أَيوعِدُني بَكرٌ وَيَنفُضُ عُرفَهُ

أَيوعِدُني بَكرٌ وَيَنفُضُ عُرفَهُ

فَقُلتُ لِبَكرٍ إِنَّما أَنتَ حالِمُ

فَقُلتُ لِبَكرٍ إِنَّما أَنتَ حالِمُ

Does Bakr threaten me and shake his mane?

Does a youth promise me, shaking off his camel hair cloak,

So I said to Bakr: "You are only dreaming."

So I said to the youth, “You are but a dreamer.”

سَتَمنَعُني مِنكُم رِماحٌ ثَرِيَّةٌ

سَتَمنَعُني مِنكُم رِماحٌ ثَرِيَّةٌ

وَغَلصَمَةٌ تَزوَرُّ عَنها الغَلاصِمُ

وَغَلصَمَةٌ تَزوَرُّ عَنها الغَلاصِمُ

Numerous spears will protect me from you,

Spears like tent poles and a rugged band

and a mighty host before which other hosts recoil.

That makes even the rugged bands waver, will bar you from me.

فَما لِبَني شَيبانَ عِندي ظُلامَةٌ

فَما لِبَني شَيبانَ عِندي ظُلامَةٌ

وَلا بِدَمٍ تَسعى عَلَيَّ الحَناتِمُ

وَلا بِدَمٍ تَسعى عَلَيَّ الحَناتِمُ

For the sons of Shayban have no grievance against me,

The Bani Shayban have for me no darkness

nor is it for blood that the Hanatim pursue me.

Nor does Damm's blood pursue me with reprimands.

غِضابٌ كَأَنّي في بَياضٍ أَكُفِّهِم

غِضابٌ كَأَنّي في بَياضٍ أَكُفِّهِم

أَلا رُبَّما لَم تَستَطِعني اللَهازِمُ

أَلا رُبَّما لَم تَستَطِعني اللَهازِمُ

Furious, as though I lay in the white of their palms!

My anger is as though I am in dazzling white fending them off

Indeed, many a time the Lahazim could not overpower me.

Yet perhaps the confederations will not be able to withstand me.

وَنُبِّئتُ تَيمَ اللاتِ تَنذُرُ مُهجَتي

وَنُبِّئتُ تَيمَ اللاتِ تَنذُرُ مُهجَتي

وَفيها هِلالٌ طالِعٌ وَمُزاحِمُ

وَفيها هِلالٌ طالِعٌ وَمُزاحِمُ

And I have been told that Taym al-Lat vows to shed my lifeblood,

And I warned Taym al-Lat, threatening my people,

and among them are the rising Hilal and Muzahim.

In it a crescent rises along with barging in.

لَنا حُمَةٌ مَن يَختَلِس بَعضَ سَمِّها

لَنا حُمَةٌ مَن يَختَلِس بَعضَ سَمِّها

مِنَ الناسِ يَعفِر كَفَّهُ وَهوَ نادِمُ

مِنَ الناسِ يَعفِر كَفَّهُ وَهوَ نادِمُ

We have a sting: whoever snatches some of its venom

We have a zeal—if someone steals some of its poison

among men will rub his palm in the dust, regretting it.

From the people, he wipes his palm while regretting.

وَيَعتَرِفُ البَكرِيُّ ما دامَتِ العَصا

وَيَعتَرِفُ البَكرِيُّ ما دامَتِ العَصا

لِذي العِزِّ وَالبَكرِيُّ ما اِسطاعَ ظالِمُ

لِذي العِزِّ وَالبَكرِيُّ ما اِسطاعَ ظالِمُ

And the man of Bakr submits, so long as the rod lasts,

And the Bakrite confesses as long as the rod remains

to the mighty; yet the man of Bakr oppresses whenever he can.

To the one of high rank, while the Bakrite prevails however long the oppressor persists.

تَدارَكَ مَفروقاً بَنو عَمِّ أُمِّهِ

تَدارَكَ مَفروقاً بَنو عَمِّ أُمِّهِ

وَقَد حَجَنَتهُ وَالهِجانَ الأَراقِمُ

وَقَد حَجَنَتهُ وَالهِجانَ الأَراقِمُ

His mother's paternal cousins rescued Mafruq,

The sons of the uncle of his mother embraced

when the Araqim had already hooked him and the white camels.

When she weaned him, and the torn garments.