يا أَبا اليَقظانِ أَغواكَ الطَمَع

يا أَبا اليَقظانِ أَغواكَ الطَمَع

سَوفَ تَلقى فارِساً لا يَندَفِع

سَوفَ تَلقى فارِساً لا يَندَفِع

O Abu al-Yaqzan, greed has led you astray.

O thou wakeful one, avarice has deceived thee,

You will meet a horseman who cannot be driven back.

Thou shalt meet a knight who does not rush headlong.

زُرتَني تَطلُبُ مِنّي غَفلَةً

زُرتَني تَطلُبُ مِنّي غَفلَةً

زَورَةَ الذِئبِ عَلى الشاةِ رَتَع

زَورَةَ الذِئبِ عَلى الشاةِ رَتَع

You visited me, seeking to catch me unawares,

Thou visited me seeking my unwariness,

Like a wolf visiting a grazing sheep.

Like the wolf pays a visit to the lamb just to graze.

يا أَبا اليَقظانِ كَم صَيدٍ نَج

يا أَبا اليَقظانِ كَم صَيدٍ نَج

خالِيَ البالِ وَصَيّادٍ وَقَع

خالِيَ البالِ وَصَيّادٍ وَقَع

O Abu al-Yaqzan, how many a quarry has escaped,

O thou wakeful one, many is the prey that escaped

Carefree, while many a hunter has fallen!

While empty minded and the hunter got trapped.

إِن تَكُن تَشكو لِأَوجاعِ الهَوى

إِن تَكُن تَشكو لِأَوجاعِ الهَوى

فَأَنا أَشفيكَ مِن هَذا الوَجَع

فَأَنا أَشفيكَ مِن هَذا الوَجَع

If you complain of the pains of love,

If you complain of love's pain,

Then I will cure you of this pain,

I shall heal you from this agony.

بِحُسامٍ كُلَّما جَرَّدتُهُ

بِحُسامٍ كُلَّما جَرَّدتُهُ

في يَميني كَيفَما مالَ قَطَع

في يَميني كَيفَما مالَ قَطَع

With a keen sword that, whenever I unsheathe it,

With a sword, whenever I unsheathe it

In my right hand, cuts whichever way it turns.

And wield it with my right hand, it cuts whatever it touches.

وَأَنا الأَسوَدُ وَالعَبدُ الَّذي

وَأَنا الأَسوَدُ وَالعَبدُ الَّذي

يَقصِدُ الخَيلَ إِذا النَقعُ اِرتَفَع

يَقصِدُ الخَيلَ إِذا النَقعُ اِرتَفَع

And I am the black man and the slave who

I am the black one and the slave who

Makes for the cavalry when the dust rises.

Seeks out horses when the neighing grows louder.

نِسبَتي سَيفي وَرُمحي وَهُم

نِسبَتي سَيفي وَرُمحي وَهُم

يُؤنِساني كُلَّما اِشتَدَّ الفَزَع

يُؤنِساني كُلَّما اِشتَدَّ الفَزَع

My lineage is my sword and my spear, and they

My lineage is my sword, my spear and they

Keep me company whenever terror grows fierce.

Comfort me whenever fear intensifies.

يا بَني شَيبانَ عَمّي ظالِمٌ

يا بَني شَيبانَ عَمّي ظالِمٌ

وَعَلَيكُم ظُلمَهُ اليَومَ رَجَع

وَعَلَيكُم ظُلمَهُ اليَومَ رَجَع

O sons of Shayban, my uncle is unjust;

O clans of Shayban, my uncle is unjust

And today his injustice has rebounded upon you.

And his injustice has come back to afflict you.

ساقَ بِسطاماً إِلى مَصرَعِهِ

ساقَ بِسطاماً إِلى مَصرَعِهِ

عالِقاً مِنهُ بِأَذيالِ الطَمَع

عالِقاً مِنهُ بِأَذيالِ الطَمَع

He drove Bistam to his death,

He led his camel stallion to his death

Clinging to him by the skirts of greed.

Haltered by the tails of greed.

وَأَنا أَقصِدُهُ في أَرضِكُم

وَأَنا أَقصِدُهُ في أَرضِكُم

وَأُجازيهِ عَلى ما قَد صَنَع

وَأُجازيهِ عَلى ما قَد صَنَع

And I seek him out in your land,

And I seek him out in your land

And repay him for what he has done.

To repay him for what he has done.