إِلى كَم لا تَلينُ عَلى العِتابِ

إِلى كَم لا تَلينُ عَلى العِتابِ

وَأَنتَ أَصَمُّ عَن رَدِّ الجَوابِ

وَأَنتَ أَصَمُّ عَن رَدِّ الجَوابِ

How long will you refuse to soften under reproach,

How long will you be harsh and ignore my reproach

While you are deaf to giving a reply?

While you remain deaf to any response?

حِذارَكَ أَن تُغالِبَني غِلاباً

حِذارَكَ أَن تُغالِبَني غِلاباً

فَإِنّي لا أَدُرُّ عَلى الغِضابِ

فَإِنّي لا أَدُرُّ عَلى الغِضابِ

Beware of challenging me to a contest,

Beware lest I defeat you in a contest

For I yield no milk to those who rage.

For I cannot restrain my wrath

وَإِنَّكَ إِن أَقَمتَ عَلى أَذاتي

وَإِنَّكَ إِن أَقَمتَ عَلى أَذاتي

فَتَحتَ إِلى اِنتِصاري كُلَّ بابِ

فَتَحتَ إِلى اِنتِصاري كُلَّ بابِ

And indeed, if you persist in harming me,

And if you persist in hurting me

You will have opened every door to my vengeance.

You open for me every way to prevail.

وَأَحلُمُ ثُمَّ يُدرِكُني إِبائي

وَأَحلُمُ ثُمَّ يُدرِكُني إِبائي

وَكَم يَبقى القَرينُ عَلى الجِذابِ

وَكَم يَبقى القَرينُ عَلى الجِذابِ

I show forbearance; then my pride overtakes me.

I am forbearing, but then my pride takes over

And how long can a companion endure the tugging?

And how long can dignity abide insult?

إِذا وَلَّيتَني ظِفراً وَناباً

إِذا وَلَّيتَني ظِفراً وَناباً

فَدونَكَ فَاِخِشَ مِن شَفَري وَنابي

فَدونَكَ فَاِخِشَ مِن شَفَري وَنابي

If you turn claw and fang against me,

When you turn from me, defeated and contrite

Then take heed, and fear my blade and my fang.

Fear my blade and fangs in vengeance.

فَإِنَّ حَمِيَّةَ القُرَناءِ تَطغى

فَإِنَّ حَمِيَّةَ القُرَناءِ تَطغى

فَتَثلِمُ جانِبَ النَسَبِ القُرابِ

فَتَثلِمُ جانِبَ النَسَبِ القُرابِ

For the fierce pride of peers runs wild,

For allies’ zeal can exceed all bounds

Thus chipping the edge of close kinship.

And blemish even the closest kinship.

نَفِرُّ إِلى الشَرابِ إِذا غَصَصنا

نَفِرُّ إِلى الشَرابِ إِذا غَصَصنا

فَكيفَ إِذاغَصَصنا بِالشَرابِ

فَكيفَ إِذاغَصَصنا بِالشَرابِ

We flee to drink when we choke;

We are provoked to drink when we are debased-

But what if we choke on the drink?

How then when debased by the drink itself?

فَلا تَنظُر إِلَيَّ بِعَينِ عَجزٍ

فَلا تَنظُر إِلَيَّ بِعَينِ عَجزٍ

فَرُبَّ مُهَنَّدٍ لَكَ في ثِيابي

فَرُبَّ مُهَنَّدٍ لَكَ في ثِيابي

So do not look on me with an eye that judges me weak,

So look not at me with eyes of disdain

For many an Indian-steel blade lies in my robes for you.

For many a ragged one conceals in his cloak

وَمَن لَكَ بي يَرُدُّ عَلَيكَ شَخصِيَ

وَمَن لَكَ بي يَرُدُّ عَلَيكَ شَخصِيَ

إِذا أَثبَتُّ رِجلي في الرِكابِ

إِذا أَثبَتُّ رِجلي في الرِكابِ

And who can bring my person back to you,

Who but I will make a stand and face you

Once I set my foot firmly in the stirrup?

