فَإِنّي عَلى رَغمِ العَدُوِّ لَنازِلٌ

فَإِنّي عَلى رَغمِ العَدُوِّ لَنازِلٌ

بِحَيثُ اِلتَقى عَيطٌ وَبيضُ بَني بَدرِ

بِحَيثُ اِلتَقى عَيطٌ وَبيضُ بَني بَدرِ

For, in defiance of the enemy, I shall surely encamp

Though enemies have shown despite for me,

Where ʿAyṭ and Bayḍ of Banū Badr meet.

I shall not cease, O harmful schemes, but repose,

أَيا حَكَمَ السَوءاتِ لا تَهجُ وَاِضطَجِع

أَيا حَكَمَ السَوءاتِ لا تَهجُ وَاِضطَجِع

فَهَل أَنتَ إِن هاجَيتَ إِلّا مِنَ الخُضرِ

فَهَل أَنتَ إِن هاجَيتَ إِلّا مِنَ الخُضرِ

O Ḥakam of shameful deeds, do not lampoon—lie down.

Though if you cease not, you're but green and tender.

For if you trade lampoons, are you anything but one of the Khuḍr?

Can it be else, but you're an egg whose chick

وَهَل أَنتَ إِلّا بَيضَةٌ ماتَ فَرخُها

وَهَل أَنتَ إِلّا بَيضَةٌ ماتَ فَرخُها

ثَوَت في سُلوخِ الطَيرِ في بَلَدٍ قَفرِ

ثَوَت في سُلوخِ الطَيرِ في بَلَدٍ قَفرِ

And are you anything but an egg whose chick has died?

Lay addled, in some bird's forsaken shelter?

It lay among the birds’ cast-off skins, in a barren land.

Which the most hateful bird did incubate,

حَواها بُغاثٌ شَرُّ طَيرٍ عَلِمتُها

حَواها بُغاثٌ شَرُّ طَيرٍ عَلِمتُها

وَسُلّاءُ لَيسَت مِن عُقابٍ وَلا نَسرِ

وَسُلّاءُ لَيسَت مِن عُقابٍ وَلا نَسرِ

Lowly birds sheltered it—the worst birds I have known—

No eagle nor a vulture, but a buzzard.

And a sullāʾ bird, of neither eagle nor vulture stock.