أَشاعِرَ عَبدَ اللَهِ إِن كُنتَ لائِماً

أَشاعِرَ عَبدَ اللَهِ إِن كُنتَ لائِماً

فَإِنّي لِما تَأَتي مِنَ الأَمرِ لائِمُ

فَإِنّي لِما تَأَتي مِنَ الأَمرِ لائِمُ

O poet ʿAbd Allāh, if you would lay blame,

O Abdu'llah, if you're blaming me

Then I reproach the things you do.

Then I'm blaming you for what has come to be

تُحَضِّضُ أَفناءَ الرِبابِ سَفاهَةً

تُحَضِّضُ أَفناءَ الرِبابِ سَفاهَةً

وَعِرضُكَ مَوتورٌ وَلَيلُكَ نائِمُ

وَعِرضُكَ مَوتورٌ وَلَيلُكَ نائِمُ

You foolishly incite the clans of al-Ribāb,

You squander mornings with your idle lute

While your honor is unavenged and your night asleep.

While your honor wanes and nights you sleep right through

وَهَل عَجَبٌ أَن تُدرِكَ السَيدَ وِترَها

وَهَل عَجَبٌ أَن تُدرِكَ السَيدَ وِترَها

وَتَصبِرُ لِلحَقِّ السَراةُ الأَكارِمُ

وَتَصبِرُ لِلحَقِّ السَراةُ الأَكارِمُ

Is it any wonder that al-Sīd should gain her vengeance,

What surprise that fate should overtake its lord

And the noble chiefs should patiently accept what is right?

While the noble heart shows patience for the right

رَأيتُكَ لَم تَمنَع طُهَيَّةَ حُكمَها

رَأيتُكَ لَم تَمنَع طُهَيَّةَ حُكمَها

وَأَعطَيتَ يَربوعاً وَأَنفُكَ راغِمُ

وَأَعطَيتَ يَربوعاً وَأَنفُكَ راغِمُ

I saw you did not deny Ṭuhayya her judgment,

I saw you let Dishiyya have her way

And you yielded to Yarbūʿ with your nose in the dust.

And give in to Yarbou' though your nose was tight

وَأَنتَ اِمرؤٌ لا تَقبَلُ الصُلحَ طائِعاً

وَأَنتَ اِمرؤٌ لا تَقبَلُ الصُلحَ طائِعاً

وَلَكِن مَتى تُظَأَر فَإِنَّكَ رائِمُ

وَلَكِن مَتى تُظَأَر فَإِنَّكَ رائِمُ

You are a man who does not accept peace willingly,

You, a man who spurns peace when offered free

Yet whenever you are forced to foster, you grow tender.

Yet once avenged, is placated and beams bright

دَعَوتُم إِلى أَمرِ النَواكَةِ دارِماً

دَعَوتُم إِلى أَمرِ النَواكَةِ دارِماً

فَقَد تَركتُكُم وَالنَواكَةَ دارِمُ

فَقَد تَركتُكُم وَالنَواكَةَ دارِمُ

You summoned Dārim to a foolish undertaking;

I called you to make peace in Darim's affair

For Dārim has left you to your foolishness.

But left you warriors, and Darim's fight goes on

وَكَنتَ كَذاتِ البَوِّ شُرِّمَت اِستُها

وَكَنتَ كَذاتِ البَوِّ شُرِّمَت اِستُها

فَطابَقَت لَمّا خَرَّمَتكَ الغَمائِمُ

فَطابَقَت لَمّا خَرَّمَتكَ الغَمائِمُ

You were like the she-camel with the stuffed calfskin, her anus slit;

You were like a rain-pierced tent mended anew

So you yielded when the nosebands pierced you.

Yet when sorrows pierced you, you came undone

فَلو كُنتَ مَولى مُسلَت ما تَجلَلت

فَلو كُنتَ مَولى مُسلَت ما تَجلَلت

بِهِ ضَبعٌ في مُنتَقى القَومِ واحِمُ

بِهِ ضَبعٌ في مُنتَقى القَومِ واحِمُ

For had you been Muslat's ally, he would not have become a cloak

Had you been a guardian of dependents pure

For a flesh-craving hyena among the tribe's chosen men.

No hyena could soil the choice of communal shun

وَلَم يُدرِك المَقتولُ إِلاّ مَجَرَّهُ

وَلَم يُدرِك المَقتولُ إِلاّ مَجَرَّهُ

وَما أَسارَت مِنهُ النُسورُ القَشاعِمُ

وَما أَسارَت مِنهُ النُسورُ القَشاعِمُ

Nothing of the slain man was found but the trail where he was dragged,

Only the slain know the blow that laid them low

And what the aged vultures had left of him.

Not the vultures who came to pick their bones clean

عَلَيكَ اِبنَ عَوفٍ لا تَدَعهُ فَإِنَّما

عَلَيكَ اِبنَ عَوفٍ لا تَدَعهُ فَإِنَّما

كَفاكَ مَوالينا الَّذي جَرَّ سالِمُ

كَفاكَ مَوالينا الَّذي جَرَّ سالِمُ

Keep after Ibn ʿAwf; do not leave him, for

Ibn 'Awf don't leave him be, for it's enough

It was our allies who spared you what Sālim brought about.

That our protector brought peace to end this scene

أَتَذكُرُ أَقواماً كَفَوكَ شُؤونَهُم

أَتَذكُرُ أَقواماً كَفَوكَ شُؤونَهُم

وَشَأنُكَ إِلاّ تَركُهُ مُتَفاقِمُ

وَشَأنُكَ إِلاّ تَركُهُ مُتَفاقِمُ

Do you mention men who spared you the trouble of their affairs,

Do you recall the allies you saved from plight?

While your own affair grows worse unless left alone?

Yet your state persists unless you heal this seam