أَفي كُلِّ عامٍ مَأَتَمٌ تَجمَعونَهُ

أَفي كُلِّ عامٍ مَأَتَمٌ تَجمَعونَهُ

عَلى مِحمَرٍ ثَوَّبتُموهُ وَما رضى

عَلى مِحمَرٍ ثَوَّبتُموهُ وَما رضى

Do you gather a mourning assembly every year

Is there a funeral gathering you hold every year

over a donkey-like nag you raised cries for, though it did not consent?

Over embers you have kindled, yet you are not pleased

تُجِدّونَ خَمشاً بَعدَ مَمشٍ كَأَنَّهُ

تُجِدّونَ خَمشاً بَعدَ مَمشٍ كَأَنَّهُ

عَلى فاجِعِ مِن خَيرِ قَومِكُم نُعى

عَلى فاجِعِ مِن خَيرِ قَومِكُم نُعى

You renew scratching after hair-plucking, as though it were

You find fault after excellence as if

over one of your people's finest, whose announced death was a grievous loss.

It is a eulogy for the best of your people

تُخَصِّصُ جَبّاراً عَلَيَّ وَرَهطَهُ

تُخَصِّصُ جَبّاراً عَلَيَّ وَرَهطَهُ

وَما صِرمَتي فيهِم لَأَوَّلِ مَن سَعى

وَما صِرمَتي فيهِم لَأَوَّلِ مَن سَعى

You single out Jabbār and his kinsmen against me,

You single out an oppressor over me and his gang

yet my camel herd among them is not for the first man who seeks it.

Yet my involvement with them was not the first to attempt

تَرعَيِّ بِأَذنابِ الشِعابِ وَدونَها

تَرعَيِّ بِأَذنابِ الشِعابِ وَدونَها

رِجالٌ يَصُدّونَ الظَلومَ عَنِ الهَوى

رِجالٌ يَصُدّونَ الظَلومَ عَنِ الهَوى

It grazes at the far ends of the ravines, guarded by

You pasture at the tails of valleys and below them

men who keep the oppressor from having his way.

Are men who ward off wrongdoing from desire

وَيَركَبُ يَومَ الرَوعِ فيها فَوارِسٌ

وَيَركَبُ يَومَ الرَوعِ فيها فَوارِسٌ

يَرُدّونَ طَعناً في الأَباهِرِ وَالكُلى

يَرُدّونَ طَعناً في الأَباهِرِ وَالكُلى

And on the day of terror, horsemen ride out in its defense,

And on a day of panic they ride through them knights

answering with spear-thrusts into the great arteries and kidneys.

Who parry a stab in the intestines and kidneys

فَلَولا زُهَيرٌ أَن أُكِدِّرَ نِعمَةً

فَلَولا زُهَيرٌ أَن أُكِدِّرَ نِعمَةً

لَقاذَعتُ كَعباً ما بَقيتُ وَما بَقى

لَقاذَعتُ كَعباً ما بَقيتُ وَما بَقى

But for Zuhayr—and my reluctance to sully a kindness—

So if it were not for Zuheir sullying a blessing

I would have traded insults with Kaʿb as long as I lived and he lived.

I would have contended with Ka’b as long as I and he remained

قَد اِنبعَثَت عِرسي بِلَيلٍ تَلومُني

قَد اِنبعَثَت عِرسي بِلَيلٍ تَلومُني

وَأَقرِب بِأَحلامِ النِساءِ مِنَ الرَدى

وَأَقرِب بِأَحلامِ النِساءِ مِنَ الرَدى

My wife arose one night to reproach me—

My wedding procession came at night blaming me

and how close women's judgments are to ruin!

And is closer in the dreams of women than sanity

تَقولُ أَرى زَيداً وَقَد كانَ مُقتِرا

تَقولُ أَرى زَيداً وَقَد كانَ مُقتِرا

أَراهُ لِعَمري قَد تَمَوَّلَ وَاِقتَنى

أَراهُ لِعَمري قَد تَمَوَّلَ وَاِقتَنى

She says, 'I see Zayd—though he once was poor—

She says, “I see Zaid who once was destitute

I see him, by my life, grown wealthy and possessed of property.'

I swear by my life he has now become wealthy and acquired goods”

وَذاكَ عَطاءُ اللَهِ في كُلِّ غادَةٍ

وَذاكَ عَطاءُ اللَهِ في كُلِّ غادَةٍ

مُشَمِّرَةٍ يَوماً إِذا قَلَص الخُصى

مُشَمِّرَةٍ يَوماً إِذا قَلَص الخُصى

And that is God's bounty in every maiden,

That is the grace of God during every absence

tucking up her skirts on a day when testicles shrink.

Bared one day when livelihoods are straitened