

إِباءَ النَقسِ بائِنَةَ الصُعودِ

When the straightening clamp bites into it, it recoils,

If the expert squeezes it, it recoils in disdain,

spurning baseness, its loftiness plain.

Scornful of rising to meet his address.

حَمى حَدِباً لُحومَ بناتِ قَومٍ

حَمى حَدِباً لُحومَ بناتِ قَومٍ

وَهُم تَحتَ التُرابِ أَبو الوَليدِ

وَهُم تَحتَ التُرابِ أَبو الوَليدِ

He tenderly guarded the flesh of men’s daughters,

It defends the flesh of the Banu, though they

while those men lay beneath the earth—Abu al-Walid.

Lie beneath the soil, Abu al-Walid!

وَفي المِئَتَينِ لِلمَولى نَكالٌ

وَفي المِئَتَينِ لِلمَولى نَكالٌ

وَفي سَلبِ الحَواجِبِ وَالخُدودِ

وَفي سَلبِ الحَواجِبِ وَالخُدودِ

And in the two hundred lies chastisement for the client,

For the Master, two hundred lashes there are

and in stripping the eyebrows and cheeks bare.

And for tearing out the eyebrows and cheeks.

إِذا كافَأَتَهُم بِبَناتِ كِسرى

إِذا كافَأَتَهُم بِبَناتِ كِسرى

فَهَل يَجِدُ المَوالي مِن مَزيدِ

فَهَل يَجِدُ المَوالي مِن مَزيدِ

If you match them with Kisra’s daughters,

If He rewards them with the daughters of Chosroes,

then can the clients find anything more?

Can the servile find any increase?

فَأَيُّ الحَقِّ أَنصَفُ لِلمَوالي

فَأَيُّ الحَقِّ أَنصَفُ لِلمَوالي

مِن اِصهارِ العَبيدِ إِلى العَبيدِ

مِن اِصهارِ العَبيدِ إِلى العَبيدِ

So what right is fairer for the clients

By which right, then, can the servile claim

than joining slaves to slaves in marriage?

To marry the slave born to the slave?