أَمُقدِمٌ يا أبا المِقدامِ أنتَ على

أَمُقدِمٌ يا أبا المِقدامِ أنتَ على

شِعري وتاركُهُ أسلابَ غاراتِ

شِعري وتاركُهُ أسلابَ غاراتِ

Are you advancing, Abu al-Miqdam, upon

Are you advancing, O father of the advancements? You are

my poetry, leaving it as the spoils of raids?

Leaving my poetry behind and taking away its adornments

إني خلعتُ إليه العذرَ مُنسلِخاً

إني خلعتُ إليه العذرَ مُنسلِخاً

من الحِجَا سابحاً في بحرِ غاراتِ

من الحِجَا سابحاً في بحرِ غاراتِ

Indeed, I have cast my excuse before him, stripped

I have absolved it of excuses, stripping it

of reason, swimming in a sea of raids.

Of pretense, swimming in the sea of advancements

وكيف شنَّ أبو الغاراتِ غارتَه

وكيف شنَّ أبو الغاراتِ غارتَه

عليَّ مُقتحماً بالخيل ساحاتي

عليَّ مُقتحماً بالخيل ساحاتي

And how did Abu al-Gharat launch his raid

And how did the father of advancements launch his advancement

against me, charging with horses into my courtyards?

Against me, storming my dwellings with horses

إن المجانينَ لا تُلحَى إذا اجتَرَمَتْ

إن المجانينَ لا تُلحَى إذا اجتَرَمَتْ

ولا تُلامُ على إتيانِ سَوءاتِ

ولا تُلامُ على إتيانِ سَوءاتِ

Madmen are not censured when they commit offenses,

The insane are not blamed when they sin

nor blamed for committing shameful deeds.

Nor are they faulted for doing evil deeds

ما كنتُ أَحْذَرُ غاراتِ النبيطِ ولا

ما كنتُ أَحْذَرُ غاراتِ النبيطِ ولا

أخاف عَضَّ كلابٍ مُستكيناتِ

أخاف عَضَّ كلابٍ مُستكيناتِ

I did not fear the raids of the Nabataeans, nor

I did not fear the raids of the cunning one, nor

fear the bite of cowering dogs.

Feared the bite of base whimpering dogs

يا مُدَّعي الشِّعْرِ كُنْ منه على وَجَلٍ

يا مُدَّعي الشِّعْرِ كُنْ منه على وَجَلٍ

فقد مُنِيتَ بشيطانٍ له عاتي

فقد مُنِيتَ بشيطانٍ له عاتي

O pretender to poetry, be afraid of it,

O you who claim poetry, be wary of it

for you have been beset by its rebellious demon.

For you have been afflicted by an obstinate devil

ذَلَلْتَ ذِلَّةَ ذي جهلٍ وقد كُثرَتْ

ذَلَلْتَ ذِلَّةَ ذي جهلٍ وقد كُثرَتْ

في أخدعَيكَ وفي اليافوخِ ذِلاّتي

في أخدعَيكَ وفي اليافوخِ ذِلاّتي

You were abased like an ignorant man, and many were

You have humbled yourself with the humility of the ignorant

the humiliations I inflicted on your neck’s two veins and your crown.

And in your deceits and the vizier's humility

صَفْعٌ أخذتَ به شِعْري بِرُمَّتِه

صَفْعٌ أخذتَ به شِعْري بِرُمَّتِه

فنِلْتَ ثأرَكَ ثم ازددْتَ ثاراتِ

فنِلْتَ ثأرَكَ ثم ازددْتَ ثاراتِ

Slaps—for these you took my poetry in its entirety;

A slap you took to my poetry in its entirety

so you gained your revenge, then gained further grounds for revenge.

So you took your revenge but increased the acts of revenge

وهَبْكَ حاولتَ مَدحاً تستميحُ به

وهَبْكَ حاولتَ مَدحاً تستميحُ به

فلِمْ جَريتَ على تلك المَلاماتِ

فلِمْ جَريتَ على تلك المَلاماتِ

And suppose you attempted praise, seeking gifts through it—

And you attempted praise to absolve yourself with it

why, then, did you pursue those reproaches?

So why did you proceed upon those blemishes