أَيا راكِباً إِمّا عَرَضتَ فَبَلِّغَن

أَيا راكِباً إِمّا عَرَضتَ فَبَلِّغَن

نُباتَةَ بِالحِصنَينِ وَاِبنَ المُحَلَّقِ

نُباتَةَ بِالحِصنَينِ وَاِبنَ المُحَلَّقِ

O rider, if ever you pass by, be sure to tell

O rider, if you pass by, convey

Nubatah at al-Hisnayn, and Ibn al-Muhallaq,

To Nubata at Al-Hisnayn and Ibn Al-Muhallaq

وَعِمرانَ أَن أَدّوا الَّذي قَد وَأَيتُمُ

وَعِمرانَ أَن أَدّوا الَّذي قَد وَأَيتُمُ

وَأَعراضُكُم مَوفورَةٌ لَم تُمَزَّقِ

وَأَعراضُكُم مَوفورَةٌ لَم تُمَزَّقِ

And ‘Imran: fulfill what you have already promised,

And 'Imran that they should pay what they owe

While your reputations remain intact, not yet torn to shreds.

While your honor is intact, not ripped apart

أَلَم تَعلَموا أَنّي أَكونُ وَراءَكُم

أَلَم تَعلَموا أَنّي أَكونُ وَراءَكُم

فَما يُرتَقى حِصني إِلَيكُم وَخَندَقي

فَما يُرتَقى حِصني إِلَيكُم وَخَندَقي

Did you not know that I stand behind you?

Don't you know I will be behind you

So my fortress and moat cannot be scaled to reach you.

So neither my fort nor trench can reach you

وَما أَنا إِن عَدَّت مَعَدٌّ قَديمَها

وَما أَنا إِن عَدَّت مَعَدٌّ قَديمَها

بِمَنزِلَةِ المَولى وَلا المُتَعَلِّقِ

بِمَنزِلَةِ المَولى وَلا المُتَعَلِّقِ

And if Ma‘add reckons its ancient lineage, I am not

And I am not, if the enemy renewed their attacks

Of the rank of a client, nor of a hanger-on.

In the position of master nor hanger-on

لَعَمري لَقَد أَبلَيتُ في الشِعرِ دارِماً

لَعَمري لَقَد أَبلَيتُ في الشِعرِ دارِماً

بَلاءً نَما في كُلِّ غَربٍ وَمَشرِقِ

بَلاءً نَما في كُلِّ غَربٍ وَمَشرِقِ

By my life, I have indeed served Darim well in verse,

By my life, I have endured in poetry, Dārim

With service that spread through every west and east:

An affliction growing in every west and east

بَلاءَ اِمرِئٍ لا مُستَثيبٍ بِنِعمَةٍ

بَلاءَ اِمرِئٍ لا مُستَثيبٍ بِنِعمَةٍ

فَتُشكَرَ نُعماهُ وَلا مُتَمَلِّقِ

فَتُشكَرَ نُعماهُ وَلا مُتَمَلِّقِ

The service of a man not seeking reward for a favor,

The affliction of a man with no granted favors

That his kindness might be thanked, nor playing the flatterer.

To thank for his bounties, nor sycophant

هَجَوتُ كُلَيباً أَن هَجوا آلَ دارِمٍ

هَجَوتُ كُلَيباً أَن هَجوا آلَ دارِمٍ

وَأَمسَكتُ مِن يَربوعِهِم بِالمُخَنَّقِ

وَأَمسَكتُ مِن يَربوعِهِم بِالمُخَنَّقِ

I satirized Kulaib because they satirized the house of Darim,

I satirized Kulaib when they satirized the family of Dārim

And seized their Yarbu‘ by the throat.

And I strangled their cows by the throat

وَرَهطَ أَبي لَيلى فَأَطفَأتُ نارَهُم

وَرَهطَ أَبي لَيلى فَأَطفَأتُ نارَهُم

وَأَقرَرتُ عَيني مِن جِداءِ الحَبَلَّقِ

وَأَقرَرتُ عَيني مِن جِداءِ الحَبَلَّقِ

And Abu Layla’s kinsmen—I extinguished their fire,

And the clan of Abū Laylā, so I extinguished their fire

And gladdened my eye over al-Haballaq’s young goats.

And delighted my eye with the hides of Al-Haballaq

فَإِن يَكُ أَقوامٌ أَضاعوا فَإِنَّني

فَإِن يَكُ أَقوامٌ أَضاعوا فَإِنَّني

حَفِظتُ الَّذي بَيني وَبَينَ الفَرَزدَقِ

حَفِظتُ الَّذي بَيني وَبَينَ الفَرَزدَقِ

So if there are people who have been remiss, I

So if there are people who lost, I

Have preserved the bond between me and al-Farazdaq.

Preserved what was between me and Al-Farazdaq