أَعبّاسُ إِنّا وَما بَينَنا
كَصَدعِ الزُجاجَةِ لا يُجبَرُ
Abbas, between us is like a crack in glass that cannot be mended.
You are not worthy of our regard, though you deserve our insults more.
فَلَستَ بِكُفءٍ لِأَعراضِنا
وَأَنتَ بِشَتمِكُم أَجدَرُ
We are not the kind for what you have said, yet in insulting you we have more excuse.
I see you keenly observe she who refuses while to others blind.
وَلَسنا بِأَهلٍ لَما قُلتُمو
وَنَحنُ بِشَتمِكُمُ أَعذَرُ
Your falling short of me is a gentle doe whose anger mutilates her fawn.
She is blue-coated, a sinner, when she shakes her hump she startles.
أَراكَ بَصيراً بِتِلكَ الَّتي
تُردُ وَعَن غَيرِها أَعوَرُ
Her teeth flash on her back like a fire lit on a watchtower.
A lively piebald like a pool inherited by donkeys before her.
فَقَصرُكُ مِنّي رَقيقُ الذُبا
بِ عَضبُ كَريهَتِهِ مُبترُ
That is a naked, Khayfanah, who, when the horses are scolded, is not scolded.
When the horses birth their young, you surpass in racing them.
وَأَزرَقُ في رَأَسِ خَطِيَّةٍ
إِذا هَزَّ اِكعَبَها تَخطِرُ
When the water wets their shoulders, they startle the steeds but do not dazzle.
I spur her from the west and drive her where none would deny.
يَلوحُ السِنانُ عَلى مَتنِها
كَنارٍ عَلى مَرقَبٍ تُسعَرُ
I race her blameless with her red spittle frothing.
I say, and her kin have doubted, you betrayed; one like me is not betrayed.
وَزَعفٌ دِلاصٌ كَماءِ الغَديرِ
تَوارَثَهُ قَبلَهُ حِميَرُ
And I call to witness against her the torrents of wars - indifferent is she to survival or uprooting.
Abbas, the ode has borrowed outside its own kind, which is shameful.
فَتِلكَ وَجَرداءُ خَيفانَةٌ
إِذا زُجِرَ الخَيلُ لا تُزجَرُ
Why grasp what you cannot obtain, only to break yourself or lose?
For when the wager is desired, the lofty, daring one wins it.
إِذا أَلقَتِ الخَيلُ أَولادَها
فَأَنتَ عَلى جَريِها أَقدَرُ
You bargain when you lack the means, as if your hatred blinds you.
Your falling short, if it remains, I will preserve to sober you or intoxicate you.
مَتى يَبلُلِ الماءُ أَعطافَها
تَبُذُّ الجِيادَ وَما تُبهِرُ
My tongue and my sword together - behold which of them will strike first!
أُنَهنِهُ بِالسَوطِ مِن غَربِها
وَأُقدمُها حَيثُ لا يُنكرُ
وَأَرحَضُها غَيرَ مَذمومَةٍ
بِلَبّاتِها العَلَقَ الأَحمَرُ
أَقولُ وَقَد شُكَّ أَقرابُها
غَدَرتَ وَمِثلي لا يُغدَرُ
وَأُشهِدُها غَمَراتِ الحُروبِ
فَسِيّانِ تَسلُمِ أَو تُعقَرُ
أَعبّاسُ أَنّ اِستَعارَ القَصيدُ
في غَيرِ مَعشَرِهِ مُنكَرُ
عَلامَ تَناوَلُ ما لا تَنالَ
فَتَقطَعُ نَفسَكَ أَو تَخسَرُ
فَإِنَّ الرِهانَ إِذا ما أُريدَ
فَصاحِبُهُ الشامِخَ المُخطِرُ
تُخاوِضُ لَم تَستَطِع عُدَّةً
كَأَنَّكَ مِن بُغضِنا أَعوَرُ
فَقَصرُكَ مَأَثورَةٌ إِن بَقيت
أَصحو بِها لَكَ أَو أَسكَرُ
لِساني وَسَيفي مَعاً فَاِنظُرَن
إِلى تَلكَ إِيَّهُما تَبدُرُ
