تَماunclear as written ابْنَson of قَيْسٍQays وَحَارِثٍand Harith وَيَزِيدand Yazid
تَما ابْنَ قَيْسٍ وَحَارِثٍ وَيَزِيد
أنْتَyou واللَّهِby God رَأسُchief أهْلِthe people of الْعِرَاقِIraq
أنْتَ واللَّهِ رَأسُ أهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ
[Opening word unclear], son of Qays, Harith, and Yazid,
You are the chief of Iraq's people, son of Qais, Harith, and Yazid
You are, by God, the chief of Iraq's people.
By God, you are a serpent spewing poison
أنْتَyou وَاللهِby God حَيَّةٌa serpent تَنْفُثُspits السُّمthe venom (continued)
أنْتَ وَاللهِ حَيَّةٌ تَنْفُثُ السُّم
مَcompletion of 'venom' قَلِيلٌlittle فِيهَاagainst it غَنَاءُefficacy الرَّاقِيthe charm-healer
مَ قَلِيلٌ فِيهَا غَنَاءُ الرَّاقِي
You are, by God, a serpent that spits venom;
With little antidote to heal the afflicted
against it, a charm-healer is of little avail.
You are the sun, men but stars
أنْتَyou كالشَّمْسِlike the sun والرِّجَالand men نُجُومٌstars
أنْتَ كالشَّمْسِ والرِّجَال نُجُومٌ
لاَnot يُرَىis seen ضَوؤُهَأtheir light مَعَalongside الإشْرَاقِthe radiance
لاَ يُرَى ضَوؤُهَأ مَعَ الإشْرَاقِ
You are like the sun, and men are stars;
Whose glow cannot be seen when you rise
their light is unseen beside its radiance.
You have protected Iraq with sharp swords
قَدْindeed حَمَيتyou defended الْعِرَاقَIraq بِالأسَلِwith spears السُّمْthe brown-shafted (continued)
قَدْ حَمَيت الْعِرَاقَ بِالأسَلِ السُّمْ
رِcompletion of 'brown-shafted' وَبِالْبِيضِand with bright swords كالْبُرُوقِlike lightning flashes الرّقَاقِthe slender
رِ وَبِالْبِيضِ كالْبُرُوقِ الرّقَاقِ
You have defended Iraq with brown-shafted spears
And with the white blades, like flashes of lightning
and bright swords like slender flashes of lightning.
We came when you called us to Syria
وَأجيْنَاكَand we answered you (uncertain reading) إذْwhen دَعَوْتَyou called إلىto الشَSyria (continued)
وَأجيْنَاكَ إذْ دَعَوْتَ إلى الشَ
امcompletion of 'Syria' عَلَىon الْقُبِّthe lean steeds كالسَّحُونِlike wild asses (uncertain reading) الْعِتَاقِthe noble thoroughbreds
ام عَلَى الْقُبِّ كالسَّحُونِ الْعِتَاقِ
And we answered you when you called us to Syria,
Against the enemy, like free warriors
on lean, noble steeds, like wild asses.
You ignited war in Syria with the white blades
وَسَعَرْتَand you kindled القِتَالَthe battle فيin الشَّامِSyria بِالْبَيwith bright swords (continued)
وَسَعَرْتَ القِتَالَ في الشَّامِ بِالْبَي
ضِcompletion of 'bright swords' الْمَوَاضِيthe keen-edged وَبِالرّمَاحِand with spears الدِّقَاقِthe slender
ضِ الْمَوَاضِي وَبِالرّمَاحِ الدِّقَاقِ
And you kindled battle in Syria with bright
And with the slender spears
keen-edged swords and slender spears.
We see only forearms and palms
لاَnot نَرَىwe see غَيْرِother than أذْرُعِarms وَأكْفٍّand hands
لاَ نَرَى غَيْرِ أذْرُعِ وَأكْفٍّ
ورُؤُسِand heads بِهَامِهَاin their crowns أفْلاَقِclefts
ورُؤُسِ بِهَامِهَا أفْلاَقِ
We see nothing but arms and hands,
And heads severed by the blows
and heads with clefts in their crowns.
