تَقولُ اِبنَةُ العَوفِيِّ أَلا تَرى

تَقولُ اِبنَةُ العَوفِيِّ أَلا تَرى

إِلى اِبنِ كُراعٍ لا يَزالُ مُفَزَّعا

إِلى اِبنِ كُراعٍ لا يَزالُ مُفَزَّعا

Al-ʿAwfi’s daughter says, “Do you not look

The daughter of Al-Awfi says: Do you not see

at Ibn Kuraʿ, who is ever terrified?”

The son of Kurā' who is always alarmed

مَخافَةُ هَذَينِ الأَميرَينِ سَهَّدَت

مَخافَةُ هَذَينِ الأَميرَينِ سَهَّدَت

رُقادي وَغشَّتني بَياضاً تَفَرَّعا

رُقادي وَغشَّتني بَياضاً تَفَرَّعا

Fear of these two rulers has banished

Fearing these two commanders has robbed

my sleep, and shrouded me in spreading whiteness.

My sleep and clothed me in extensively branched whiteness

عَلى غَيرِ جُرمٍ أَن جارَ ظالِمٌ

عَلى غَيرِ جُرمٍ أَن جارَ ظالِمٌ

عَليَّ فَجَهَزتُ القَصيدَ المُفرَّعا

عَليَّ فَجَهَزتُ القَصيدَ المُفرَّعا

Though I had done no wrong, an oppressor dealt unjustly

With no fault of mine, an unjust neighbor

with me, so I readied my lengthy verse.

Wronged me, so I composed the extensively branched ode

وَقَد هابَني الأَقوامُ لَمّا رَميتُهُم

وَقَد هابَني الأَقوامُ لَمّا رَميتُهُم

بِفاقِرَةٍ إِن هَمَّ أَن يَتَشَجَّعا

بِفاقِرَةٍ إِن هَمَّ أَن يَتَشَجَّعا

And peoples have feared me when I assailed them

And the people fled from me when I shot them

with a crushing blow, if one thought to act boldly.

With unfeathered arrows, if he dares be courageous

أَبيتُ بِأَبوابِ القَوافي كَأَنَّما

أَبيتُ بِأَبوابِ القَوافي كَأَنَّما

أُصادي بِها سِرباً مِنَ الوَحشِ نُزَّعا

أُصادي بِها سِرباً مِنَ الوَحشِ نُزَّعا

I spend the night at the gates of rhymes, as though

I refused the doors of metrics as if

I were coaxing there a herd of straying wild beasts.

I were confronting a flock of wild beasts provoked

أُكَالِئُها حَتّى أُعرِّسَ بَعدَما

أُكَالِئُها حَتّى أُعرِّسَ بَعدَما

يَكونُ سُحَيرٌ أَو بُعَيدُ فَأَهجِعا

يَكونُ سُحَيرٌ أَو بُعَيدُ فَأَهجِعا

I watch over them until I halt for rest, after

I meet them until I can marry off after

it is near dawn, or a little later; then I sleep.

He who woos is either insane or estranged so I disappoint

عَواصي إِلاّ ما جَعَلتُ أَمامَها

عَواصي إِلاّ ما جَعَلتُ أَمامَها

عَصا مِربَدٍ تَغشى نُحوراً وَأَذرُعا

عَصا مِربَدٍ تَغشى نُحوراً وَأَذرُعا

Unruly, unless I set before them

No rebels except I placed before them

a livestock-pen staff that falls on throats and forelegs.

A cane stick covering necks and arms

أَهَبَت بِغُرِّ الآبِداتِ فَراجَعَت

أَهَبَت بِغُرِّ الآبِداتِ فَراجَعَت

طَريقاً أَملَّتهُ القَصائِدُ مَهيَعا

طَريقاً أَملَّتهُ القَصائِدُ مَهيَعا

I called to the white-blazed wild creatures, and they returned

They roamed with the shame of maidens and returned

to a broad, clear path that poems had trodden.

On a path the odes hoped would bellow

بَعيدَةَ شَأوٍ لا يَكادُ يَرُدُّها

بَعيدَةَ شَأوٍ لا يَكادُ يَرُدُّها

لَها طالِبٌ حَتّى يَكِلَّ وَيَظلَعا

لَها طالِبٌ حَتّى يَكِلَّ وَيَظلَعا

Far-ranging, scarcely can they be brought back

Far from glory, hardly approached

by a seeker of them until he tires and limps.

