لِمَن مَنزِلٌ بِالمُستَراحِ كَأَنَّما

تَجَلَّلَ بَعدَ الحَولِ وَالحولِ مُذهَبا

Whose dwelling is in Mutarah as though,

After weariness and weariness, it has been laid out anew,

بِهِ ذَرَفَت عَيناكَ لَمّا عَرَفتَهُ

وَكَيفَ طِبابى عَيِّنٍ قَد تَسَرَّبا

With which your eyes trickled when you recognized it,

And how after pleasant habitation they have leaked.

فَلَم أَرَ مِنها غَيرَ سُفعٍ مُواثِلٍ

وَغَيرَ رَمادٍ كَالحَمامَةِ أَكهبَا

So I have seen in it naught but lofty columns

And ashes like a dove become ashen.

تَهادى بِهِ هوجُ الرِياحِ تَهادِيا

وَيَهدينَ جَولانَ التُرابِ المُهَذَّبا

The violence of the winds waft gently by it

And make the coursing dust wellbred.

نَسَفنَ تُرابَ الأَرضِ مِن كُلِ جانِبٍ

وَمُنخَرِقٍ كانَت بِهِ الريحُ نَيسَبا

They carry away the dust of the earth on all sides

And with rifts the winds have been wanton.

وَكُلِ سِماكيٍّ يَجولُ رَبابُهُ

مرته الصَبا في الدَجنِ حَتّى تَحَلّبا

And every Samakeyh shepherd whose tent

Its poles the breeze has rubbed in the meadows until threadbare.

إِذا ما عَلا غُوريُّهُ أَرزَمَت بِهِ

تَوالٍ مَتالٍ مُخَّض فَتَحَدَّبا

When his voice rises the sand dunes echo it

With smoothly rolling undulations opening out.

أَغَرُّ الذُرى جَوزُ الغِفارَة وابِلٌ

تَرى الماءَ مِن عُثنونِهِ قَد تَصَبّبا

The jar of Ghifar is green, abundant,

You see water trickling from its joints.

مَضى فاِنقَضى عَيشٌ بِذي الرِمثِ صالِحٌ

وَعَيشٌ بِحُزوى قَبلَهُ كانَ أَعجَبا

A harmonious life at Dhu Rimth has passed,

And an even better at Huzwa before.

لَياليَ يَدعوني الصِبا فَأُجيبُهُ

إِلى البَيضِ تُكسى الحَضرَميَّ المُصَلَّبا

Nights the breeze calls me and I answer

To the egg-white sands rubbed smooth.

نَواعِمَ يُسبينَ الغَويَّ وَما سَبى

لَهُنَّ قُلوبا إِذ دَنا وَتَخَلَّبا

Soft does the breeze lead astray, yet it has not

Stolen their hearts when it drew near and rubbed gently.

وَصَوَرَهُنَّ اللَهُ أَحسَنَ صورَةٍ

وَلاقينَ عَيشاَ بِالنَعيم تَرَبَّبا

And God has formed them in the fairest shape

And smoothly have they attained easeful life.

عِراضَ القَطا غُرَّ الثَنايا كَأَنَّها

مَها الرَملِ في غُرٍّ مِنَ الظِلِّ أَهدَبا

Languorous of gait, full ripe in the haunches as though

They were a surge of sand in a hollow made humped.

قَصارَ الخُطى تَمشي الهُوَينا إِذا مَشَت

دَبيبَ القَطا بِالرَملِ يُحسَبنَ لُغَّبا

Short of step the camel shes walk when they have walked,

Their creeping on the sands can be reckoned shuffling.

إِذا ما خَشينَ البَينَ وَالبينُ رائِعٌ

تَواعَدنَ بَينَ الحَيِ والحيِ مَلعَبا

When they fear estrangement yet estrangement is remote,

They meet between tribe and tribe as on a racecourse.

خَرَجنَ عِشاءً وَالتَقينَ كَما التَقى

مَها رَبرَبٍ لاقى بِفَيحانَ رَبرَبا

They go out in the evening and meet even as met

The two Masters of Ceremony, each Master of Ceremony by the other.

