جَلَبنا الخَيلَ مِن جَنبَي أَريكٍ

جَلَبنا الخَيلَ مِن جَنبَي أَريكٍ

إِلى أَجَلى إِلى ضِلَعِ الرِّجامِ

إِلى أَجَلى إِلى ضِلَعِ الرِّجامِ

We drove the horses from both sides of Arik,

We brought the horses from either side of the couch

to Ajala, to the ridge of al-Rijam,

To the most glorious, to the flank of the archer,

بِكُلِّ مُنَفِّقِ الجُرْذانِ مَجرٍ

بِكُلِّ مُنَفِّقِ الجُرْذانِ مَجرٍ

شَديدِ الأَسْرِ لِلأَعداءِ حامِ

شَديدِ الأَسْرِ لِلأَعداءِ حامِ

with every swift runner that sends rats into their burrows,

Through every rat's hole, a pass

strongly built, warding off enemies.

Severe in bondage to the enemies, protective.

أَصَبْنا مَن أَصَبْنا ثُمَّ فِئْنا

أَصَبْنا مَن أَصَبْنا ثُمَّ فِئْنا

عَلى أَهلِ الشُّرَيفِ إِلى شَمامِ

عَلى أَهلِ الشُّرَيفِ إِلى شَمامِ

We struck whom we struck, then turned back

We hit whom we hit, then we retreated

against the people of al-Shurayf, as far as Shamam.

To the people of nobility, towards Samama.

وَجَدنا مَن يَقودُ يَزيدُ مِنهُمْ

وَجَدنا مَن يَقودُ يَزيدُ مِنهُمْ

ضِعافَ الأَمرِ غَيرَ ذَوِي نِظامِ

ضِعافَ الأَمرِ غَيرَ ذَوِي نِظامِ

We found those among them whom Yazid leads

And we found someone leading them - may Yazid be cursed! -

weak in resolve, possessing no order.

The ignorant ones without discipline.

فَأَجرِ يَزِيدُ مَذمُوماً أَوِ اِنزِعْ

فَأَجرِ يَزِيدُ مَذمُوماً أَوِ اِنزِعْ

عَلى عَلْبٍ بِأَنفِكَ كَالخِطامِ

عَلى عَلْبٍ بِأَنفِكَ كَالخِطامِ

So race on, Yazid, reviled, or desist,

So curse Yazid, condemned, or pull away

bearing a scar on your nose like a halter.

At his chin with your mouth, like a bridle.

كَأَنَّكَ عَيْرُ سالِئَةٍ ضَروطٍ

كَأَنَّكَ عَيْرُ سالِئَةٍ ضَروطٍ

كَثيرُ الجَهلِ شَتَّامُ الكِرامِ

كَثيرُ الجَهلِ شَتَّامُ الكِرامِ

You are like a butter-clarifying woman's much-farting ass,

You are like the camel-driver of a caravan,

full of folly, a reviler of noble men.

Ignorant, insulting the generous.

وَإِنَّ النَّاسَ قَد عَلِمُوكَ شَيْخاً

وَإِنَّ النَّاسَ قَد عَلِمُوكَ شَيْخاً

تَهَوَّكُ بِالنَّواكَةِ كُلَّ عامِ

تَهَوَّكُ بِالنَّواكَةِ كُلَّ عامِ

And people have indeed known you as an old man,

And the people certainly know you as an old man

blundering in foolishness every year.

Who babbles nonsense every year.

وَإِنَّكَ مِن هِجاءِ بَنِي تَميمٍ

وَإِنَّكَ مِن هِجاءِ بَنِي تَميمٍ

كَمُزدادِ الغَرامِ إِلى الغَرامِ

كَمُزدادِ الغَرامِ إِلى الغَرامِ

And indeed, through your satire of the sons of Tamim,

You insult the Banu Tamim

you are like one adding torment to torment.

Increasingly enamored to enamorment.

هُمُ مَنّوا عَلَيكَ فَلَم تُثِبهُمْ

هُمُ مَنّوا عَلَيكَ فَلَم تُثِبهُمْ

فَتِيلاً غَيرَ شَتمٍ أَو خِصامِ

فَتِيلاً غَيرَ شَتمٍ أَو خِصامِ

They bestowed favors upon you, yet you did not repay them

They wished you well, but you did not affirm them

even a date-stone thread's worth, except with abuse or quarrelling.

With anything but insults or contention.

وَهُمْ تَرَكوكَ أَسلَحَ مِن حُبارَى

وَهُمْ تَرَكوكَ أَسلَحَ مِن حُبارَى

رَأَت صَقراً وَأَشرَدَ مِن نَعامِ

رَأَت صَقراً وَأَشرَدَ مِن نَعامِ

And they left you dropping more dung than a bustard

And they left you more heavily armed than a lizard

that saw a falcon, and more prone to flee than ostriches.

Who saw a falcon and scattered like an ostrich.

وَهُمْ ضَرَبوكَ ذاتَ الرَّأسِ حَتَّى

وَهُمْ ضَرَبوكَ ذاتَ الرَّأسِ حَتَّى

بَدَت أُمُّ الدِّماغِ مِنَ العِظامِ

بَدَت أُمُّ الدِّماغِ مِنَ العِظامِ

And they struck your very head until

And they hit you on the head until

the brain's membrane showed through the bones.