By a suitor until he weakens and withers

إِذا خِفتُ أَن تُروى عَلَيَّ رَدَدتُها

إِذا خِفتُ أَن تُروى عَلَيَّ رَدَدتُها

وَراءَ التَراقي خَشيَةً أَن تَطَلَّعا

وَراءَ التَراقي خَشيَةً أَن تَطَلَّعا

If I fear they may be recited against me, I send them back

If I fear it may be recited about me I return it

behind my collarbones, for fear they might emerge.

Behind refinement, fearing it may be revealed

وَجَشَّمَني خَوفُ اِبنِ عَفّانَ رَدَّها

وَجَشَّمَني خَوفُ اِبنِ عَفّانَ رَدَّها

فَثَقَّفتُها حَولاً حَريداً وَمَربَعا

فَثَقَّفتُها حَولاً حَريداً وَمَربَعا

And fear of Ibn ʿAffan burdened me with holding them back,

And fear of the son of Affan made me compose it

so I polished them for a full year and a spring season.

So I clothed it in burning, ashen heat

نَهاني اِبنُ عُثمانَ الإِمامِ وَقَد مَضَت

نَهاني اِبنُ عُثمانَ الإِمامِ وَقَد مَضَت

نَوافِذُ لَو تَرَدى الصَفا لَتَصدِعا

نَوافِذُ لَو تَرَدى الصَفا لَتَصدِعا

The son of ʿUthman the imam forbade me, though already there had gone forth

The son of Uthman the Imam prohibited me, and yet

piercing verses—had they struck smooth rock, it would have split.

The decrees had passed, if cliffs were to crack

عَوارِقُ ما يَترُكنَ لَحماً بِعَظمِهِ

عَوارِقُ ما يَترُكنَ لَحماً بِعَظمِهِ

وَلا عَظمَ لَحمٍ أَن يَتَمَزَّعا

وَلا عَظمَ لَحمٍ أَن يَتَمَزَّعا

Flesh-stripping, they leave no flesh upon its bone,

Ships that would not leave a flesh on its bone

nor any flesh-bearing bone to be torn apart.

Or a bone on its flesh that they may be torn apart

أَحَقاً هَداكَ اللَهُ أَن جارَ ظالِمٌ

أَحَقاً هَداكَ اللَهُ أَن جارَ ظالِمٌ

فَأَنكَرَ مَظلومٌ بِأَن يُؤخَذا مَعا

فَأَنكَرَ مَظلومٌ بِأَن يُؤخَذا مَعا

Is it right—may God guide you—when an oppressor does wrong,

Is it right that God guided you when an unjust neighbor

and the wronged one protests, that both should be seized together?

Wronged and a wronged one was forbidden to be taken together

وَأَنتَ اِبنَ حُكّامٍ أَقاموا وَقَوَّموا

وَأَنتَ اِبنَ حُكّامٍ أَقاموا وَقَوَّموا

قُروناً وَأَعطوا نائِلاً غَيرُ أَقطَعا

قُروناً وَأَعطوا نائِلاً غَيرُ أَقطَعا

And you, son of rulers who sustained and set upright

While you are the son of rulers who established and corrected

generations, and gave bounty that was never cut off.

Generations and gave to an obtainer without depriving

وَقَد كانَ في نَفسي عَلَيها زِيادَةٌ

وَقَد كانَ في نَفسي عَلَيها زِيادَةٌ

فَلَم أَرَ إِلاّ أَن أُطيعَ وَأَسمَعا

فَلَم أَرَ إِلاّ أَن أُطيعَ وَأَسمَعا

And I had still more in mind to add to them,

And I had an increase in myself against it

yet I saw no choice but to obey and listen.

But I did not see except to obey and listen

فَإِن أَنتُما أَحكَمتُماني فَاِزجُرا

فَإِن أَنتُما أَحكَمتُماني فَاِزجُرا

أراهِطَ تُؤذيني مِنَ الناسِ رُضَّعا

أراهِطَ تُؤذيني مِنَ الناسِ رُضَّعا

So if you two have bridled me, then restrain

So if you two judged against me, then deter

the bands of base sucklings among the people who harm me.

The riffraff who hurt me from the people as infants

فَإِن تَزجُراني يا اِبنَ عَفّان اِنزَجِر

فَإِن تَزجُراني يا اِبنَ عَفّان اِنزَجِر

وَإِن تَترُكاني أَحمِ عِرضاً مُمَنَّعا

وَإِن تَترُكاني أَحمِ عِرضاً مُمَنَّعا

So if you two restrain me, O Ibn ʿAffan, I will desist;

So if you deter me O son of Affan, be deterred

and if you two leave me be, I shall defend my inviolate honor.

And if you leave me, protect a forbidden honor