قَصَرنَ حَديثاً بَينَهُنَّ مُقَبَّراً

وَكُلٌّ لِكُلٍ قالَ أَهلاً وَمَرحَبا

They converse briefly among themselves confidentially

And each says to each "Welcome."

رَقيقٌ كَمَسِّ الخَزِّ في غَيرِ ريبَةٍ

وَلا تابِعٍ زورَ الحَديثِ المُكَذَّبا

Gentle as the touch of silk without any doubt

Or attendant confirming the mendacious conversation.

خِدالُ الشَوى لَم تَدرِ ما بؤُسَ عيشَةٍ

وَلَم تَرَ بَيتاً مِن كُلَيبٍ مُطَنَّبا

Ignorant of misery the milkmaids who have not seen

A goatskin-tent of Kalib ever patched.

تَغَنّى جَريرٌ بِالرِبابِ سَفاهَةً

وَقَد ذاقَ أَيامَ الرِبابِ فَجَرَّبا

Jarir sang of the rebeck foolhardily

Though he has tasted the days of the rebeck and tried them.

وَلَمّا لَقيتَ التيمَ يَومَ بُزاخَةٍ

وَرَهطَ أَبي شَهمٍ وَقَومَ ابنِ أَصهَبا

And when you met Taym on the day of Buzzakha

And the clan of Abu Shahm and the folk of Ibn Ushabb,

نَزَوتَ عَلَيها بَعدَما شُدَّ حَبلُها

وَلَم يُلصَقِ القَومُ العِقالَ المؤرَبا

You descended upon them after their rope was pulled tight

And the people had not attached the nose ropes,

رَأَيتُكَ بِالأَجزاعِ فَوقَ بُزاخَةٍ

هَرَبتَ وَخِفتَ الزاعبيَ المُذَرَّبا

I saw you on the tree-trunks above Buzzakha,

You fled and feared the terrifying disorders,

فَلَم تَنجُ مِنها إِذ هَرَبتَ وَلَم يَجِد

أَبٌ لَكَ عَن دارِ المَذَلَّةِ مَهرَبا

So you were not saved when you fled, nor did

A father find for you from the house of degradation any escape.

فَإِنَّ الَّتي تُحَدى وَيُسبى رِجالُها

نِساءُ بَني يَربوعَ شَلاَّ عَصبصَبا

For she who is challenged and whose men are captured,

The women of Banu Yarbu cry "Shall I flinch?"

دَعَت يالَ يَربوعٍ فَلَم يَلحَقوا بِها

وَلَم يَكُ يَربوعٌ أَبوهُنَّ أَنجَبا

They called "O Yarbu" but they did not catch up with them

And Yarbu was not their father more prolific.

جَبُنتَ وَلَم تَضرِب بِسَيفِكَ مُغضِبا

لُؤمتَ إِذا لَم تُنهِلِ السَيفَ مُغضَبا

You showed cowardice and did not strike with your angry sword,

You disgraced when you did not unsheathe the angry sword,

وَكَيفَ طِلابُ المَردفاتِ عَشيَّةً

وَقَد جاوَزَ الشَيخُ الغَميمَ وَيَثرِبا

And what of the quest of the pack-saddles in the evening

When the Shaykh has surpassed Ghaym and Yathrib!

تَخَطّى بِسَعدٍ وَالسعودُ لِغَيرِهِ

وَلَم يُغنِهِم مِن دونِهِ من تأَشَّبا

You leapt over Saad and the Saads are for others

And none but he has profited them from among those who mounted.

ثَلاثَةُ أَبواعٍ أَبوكُم يَعُدُّهُ

تَميمٌ وَيَعتَدونَ بكرا وَتَغلِبا

Your father counts as three tribal sections,

Taym and they claim superiority over Bakr and Taghlib.

وَسَعدٌ بِغَيرِ ابن المَراغَةِ نَصرُها

إِذا هَتَفَ الداعي بِسَعدِ وَثَوَّبا

And Saad without Ibn Mughira helping it,

When the summoner yells "O Saad!" and reiterates.

