قالَ الأَميرُ لِعَبدِ تَيمٍ بِئسَ ما
أَبلَيتَ عِندَ مَواطِنِ الأَحسابِ
The prince said to the slave of Taim,
"How badly you acted at critical moments!
وَلَقَد خَرَجتَ مِنَ المَدينَةِ آفِلاً
خَرِعَ القَناةِ مُدَنَّسَ الأَثوابِ
You left the town looking miserable,
With saddlebags smeared and clothes soiled.
وَدَعاكَ وَطبٌ بِالمُرَيرَةِ عِندَهُ
عِرسٌ شَديدَةُ خُضرَةِ الأَنيابِ
Tab called you while at Al-Murayrah
To a wedding, with young women of sharp teeth.
تَيمِيَّةٌ هَمَشى تَقولُ لِبَعلِها
لا تَنظُرَنَّ إِذا وَضَعتُ ثِيابي
A Taimi woman, married, says to her husband,
'Don't look when I take off my clothes!'
يا تَيمُ إِنَّ بُيوتَكُم تَيمِيَّةٌ
قُفدُ العِمادِ قَصيرَةُ الأَطنابِ
O Taim! Your houses are so Taimi,
With short poles and leaning pillars.
يا تَيمُ دَلوُكُمُ الَّتي يُدلى بِها
خَلَقُ الرِشاءِ ضَعيفَةُ الأَكرابِ
O Taim! Your bucket that is lowered
Is made of palm leaves and has weak handles.
أَعرابُكُم عارٌ عَلى حُضّارِكُم
وَالحاضِرونَ خَزايَةُ الأَعرابِ
Your bedouins are a disgrace to your settled folk,
And settlers are the dregs of bedouins.
قَومٌ إِذا حَضَرَ المُلوكُ وُفودُهُم
نُتِفَت شَوارِبُهُم عَلى الأَبوابِ
A people, when their chieftains come visiting
Have their moustaches plucked at the doors.
إِنّي وَجَدتُ أَباكَ إِذ أَتعَبتُهُ
عَبداً يَنوءُ بِأَلأَمِ الأَنسابِ
I found your father, when I made him suffer,
A slave bending under the weight of lineages.
أَلفَيتُهُ لَمّا جَرى بِكَ شَأوُنا
حَطِمَ اليَدَينِ مُكَسَّرَ الأَصلابِ
I knew him when our feud started against you,
With broken hands and smashed ribs.
وَمَضى عَلَيكَ مُصَدَّرٌ ذو مَيعَةٍ
رَبِذُ اليَدَينِ يَفوزُ بِالأَقصابِ
And one went against you, from Ma'ah,
With calloused hands, winning the prizes.
يا تَيمُ ما خَطَبَ المُلوكُ بَناتِكُم
ريحُ الخَنافِسِ في مُسوكِ ضِبابِ
O Taim! Why do kings want your daughters?
Like the wind of beetles in thick fog!
يا تَيمُ إِنَّ وُجوهَكُم فَتَقَنَّعوا
طُبِعَت بِأَلأَمِ خاتَمٍ وَكِتابِ
O Taim! Veil your faces and resign yourselves
To the brand of a ring or document!"
لا تَخطُبُنَّ إِلى عَدِيٍّ إِنَّكُم
شَرُّ الفُحولِ وَأَلأَمُ الخُطّابِ
Do not seek to marry noble women; you are
The worst of men and most painful suitors!
يا تَيمُ هاتوا مِثلَ أُسرَةِ قَعنَبٍ
أَو مِثلَ بَيتِ الحارِثِ بنِ شِهابِ
O Taim! Cite a family like Kacnab's,
Or Al-Harith ibn Shihab's house,
أَو مِثلَ جَزءٍ حينَ تَصطَكُّ القَنا
وَالحَربُ كاشِرَةٌ عَنِ الأَنيابِ
Or a warrior when lances clash together
And war bares its fangs!
أَو مِثلَ فارِسِ ذي الخِمارِ وَمَعقِلٍ
أَو فارِسٍ كَعُمارَةَ بنِ جَنابِ
Or a horseman in a turban, like Ma'kil,
Or like 'Imarah ibn Janab!
وَنَزيعُنا قَد سادَ حَيِّي وائِلٍ
مُعطي الجَزيلِ مُساوِرُ بنُ رِئابِ
Our pride has dominated Khaith Wail
Mucati' the generous, Musawir ibn Ria'b!"
