أَلا أَبلِغا عَمراً عَلى نَأيِ دارِهِ
فَقَد قُلتَ قَولاً جائِراً غَيرَ مُهتَدِ
Shall I inform Amr in his distant home
That you have uttered unfair, misguided words?
أَتُهدي الهِجاءَ لِامرِىءٍ غَيرِ مُفحَمٍ
وَتُهدي الوَعيدَ لِامرِىءٍ غَيرِ موعَدِ
Do you chide with insult a man not yet accused?
Do you threaten one not yet come to that pass?
فَإِن تَلقَني تَلقَ اِمرَأً قَد بَلَوتَهُ
حَديثاً وَإِن تَفجُر عَلَيَّ تُفَنَّدِ
If you meet me, you meet a man long tested,
Conversing, though you burst out against me, restrained.
أَلَم تَعلَمَن يا عَمرُو أَنّي لَقيتُكُم
لَدى مَأقِطٍ وَالخَيلُ لَم تَتَبَدَّدِ
Know you not, O Amr, that at Maqit I met you
When the horses had not yet shied away?
وَعَرَّدَ عَنّي فارِساكُم كِلاهُما
وَقَد عَلِما بِالجِزعِ أَن لَم أُعَرِّدِ
Your two horsemen both recoiled from me
Knowing well from my calm I had not recoiled.
وَمازِلتُ أَحمي صُحبَتي وَأَذودُكُم
بُرمحِيَ حَتّى رُحتَ قَطراً بِمِطرَدي
Still I shielded my companions and warded you off
With my spear till you crept slowly away.
وَأَنّي رَدَدتُ الخَيلَ صُعراً خُدودُها
وَدَهدَهتُ قَتلى بَينَ مَثنى وَمَوحَدِ
Truly, I turned the horses in alarm, their forelocks
Bristling, and I left dead men between pairs and singles.
وَمازالَ مِنكُم مَن بِهِ حاقَ مَكرُنا
وَآخَرُ يَكبو لِلجَبينِ وَلِليَدِ
Still among you is he whom our cunning strokes down,
Another who bows his neck and his hand.
وَنحنُ ضَرَبنا الكَبشَ حَتّى تَساقَطَت
كَواكِبُهُ بِكُلِّ عَضبٍ مُهَنَّدِ
We smote the ram till his stars dropped down,
Scattered, by each angry, penetrating blow.
وَما يُؤمِنُ المَرءُ الَّذي باتَ طامِعاً
وَباتَ عَلى ظَهرِ الفِراشِ المُمَهَّدِ
No faith can be put in the greed of the man
Who lies plotting on cushioned bed.
جِنايَةَ مِثلِ السيدِ يُصبِحُ طاوِياً
وَيَأوي إِلى جُرثومَةٍ لَم تُوَسَّدِ
Wrong like a lord’s becomes by morning ruin,
And retreats to a lair with no pillows spread!