وَنَحنُ لِسَعدٍ مِغلبٌ غَيرَ خاذِلٍ

وَسَعدٌ لَنا أَمسَت عَلى الناسِ مِغلَبا

And we to Saad are victors, not failing,

While Saad to us has through the people been defeated.

لَهُم هامَةٌ غَلباءُ ما تَستَطيعُها

نَمَت في قُراسيٍّ مِنَ العِزِّ أَغلَبا

They have an impetuous zeal which you cannot attain,

It slept among pots of glory the most victorious.

هُمُ القَوم مَهما يُدرِكوا مِنكَ يَطلِبوا

وَإِن طَلَبوكُم لَم تَجِد لَكَ مَطلَبا

They are a folk - whatever of you they seek they request

While if they seek you, you will not find for them a request.

وَإِن جَدَعوا أُذني جَريرٍ وَأَنَفَهُ

أَقَرَّ وَلا عُتبى لِمَن لَيسَ مُعتِبا

And if they slit the ears of Jarir and his nose,

He will acquiesce and no blame to him who does not blame.

هُم مَنَعوا مِنكَ المياهَ فَلَم تَجِد

لِجِسمِكِ إِلّا بِالمَصيقَةِ مَشرَبا

They denied you water so you did not find

For your body other than by sucking any drinking-place.

لَنا مَرقَبٌ عِندَ السَماءِ عَلَيكُمُ

فَلَستُ بِلاقٍ فَوقَ ذَلِكَ مَرقَبا

For us is an observation-post in the sky over you

So I have no need for any other observation-post.

وَبَدرُ السَماواتِ العُلى وَنُجومُها

عَلونَ فَلَن تَسطيعَ مِنهُنَّ كَوكَبا

And the full moons of the high heavens and its stars

Are exalted - so you will not obtain from among them a planet.

هُناكَ ابنَ يَربوعٍ عَلَونا عَليكُمُ

وَأَصبَحتَ فَقعا بِالبَلاط مُتَرَّبا

There the son of Yarbu is above us over you

And you have become in the palace a groveling scabby one.

نُريحُ تِلادَ المَجدِ وَسطَ بيوتِنا

إِذا ما ابنُ يَربوعٍ عَنِ المَجدِ أَعزَبا

We give lodging to the progeny of glory in our homes

When the son of Yarbu has turned aside from glory.

وَنَقري السِنامَ الضَيفَ إِن جاءَ طارِقا

يُمارِسُ عرنينا مِنَ القُرِّ أَشهَبا

And we feed the guest if he comes knocking by night

To have commerce with our threshing floors from the villages.

وَيَقري ابنُ يَربوعٍ إِذا الضَيفُ آبَهُ

عَلى ناقَةٍ أَيرَ الحِمارِ المؤَدَّبا

While the son of Yarbu feeds him when the guest turns to him

On a camel, shooting of the well-trained donkey.

لَنا مَجدُ أَيامِ الكُلابِ عَليكُم

بَني الكَلب لا نَخشى بِهِ أَن نُكَذَّبا

For us is the glory of the "Days of the Dogs" over you

Sons of a dog! We do not fear with it to be called liars.

غَزانا بِهِ الجَيشُ اليَماني فَكافَحت

جُنودُهُم زَحفاً غَليظاً وَمِقنَبا

With it the Yemeni army attacked us and their

Troops struggled against it, a thick and sturdy struggle,

فَما غادَرَت إِلّا سَليبا مُشَرَّدا

بِثهلانَ مِنهُم أَو صَريعا مُلحَّبا

So it left none but plunder, disorderly,

With dromedaries of them, or a prostrate corpse being dragged,

صَريعَ القَنا أَو مَقصَدا نالَ ضَربَةً

ذَرَت رَأَسَهُ عَن مَنكِبِ فَتنَكَّبا

A corpse of one struck down, or a destined victim who received

A blow which scattered his head from his shoulder blades.

لِقائِلِنا أَيامُ صِدقٍ يَعُدُّها

بِها فاز أَيامَ الخِطارِ فَأَوجَبا

For our slayer are virtuous days which he numbers

With them he won in the perilous days and made obligatory.