When I dig in my heels and strap on my belt?

وَما صَبري وَقَد جاشَت هُمومي

وَما صَبري وَقَد جاشَت هُمومي

إِلى أَمرٍ وَعَبِّ لَهُ عُبابي

إِلى أَمرٍ وَعَبِّ لَهُ عُبابي

And how can I be patient, when my cares have surged

How can I stay patient when worries boil up

Toward a purpose, and my flood has swelled for it?

To a matter that has no remedy but my own hands?

سَيَرمي عَنكَ بي مَرمىً بَعيدٌ

سَيَرمي عَنكَ بي مَرمىً بَعيدٌ

وَتَغدو غَيرَ مُنتَظِرٍ إِيابي

وَتَغدو غَيرَ مُنتَظِرٍ إِيابي

A far-off goal will fling me away from you,

I will loose at you an arrow shot far

And you will no longer await my return.

And you will rise to find my trail gone cold.

إِذا الإِشفاقُ هَزَّكَ عُدتَ مِنهُ

إِذا الإِشفاقُ هَزَّكَ عُدتَ مِنهُ

بِعَضِّ أَنامِلٍ أَو قَرعِ نابِ

بِعَضِّ أَنامِلٍ أَو قَرعِ نابِ

When apprehension shakes you, you will come away from it

When pity stirs you, you will get from it

Biting your fingertips or gnashing a fang.

Just some finger clicking or door tapping.

وَتَسمَعُ بي وَقَد أَعلَنتُ أَمري

وَتَسمَعُ بي وَقَد أَعلَنتُ أَمري

فَتَعلَمُ أَنَّ دَأبَكَ غَيرُ دابي

فَتَعلَمُ أَنَّ دَأبَكَ غَيرُ دابي

And you will hear of me once I have made my purpose known,

You will hear of me when I make my affair public

So you will know that your way is not mine.

And know your ways are far from my own.

وَرُبَّ رَكائِبٍ مِن نَحوِ أَرضي

وَرُبَّ رَكائِبٍ مِن نَحوِ أَرضي

تَخُبُّ إِلَيكَ بِالعَجَبِ العُجابِ

تَخُبُّ إِلَيكَ بِالعَجَبِ العُجابِ

And many riding camels from the direction of my land

Strange tidings of me from my lands

Will trot to you bearing the most astounding wonders,

Will mystify you with marvel and wonder.

وَتُظهِرُ أُسرَةً مِن سِرِّ قَومي

وَتُظهِرُ أُسرَةً مِن سِرِّ قَومي

تَمُدُّ إِلى اِنتِظاري بِالرَقابِ

تَمُدُّ إِلى اِنتِظاري بِالرَقابِ

And reveal a clan from the noblest of my people,

You will get inklings of my people’s secrets

Craning their necks as they wait for me.

That make you crane your necks in anticipation.

وَتُصبِحُ لا تَني عَجَباً وَقولاً

وَتُصبِحُ لا تَني عَجَباً وَقولاً

أَهَذا الحَدُّ أَطلَقَ مِن ذُبابي

أَهَذا الحَدُّ أَطلَقَ مِن ذُبابي

And you will keep on marveling and saying:

And you will wake perplexed and at a loss for words-

Is this edge freer than my sword's point?

Can this whiner have slipped his leash?

فَكَيفَ إِذا رَأَيتَ الخَيلَ شُعثاً

فَكَيفَ إِذا رَأَيتَ الخَيلَ شُعثاً

طَلَعنَ مِنَ المَخارِمِ وَالعِقابِ

طَلَعنَ مِنَ المَخارِمِ وَالعِقابِ

How then, when you see the horses, shaggy,

Just imagine when you see the horses disheveled

Coming up from mountain clefts and steep passes,

Emerging from dens and mountain clefts

تُعاظِلُ كَالجَرادِ زَفَتهُ ريحٌ

تُعاظِلُ كَالجَرادِ زَفَتهُ ريحٌ

فَمَرَّ يُطيعُها يَومَ الضَبابِ

فَمَرَّ يُطيعُها يَومَ الضَبابِ

Crowding like a locust swarm that a wind drove,

Sweeping like locusts driven on by the wind

And that passed, obeying it, on a foggy day?

