لَقَدindeed طالَhas lasted long هَزّيmy shaking مِنfrom قَوائِمِthe hilts of مَعشَرٍa band of men
لَقَد طالَ هَزّي مِن قَوائِمِ مَعشَرٍ
كِلالِblunt الظُبىthe edges لَمnot أَرضَI have been satisfied with مِنfrom بَينِهاamong them نَصلاa blade
كِلالِ الظُبى لَم أَرضَ مِن بَينِها نَصلا
Long indeed have I shaken the hilts of a band,
Long have I suffered the contempt of a people,
Dull-edged; no blade among them has pleased me.
Like a thirsty oryx finding no place for its nose-rope among them.
رِجالٌmen إِذاwhen نادَيتَهُمyou call on them لِصَنيعَةٍfor a favor
رِجالٌ إِذا نادَيتَهُم لِصَنيعَةٍ
وَجَدتَهُمُand you find them ميلاًturning aside عَنِfrom الجودِgenerosity أَوor عُزلاunarmed
وَجَدتَهُمُ ميلاً عَنِ الجودِ أَو عُزلا
Men: when you call on them for a favor,
Men whom if you call upon for help with a task,
You find them turning from generosity, or unarmed.
You find them averse to generosity or absent.
إِذاwhen جُشِّمواthey are burdened with النَزرَthe scant amount القَليلَthe small رَأَيتَهُمyou see them
إِذا جُشِّموا النَزرَ القَليلَ رَأَيتَهُم
يَعُجّونَthey clamor مِنfrom لُؤمٍmeanness وَماand not حُمِّلواthey were burdened with ثِقلاa heavy load
يَعُجّونَ مِن لُؤمٍ وَما حُمِّلوا ثِقلا
When burdened with the merest trifle, you see them
When a small gift is presented to them,
Clamoring from meanness, though made to bear no heavy load.
You see them recoiling in meanness, though it was no burden to bear.
عَلىupon النَفسِmyself أَثنيI turn بِالمَلامِwith reproach لِأَنَّنيbecause I
عَلى النَفسِ أَثني بِالمَلامِ لِأَنَّني
نَحَلتُI bestowed وُسومَthe brands of الخَيلِhorses أَحمِرَةًasses غُفلاunbranded
نَحَلتُ وُسومَ الخَيلِ أَحمِرَةً غُفلا
I turn my reproach upon myself, for I
I blame my soul, for I nursed steeds with distinctive cheek-marks,
Gave horses' brands to unbranded asses,
And shouldered the burdens of she-camels while young.
وَحَمَّلتُand I loaded أَمطاءَthe backs of البِكارِyoung camels مَآرِبيmy needs
وَحَمَّلتُ أَمطاءَ البِكارِ مَآرِبي
وَلَمّاand not yet أُحَمِّلهاI loaded them onto المَصاعِبَthe unbroken camels وَالبُزلاand the mature camels
وَلَمّا أُحَمِّلها المَصاعِبَ وَالبُزلا
And loaded my needs onto the backs of young camels,
Yet when I load them with hardships and trials,
Though I had not yet laid them on the unbroken and the full-grown.
The rascals of the people spread their ignorance,
يُشيعُbroadcasts لَئيمُthe churl of القَومِthe people ذوpossessing الجَهلِignorance لُؤمَهُhis meanness
يُشيعُ لَئيمُ القَومِ ذو الجَهلِ لُؤمَهُ
وَيَستُرُand conceals بَعضَsome of اللُؤمِthe meanness مَنone who صَحِبَhas kept company with العَقلاreason
وَيَستُرُ بَعضَ اللُؤمِ مَن صَحِبَ العَقلا
The ignorant churl of a people broadcasts his own meanness,
And some fools cover up the ignorance of others.
While one who keeps reason for a companion hides some of his meanness.
Ah, how often I raise up the fool only to be dragged down by him,
أَلاindeed رُبَّماsometimes أَرقيI charm اللَئيمَthe churl فَيَنثَنيand he relents
أَلا رُبَّما أَرقي اللَئيمَ فَيَنثَني
وَأَعضَلَنيbut has baffled me مَنone who يَجمَعُcombines اللُؤمَmeanness وَالجَهلاand ignorance
وَأَعضَلَني مَن يَجمَعُ اللُؤمَ وَالجَهلا
Indeed, sometimes I charm a churl and he relents;
And am injured by one who combines foolery and ignorance!
But one who joins meanness to ignorance has baffled me.
Pregnant with hope for promised gifts, they persisted
حَبالىpregnant بِمَوعودِwith the promise of العَطاءِbounty تَجَرَّمَتhave passed
حَبالى بِمَوعودِ العَطاءِ تَجَرَّمَت
شُهوراًmonths وَأَعواماًand years وَماyet never طَرَقواthey gave birth to حَملاoffspring
شُهوراً وَأَعواماً وَما طَرَقوا حَملا
Pregnant with promised bounty, they have passed
For months and years, though they never approached childbirth.