Whenever I said the throngs had dwindled
كُلَّمَاwhenever قُلْتُI said قَدْalready تَصَرَّمَتِhas ended الهَيْجَthe battle (continued)
كُلَّمَا قُلْتُ قَدْ تَصَرَّمَتِ الهَيْجَ
اءُcompletion of 'battle' سَقَيْتَهُمْyou gave them drink بِكَأسٍwith a cup دِهَاقِbrimming
اءُ سَقَيْتَهُمْ بِكَأسٍ دِهَاقِ
Whenever I said, 'The battle has ended,'
You watered them with a deep bowl
you made them drink from a brimming cup.
You have fulfilled your duty to truth
قَدْindeed قَضَيْتَyou discharged الَّذِيthat which عَلَيْكَwas incumbent on you مِنَof الحَقّthe duty
قَدْ قَضَيْتَ الَّذِي عَلَيْكَ مِنَ الحَقّ
وَسَارَتْand traveled بِهِwith it الْقِلاَصُthe young she-camels الْمَنَاقِيthe plump, marrow-rich
وَسَارَتْ بِهِ الْقِلاَصُ الْمَنَاقِي
You have discharged the duty you owed,
And the executioners have accomplished it
and plump young she-camels have carried word of it.
Your great right remains over people
وَبَقِيَand remains حَقُّكَyour due الْعَظِيمُthe great عَلَىupon النَّthe people (continued)
وَبَقِيَ حَقُّكَ الْعَظِيمُ عَلَى النَّ
اسِcompletion of 'people' وَحَقand the due الْمَلِيكِof the king صَعْبُdifficult الْمَراقِيthe ascents
اسِ وَحَق الْمَلِيكِ صَعْبُ الْمَراقِي
And your great due remains upon the people;
And the right of the King is hard to attain
and the king's due is an arduous ascent.
You are sweet to those close in friendship
أنْتَyou حُلْوٌsweet لِمَنْto whoever تَقَرَّبَdrew near بِالْوِدّwith affection
أنْتَ حُلْوٌ لِمَنْ تَقَرَّبَ بِالْوِدّ
وَلِلشَّانِئِينَand to the haters مُرُّbitter الْمَذَاقِيin taste
وَلِلشَّانِئِينَ مُرُّ الْمَذَاقِي
You are sweet to whoever draws near with affection,
And bitter to those hostile in enmity
and bitter to the taste of those who hate you.
Wearing the crown of your grandfather and father
لاَبِسٌwearing تَاجَthe crown of جَدّهhis grandfather وَأَبيهِand his father
لاَبِسٌ تَاجَ جَدّه وَأَبيهِ
لَوْif only وَقَاهُshielded him رَدَىthe doom of المَنِيَّةِdeath وَاقِa guardian
لَوْ وَقَاهُ رَدَى المَنِيَّةِ وَاقِ
Wearing his grandfather's and his father's crown—
If only it could ward off the termination of life
if only a guardian could shield him from death's doom.
Evil is what Ibn Hind assumed of you
بِئْسَhow bad مَاwhat ظَّنَّهُhe thought it ابْنُthe son of هِنْدٍHind وَمَنand who مِثlike (continued)
بِئْسَ مَا ظَّنَّهُ ابْنُ هِنْدٍ وَمَن مِث
لُكَcompletion of 'like', with 'you' لِلنَّاسِfor the people عِندَwhen ضِيقِthe tightening of الخِنَاقِthe noose
لُكَ لِلنَّاسِ عِندَ ضِيقِ الخِنَاقِ
How ill Ibn Hind judged! And who is
And those like you, in people's eyes in times of distress
like you for the people when the noose tightens?
Partial English translation: 25 of 26 Arabic lines translated.