أيَشْتِمُنِي عَمْرٌو وَمَرْوَانُ ضَلَّةً

أيَشْتِمُنِي عَمْرٌو وَمَرْوَانُ ضَلَّةً

بِحُكْمِ ابْنِ هِنْدٍ وَالشَّقِيُّ سَعِيدُ

بِحُكْمِ ابْنِ هِنْدٍ وَالشَّقِيُّ سَعِيدُ

Do Amr and Marwan revile me in folly,

'Amr and Marwan blame me for going astray

At the son of Hind's command—and wretched Sa'id too?

By the judgement of Ibn Hind and wretched Sa'id

وَحَوْلَ ابن هِنْدٍ شَائِعُونَ كَأنَّهُمْ

وَحَوْلَ ابن هِنْدٍ شَائِعُونَ كَأنَّهُمْ

إِذَا مَا اسْتَفاضُوا فِي الحَدِيثِ قُرُودُ

إِذَا مَا اسْتَفاضُوا فِي الحَدِيثِ قُرُودُ

And around the son of Hind are followers, as though they

And around Ibn Hind are tale-bearers who,

Were monkeys whenever they talk at length.

When they talk at length, are but apes

يَعَضُّونَ مِنْ غَيْظِ عَلَيَّ أكُفَّهُمْ

يَعَضُّونَ مِنْ غَيْظِ عَلَيَّ أكُفَّهُمْ

وَرَدُّكَ مَا لاَ تَسْتَطِيعُ شَدِيدُ

وَرَدُّكَ مَا لاَ تَسْتَطِيعُ شَدِيدُ

They bite their palms in fury at me,

They gnash their teeth in anger against me, the palms of their hands

And it is hard for you to repel what you cannot withstand.

And your driving away what you cannot withstand, O Mighty One

وَمَا مَسَّنِي إلا ابْنُ هِنْدٍ وَإِنَّنِي

وَمَا مَسَّنِي إلا ابْنُ هِنْدٍ وَإِنَّنِي

لِتِلْكَ الَّتِي يَشْجَى بِهَأ لَرَصُودُ

لِتِلْكَ الَّتِي يَشْجَى بِهَأ لَرَصُودُ

And none has harmed me but the son of Hind, and I

None has touched me but Ibn Hind, though indeed

Am surely lying in wait for what brings him anguish.

I ache for the one whose love makes me sleepless and distressed

كَمَا بَلَّغَتْ أيَّامُ صِفْينَ نَفْسَهُ

كَمَا بَلَّغَتْ أيَّامُ صِفْينَ نَفْسَهُ

تَرَاقِيَةُ وَالشَّامِتُونَ شُهُودُ

تَرَاقِيَةُ وَالشَّامِتُونَ شُهُودُ

Just as the days of Siffin brought his soul

Just as the Battle of Siffin fulfilled its purpose

To his collarbones, while those who gloated looked on.

With the gloaters looking on as witnesses

فَلَمْ يَمْنَعُوهُ وَالرّمَاحُ تَنُوشُهُ

فَلَمْ يَمْنَعُوهُ وَالرّمَاحُ تَنُوشُهُ

يَخِبُّ بِهَا رَحْبُ البَنَانِ عَنُودُ

يَخِبُّ بِهَا رَحْبُ البَنَانِ عَنُودُ

So they did not shield him while the spears reached for him;

They did not prevent him though the spears pierced him

A broad-fingered, unyielding man hastened with them.

With them the wide plain of Banan was humbled

وَطَارَتْ لِعَمْرٍ وفِي الفِجَاجِ شَظِيّةٌ

وَطَارَتْ لِعَمْرٍ وفِي الفِجَاجِ شَظِيّةٌ

وَمَرْوَانُ عَنْ وَقْعِ السُّيُوفِ يَحِيدُ

وَمَرْوَانُ عَنْ وَقْعِ السُّيُوفِ يَحِيدُ

And a splinter flew toward Amr amid the mountain passes,

‘Amr took flight and in al-Fijaj there was a loud commotion

And Marwan turns aside from the swords' blows.

While Marwan turned away from the clashing of swords

وَمَا لِسَعِيدٍ وِهِمَّةٌ غَيْرُ نَفْسِهِ

وَمَا لِسَعِيدٍ وِهِمَّةٌ غَيْرُ نَفْسِهِ

وَعِنْدِي لَهُ فِي الحَادِثَاتِ مَزِيدُ

وَعِنْدِي لَهُ فِي الحَادِثَاتِ مَزِيدُ

And Sa'id has no concern beyond himself,

Sa'id has no purpose but himself

And I have more in store for him amid calamities.

Yet I see for him in events more to come

أَلَمْ يَبْتَدِرْكُمْ يَوْمَ صِفِّينَ فِتْيَةٌ

أَلَمْ يَبْتَدِرْكُمْ يَوْمَ صِفِّينَ فِتْيَةٌ

شَوَمِخَةٌ شُمُّ الْمَنَاخِرِ صِيدُ

شَوَمِخَةٌ شُمُّ الْمَنَاخِرِ صِيدُ

Did not young men rush upon you on the day of Siffin—

Did not the youths take you by surprise at Siffin

Lofty, high-nosed, with heads held proudly high—

Evil-omened, wide-nostrilled prey

سَعِيدٌ وَقَيْسٌ وَالْمُعَمِّرُ وَابْنُهُ

سَعِيدٌ وَقَيْسٌ وَالْمُعَمِّرُ وَابْنُهُ

وَأشْتَرُ فِيهِمْ مُعْلَمٌ وَيَزُيدُ

وَأشْتَرُ فِيهِمْ مُعْلَمٌ وَيَزُيدُ

Sa'id, Qays, al-Mu'ammir and his son,

Sa'id, Qays, al-Mu'ammar and his son

And Ashtar, bearing a distinguishing mark among them, and Yazid?

And among them Mu'lim and Yazid

وَكُنْتُمْ كَشَاءٍ غَابَ عَنْهَا رُعَاتُهَا

وَكُنْتُمْ كَشَاءٍ غَابَ عَنْهَا رُعَاتُهَا

تُخَافُ عَلَيْهَا أذْؤبُّ وَأسُودُ

تُخَافُ عَلَيْهَا أذْؤبُّ وَأسُودُ

And you were like sheep whose shepherds had gone away,

You were like sheep whose shepherd was absent

For whose safety one fears wolves and lions.

Feared for by the wolf and lion

فَتَخْطِفُكُمْ في الحَرْبِ خَطْفاً كَأنكمْ

فَتَخْطِفُكُمْ في الحَرْبِ خَطْفاً كَأنكمْ

إذَا ثَارَ نَقْعُ الفَيْلَقَيْنِ صُيُودُ

إذَا ثَارَ نَقْعُ الفَيْلَقَيْنِ صُيُودُ

So they snatch you swiftly in battle, as though you

So they snatched you in war with a snatching as though you

Were quarry when the dust of the two armies rises.

When the striking of the two armies grew turbulent, were does’