أَنتُم فَرَرتُم يَومَ عَدوَةِ مازِنٍ
وَقَد هَشَموا أَنفَ الحُتاةِ عَلى عَمدِ
You fled on the day of Mazin’s assault,
You fled the day of the battle of Mazin
when they had deliberately smashed al-Hutah’s nose.
When they broke the noses of the cowards deliberately
هُمُ مَهَّدوهُ رَجعَهُ بَعدَ رَثمِهِ
وَأَنتُم شُهودٌ مُعصِمونَ عَلى حَردِ
They smoothed it, restoring it after breaking it,
They paved the way for his return after his weakness
while you stood watching, clinging to your anger.
While you are witnesses, protected for no reason
تَمَنَّونَ دَولاتِ الزَمانِ وَصَرفَهُ
إِذا ضاقَ مِنكُم مَطلَعُ الوِردِ بِالوِردِ
You long for time’s changes and its reversals,
You wish for the fortunes of time and its twists and turns
when the approach to water is choked by your throng of water-seekers.
When the rose's horizon is too narrow for the rose
وَتَدعونَ ماروكاً أَبا العَمِّ ناصِراً
عَلَيهِم إِذا ما أَعصَمَ الوَغدُ بِالوَغدِ
And you call on Maruk, Abu al-ʿAmm, for aid
And you call on Marouk Abu Al-Amm as a supporter
against them, whenever one scoundrel clings to another.
Against them when the morrow protects the morrow
فَلَم تُدرِكوا بِالعَمِّ ثَأراً وَلَم يَكُن
لِيُدرَكَ ثَأرٌ بِالتَنابِلَةِ القُفدِ
So you gained no vengeance through the uncle, nor was
But you did not attain vengeance through the uncle
vengeance to be gained through squat, crooked-footed men.
Nor can vengeance be attained with tricks and wiles
Sol 6.1