إِنَّ الفَرَزدَقَ أَخزَتهُ مَثالِبُهُ
عَبدُ النَهارِ وَزاني اللَيلِ دَبّابُ
Al-Farazdaq has been disgraced by his own misdeeds,
A daytime slave, by night an adulterous prowler.
لا تَهجُ قَيساً وَلَكِن لَو شَكَرتَهُمُ
إِنَّ اللَئيمَ لَأَهلِ السَروِ عَيّابُ
Do not satirize the Banu Qais, but if you thank them,
The base-born man insults the lofty branch.
قَيسُ الطِعانِ فَلا تَهجو فَوارِسَهُم
لِحاجِبٍ وَأَبي القَعقاعِ أَربابُ
Qais are fault-finders; do not satirize their horsemen,
For Hajib and Abul-Qa'qa are their lords.
هُمُ أَطلَقوا بَعدَ ما عَضَّ الحَديدُ بِهِ
عَمروَ بنَ عَمروٍ وَبِالساقَينِ أَندابُ
After the swords had cut into him, they set free
Amr ibn Amr, though in fetters were his legs.
أَدّوا أُسَيدَةَ في جِلبابِ أُمُّكُمُ
غَصباً فَكانَ لَها دِرعٌ وَجِلبابُ
They gave Usaydah a cloak to wear over her shift
By force; thus for her a coat of mail and cloak.
مُجاشِعٌ لا حَياءٌ في شَبيبَتِهِم
وَلا يَثوبُ لَهُم حِلمٌ إِذا شابوا
Shameless in their youth, restraint they do not know,
No wisdom comes to them when their hair turns white.
شَرُّ القُيونِ حَديثاً عِندَ رَبَّتِهِ
قَينا قُفَيرَةَ مَسروحٌ وَزَعّابُ
The worst milk-camel in her owner's eyes
Is one with teats that drip, whose udder sags.
لا تَترُكوا الحَدَّ في لَيلى فَكُلُّكُمُ
مِن شَأنِ لَيلى وَشَأنِ القَينِ مُرتابُ
Do not give up questioning about Layla, for you
Are suspicious about Layla and the milk-camel.
فَاِسأَل غَمامَةَ بِالخَيلِ الَّتي شَهِدَت
كَأَنَّهُم يَومَ تَيمِ اللاتِ غُيّابُ
Ask Ghammah about the horses that witnessed it,
As though they were the lost camels of Taim.
لَكِن غَمامَةُ لَو تَدعو فَوارِسَنا
يَومَ الوَقيطُ لَما وَلّوا وَلا هابوا
But if Ghammah called our horsemen on the day
Of al-Waqit, they would not flee or run away.
مُجاشِعٌ قَد أَقَرّوا كُلَّ مُخزِيَةٍ
لا مَن يَعيبونَ لا بَل فيهُمُ العابُ
They admit every disgrace, finding no fault at all;
Indeed, the fault is theirs, they sport and play.
قالَت قُرَيشٌ وَقَد أَبلَيتُمُ خَوراً
لَيسَت لَكُم يا بَني رَغوانَ أَلبابُ
The Quraysh said, after you wore out the land,
"You, Banu Raghwan, have no sound judgement."
هَلّا مَنَعتُم مِنَ السَعدِيِّ جارَكُمُ
بِالعِرقِ يَومَ اِلتَقى بازٍ وَأَخرابُ
Why did you not defend your neighbor with the bows
On the day the Sa'di met the foe amid ruins?
أَقصِر فَإِنَّكَ ما لَم تُؤنِسوا فَزَعاً
عِندَ المِراءِ خَسيفُ النوكِ قَبقابُ
Make it short, for you gave no help against terror
When the ostrich-chick croaked at the wattled crane.
فَاِسأَل أَقَومُكَ أَم قَومي هُمُ ضَرَبوا
هامَ المُلوكِ وَأَهلُ الشِركِ أَحزابُ
Ask your tribe if mine did not smite
The confederates' army on the day of the packed squadron,
الضارِبينَ زُحوفاً يَومَ ذي نَجَبٍ
فيها الدُروعُ وَفيها البَيضُ وَالغابُ
Smashing armies on the day of Dhi Qar,
Where there were coats of mail, white blades, and warriors.
مِنّا عُتَيبَةُ فَاِنظُر مَن تُعِدُّ لَهُ
وَالحارِثانِ وَمِنّا الرَدفُ عَتّابُ
Of us is Utaybah, so consider whom you will count as his equal,
And al-Harithan; and of us are the terrible lancers.
مِنّا فَوارِسُ يَومِ الصَمدِ كانَ لَهُم
قَتلى وَأَسرى وَأَسلابٌ وَأَسلابُ
Of us are the horsemen on the day of Samad; theirs were
The slain, the captives, the plunder, and the booty.
فَاِسأَل تَميماً مَنِ الحامونَ ثَغرَهُمُ
وَالواجِلونَ إِذا ما قُعقِعَ البابُ
Ask Tamim who it was that breached their stronghold,
And the decisive horsemen when the door was battered.