Passing through on a day of dust clouds

أَمَضَّتها الشَكائِمُ فَهيَ خُرسٌ

أَمَضَّتها الشَكائِمُ فَهيَ خُرسٌ

تَسيلُ لَها دَماً بَدَلَ اللُعابِ

تَسيلُ لَها دَماً بَدَلَ اللُعابِ

The bits have tormented them, so they are mute;

With grim destiny driving them, grown mute

Their bits drip blood instead of saliva.

Blood flows from them instead of saliva

تُذَكِّرُهُم بِذي قارٍ طِعاناً

تُذَكِّرُهُم بِذي قارٍ طِعاناً

وَما جَرَّ القَنا يَومَ الكُلابِ

وَما جَرَّ القَنا يَومَ الكُلابِ

They remind them, with spear-thrusts, of Dhu Qar,

Reminding them of Dhi Qar's onslaught

And what the spears brought about on the day of al-Kulab.

And the day of snarling dogs.

عَليها كُلُّ أَبلَجَ مِن قُرَيشٍ

عَليها كُلُّ أَبلَجَ مِن قُرَيشٍ

لَبيقٍ بِالطِعانِ وَبِالضِرابِ

لَبيقٍ بِالطِعانِ وَبِالضِرابِ

On them rides every bright-browed man of Quraysh,

Every knight of Quraysh is over them

Skilled in spear-thrusting and sword-striking.

Shouting, stabbing with each sweep and thrust

يَسيرُ وَأَرضُهُ جُردُ المَذاكي

يَسيرُ وَأَرضُهُ جُردُ المَذاكي

وَجَوُّ سَمائِهِ ظِلُّ العُقابِ

وَجَوُّ سَمائِهِ ظِلُّ العُقابِ

He travels, his ground the sleek, full-grown steeds,

While their land is stripped bare of pastures

And the expanse of his sky the eagle's shadow.

And their sky is in the shadow of vultures.

وَعِندي لِلعِدى لا بُدَّ يَومٌ

وَعِندي لِلعِدى لا بُدَّ يَومٌ

يُذيقُهُمُ المَسَمَّمَ مِن عِقابي

يُذيقُهُمُ المَسَمَّمَ مِن عِقابي

And I have, without fail, a day in store for my foes,

For the foe, I must have a day

That will make them taste the poison of my punishment.

When I will serve the poisoned draught.

فَأَنصُبُ فَوقَ هامِهِمُ قُدوري

فَأَنصُبُ فَوقَ هامِهِمُ قُدوري

وَأَمزُجُ مِن دِمائِهِم شَرابي

وَأَمزُجُ مِن دِمائِهِم شَرابي

Then I shall set my cauldrons above their skulls,

I set over their throngs my cauldrons

And mix my drink with their blood,

And mix their blood into my drink.

وَأُركِزُ في قُلوبِهِمُ رِماحي

وَأُركِزُ في قُلوبِهِمُ رِماحي

وَأَضرِبُ في دِيارِهِمُ قِبابي

وَأَضرِبُ في دِيارِهِمُ قِبابي

And plant my spears in their hearts,

I drive my spears into their hearts

And pitch my tents in their lands.

And I knock down their homes into rubble.

فَإِن أَهلِك فَعَن قَدرٍ جَرِيٍّ

فَإِن أَهلِك فَعَن قَدرٍ جَرِيٍّ

وَإِن أَملِك فَقَد أَغنى طِلابي

وَإِن أَملِك فَقَد أَغنى طِلابي

So if I perish, it is through fate taking its course,

If I perish, it was fated as such

And if I gain dominion, my quest will have availed me.

If I prevail, my striving has paid off.