The brain's mother appeared from the bones.

إِذا يَأسُونَها نَشَزَت عَلَيهِمْ

إِذا يَأسُونَها نَشَزَت عَلَيهِمْ

شَرَنبَثةُ الأَصابِع أُمُّ هَامِ

شَرَنبَثةُ الأَصابِع أُمُّ هَامِ

Whenever they treat it, there rises against them

When they despair it, it bristles at them -

a thick-fingered mother of owls.

The mother of death, fingers like tent pegs.

فَمَنَّ عَلَيكَ أَنَّ الجِلْدَ وارى

فَمَنَّ عَلَيكَ أَنَّ الجِلْدَ وارى

غَثِيثَتَها وَإِحرامُ الطَّعامِ

غَثِيثَتَها وَإِحرامُ الطَّعامِ

So you were favored by the skin concealing

Who did you a favor that skin covered

its pus, and by abstention from food.

Its foulness, and the wearing of clothes?

وَهُمْ أَدَّوا إِلَيكَ بَنِي عِدَاءٍ

وَهُمْ أَدَّوا إِلَيكَ بَنِي عِدَاءٍ

بِأَفوَقَ ناصِلٍ وَبِشَرِّ ذامِ

بِأَفوَقَ ناصِلٍ وَبِشَرِّ ذامِ

And they paid you compensation for the sons of ʿIdaʾ,

And they gave you the sons of enemies -

with a broken-nocked, headless arrow and the vilest reproach,

With prominent incisors and a foul odor.

وَحَيَّيْ جَعفَرٍ وَالحَيَّ كَعْباً

وَحَيَّيْ جَعفَرٍ وَالحَيَّ كَعْباً

وَحَيَّ بَنِي الوَحِيدِ بلا سَوامِ

وَحَيَّ بَنِي الوَحِيدِ بلا سَوامِ

and for Jaʿfar's two clans, and the clan of Kaʿb,

And the living Ja'far, and the living Ka'b,

and the clan of the sons of al-Wahid, without grazing livestock.

And greet the sons of Wahid without any to greet back.

فَإِنَّا لَم يَكُن ضَبَّاءُ فِينا

فَإِنَّا لَم يَكُن ضَبَّاءُ فِينا

وَلا ثَقفٌ وَلا اِبنُ أَبي عِصامِ

وَلا ثَقفٌ وَلا اِبنُ أَبي عِصامِ

For we had no Dabbaʾ among us,

For there were no vipers among us,

nor Thaqf, nor the son of Abu ʿIsam,

Nor Thaqif, nor the son of Abi 'Isam.

وَلا فَضحُ الفُضُوحِ وَلا شُيَيمٌ

وَلا فَضحُ الفُضُوحِ وَلا شُيَيمٌ

وَلا سُلْماكُمُ صَمِّي صَمامِ

وَلا سُلْماكُمُ صَمِّي صَمامِ

nor the 'Disgrace of Disgraces,' nor Shuyaym,

Nor immoral immorality, nor Shuyaym,

nor your Sulma—be deaf, O Calamity!

Nor your deaf-mute locking the lock.

قَتَلتُمْ جارَكُمْ وَقَذَفتُمُوهُ

قَتَلتُمْ جارَكُمْ وَقَذَفتُمُوهُ

بِأُمِّكُمُ فَما ذَنبُ الغُلامِ

بِأُمِّكُمُ فَما ذَنبُ الغُلامِ

You killed your neighbor and accused him

You killed your neighbor and threw him

of bedding your mother—what was the young man's crime?

At your mother - so what is the boy's crime?

أَلا مَن مُبلِغُ الجَرمِيِّ عَنِّي

أَلا مَن مُبلِغُ الجَرمِيِّ عَنِّي

وَخَيرُ القَولِ صادِقَةُ الكِلامِ

وَخَيرُ القَولِ صادِقَةُ الكِلامِ

Who will convey a message from me to al-Jarmi—

Verily, the one who informs al-Jarami about me -

and the best of speech is truthful speech—

The best words are the truthful ones.

فَهَلَّا إِذْ رَأَيتَ أَبا مُعاذٍ

فَهَلَّا إِذْ رَأَيتَ أَبا مُعاذٍ

وَعُلبَةَ كُنتَ فيها ذا اِنتِقامِ

وَعُلبَةَ كُنتَ فيها ذا اِنتِقامِ

so why, when you saw Abu Muʿadh

So why, when you saw Abu Mu'adh

and ʿUlba, did you not take vengeance in that affair?

And 'Ulbah, were you not there avenging?

أَراهُ مَجامِعَ الوَرِكَينِ مِنها

أَراهُ مَجامِعَ الوَرِكَينِ مِنها

مَكانَ السَّرْجِ أُثبِتَ بِالحِزامِ

مَكانَ السَّرْجِ أُثبِتَ بِالحِزامِ

I see him where her two hips meet,

I see his hips in it

in the saddle's place, fastened with the girth.

Fixed to the saddle in place of the saddlebags.