Months and years, yet never brought offspring to birth.
They conspired to delay their promise, then grew bold
تَواصَواthey urged one another بِمَطلِto delay الوَعدِthe promise ثُمَّthen تَجاسَرواthey grew bold
تَواصَوا بِمَطلِ الوَعدِ ثُمَّ تَجاسَروا
عَلىin اللُؤمِmeanness حَتّىuntil جانَبواthey abandoned الوَعدَpromising وَالمَطلاand postponement
عَلى اللُؤمِ حَتّى جانَبوا الوَعدَ وَالمَطلا
They urged each other to delay their promises, then grew so brazen
In meanness until they disregarded both promise and delay.
In meanness that they abandoned promise and postponement alike.
They are men with docked tails who will not grow in generosity,
ذُنابىlowly tails of men قِصارٍshort لاnot يَزيدونَthey gain بَسطَةًstature
ذُنابى قِصارٍ لا يَزيدونَ بَسطَةً
وَإِنand even if رَكِبواthey rode يَوماًone day ظَنَنتَهُمُyou would think them رَجلاon foot
وَإِن رَكِبوا يَوماً ظَنَنتَهُمُ رَجلا
Stunted tails of men, who never gain in stature;
And if one day they ride forth, you would think them but footmen.
Even if they rode one day, you would think them on foot.
How different you are from those who release streams when the year lacks rain,
فَشَتّانَhow far apart, then أَنتُمyou وَالمُسيلونَand the pourers لِلجَداof bounty
فَشَتّانَ أَنتُم وَالمُسيلونَ لِلجَدا
إِذاwhen عَدِمَlacks العامُthe year النَدىrain رَوَّضواthey make meadows of المَحلاthe drought
إِذا عَدِمَ العامُ النَدى رَوَّضوا المَحلا
How far apart are you and those who pour out bounty,
Apportioning water points when the clouds fail!
Who, when the year lacks rain, turn drought into meadows.
They are brothers to the rain cloud,
يَكونونَthey are لِلوَبلِto the downpour الغَمامِيِّcloud-borne إِخوَةًbrothers
يَكونونَ لِلوَبلِ الغَمامِيِّ إِخوَةً
فَإِنand if ضَنَّit withholds itself عَنfrom أَوطانِهِits own lands خَلَفواthey replace الوَبلاthe downpour
فَإِن ضَنَّ عَن أَوطانِهِ خَلَفوا الوَبلا
They are brothers to the cloud-borne downpour;
Withdrawing along with it if it is miserly towards their land.
And if it withholds itself from its own lands, they take the downpour's place.
They bed down threadbare, clenching their leather water bags,
يَبيتونَthey spend the night غَرثىhungry يَعلِكونَchewing سِياطَهُمtheir whips
يَبيتونَ غَرثى يَعلِكونَ سِياطَهُم
وَقَدand already طَرَدواthey drove away عَنّاfrom us المَجاعَةَfamine وَالأَزلاand hardship
وَقَد طَرَدوا عَنّا المَجاعَةَ وَالأَزلا
They spend the night hungry, chewing their whips,
And they have driven poverty and hunger away from us.
Though they have driven famine and hardship from us.
Enclosures of meaning brimming with water, the life vein
حِياضُpools مَعانيsources of الماءِwater غَدِيَةُmorning-watered by الحَياrain
حِياضُ مَعاني الماءِ غَدِيَةُ الحَيا
يُدَلُّare guided عَلَيهاto them الخابِطانِthe two wanderers إِذاwhen ضَلّاthey both stray
يُدَلُّ عَلَيها الخابِطانِ إِذا ضَلّا
Pools of spring water, refreshed by morning rain,
Whose channels show the way when one is lost,
To which the two wanderers are guided when they lose their way.
They ward away rabble from them for the stranger’s sake—
يَذودونَthey drive away عَنهاfrom them لِلغَريبِfor the stranger سَوامَهُمtheir grazing herds
يَذودونَ عَنها لِلغَريبِ سَوامَهُم
وَلَوeven if أَنَّهُمthat they شاؤواthey wished for القَذىthe impurities وَرَدواthey would have come to water قَبلاfirst
وَلَو أَنَّهُم شاؤوا القَذى وَرَدوا قَبلا
They drive their own herds back from them for the stranger,
Even had they desired otherwise, still they would cede.
Though, had they wished to foul the water, they could have watered first.
If greeted with "Peace," they do not deny the latter half.
