أَباهِلُ هَل أَنتُم مُغَيِّرُ لَونِكُم

وَمانِعَكُم أَن تُجعَلوا في المَقاسِمِ

Abalhil, have you changed your colors?

And prevented yourselves from being divided?

هِجاأُكُمُ قَوماً أَبوهُم مُجاشِعٌ

لَهُ المَأثُراتُ البيضُ ذاتُ المَكارِمِ

I reproach a people whose father is docile,

To him belong the shining, noble deeds.

فَإِنّي لَأَستَحيِي وَإِنّي لَعابِئٌ

لَكُم بَعضَ مُرّاتِ الهِجاءِ العَوارِمِ

I am too shy, yes I feel embarrassed,

To reproach you with some of the harsh satires.

أَلَم تَذكُروا أَيّامَكُم إِذ تَبيعُكُم

بَغيضٌ وَتُعطي مالَكُم في المَغارِمِ

Don't you remember your days when you were sold

By an enemy and he took your money wrongfully?

يُعَجِّلنَ يَرهَصنَ البُطونَ إِلَيكُمُ

بِأَعجازِ قِعدانِ الوِطابِ الرَواسِمِ

They would hasten, rush with their stomachs to you,

With the tails of the sitting camels, branded.

بَني عامِرٍ هَلّا نَهَيتُم عَبيدَكُم

وَأَنتُم صِحاحٌ مِن كُلومِ الجَرائِمِ

O Bani Amer, why don't you forbid your slaves,

While you are free from all sins and crimes?

فَإِنّي أَظُنُّ الشِعرَ مُطَّلِعٌ بِكُم

مَناقِبَ غَورٍ عامِداً لِلمَواسِمِ

I think poetry knows about you,

The virtues of Ghawr, aiming for the seasons.

وَإِن يَطَّلِع نَجداً تَعَضّوا بَنانَاكُم

عَلى حينَ لا تُغني نَدامَةَ نادِمِ

And if it informs about Najd, bite your fingers

At a time when regret benefits no penitent.

وَما تَرَكَت مِن قَيسِ عَيلانَ بِالقَنا

وَبِالهُندُوانِيّات غَيرِ الشَراذِمِ

And I haven't left anyone of Qais Ailan with spears

Or Indian swords other than the scattered ones.

بَناتُ الصَريحِ الدُهمُ فَوقَ مُتونِها

إِذا ثَوَّبَ الداعي رِجالُ الأَراقِمِ

The daughters of Sarrah are docile, above its backs

When the caller rouses the men with the heels.

أَظَنَّت كِلابُ اللُؤمِ أَن لَستُ شاتِماً

قَبائِلَ إِلّا اِبنَي دُخانٍ بِدارِمِ

The dogs of meanness thought that I don't satirize

Tribes except the two sons of Dukhan in Darim.

لَبِئسَ إِذاً حامي الحَقيقَةِ وَالَّذي

يُلاذُ بِهِ مِن مُضلِعاتِ العَظائِمِ

How bad is the protector of truth, and the one

Who takes refuge in it from great sins.

وَكَم مِن لَئيمٍ قَد رَفَعتُ لَهُ اِسمَهُ

وَأَطعَمتُهُ بِاِسمي وَلَيسَ بِطاعِمِ

And how many villain I raised his name,

And fed him through my name while he was not feeding.

وَكانَ دَقيقَ الرَحطِ فَاِزدادَ رِقَّةً

وَلُؤماً وَخِزياً فاضِحاً في المَقاوِمِ

He was soft, so he became softer

And meaner, with evident disgrace in resistances.

أَباهِلَ إِنَّ الذُلَّ بِاللُؤمِ قَد بَنى

عَلَيكُم خِباءَ اللُؤمِ ضَربَةَ لازِمِ

Abalhil, dishonor built upon you

The tents of meanness, a lasting affliction.

أَباهِلَ هَل مِن دونِكُم إِن رُدِدتُمُ

عَبيداً إِلى أَربابِكُم مِن مُخاصِمِ

Abalhil, who is there if you are returned

As slaves to your masters, of opponents?

أَباهِلَ ما أَنتُم بِأَوَّلِ مَن رَمى

إِلَيَّ وَإِن كُنتُم لِئامَ الأَلائِمِ

Abalhil, you are not the first who threw

At me, even if you are the wickedest of the wicked.

فَإِن تَرجِعوني حَيثُ كُنتُم رَدَدتُمُ

فَقَد رُدَّ بِالمَهدِيِّ كُلُّ المَظالِمِ

For if you return me where I was, I would return

Through Al-Mahdi all the injustices.

وَهَل كُنتُمُ إِلّا عَبيداً نَفَيتُمُ

مُقَلَّدَةً أَعناقُها بِالخَواتِمِ

Were you anything but slaves who were freed

With collars around your necks and rings?

إِذا أَنتُما يا اِبنَي رَبيعَةَ قُمتُما

إِلى هُوَّةٍ لا تُرتَقى بِالسَلالِمِ

When the two sons of Rabia rise

To an abyss that cannot be climbed with ladders.

فَإِيّاكُما لا أَدفَعَنَّكُما مَعاً

إِلى قَعرِها بَعدَ اِعتِراقِ المَلاوِمِ

Beware I will throw you together

To its depths after intimacy of bosom friends.

وَإِنَّ هِجاءَ الباهِلِيِّينَ دارِماً

لَإِحدى الأُمورِ المُنكَراتِ العَظائِمِ

But satirizing Bahila intensely

Is one of the major forbidden matters.

وَهَل في مَعَدٍّ مِن كِفاءٍ نَعُدُّهُ

لَنا غَيرَ بَيتَي عَبدِ شَمسٍ وَهاشِمِ

Is there anyone worthy in Ma'add other than

The two houses of Abd Shams and Hashim?

أَلَسنا أَحَقَّ الناسِ حينَ تَقايَسوا

إِلى المَجدِ بِالمُستَأثَراتِ الجَسايِمِ

Are we not the most rightful of people when they measured

To glory with the distinguished feats?

وَإِن تَبعَثوني بَعدَ سَبعينَ حِجَّةً

أَكُن كَعَذابِ النارِ ذاتِ الجَحائِمِ

And if you resurrect me after seventy years

Will I not be like the torment of Hell with its crimes?

وَإِنَّ هِجائي اِبنَي دُخانٍ وَأَنتُما

كَأَملَسَ مِن وَقعِ الأَسِنَّةِ سالِمِ

And my satire, O two sons of Dukhan, and you

Is smoother than the impact of the sharp tongues.

فَلَم تَدَعِ الأَيّامُ فَاِستَمِعا الَّتي

تُصَمُّ وَتُعمي بِالكِبارِ الخَواطِمِ

So the days did not leave, listen to the one

That deafens and blinds with major calamities.

وَقَد عَلِمَت ذُهلا رَبيعَةَ أَنَّكُم

عَبيدٌ وَكُنتُم أَعبُداً لِلَّهازِمِ

Thuhala of Rabia knew that you

Are slaves, and you were the most enslaved to defeats.

فَقَد كُنتُمُ في تَغلِبٍ بِنتِ وائِلٍ

عَبيداً لَهُم يُعطَونَ خَرجَ الدَراهِمِ

For you were in Taghlib, daughter of Wail

Slaves to them, given the dirhams as revenue.