يَقولونَ ذِبِّب يا زِيادُ وَلَم يَكُن

يَقولونَ ذِبِّب يا زِيادُ وَلَم يَكُن

لِيوقِظَ في الحَربِ المُلِمَّةِ نائِما

لِيوقِظَ في الحَربِ المُلِمَّةِ نائِما

They say, “Defend us, Ziyad!” Yet he was not one

They say Ziyad was asleep in the raging battle,

To rouse a sleeper in the war that has descended.

Had they brought him in wrath, he'd prevent them, or a glorious knight, or unyielding.

وَلَو أَنَّهُم جاءَوا بِهِ ذا حَفيظَةٍ

وَلَو أَنَّهُم جاءَوا بِهِ ذا حَفيظَةٍ

فَيَمنَعُهُم أَو ماجِداً أَو مُراغِما

فَيَمنَعُهُم أَو ماجِداً أَو مُراغِما

If only they had brought him endowed with protective zeal,

But they brought a fool whose seventy years had passed,

To shield them—or as a noble man, or a defiant one.

Who wakes every morn debased and despicable.

وَلكِنَّهُم جاءوا بِأَقلَفَ قَد مَضَت

وَلكِنَّهُم جاءوا بِأَقلَفَ قَد مَضَت

لَهُ حِجَجٌ سَبعونَ يُصبحُ رازِما

لَهُ حِجَجٌ سَبعونَ يُصبحُ رازِما

But they brought an uncircumcised man who has lived

His tongue foreign, if he came near, he cared not for honor.

Seventy years, and meets the morning unable to rise,

I never found Abdel Qais except worthless

لَئيماً ذَميماً اِعجَمِيّاً لِسانُهُ

لَئيماً ذَميماً اِعجَمِيّاً لِسانُهُ

إِذا نالَ دَنّا لَم يُبالِ المَكارِما

إِذا نالَ دَنّا لَم يُبالِ المَكارِما

Base and contemptible, with a foreign tongue;

When people recall the exalted and the glorious.

When he gets a wine jar, he cares nothing for noble deeds.

If you're the slave's neighbor, don't cease to beware of him

وَما خِلتُ عَبدَ القَيسِ إِلّا نُفايَةً

وَما خِلتُ عَبدَ القَيسِ إِلّا نُفايَةً

إِذا ذَكَرَ الناسُ العُلا وَالعَظائِما

إِذا ذَكَرَ الناسُ العُلا وَالعَظائِما

And I have deemed ʿAbd al-Qays nothing but refuse

When he's fed. A people counting nets for their neighbor

When people speak of high honor and great deeds.

When sated with the rulers' dirhams.

إِذا كُنتَ لِلعَبدِيِّ جاراً فَلا تَزَل

إِذا كُنتَ لِلعَبدِيِّ جاراً فَلا تَزَل

عَلى حَذَرٍ مِنهُ إِذا كانَ طاعِما

عَلى حَذَرٍ مِنهُ إِذا كانَ طاعِما

If you are an ʿAbdi’s neighbor, never cease

With nets they pay the rights upon them

To be on your guard against him when he has eaten.

And give their lord when he is in debt.

أُناساً يُعِدُّونَ الفُساءَ لِجارِهِم

أُناساً يُعِدُّونَ الفُساءَ لِجارِهِم

إِذا شَبِعوا عِندَ الجُباةِ الدَراهِما

إِذا شَبِعوا عِندَ الجُباةِ الدَراهِما

A people who prepare farts for their neighbor

They have a bray, and if they respond to each other

When they have eaten their fill with the collectors of dirhams.

You hear in them a roar and madness.

مِنَ الفَسوِ يَقضونَ الحُقوقَ عَلَيهِمُ

مِنَ الفَسوِ يَقضونَ الحُقوقَ عَلَيهِمُ

وَيُعطونَ مَولاهُم إِذا كانَ غارِما

وَيُعطونَ مَولاهُم إِذا كانَ غارِما

With farts they settle the dues they owe,

By your life, Ibn Zarwan did not save

And give to their patron when he is in debt.

Rabi'ah from me the day he was unharmed.

لَهُم زَجَلٌ فيهِ إِذا ما تَجاوَبوا

لَهُم زَجَلٌ فيهِ إِذا ما تَجاوَبوا

سَمِعتَ زَفيراً فيهِمُ وَهَماهِما

سَمِعتَ زَفيراً فيهِمُ وَهَماهِما

They raise a din with it; when they answer one another,

I reckon the wicked son of two wicked men thought

You hear heavy exhalations among them, and rumblings.

I would surrender my honor or fear confrontation.

لَعُمرُكَ ما نَجّى اِبنَ زَروانَ إِذ عَوى

لَعُمرُكَ ما نَجّى اِبنَ زَروانَ إِذ عَوى

رَبيعَةَ مِنّي يَومَ ذلِكَ سالِما

رَبيعَةَ مِنّي يَومَ ذلِكَ سالِما

By your life, Ibn Zarwan was not saved—when he howled

By your life, Rabi'ah does not bow to pilgrims

For Rabiʿa—from me unscathed that day.

When they implore the aid of foreigners.

أَظَنَّ الخَبيثُ اِبنُ الخَبيثَينِ أَنَّني

أَظَنَّ الخَبيثُ اِبنُ الخَبيثَينِ أَنَّني

أُسَلِّمُ عِرضي أَو أَهابُ المُقاوِما

أُسَلِّمُ عِرضي أَو أَهابُ المُقاوِما

Did the vile man, son of two vile ones, suppose that I

Would surrender my honor or fear an opponent?

لَعُمرُكَ لا تَهدي رَبيعَةُ لِلحِجا

لَعُمرُكَ لا تَهدي رَبيعَةُ لِلحِجا

إِذا جَعَلوا يَستَنصِرونَ الأَعاجِما

إِذا جَعَلوا يَستَنصِرونَ الأَعاجِما

By your life, Rabiʿa does not point the way to wisdom

When they begin seeking aid from non-Arabs.