وَما كُنتُ مِمَّن أَلجَأَتهُ خَصاصَةٌ

وَما كُنتُ مِمَّن أَلجَأَتهُ خَصاصَةٌ

إِلَيكَ وَلا مِمَّن تُغُرُّ المَواعِدُ

إِلَيكَ وَلا مِمَّن تُغُرُّ المَواعِدُ

And I was not one whom poverty drove

I was not of those whom adversity

to you, nor one whom promises deceive.

Has driven to seek refuge in you, nor of those tempted by trysts.

وَلَكِنَّها الأَطماعُ وَهيَ مُذِلَّةٌ

وَلَكِنَّها الأَطماعُ وَهيَ مُذِلَّةٌ

دَنَت بي وَأَنتَ النازِحُ المُتباعِدُ

دَنَت بي وَأَنتَ النازِحُ المُتباعِدُ

But it was covetous hopes—humiliating as they are—

Rather it was ambition which debases

that drew me near, while you were distant and aloof.

That brought me close while you kept your distance.

أَتَحبِسُني في غَيرِ شَيءٍ وَتارَةً

أَتَحبِسُني في غَيرِ شَيءٍ وَتارَةً

تُلاحِظُني شَزراً وَأَنفُكَ عاقِدُ

تُلاحِظُني شَزراً وَأَنفُكَ عاقِدُ

Do you detain me for no reason, and at times

Do you detain me for no reason, while at times

eye me askance, with your nose wrinkled in scorn?

You pay me slight heed, and yet you remain aloof?

فَإِنَّكَ لا كَاِبنَي فَزارَةَ فَاِعلَمَن

فَإِنَّكَ لا كَاِبنَي فَزارَةَ فَاِعلَمَن

خُلِقتَ وَلَم يُشبِهُها لَكَ والِدُ

خُلِقتَ وَلَم يُشبِهُها لَكَ والِدُ

For you are not like the two sons of Fazārah—know this—

You are not like the sons of Fazarah, so know

in your making; no father of yours resembled that clan.

You were created unlike them, your father being different.

وَلا مُدرِكٌ ما قَد خَلا مِن نَداهُما

وَلا مُدرِكٌ ما قَد خَلا مِن نَداهُما

أَبوكَ وَلا حَوضَيهِما أَنتَ وارِدُ

أَبوكَ وَلا حَوضَيهِما أَنتَ وارِدُ

Nor can their past generosity be matched

None can attain the heights reached by your parents,

by your father; nor do you reach their two pools.

Neither you nor others who come to their drinking places.

وَإِنَّكَ لَو سامَيتَ آلَ عُطارِدٍ

وَإِنَّكَ لَو سامَيتَ آلَ عُطارِدٍ

لَبَزَّتكَ أَعناقٌ لَهُم وَسَواعِدُ

لَبَزَّتكَ أَعناقٌ لَهُم وَسَواعِدُ

And if you sought to rival the house of ʿUṭārid,

Had you contended with the House of Utarid

you would surely be outstripped by their necks and forearms,

You would have been brought low by them, by their strength.

وَمَأثِرَةٌ عادِيَّةٌ لَن تَنالَها

وَمَأثِرَةٌ عادِيَّةٌ لَن تَنالَها

وَبَيتٌ رَفيعٌ لَم تَخُنهُ القَواعِدُ

وَبَيتٌ رَفيعٌ لَم تَخُنهُ القَواعِدُ

and by an ancient glory you will never attain,

An inherited glory you'll never attain

and by a lofty house whose foundations have not betrayed it.

Nor a noble house whose foundations you did not lay.

وَهَل أَنتَ إِلّا ثَعلَبٌ في دِيارَهِم

وَهَل أَنتَ إِلّا ثَعلَبٌ في دِيارَهِم

تُشَلَّ فَتَعساً أَو يَقودُكَ قائِدُ

تُشَلَّ فَتَعساً أَو يَقودُكَ قائِدُ

And are you anything but a fox in their dwellings,

Are you not but a fox in their abode

driven off—so woe to you!—or led away by a leader?

To be shackled, hapless, or led on a tether?

أَرى خالِداً يَختالُ مَشياً كَأَنَّهُ

أَرى خالِداً يَختالُ مَشياً كَأَنَّهُ

مِنَ الكِبرِياءِ نَهشَلٌ أَو عُطارِدُ

مِنَ الكِبرِياءِ نَهشَلٌ أَو عُطارِدُ

I see Khālid strutting as he walks, as though he were—

I see Khalid strutting proudly like

in his arrogance—Nahshal or ʿUṭārid.

A snarling lion or flaming meteor.

وَما كانَ يَربوعٌ شَبيهاً لِدارِمٍ

وَما كانَ يَربوعٌ شَبيهاً لِدارِمٍ

وَما عَدَلَت شَمسَ النَهارِ الفَراقِدُ

وَما عَدَلَت شَمسَ النَهارِ الفَراقِدُ

And Yarbūʿ was never like Dārim,

Rabia was never the peer of Darim

nor have the Farāqid stars equaled the sun of day.

Nor did the sun of day rival their splendor.