وَمَولىً سَخيفِ الرَأيِ رِخوٍ تَزيدُهُ

وَمَولىً سَخيفِ الرَأيِ رِخوٍ تَزيدُهُ

أَناتي وَعَفوي جَهلَهُ عِندَهُ ذَمّا

أَناتي وَعَفوي جَهلَهُ عِندَهُ ذَمّا

And a weak ally, shallow in judgment, who regards

And a foolish, weak-minded master,

my patience and pardon of his folly with ever greater scorn—

Whose ignorance my gentleness increases for him blame,

دَمَلتُ وَلَولا غَيرُهُ لأَصَبتُهُ

دَمَلتُ وَلَولا غَيرُهُ لأَصَبتُهُ

بِشَنعاءَ باقٍ عارُها تَقِرُ العَظما

بِشَنعاءَ باقٍ عارُها تَقِرُ العَظما

I bore with him; but for another, I would have struck him

I showed patience, and had it not been for others, I would have struck him

with a vile insult whose enduring shame cracks the bone.

With lasting disgrace, its shame admitting no bones.

وَكانَت عُروقُ السوءِ أَزرَت وَقَصَّرَت

وَكانَت عُروقُ السوءِ أَزرَت وَقَصَّرَت

بِهِ أَن يَنالَ الحَمدَ فَالتَمَسَ الذَمّا

بِهِ أَن يَنالَ الحَمدَ فَالتَمَسَ الذَمّا

His roots in evil had debased and hindered

But the veins of evil supported him and fell short

him from winning praise, so he sought blame.

That he should gain praise, so he sought blame.

طَوى حَسَداً ضِغناً عَليَّ كَأَنَّما

طَوى حَسَداً ضِغناً عَليَّ كَأَنَّما

أدَاوي بِهِ في كُلِّ مَجمَعَةٍ كَلما

أدَاوي بِهِ في كُلِّ مَجمَعَةٍ كَلما

Out of envy he harbored a grudge against me, as though

He harbored rancorous envy against me as if

I were healing a wound at his expense in every gathering.

I treat him in every gathering with words.

وَيَجهَلُ أَحياناً فَلا يَستَخِفُّني

وَيَجهَلُ أَحياناً فَلا يَستَخِفُّني

وَلا أَجهَلُ العُتبى إِذا راجَعَ الحِلما

وَلا أَجهَلُ العُتبى إِذا راجَعَ الحِلما

Sometimes he acts rashly, yet he does not provoke me;

And he is sometimes ignorant, so let him not take me lightly,

nor do I fail to reconcile when he returns to forbearance.

Nor am I ignorant of reproach when reason returns.

يَصُدُّ وَينأَى في الرَخاءِ بِوُدِّهِ

يَصُدُّ وَينأَى في الرَخاءِ بِوُدِّهِ

وَيَدنو وَيَدعوني إِذا خَشِيَ الهَضما

وَيَدنو وَيَدعوني إِذا خَشِيَ الهَضما

He turns away and withdraws his affection in prosperity,

He keeps away and distances himself in prosperity with his love,

but draws near and calls me when he fears oppression.

And he comes near and calls me when he fears injustice.

فَيُفرِجُ عَنهُ إِربَة الخَصمِ مَشهَدي

فَيُفرِجُ عَنهُ إِربَة الخَصمِ مَشهَدي

وَأَدفَعُ عَنهُ عِندَ عَثرَتِهِ الظُلما

وَأَدفَعُ عَنهُ عِندَ عَثرَتِهِ الظُلما

So my presence frees him from his adversary's schemes,

So my presence relieves the worry of his opponent,

and I ward injustice off him when he stumbles.

And I ward off from him his stumbling into injustice.

وَأَمنَعُهُ إِن جَرَّ يَوماً جَريرَةً

وَأَمنَعُهُ إِن جَرَّ يَوماً جَريرَةً

وَيُسلِمُني إِن جَرَّ جارِمِيَ الجُرما

وَيُسلِمُني إِن جَرَّ جارِمِيَ الجُرما

I protect him if one day he commits an offense,

And I prevent him if one day he commits a shameful act,

yet he abandons me if an offender of mine commits a crime.

And he surrenders me if my adversaries commit a crime.

وَكُنتُ امرَأً عَودَ الفَعالِ تَهُزُّني

وَكُنتُ امرَأً عَودَ الفَعالِ تَهُزُّني

مَآثِرُ مَجدٍ تالِدٍ لَم يَكُن زَعما

مَآثِرُ مَجدٍ تالِدٍ لَم يَكُن زَعما

I have been a man seasoned in deeds, stirred

And I was a man whom the actions of glorious,

by the noble deeds of ancestral glory that was no mere claim.

Ancient glory shook, not pretense.

وَكُنتَ وَشَتمي في أرومَةِ مالِكٍ

وَكُنتَ وَشَتمي في أرومَةِ مالِكٍ

بِسَبّي بِهِ كَالكَلبِ إِذ يَنبَحُ النَّجما

بِسَبّي بِهِ كَالكَلبِ إِذ يَنبَحُ النَّجما

And you, in reviling me for my roots in Malik,

And you insulted me in the courtyard of Malik

with your abuse of me for that, were like a dog barking at a star.

Cursing me like a dog when it barks at a star.

وَتُدعى إِلى زَيدٍ وَما أَنتَ مِنهُمُ

وَتُدعى إِلى زَيدٍ وَما أَنتَ مِنهُمُ

تَحُقُّ أَباً إِلا الوَلاءَ وَلا أُمّا

تَحُقُّ أَباً إِلا الوَلاءَ وَلا أُمّا

You are ascribed to Zayd, but you are not of them

And you are called to Zeid but you are not one of them,

by a father or mother you can truly claim—only by clientage.

Deserving a father except in allegiance and no mother.

وَإِنّكَ لَو عَدَّدتَ أَحسابَ مالِكٍ

وَإِنّكَ لَو عَدَّدتَ أَحسابَ مالِكٍ

وَأَيّامَها فيها وَلَم تَنطِقِ الرَّجما

وَأَيّامَها فيها وَلَم تَنطِقِ الرَّجما

And if you counted Malik's ancestral honors,

And if you were to count the lineages of Malik

and its days among those honors, without uttering conjecture,

And her days among them and did not cast stones.

أَعادَتكَ عَبداً أَو تَنَقَّلتَ مُكدِياً

أَعادَتكَ عَبداً أَو تَنَقَّلتَ مُكدِياً

تَلَمَّسُ في حَيٍّ سِوى مالِك جِذما

تَلَمَّسُ في حَيٍّ سِوى مالِك جِذما

they would make you a slave again—or you would wander empty-handed,

It would return you a slave or you wandered begging

seeking a root in a clan other than Malik.

Feeling in a tribe other than Malik, castrated.

وَما أَنا بِالمَخسوسِ في جِذمِ مالِكٍ

وَما أَنا بِالمَخسوسِ في جِذمِ مالِكٍ

وَلا بِالمُسَمّى ثُمَّ يَلتَزِمُ الإِسما

وَلا بِالمُسَمّى ثُمَّ يَلتَزِمُ الإِسما

I am not of low standing in Malik's stock,

And I am not one inserted into the castration of Malik,

nor one merely given a name who then clings to that name.

Nor am I one named then adhering to a name.