رَمَى اللهُ سَعْداً بِالَّذي هُوَ أَهْلُهُ

رَمَى اللهُ سَعْداً بِالَّذي هُوَ أَهْلُهُ

فَقَدْ مَلَّ قَبْلَ الفَجْرِ سَوْقَ الأَباعِرِ

فَقَدْ مَلَّ قَبْلَ الفَجْرِ سَوْقَ الأَباعِرِ

May God strike Saʿd with what he deserves,

Allah granted Sa'd what suited him,

for before dawn he wearied of driving the camels.

So he filled the markets before dawn with camels.

يُلِحُّ على الأَقْدارِ بِاللَّوْمِ إِذْ وَنى

يُلِحُّ على الأَقْدارِ بِاللَّوْمِ إِذْ وَنى

وَليْسَ على طَيِّ الفَيافِي بِصابِرِ

وَليْسَ على طَيِّ الفَيافِي بِصابِرِ

He keeps blaming fate when he flags,

He blamed fate when times were hard,

and has no patience for crossing the wastelands.

Yet he was not patient in the empty wilderness.

وَبِئْسَ زَميلُ السَّفْرِ مَنْ كانَ دَأْبُهُ

وَبِئْسَ زَميلُ السَّفْرِ مَنْ كانَ دَأْبُهُ

إِذا عُيِّرَ التَقْصيرَ ذَمُّ المَقادِرِ

إِذا عُيِّرَ التَقْصيرَ ذَمُّ المَقادِرِ

And wretched is the travel companion whose habit is,

A terrible traveling companion is one whose habit is,

when reproached for his failings, to revile fate.

When reprimanded for shortcomings, to blame fate.

فَلَمْ أَجُبِ البَيْداءَ إِذْ أَرْخَتِ الدُّجَى

فَلَمْ أَجُبِ البَيْداءَ إِذْ أَرْخَتِ الدُّجَى

ذَلاذِلَها مِنْهُ بِأَبْيَضَ باتِرِ

ذَلاذِلَها مِنْهُ بِأَبْيَضَ باتِرِ

So I did not cross the desert, when darkness let down

So I did not answer the open desert when it spread its cover,

its trailing hems, with him as a white, cleaving sword.

With its humiliating evenings and white dawn.

وَلَوْ أَرِّقَتْهُ هِمَّةٌ أُمَويَّةٌ

وَلَوْ أَرِّقَتْهُ هِمَّةٌ أُمَويَّةٌ

لَما نَامَ عَمّا أَقْتَني مِنْ مَآثِرِ

لَما نَامَ عَمّا أَقْتَني مِنْ مَآثِرِ

And had an Umayyad ambition kept him awake,

If only an Umayyad ambition kept him awake,

he would not have slept heedless of the noble deeds I acquire.

He would not sleep forgetting my great deeds.

فَبات ضَجيعاً لِلْهُوَينى وَقَلَّصَتْ

فَبات ضَجيعاً لِلْهُوَينى وَقَلَّصَتْ

بِرَحْلِي بُنَيَّاتُ الجَديلِ وَداعِرِ

بِرَحْلِي بُنَيَّاتُ الجَديلِ وَداعِرِ

So he lay all night bedfellow to ease, while sped onward

He slept surrendering to degradation while

the little daughters of al-Jadīl and Dāʿir, bearing my saddle.

My departure diminished the young she-camels with calves.

وَقَدْ شَرِبَتْ أَكْوارُها مِنْ ظُهورِها

وَقَدْ شَرِبَتْ أَكْوارُها مِنْ ظُهورِها

دَمَاً وَالكَرى يُلْقِي يَداً في المَحاجِرِ

دَمَاً وَالكَرى يُلْقِي يَداً في المَحاجِرِ

And their saddles had already drunk from their backs

Their backs had drunk blood

blood, while slumber laid a hand in the eye sockets.

While Korah persistently cast stones.

لَئِنْ سَلِمَتْ مِنّي وَلَمْ أَبْلُغِ المَدَى

لَئِنْ سَلِمَتْ مِنّي وَلَمْ أَبْلُغِ المَدَى

فَلَسْتُ لِصِيدٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ وَعامِرِ

فَلَسْتُ لِصِيدٍ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ وَعامِرِ

If indeed they escape me unscathed and I do not reach the goal,

If they escape me and I do not reach the goal,

then I am not descended from the proud nobles of Quraysh and ʿĀmir.

I am no hunter of Quraysh or knight.