أَعَلَيَّ يُقدِمُ عُتبَةُ المُستَحلِقُ

أَعَلَيَّ يُقدِمُ عُتبَةُ المُستَحلِقُ

هَيهاتَ يَطلُبُ شَأوَ مَن لا يُلحَقُ

هَيهاتَ يَطلُبُ شَأوَ مَن لا يُلحَقُ

Does ʿUtbah, the shaven-arsed one, dare advance against me?

Does Utbah the barber presume to insult me?

Impossible! He seeks to match the pace of one none can catch.

Absurd! One so wretched seeks my disfavor?

كَم حَلقِ أَيرٍ لَم يَكُن لَكَ ظالِماً

كَم حَلقِ أَيرٍ لَم يَكُن لَكَ ظالِماً

قَد باتَ وَهوَ بِحَلقِ جُحرِكَ يَخفِقُ

قَد باتَ وَهوَ بِحَلقِ جُحرِكَ يَخفِقُ

How many a cock's head, which had done you no wrong,

How many a shorn scalp have I never wronged?

has spent the night throbbing at the mouth of your hole!

He slept while in fear for his burrow quivering.

لَو كُنتَ تَعلَمُ يا مُخَنَّثُ طائِلاً

لَو كُنتَ تَعلَمُ يا مُخَنَّثُ طائِلاً

لَعَلِمتَ أَنَّكَ في هِجائي أَحمَقُ

لَعَلِمتَ أَنَّكَ في هِجائي أَحمَقُ

If you knew anything worthwhile, you effeminate man,

If you but knew, you misshapen fool,

you would know you are a fool to lampoon me.

You’d know in my satire you are stupid.

فَلتَعلَمَن حِرُ أُمِّ مَن وَإِهابُ مَن

فَلتَعلَمَن حِرُ أُمِّ مَن وَإِهابُ مَن

وَقَديمُ مَن وَحَديثُ مَن يَتَمَزَّقُ

وَقَديمُ مَن وَحَديثُ مَن يَتَمَزَّقُ

Then you shall surely learn whose mother's cunt and whose hide,

So know the free mother who bore you, whose tribe you are,

and whose past and whose present, are being torn apart.

Whose ancient line and whose new line will be torn apart.

لَجَّجتَ في بَحري فَناكَ عَجوزَهُ

لَجَّجتَ في بَحري فَناكَ عَجوزَهُ

مَن كانَ في شَكٍّ بِأَنَّكَ تَغرَقُ

مَن كانَ في شَكٍّ بِأَنَّكَ تَغرَقُ

You plunged deep into my sea; may he fuck his old mother—

You dared to plunge in my sea and so perished there,

whoever doubted that you would drown.

He who doubts it, knows you will drown.

وَاللَهِ لَو أَلصَقتَ نَفسَكَ بِالغَرا

وَاللَهِ لَو أَلصَقتَ نَفسَكَ بِالغَرا

في كَلبَ لَاِستَيقَنتَ أَنَّكَ مُلصَقُ

في كَلبَ لَاِستَيقَنتَ أَنَّكَ مُلصَقُ

By God, if you glued yourself

By God, if you clung to pride itself

into Kalb, you would know for certain you were a pasted-on outsider.

Like a dog, you’d find yourself still clinging.

دَع مَعشَري لا مَعشَرٌ لَكَ إِنَّني

دَع مَعشَري لا مَعشَرٌ لَكَ إِنَّني

مِن خَلفِهِم وَأَمامِهِم لَكَ موبِقُ

مِن خَلفِهِم وَأَمامِهِم لَكَ موبِقُ

Leave my clan alone—you have no clan—for I

Leave my company, you have no company, for I

am your destroyer, behind them and before them.

In front and behind will ruin you.

كَم نادَمَت أَسيافُنا أَرماحَهُم

كَم نادَمَت أَسيافُنا أَرماحَهُم

بَينَ الجُيوشِ عَلى دَمٍ يَتَرَقرَقُ

بَينَ الجُيوشِ عَلى دَمٍ يَتَرَقرَقُ

How often our swords have caroused with their spears

How often amid the armies our swords made them rue

among the armies, over rippling blood!

The blood they spilled as it flowed free.

عُميٌ حَدَوكَ إِلَيَّ أَيُّ عَجيبَةٍ

عُميٌ حَدَوكَ إِلَيَّ أَيُّ عَجيبَةٍ

أَعمى دَليلُ هُدىً وَأَخرَسُ يَنطِقُ

أَعمى دَليلُ هُدىً وَأَخرَسُ يَنطِقُ

Blind men drove you toward me—what a marvel:

Blindness led you to me - how strange!

a blind man guides the way, and a mute speaks!

A blind guide, a mute man who speaks!

قولوا فَلَستُم ضائِرِيَّ وَأَنتُمُ

قولوا فَلَستُم ضائِرِيَّ وَأَنتُمُ

نَسلُ البَغايا تَكذِبونَ وَأَصدُقُ

نَسلُ البَغايا تَكذِبونَ وَأَصدُقُ

Speak, for you do me no harm, and you are

Say you have not harmed me, while you

the offspring of whores; you lie, and I speak the truth.

Sons of whores lie, and I speak true.