فَقالوا لَهُ رُدَّ الحِمارَ فَإِنَّهُ
أَبوكَ لَئيمٌ رَأسُهُ وَجَحافِلُه
They said to him, "Return the donkey for your
Father is a scoundrel, his head and his armies
وَأَنتَ حَريصٌ أَن يَكونَ مُجاشِعٌ
أَباكَ وَلَكِنَّ اِبنَهُ عَنكَ شاغِلُه
You wish he were more gentle
To your father, but his son distracts him
وَما أَلبَسوهُ الدِرعَ حَتّى تَزَيَّلَت
مِنَ الخِزيِ دونَ الجِلدِ مِنهُ مَفاصِلُه
They did not dress him in armor until
His joints underneath his skin fell from disgrace
وَهَل كانَ إِلّا ثَعلَباً راضَ نَفسَهُ
بِمَوجٍ تَسامى كَالجِبالِ مَجاوِلُه
Was he anything but a fox pleased with himself
For the wave he rode was as high as mountains rolled by him
ضَغا ضَغوَةً في البَحرِ لَمّا تَغَطمَطَت
عَلَيهِ أَعالي مَوجِهِ وَأَسافِلُه
He chewed out a bite in the sea when
Its high waves and its low crashed down upon him
فَأَصبَحَ مَطروحاً وَراءَ غُثائِهِ
بِحَيثُ اِلتَقى مِن ناجِخِ البَحرِ ساحِلُه
So he woke up thrown behind his rubbish
Where the roar of the sea met its coast
وَهَل أَنتَ إِن فاتَتكَ مَسعاةُ دارِمٍ
وَما قَد بَنى آتٍ كُلَيباً فَقاتِلُه
What good are you if you miss the estate of Darim
And whatever Kulaib may build and fight for it
وَقالوا لِعَبّادٍ أَغِثنا وَقَد رَأَوا
شَآبيبَ مَوتٍ يُقطِرُ السُمَّ وابِلُه
They said to ‘Ibbad aid us, for they saw
Death's droplets pour down, soaking its floods
وَما عِندَ عَبّادٍ لَهُم مِن كَريهَتي
رَواحٌ إِذا ما الشَرُّ عَضَّت رَجائِلُه
‘Ibbad does not have for them any of my two horses
Whose legs race when evil bites their thighs
فَخَرتَ بِشَيخٍ لَم يَلِدكَ وَدونَهُ
أَبٌ لَكَ تُخفي شَخصَهُ وَتُضائِلُه
You have fallen for a sheikh who did not birth you
While you hide and diminish your own father
فَلِلَّهِ عِرضي إِن جَعَلتُ كَريمَتي
إِلى صاحِبِ المِعزى المُوَقَّعِ كاهِلُه
By God my honor, if I give away my jewel
To the owner of the black spot on his shoulder
جَباناً وَلَم يَعقِد لِسَيفٍ حِمالَةً
وَلَكِن عِصامُ القِربَتَينِ حَمائِلُه
A coward who has never held a sword
But instead holds the walking stick of the two holy sites
يَظَلُّ إِلَيهِ الجَحشُ يَنهَقُ إِن عَلَت
بِهِ الريحُ مِن عِرفانِ مَن لا يُزايِلُه
The young camel bleats to him if
The wind blows it from knowing one who will not abandon it
لَهُ عانَةٌ أَعفاؤُها آلِفاتُهُ
حُمولَتُهُ مِنها وَمِنها حَلائِلُه
It has help whose companions are its allies
Its loads from them and its beginnings from them
مُوَقَّعَةٌ أَكتافُها مِن رُكوبِهِ
وَتُعرَفُ بِالكاذاتِ مِنها مَنازِلُه
Marked are their shoulders from its riding
And its resting places are known from their signs
أَلا تَدَّعي إِن كانَ قَومُكَ لَم تَجِد
كَريماً لَهُم إِلّا لَئيماً أَوائِلُه
Do not claim if your people did not find
A generous one among them other than the wretched of them
