أَراني كُلَّما قارَبتُ قَومي

نَأَوا عَنّي وَقَطعُهُمُ شَديدُ

Whenever I approach my people,

They keep away from me, and their estrangement is hard.

سَئِمتُ عِتابَهُم فَصَفَحتُ عَنهُم

وَقُلتُ لَعَلَّ حِلمَهُمُ يَعودُ

I grew weary of their reproaches so I forgave them,

And said perhaps their forbearance will return.

وَعَلَّ اللَهَ يُمكِنُ مِن خُفافٍ

فَأَسقيهِ الَّتي عَنها يَحيدُ

And perhaps God will enable me to give generously

To those from whom he turns away.

بِما اِكتَسَبَت يَداهُ وَجرَّ فينا

مِنَ الشَحنا الَّتي لَيسَت تَبيدُ

By what his hands have earned and what he has drawn upon us

Of rancor that does not fade away.

فَإِنّي لَو يُؤَدِّبُني خُفافٌ

وَعَوفٌ وَالقُلوبُ لَها وَقودُ

For if the docile censured me,

As well as Awf and hearts that have their fuel,

وَإِنّي لا أَزالُ أُريدُ خَيراً

وَعِندَ اللَهِ مِن نَعَمٍ مَزيدُ

I always intend good,

And with God there is increase of bounty.

فَضاقَت بي صُدورُهُمُ وَغَصَّت

حُلوقٌ ما يَبِضُّ لَها وَريدُ

So their hearts have narrowed around me and constricted

Are throats that no vein feeds.

مَتى أَبعُد فَشَرُّهُمُ قَريبٌ

وَإِن أَقرُب فَوُدُّهُمُ بَعيدُ

Whenever I keep away, their evil is near,

And whenever I draw near, their love is far.

أَقولُ لَهُم وَقَد لَهِجوا بِشَتمي

تَرَقَّوا يا بَني عَوفٍ وَزيدوا

I say to them, though they have become abusive of me,

Be refined, O Banu Awf, and augment good!

فَما شَتمي بِنافِعِ حَيِّ عَوفٍ

وَلا مِثلي بِضائِرِهِ الوَعيدُ

Censuring me profits not the living of Banu Awf,

Nor the like of me with his threats.

فَما أَدري وَما يُدريهِ عَوفٌ

أَيَنفَعُني الهُبوطُ أَمِ الصُعودُ

So neither I nor Awf knows,

Whether my rising or descending will benefit me.

أَتَجعَلُني سَراةُ بَني سُلَيمٍ

كَكَلبٍ لا يَهِرُّ وَلا يَصيدُ

Does the nobility of Banu Sulaim make me

Like a dog that neither barks nor hunts?

كَأَنّي لَم أَقُد خَيلاً عِتاقاً

شَوازِبَ مِثلُها في الأَرضِ عودُ

As though I never led noble stallions,

The like of which on earth are rare.

أُجَشِّمُها مَهامِهَ طامِساتٍ

كَأَنَّ رِمالَ صَحصَحِها قُعودُ

I spur them into the fray, plunging chargers,

As though the sands of their threshing are sedentary.

عَلَيها مِن سَراةِ بَني سُلَيمٍ

فَوارِسُ نَجدَةٍ في الحَربِ صيدُ

Upon them are the horsemen of Banu Sulaim

Heroes of help in battle and prey.

فَأوطِىءُ مَن تُريدُ بَني سُلَيمٍ

بِكَلكَلِها وَمَن لَيسَت تُريدُ

So I trample with their hooves those of Banu Sulaim whom you wish,

And those you do not wish.