فَأيَ فَعالٍ يا جَريرُ تَعُدُّهُ

إِذا الرَكبُ أمُّوا يَومَ نُعمانَ أَركَبا

So which deeds, O Jarir, do you number

When the riders reined in on the day of Nu'man?

أَتَدعو مُعيدا لِلرهان وَمُحقِبا

فَقَد نِلتَ إِذ تَدعو مُعيدا وَمُحقِبا

Do you call, repeating and confirming the wager?

For you have attained, since you call repeating and confirming!

دَعَوتُ أَبا عَبدا وَأمّا لَئيمَةً

فَلا أُمَّ تَدعو في الكِرامِ وَلا أَبا

I called Abu Abdul, but a base mother -

I do not call "O mother!" in generosity, nor "O father!"

كَما كُنتَ تَدعو قَعنَبا حينَ قصرت

كُلَيب فَما أَغنى دُعاءُكَ قَعنَبا

As you were calling Qa'nab when Kulaib shackled you,

Yet your calling Qa'nab did not avail you at all.

فَخرت بِأَيامٍ لِغَيرِكَ فَخَرُها

ضَلِلتَ وَلَم تَذهَب هُنالِكَ مَذهَبا

So you fell on days for other than you, and their falling -

You went astray and did not go there at all on any path.

فَخاطِر بيَربوعٍ فَلَستَ بِواجِدٍ

لَهُم حامِداً إِلّا لَئيما مُكَذَّبا

Venture against Yarbu - you will not find

For them a praiser unless it be a base liar.

فَإِن قُلتَ يَربوعٌ نَصابي وَأُسرَتي

لَؤمتَ وَأَلأَمتَ النِصابَ المُركَّبا

For if you say, "Yarbu are my protectors and my family"

You disgrace and blemish protectors most excellent.

وَلَم تَكُ يَربوعٌ من العزِّ حومة

فَنَخشى وَلا الفَرعَ الصَريحَ المُهَذَبا

Yarbu was not from glory a timorous creature

Which we fear, nor the straight, well-bred branch.

وَلا مِثلَ يَربوعٍ عَلى الجَهدِ بَعدَما

غُلبتَ وَأَصبَحتَ الحِمارَ المُعَذَّبا

Nor like Yarbu, after you were defeated,

And you became in the morning the tormented ass.

أَتَرجونَ عُقبى ابنِ المراغَةِ بَعدَما

مَدَدتُ لَهُ الأَشطانَ حَتّى تَذَبذَبا

Do you hope for the protection of Ibn Mughira after

I stretched out to him the tent-poles until they shook?

وَفَرَّ وَخَلّى لي المَدينَةَ خاسِئاً

ذَليلاً وَعَضَّتُهُ الكِلابُ مُتَعَّبا

And he fled and left the town disgraced for me

Abject, and the dogs snapped at him wearied,

وَقِستُم حِماراً مِن كُلَيبٍ بِسابِقٍ

جَوادٍ جَرى يَومَ الرِهانَ فَعَقَّبا

While you were content with an ass of Kulaib in a race

Against a thoroughbred steed which on the day of the wager sped off.

تُقَرِّعُ يَربوعاً كَما ذُدتَ عَنهُم

وَذادَكَ عَن أَحسابِ تَيمٍ فَأَرهَبا

You cuff at Yarbu as you warded them off

And warded off from the reputation of Taym so you frightened them.

فَأَقصَرتُ لَمّا أَن قَصَدتَ وَلَم تَكُن

شَغَبتَ فَقَد لاقَيتَ في الجَورِ مَشغَبا

So I fell short when you approached and you were not

Quarrelsome - for you have met with wrongdoing a quarreler.

فَأَلقِ العَصا وَامسَح سِبالَكَ إِنَّما

شَرِبتَ ابنَ يَربوعٍ مَنيَّاً مقشَّبا

So cast aside your staff and wipe your moustache hairs!

You have drunk Ibn Yarbu semen mixed and seasoned.

غُلِبتَ ابنَ شَرَّابِ المَني وَلَم تَجِد

لَكُم والِدا إِلّا لَئيما مُغَلَّبا

You are defeated, son of a semen drinker, and have not found

For you a father unless it be a base defeated one.

