عَدَدتَ رِجالاً مِن قُعَينَ تَفَجُّساً

عَدَدتَ رِجالاً مِن قُعَينَ تَفَجُّساً

فَما اِبنُ لُبَينى وَالتَفَجُّسُ وَالفَخرُ

فَما اِبنُ لُبَينى وَالتَفَجُّسُ وَالفَخرُ

You counted off men of Quʿayn, boasting;

You counted men from Quayn as spies

But what has Ibn Lubayna to do with boasting and pride?

Yet the son of Lubna is no spy or boaster

شَأَتكَ قُعَينٌ غَثُّها وَسَمينُها

شَأَتكَ قُعَينٌ غَثُّها وَسَمينُها

وَأَنتَ السَهُ السُفلى إِذا دُعِيَت نَصرُ

وَأَنتَ السَهُ السُفلى إِذا دُعِيَت نَصرُ

Quʿayn has outstripped you, its lean and its fat alike;

Quayn deemed you rabble and riffraff

And you are the lowest arsehole when Nasr is summoned.

While you are the lowest part when called for help

وَعَيَّرتَنا تَمرَ العِراقِ وَبُرَّهُ

وَعَيَّرتَنا تَمرَ العِراقِ وَبُرَّهُ

وَزادُكَ أَيرُ الكَلبِ شَوَّطَهُ الجَمرُ

وَزادُكَ أَيرُ الكَلبِ شَوَّطَهُ الجَمرُ

And you taunted us for Iraq's dates and wheat,

You reproached us for Iraqi dates and seeds

While your provisions are a dog's penis, singed by the embers.

While the reward for your dog was embers that burned him

مَعازيلُ حَلّالونَ بِالغَيبِ وَحدَهُم

مَعازيلُ حَلّالونَ بِالغَيبِ وَحدَهُم

بِعَمياءَ حَتّى يُسأَلوا الغَدَ ما الأَمرُ

بِعَمياءَ حَتّى يُسأَلوا الغَدَ ما الأَمرُ

Men who keep apart, camping out of sight by themselves,

Connivers who judge in secret and alone

In blind ignorance, until next day they are asked, 'What is the matter?'

Blind till asked tomorrow what the matter is

فَلَو كُنتُمُ مِنَ اللَيالي لَكُنتُمُ

فَلَو كُنتُمُ مِنَ اللَيالي لَكُنتُمُ

كَلَيلَةِ سِرٍّ لا هِلالٌ وَلا بَدرُ

كَلَيلَةِ سِرٍّ لا هِلالٌ وَلا بَدرُ

So, if you were among the nights, you would be

Had you been like the nights you’d have been

Like a night of the moon's concealment: no crescent and no full moon.

A night of secrets, moonless and starless

فَدَعها وَسَلِّ الهَمَّ عَنكَ بِجَسرَةٍ

فَدَعها وَسَلِّ الهَمَّ عَنكَ بِجَسرَةٍ

عَلَيها مِنَ الحَولِ الَّذي قَد مَضى كَترُ

عَلَيها مِنَ الحَولِ الَّذي قَد مَضى كَترُ

So leave it, and banish care from yourself with a sturdy she-camel,

So leave it be, cast away your worries with serenity

Upon her is a hump from the year gone by.

Over it, of the past year that has elapsed like a heap