أَعاذِلَ لا أَنامُ عَلى اِقتِسارِ

وَلا أَلقى عَلى مَولىً وَجارِ

I do not sleep smug and self-satisfied

Nor do I lean on any lord or neighbor

سَأُخبِرُ فاخِرَ الأَعرابِ عَنّي

وَعَنهُ حينَ بارَزَ لِلفَخارِ

I will inform the boastful Bedouin about me

And about him when he sallied forth for glory

أَنا اِبنُ الأَكرَمينَ أَباً وَأُمّاً

تَنازَعَني المَرازِبُ مِن طُخارِ

I am the son of the two most honorable parents

The spears disputed me from Tujar

نُغاذى الدَرمَكَ المَنفوطَ عِزّاً

وَنَشرَبُ في اللُجَينِ وَفي النُظارِ

We lash the bellowing camel for honor’s sake

And we drink in pitchers and drinking horns

وَنَركَبُ في الفَريدِ إِلى النَدامى

وَفي الديباجِ لِلحَربِ الحِبارِ

And we ride the unique steeds to the clubs

And the silk curtains for fierce wars

أُسِرتُ وَكَم تَقَدَّمَ مِن أَسيرٍ

يُزَيِّنُ وَجهُهُ عَقدَ الأَسارِ

I was captured but how many captives went before

Whose faces are adorned with the necklace of captivity

كَكَعبٍ أَو كَبِسطامِ بنِ قَيسٍ

أُصيبا ثُمَّ ما دَنِسا بِعارِ

Like Kaab or like Bistam son of Qais

Who were struck but their honor was never stained

فَكَيفَ يَنالُني ما لَم يَنَلهُم

أَعِد نَظَراً فَإِنَّ الحَقَّ عارِ

So how can what did not befall them befall me

Reconsider, for truth is indeed bare

إِذا اِنقَلَبَ الزَمانُ عَلا بَعَبدٍ

وَسَفَّلَ بِالبَطاريقِ الكِبارِ

When time changes it elevates some slaves

And debases some great lords

مَلَكناكُم فَغَطَّينا عَلَيكُم

وَلَم نَنصِبكُمُ غَرَضاً لِزارِ

We ruled you then covered over you

And did not make you targets of defamation

أَحينَ لَبِستَ بَعدَ العُريِ خَزّاً

وَنادَمتَ الكِرامَ عَلى العُقارِ

When after nakedness you wore rags

And regretted generosity over stinginess

وَنِلتَ مِنَ الشَبارِقِ وَالقَلايا

وَأُعطيتَ البَنَفسَجَ في الخُمارِ

And got from apricots and dried yogurt

And were given borage in broth

تُفاخِرُ يا اِبنَ راعِيَةٍ وَراعٍ

بَني الأَحرارِ حَسبُكَ مِن خَسارِ

You boast, o son of a shepherd and shepherdess

It is enough loss for you, o sons of the free

لَعَمرُ أَبي لَقَد بُدِّلتَ عَيشاً

بِعَيشِكَ وَالأُمورُ إِلى مَجارِ

By my father's life, you have changed a life

For your life, as things slide to their destined ends

وَكُنتَ إِذا ظَمِئتَ إِلى قَراح

شَرِكتَ الكَلبَ في ذاكَ الإِطارِ

When you were thirsty for alcohol

You shared your dog in that company

تُريعُ بِخَطبِهِ كِسَرَ المَوالي

وَتَرقُصُ لِلعَصيرِ وَلِلسِمارِ

You dance at the words of the debauched

And jump to the strains of music and wine

وَتَقضُمُ هامَةَ الجُعَلِ المُصَلّى

وَلا تُعنى بِدُرّاجِ الدِيارِ

You gnaw the truffle of the salted hyrax

And care not for the pearls of homes

وَتُدلِجُ لِلقَنافِذِ تَدَّريها

وَيُنسيكَ المَكارِمَ صَيدُ فارِ

You roll hedgehogs down for their prey

And the chase of vermin makes you forget noble deeds

وَتَغبِطُ شاوِيَ الحِرباءِ حَتّى

تَروحَ إِلَيهِ مِن حُبِّ القُتارِ

You envy the roaster of chickpeas until

You go to him out of love for meanness

وَتَرتَعِدُ النُقادَ أَوِ البَكاعا

مُسارَقَةً وَتَرضى بِالصَغارِ

You tremble before the critic or peddler

Stealing and content with petty things

وَتغدو في الكَراءِ لِنَيلِ زادٍ

وَلَيسَ بِسَيِّدِ القَومِ المُكاري

You go in the morning to get provisions

And forget the noble man’s generosity

وَفَخرُكَ بَينَ يَربوعٍ وَضَبٍّ

عَلى مِثلي مِنَ الحَدَثِ الكِبارِ

Your pride between lizards and hyenas

Over one like me of the great youth

مَقامُكَ بَينَنا دَنَسٌ عَلَينا

فَلَيتَكَ غائِبٌ في حَرِّ نارِ

Your place among us is a disgrace upon us

Would that you were absent in the heat of fire