أُمامَةُ لَيسَت لِلَّتي شاعَ سِرُّها
بِإِلفٍ وَلا ذاكَ المُريبُ خَدينُ
Umamah is not, to the woman whose secret became known,
Umma is not for the one whose secret is widespread
a close companion, nor is that suspect man her intimate.
With friendship or with that dubious cheek
لَها في بَني ذُبيانَ نَبتٌ بِمَفرَعٍ
وَفي مِنقَرٍ عالي البِناءِ كَنينُ
She has among the sons of Dhubyan a shoot on high ground,
She has growth in the youth of Dhubyan
and in Minqar, a lofty-built, sheltered refuge.
And in the high nest, a whimper
وَما كانَ عِندي في أُمامَةَ عاذِلٌ
مُطاعاً وَلا الواشي لَدَيَّ مَكينُ
No reproacher over Umamah was ever, in my eyes,
And I had no faultfinder in Umma
one to be obeyed, nor did a slanderer have standing with me.
Obeyed or the slanderer firmly established with me
لَقَد شَفَّني بَينُ الخَليطِ بِساجِرٍ
وَمَحبِسُ أَجمالٍ لَهُنَّ حَنينُ
Parting from the company at Sajir has indeed wasted me,
Indeed she healed me among the mixed throng with conversation
and the stopping place of camels with their plaintive cries.
And the imprisonment of beauties, for them yearning
فَكَيفَ بِوَصلِ الغانِياتِ وَلَم يَزَل
لِقَلبِكَ مِن أَقرانِهِنَّ قَرينُ
How, then, can you unite with the beauties, while there is still
So how about joining the singers, and he has not stopped
a companion for your heart among their peers?
For your heart from their peers, a companion
فَإِن كُنتُمُ كَلبى فَعِندي شِفاؤُكُم
وَلِلجِنِّ إِن كانَ اِعتَراكَ جُنونُ
So if you are rabid, I have your cure,
So if you are my dogs, then I have your cure
and one for the jinn, if madness has afflicted you.
And for the jinn if madness afflicted you, madness
بِوادي أُشَيَّ الخُبثِ يا آلَ مُنقِذٍ
مَعاذِرُ فيها سِرقَةٌ وَمُجونُ
In the valley of foul Ushayy, O house of Munqidh,
In the valley of Ushayy, evil's family, O savior's kin
are disgraces containing theft and debauchery.
Excuses in it, theft and immorality
وَتُعجِبُ قَيساً وَالقُباعَ إِذا اِنتَشَوا
سَوالِفُ مالَت لِلصِبا وَعُيونُ
And Qays and al-Qubaʿ are charmed, when they get drunk,
And you wonder at Qays and Al-Quba’a when they recoiled
by necks inclined toward youthful passion, and by eyes.
Conversations inclined to youth and eyes
بَني مُنقِذٍ لا صُلحَ حَتّى تُصيبَكُم
مِنَ الحَربِ صَمّاءُ القَناةِ زَبونُ
Sons of Munqidh, no peace until you are struck
Saviors' kin, no peace until you are struck
by a fierce war with an unyielding spear-shaft.
By the deafness of war, toads
وَحَتّى تَذوقوا كَأسَ مَن كانَ قَبلَكُم
وَيَزرِقَ مِنكُم في الحِبالِ قَرينُ
And until you taste the cup of those who were before you,
And until you taste the cup of those before you
and a captive from among you fouls himself in the ropes.
And blue from you twists in ropes, a mate
وَحَتّى تَضُمَّ الحَربُ مَعكُم عُطارِداً
وَيَبرَأَ تَخليجٌ بِهِ وَجُنونُ
And until war draws Utarid in along with you,
And until war includes with you a pursuer
and his twitching and madness are cured.
And a gulf with it heals, and madness
بَني مُنقِذٍ ما بالُ مِنحَةِ جارِكُم
تَدَفَّنُ أَظلافٌ لَها وَقُرونُ
Sons of Munqidh, what ails your neighbor's loaned milch-beast,
Saviors' kin, what is wrong with your neighbor's gift
that its cloven hooves and horns are buried?
Buried shadows for it and horns
وَلَو نَزَلوا بِالبَيتِ ما باتَ آمِناً
حَمامٌ لَدى البَيتِ الحَرامِ قَطونُ
And were they to lodge at the House, there would be no safe night's rest
And if they descended upon the house, no dove
for pigeons dwelling beside the Sacred House.
Near the Sacred House would sleep secure, cotton
وَلَو يَعلَمُ السُلطانُ ما تَفعَلونَهُ
لَبانَت يَمينٌ مِنكُمُ وَيَمينُ
And if the ruler knew what you do,
And if the sultan knew what you do
one right hand after another among you would be severed.
An oath from you and oath would appear
Sol 6.1