أَلا لَيتَ حَظّي مِن حِياطَةِ نَصرِكُم
بِأَن لَيسَ لي نَفعٌ لَدَيكُم وَلا ضُرُّ
Alas! Would that I had enjoyed the protection of your victory
Since I have neither benefit nor harm with you
وَسارٍ بِرَحلي فاطِرُ النابِ جاشِمٌ
ضَعيفُ القُصَيرى لا كَبيرٌ وَلا بِكرُ
And going away with my belongings, the weaver of the bow shatters me
The weak, short-legged one, neither big nor firstborn
مِنَ الخورِ حَبحابٌ كَثيرٌ رُغاؤُهُ
يَرُشُّ عَلى الحاذينِ مِن بَولِهِ قَطرُ
From the pond, many frogs whose croaking
Sprinkles on the banks the drops from their urine
تَخَلَّفَ خلفَ الوردِ لَيسَ بِلاحِقٍ
إِذا ما عَلا الفَيفاءَ قيلَ لَهُ وَبرُ
Remaining behind the roses, not chasing after them
When the twilight rose, it was said to him, “Disgrace!”
أَرى أَخَوَينا مِن أَبينا وَأُمِّنا
إِذا سُئِلا قالا إِلى غَيرِنا الأَمرُ
I see our two brothers from our father and mother
When asked, they said the matter belongs to others
بَلى لَهُما أَمرٌ وَلَكِن تَجَرجَما
كَما جُرجمَت مِن رَأسِ ذي العَلَق الصَخرُ
Yes! They have a matter but they were pelted with stones
As stones were pelted from the summit of Dhi al-‘Alaq
أَخصُّ خُصوصاً عَبدَ شَمسٍ وَنَوفَلا
هُما نَبَذانا مِثلَ ما نُبِذَ الجَمرُ
I single out especially ‘Abd Shams and Nawfal
Both outcast us like embers were discarded
وَما ذاكَ إِلا سُؤدَدٌ خَصَّنا بِه
إِلَهُ العِبادِ وَاِصطَفانا لَهُ الفَخرُ
That was only an affliction He distinguished us with
The God of servants chose us—pride is ours
هُما أَغمَزا لِلقَومِ في أَخَوَيهِما
فَقَد أَصبَحا مِنهُم أَكُفُّهُما صِفرُ
They winked to the people about their two brothers
So they became the most spiteful of them, bleached white
هُما أَشرَكا في المَجدِ مَن لا أَبا لَهُ
مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا أن يُرَسَّ لَهُ ذِكرُ
They shared glory with one who has no father
Among the people unless lineage is attributed to him
رِجالٌ تَمالَوا حاسِدينَ وَبغضَةً
لِأَهلِ العُلا فَبَينَهُم أَبَداً وِترُ
Men who envied and hated
The people of high status—so between them forever is hatred
وَليدٌ أَبوهُ كانَ عَبداً لِجَدِّنا
إِلى عِلجَةٍ زَرقاءَ جالَ بِها السِحرُ
Walid whose father was a slave to our grandfather
To an amulet with blue beads did sorcery transport him
وَتَيمٍ وَمَخزومٍ وَزهرَةٍ مِنهُمُ
وَكانوا بِنا أَولى إِذا بُغيَ النَصرُ
Taym, Makhzum and Zuhrah among them
Were more duty-bound to us when aid was sought
وَزهرَةٍ كانوا أَوليائي وَناصِري
وَأَنتُم إِذا تُدعَونَ في سَمعِكُم وَقرُ
And Zuhrah who were my allies and helpers
While you, when summoned in your hearing, are deaf
فَقَد سَفهَت أَخلاقُهُم وَعُقولُهُم
وَكانوا كَجَفرٍ بِئسَ ما صَنَعَت جَفرُ
Indeed their morals and minds are corrupt
They were like lepers—how evil is what leprosy does!
فَوَاللَهِ لا تَنفَكُّ مِنّا عَداوَةٌ
وَلا مِنهُمُ ما كانَ مِن نَسلِنا شَفرُ
By God! Hostility will not cease from us
Nor from them what has proceeded from our ancestry’s sword