إِذاwhen سالَمواthey make peace لَمnot يَمنَعواthey deny النَصفَfair treatment طالِباًa seeker
إِذا سالَموا لَم يَمنَعوا النَصفَ طالِباً
وَإِنand if طاعَنواthey cross spears with الأَقرانَtheir peers لَمnot يَعرِفواthey know العَدلاfairness
وَإِن طاعَنوا الأَقرانَ لَم يَعرِفوا العَدلا
When they make peace, they deny no seeker fair treatment;
And if peers contend, they do not recognize justice.
But when they cross spears with their peers, they know no fairness.
When the gaping of wolves’ jaws parts on one flank,
إِذاwhen فَغَرَتgapes شَوهاءُa hideous war مِنfrom جانِبِthe side of العِداthe enemies
إِذا فَغَرَت شَوهاءُ مِن جانِبِ العِدا
عَلىwith غَيرِno نَذرٍforewarning لَقَّموهاthey cram its mouth with القَناthe spears الذُبلاthe slender, dry ones
عَلى غَيرِ نَذرٍ لَقَّموها القَنا الذُبلا
When hideous war gapes from the enemy's side,
Though unprovoked, they cram them with sapless brushwood.
Without warning, they cram its mouth with slender spears.
Weighty yet nimble in their hands, as though
ثِقالٌheavy بِأَيديهِمin their hands خِفافٌlight كَأَنَّماas though
ثِقالٌ بِأَيديهِم خِفافٌ كَأَنَّما
أَطارواthey sent flying إِلىtoward الأَعداءِthe enemies مِنfrom روسِهاtheir tips نَخلاpalm trees
أَطاروا إِلى الأَعداءِ مِن روسِها نَخلا
Heavy, yet light in their hands, as though
They had flung towery heads of palms at the foe.
From their tips they sent palm trees flying at the enemy.
As if the bridle bits of lively steeds called forth from them,
كَأَنَّas though طُروقَa night raid on الحَيِّthe tribe يُخرِجُdraws out مِنهُمُfrom them
كَأَنَّ طُروقَ الحَيِّ يُخرِجُ مِنهُمُ
إِذاwhen غَضِبواthey rage الداءَthe sickness المُجَنَّةَmadness وَالخَبلاand frenzy
إِذا غَضِبوا الداءَ المُجَنَّةَ وَالخَبلا
As though a night raid on their tribe draws out of them,
When enraged, a streaming pestilence and madness,
When they rage, the sickness—madness and frenzy.
If summoned, they race the winds, blustering tempests
إِذاwhen ما(emphasis) دُعواthey are summoned خِلتَyou would imagine الرِياحَthe winds عَواصِفاًraging
إِذا ما دُعوا خِلتَ الرِياحَ عَواصِفاً
تَهيلُheaping up ثَرىًearth مِنfrom جانِبِthe side of الغَورِthe lowland أَوor رَملاsand
تَهيلُ ثَرىً مِن جانِبِ الغَورِ أَو رَملا
When summoned, you would think the winds were raging,
That kick up the soil from the brink of a valley or a dune.
Sweeping up earth or sand from the lowland's edge.
A youth cries out at night, stoking the fire of his hearth:
يُناديcalls الفَتىthe young man بِاللَيلِat night مَوقِدَthe kindler of نارِهِhis fire
يُنادي الفَتى بِاللَيلِ مَوقِدَ نارِهِ
حِبابَfor love of القِرىhospitality ظاهِرpile up لَهاfor it الحَطَبَthe firewood الجَزلاthick and dry
حِبابَ القِرى ظاهِر لَها الحَطَبَ الجَزلا
The young man calls by night to the kindler of his fire,
“Kindlers of settlement fires, make your fuel substantial!”
For love of hospitality: “Heap thick logs upon it!
“You who watch over the leather sack for the swords,
وَياand O راعِيَherder of الكَوماءِthe high-humped she-camel لِلسَيفِfor the sword ظَهرُهاher back
وَيا راعِيَ الكَوماءِ لِلسَيفِ ظَهرُها
فَضَعso take off عَنfrom بَوانيهاher ribs الحَوِيَّةَthe saddlepad وَالرَحلاand the saddle
فَضَع عَن بَوانيها الحَوِيَّةَ وَالرَحلا
And, herder of the high-humped she-camel, her back is for the sword;
Remove the scaffold and saddle-cloth from their withers!”
So take the saddlepad and saddle off her ribs!”
Those are my people, not those whose discourse
أُولَئِكَthose قَوميmy people لاnot الَّذينَthose who مَقالُهُمtheir saying
أُولَئِكَ قَومي لا الَّذينَ مَقالُهُم
لِباغيto a seeker of النَدىbounty أَوor طارِقِa visitor in اللَيلِthe night لاno أَهلاwelcome
لِباغي النَدى أَو طارِقِ اللَيلِ لا أَهلا
Those are my people, not those whose answer
To the besetter of pasturelands or night raider is “Begone!"
To a seeker of bounty or a night visitor is, “No welcome!”
Partial English translation: 45 of 46 Arabic lines translated.