غَدا اِبنا وائِلٍ لِيُعاتِباني

غَدا اِبنا وائِلٍ لِيُعاتِباني

وَبَينَهُما أَجَلُّ مِنَ العِتابِ

وَبَينَهُما أَجَلُّ مِنَ العِتابِ

In the morning, Wa'il's two sons set out to reproach me,

Tomorrow Wael's sons will come to reproach me,

while between them lies something graver than reproach:

Though more glorious than reproach lies between us,

أُمورٌ لا يُنامُ عَلى قَذاها

أُمورٌ لا يُنامُ عَلى قَذاها

تُغِصُّ ذَوي الحَفيظَةِ بِالشَرابِ

تُغِصُّ ذَوي الحَفيظَةِ بِالشَرابِ

matters whose grit allows no sleep,

Matters that allow no sleep on their thorns,

that make men zealous for their honor choke on drink.

Tormenting those of bitter disposition with drink,

تَرَقّوا في النَخيلِ وَأَنسِئونا

تَرَقّوا في النَخيلِ وَأَنسِئونا

دِماءَ سَراتِكُم يَومَ الكُلابِ

دِماءَ سَراتِكُم يَومَ الكُلابِ

Climb the date palms, and defer your claim against us

They thrived among the date palms and made us wait awhile

for your chiefs' blood on the day of al-Kulab.

For the blood of your nobles on the day of dogs,

فَبِئسَ الطالِبونَ غَداةَ شالَت

فَبِئسَ الطالِبونَ غَداةَ شالَت

عَلى القُعُداتِ أَستاهُ الرِبابِ

عَلى القُعُداتِ أَستاهُ الرِبابِ

How wretched the avengers that morning, when up rose

Miserable are those who the morning after tents

upon the riding camels the buttocks of al-Ribab.

Were folded on the stopping places, and the tents struck,

تَجولُ بَناتُ حَلّابٍ عَلَيهِم

تَجولُ بَناتُ حَلّابٍ عَلَيهِم

وَنَزجُرُهُنَّ بَينَ هَلٍ وَهابِ

وَنَزجُرُهُنَّ بَينَ هَلٍ وَهابِ

Hallab's daughters wheel about them,

The girls of Hallab wander among them,

and we urge them on with cries of 'Hal!' and 'Hab!'

And we drive them off amid threats and fear,

إِذا سَطَعَ الغُبارُ خَرَجنَ مِنهُ

إِذا سَطَعَ الغُبارُ خَرَجنَ مِنهُ

بِأَسحَمَ مِثلِ خافِيَةِ العُقابِ

بِأَسحَمَ مِثلِ خافِيَةِ العُقابِ

When the dust billows up, they emerge from it

When the dust rises they come out of it

with black dust like an eagle's covert feather.

With the yellowness of a serpent's back,

وَعَبدُ القَيسِ مُصفَرٌّ لِحاها

وَعَبدُ القَيسِ مُصفَرٌّ لِحاها

كَأَنَّ فُساءَها قِطَعُ الضَبابِ

كَأَنَّ فُساءَها قِطَعُ الضَبابِ

And 'Abd al-Qays have yellowed beards,

And Abdu'l-Qais has turned ashen his cheek,

as though their farts were patches of fog.

As if the hems of their gowns were shreds of mist.

فَما قادوا الجِيادَ وَلا اِفتَلَوها

فَما قادوا الجِيادَ وَلا اِفتَلَوها

وَلا رَكِبوا مُخَيَّسَةَ الرِكابِ

وَلا رَكِبوا مُخَيَّسَةَ الرِكابِ

For they have neither led fine steeds nor reared them,

They neither led the stallions nor hamstrung them,

nor ridden well-broken riding camels.

Nor mounted the saddles with cruppers high,

عَلى إِثرِ الحَميرِ مُوَكِّفيها

عَلى إِثرِ الحَميرِ مُوَكِّفيها

جَنائِبُهُم حَوالِيُّ الكِلابِ

جَنائِبُهُم حَوالِيُّ الكِلابِ

In the wake of the asses they fit with packsaddles,

Following the asses with them haltered

their led mounts are yearling dogs.

While their dogs surround them,

أَبا غَسّانَ إِنَّكَ لَم تُهِنّي

أَبا غَسّانَ إِنَّكَ لَم تُهِنّي

وَلَكِن قَد أَهَنتَ بَني شِهابِ

وَلَكِن قَد أَهَنتَ بَني شِهابِ

O Abu Ghassan, you did not humiliate me,

Abu Ghassan, you did not humiliate me,

but you did humiliate the sons of Shihab.

But you did humiliate the clan of Shihab,

أَتَيتُكَ سائِلاً فَحَرَمتَ سُؤلي

أَتَيتُكَ سائِلاً فَحَرَمتَ سُؤلي

وَما أَعطَيتَني غَيرَ التُرابِ

وَما أَعطَيتَني غَيرَ التُرابِ

I came to you as a petitioner, and you denied my request,

I came to you asking and you denied my request,

and you gave me nothing but dust.

And gave me nothing but dust,

إِذا ما اِختَرتُ بَعدَكَ جَحدَرِيّاً

إِذا ما اِختَرتُ بَعدَكَ جَحدَرِيّاً

عَلى قَيسٍ فَلا آبَت رِكابي

عَلى قَيسٍ فَلا آبَت رِكابي

If ever, after you, I choose a Jahdari

If after you I choose Jahdar

over Qays, may my riding camels never return.

Qais will not be saddened by my choice.