بِحَقِّ امريءٍ كانَت غُدانَةُ عَزَّهُ

وَسَجحَةُ وَالأَحمالُ أَن يَتَصَوَّبا

By the right of a man whose neck rope of glory was

And prostration, and litters something to wrap around,

وَجَدنا صُبَيرا أَهلَ لؤمٍ وَدِقَّةٍ

وَعودَ بَني العَجماءِ في اللؤمِ مَنصَبا

We found you to be forbearing, folk of baseness and meanness,

And wont of the slaves to be base when they wrap around.

أَلَستَ أبنَ يَربوعيَّةٍ يَسقُط ابنُها

مِنَ اللُؤمِ في أَيدي القَوابِلِ أَشيَبا

Are you not the son of a Yarbu'iyya whose son falls

From baseness into the hands of the midwives aged?

وَكانَ لَئيما نُطفَةً ثُمَّ مُضغَةً

إِلى أَن تَناهى خَلقُهُ فَتَشَعَّبا

He was base as a sperm, then a clot,

Until his creation was completed and it branched out.

لَشَرُ الفُحولِ المُرسَلاتِ رَضيعُها

لِأَبيهِ اللُؤمُ أَن يَتَجَنَّبا

The worst of stallions is her new-born foal,

Base for its father which it should avoid.

يَشينُ حِجالَ البَيتِ ريحُ ثيابِها

وَخَبَّثَ خَدّاها الملابَ المُطَيَّبا

The smell of her clothes fouls the room's drapes,

And her cheek has been stained by the perfumed beard dye.

إِذا ما رَآها المجتَلي مِن ثيابِها

رَأى ظَرِبانا جِلدُهُ قَد تَقَوَّبا

When the mejtali looked at her clothes

He saw a garment whose skin has become infested.

وَإِن سَفَرت أَبدَت عَلى الناسِ سَوءَةً

بِها وَتواري سَوءَةً أَن تَنَقَّبا

And if she travels she shows people shamefulness

With it, and she can only conceal shamefulness by veiling.

خَبيثَةُ ريحِ المشفَرين كَأَنَّما

فَسا ظَربانٌ فيهِما أَو تَثَوَّبا

The smell of the unkempt is like

Adders in them have crawled or lice crawled.

فَرابَ ابنَ يَربوعٍ مُشافِرُ عِرسِهِ

وَما بَينَ رِجلَيها لَهُ كانَ أَريبا

The pubic hair of the daughter of Yarbu combs out her clothes

As though it were the comb of a cock, its tip perfect, yet it drips.

فَجُنَّ جُنوناً لا تَلُمهُ فَإِنَّهُ

رَأى سَوءَةً مِن واسِعِ الشِدقِ أَهلَبا

So for this Jarir heaps abuse on their women,

A poet has granted it - when he braided smoothly.

رَأى فَرجَ يَربوعيَّةٍ غَيرَ طاهِرٍ

إِذا ما دَنا مِنهُ الذُبابُ تَقرطَبا

I sang of the two branches of Wael's family

So I have perfumed when I opposed Bakr and Taghlib.

لَها عُنبُلٌ يُنبي الثيابَ كَأَنَّهُ

قَفا الديكِ أَوفى عرفُه ثُمَّ طَرَّبا

While when you opposed them you were merely

A flea whom the surge has made disappear.

فَهَذا ليَربوعٍ سِبابُ نِسائِهِم

حَباهُم بِهَذا شاعِرٌ حينَ شَبَّبا

And you met from among the horsemen of Bakr b. Wael

Finer horsemen than your father and of better scent.

تَغَنَّيتُ بِالفرعَينِ مِن آلِ وائِلٍ

فَعَرَّقتُ إِذ خاطَرتُ بَكراً وَتغلِبا

وَما كُنتَ إِذ خاطَرتَهُم غَيرَ فُرعُلٍ

أَزِلَّ عَلاهُ المَوجُ حَتّى تَغَيَّبا

وَلاقَيتَ مِن فُرسانِ بَكرِ بِن وائِلٍ

فَوارِسَ خَيراً مِن أَبيك وَأَطيَبا