نَظَرَ الدَلَهمَسُ نَظرَةً ما رَدَّها

نَظَرَ الدَلَهمَسُ نَظرَةً ما رَدَّها

حَوَلٌ بِمُقلَتِهِ وَلا عُوّارُ

حَوَلٌ بِمُقلَتِهِ وَلا عُوّارُ

Al-Dalahmas cast a glance, checked by neither

The gallant cast a glance, unreturned,

a squint in his eye nor a mote.

His eyes darting, no reproach could deter,

فَرَأى الحُمولَ كَأَنَّما أَحداجُها

فَرَأى الحُمولَ كَأَنَّما أَحداجُها

في الآلِ حينَ سَما بِها الإِظهارُ

في الآلِ حينَ سَما بِها الإِظهارُ

So he saw the laden camels, their howdahs seeming,

He saw the caravans like stars revealed,

in the mirage, when noonday raised them high,

When the darkness of night began to stir,

نَخلٌ يَكادُ ذُراهُ مِن قِنوانِهِ

نَخلٌ يَكادُ ذُراهُ مِن قِنوانِهِ

بِذُريعَتَينِ يُميلُهُ الإيقارُ

بِذُريعَتَينِ يُميلُهُ الإيقارُ

like palms whose crowns were laden with date-clusters,

Date palms barely held by their trunks,

at Dhurayʿatayn, almost bowed beneath their load.

Swaying gently as the breezes concur,

إِنَّ المَلامَةَ مِثلُ ما بَكَرَت بِهِ

إِنَّ المَلامَةَ مِثلُ ما بَكَرَت بِهِ

مِن تَحتِ لَيلَتِها عَلَيكَ نَوارُ

مِن تَحتِ لَيلَتِها عَلَيكَ نَوارُ

Indeed, reproach is like what was brought at dawn

Blame is like the dawn that uncovered you,

by Nawar to you, out from beneath her night.

With its soft light pouring over you demur,

وَتَقولُ كَيفَ يَميلُ مِثلُكَ لِلصِبا

وَتَقولُ كَيفَ يَميلُ مِثلُكَ لِلصِبا

وَعَلَيكَ مِن سِمَةِ الحَليمِ عِذارُ

وَعَلَيكَ مِن سِمَةِ الحَليمِ عِذارُ

And she says, 'How can one like you incline to youthful passion,

And saying how can one like you incline to youth,

when you wear the bridle that marks a forbearing man?'

When the traits of forbearance your visage confer,

وَالشَيبُ يَنهَضُ في السَوادِ كَأَنَّهُ

وَالشَيبُ يَنهَضُ في السَوادِ كَأَنَّهُ

لَيلٌ يَصيحُ بِجانِبَيهِ نَهارُ

لَيلٌ يَصيحُ بِجانِبَيهِ نَهارُ

And gray hair rises amid the black, as though the black were

And gray hair rising in the blackness as though,

night, with daylight crying out on either side.

A night shouting with the day on either spur,

إِنَّ الشَبابَ لَرابِحٌ مَن باعَهُ

إِنَّ الشَبابَ لَرابِحٌ مَن باعَهُ

وَالشَيبُ لَيسَ لِبائِعيهِ تِجارُ

وَالشَيبُ لَيسَ لِبائِعيهِ تِجارُ

Whoever sells youth surely makes a profit,

Indeed youth profits he who sells it,

but sellers of gray hair find no buyers.

While gray hair no commerce accrues for its broker,

يا اِبنَ المَراغَةِ أَنتَ أَلأَمُ مَن مَشى

يا اِبنَ المَراغَةِ أَنتَ أَلأَمُ مَن مَشى

وَأَذَلُّ مَن لِبِنانِهِ أَظفارُ

وَأَذَلُّ مَن لِبِنانِهِ أَظفارُ

O son of al-Maraghah, you are the basest man who ever walked,

O son of Maragha, you are the lowest of those who tread,

and the most abject of those whose fingertips bear nails.

And the weakest whose claws the lions deter,

وَإِذا ذَكَرتَ أَباكَ أَو أَيّامَهُ

وَإِذا ذَكَرتَ أَباكَ أَو أَيّامَهُ

أَخزاكَ حَيثُ تُقَبَّلُ الأَحجارُ

أَخزاكَ حَيثُ تُقَبَّلُ الأَحجارُ

And when you mention your father or his days,

When you recall your father or his days,

he puts you to shame where the stones are kissed.

It shames you where even rocks are preferred,

إِنَّ المَراغَةَ مَرَّغَت يَربوعَها

إِنَّ المَراغَةَ مَرَّغَت يَربوعَها

في اللُؤمِ حَيثُ تَجاهَدَ المِضمارُ

في اللُؤمِ حَيثُ تَجاهَدَ المِضمارُ

Indeed, al-Maraghah rolled her Yarbuʿ

Maragha has dragged its hills,

in baseness, where the racecourse saw fierce rivalry.

Where the arena is the toil of the ignoble cur,

أَنتُم قَرارَةُ كُلَّ مَدفَعِ سَوءَةٍ

أَنتُم قَرارَةُ كُلَّ مَدفَعِ سَوءَةٍ

وَلُكُلِّ دافِعَةٍ تَسيلُ قَرارُ

وَلُكُلِّ دافِعَةٍ تَسيلُ قَرارُ

You are the basin of every torrent of disgrace,

You are the sediment of each vile outpouring,

and every flowing torrent has a basin.

And for every repelling the oozing spur,

إِنّي غَمَمتُكَ بِالهِجاءِ وَبِالحَصى

إِنّي غَمَمتُكَ بِالهِجاءِ وَبِالحَصى

وَمَكارِمٍ لِفِعالِهِنَّ مَنارُ

وَمَكارِمٍ لِفِعالِهِنَّ مَنارُ

Indeed, I have overwhelmed you with satire and numbers,

I have clouded you with censure and pebbles,

and noble deeds whose achievements are marked by a beacon.

While noble deeds for their doers banners unfurl,

وَلَقَد عَطَفتُ عَلَيكَ حَرباً مُرَّةً

وَلَقَد عَطَفتُ عَلَيكَ حَرباً مُرَّةً

إِنَّ الحُروبَ عَواطِفٌ أَمرارُ

إِنَّ الحُروبَ عَواطِفٌ أَمرارُ

And I have indeed turned a bitter war upon you;

I have turned upon you a bitter war,

for wars are recurrent and bitter.

For wars are bitter elixirs that stir,

حَرباً وَأُمِّكَ لَيسَ مُنجِيَ هارِبٍ

حَرباً وَأُمِّكَ لَيسَ مُنجِيَ هارِبٍ

مِنها وَلَو رَكِبَ النَعامَ فِرارُ

مِنها وَلَو رَكِبَ النَعامَ فِرارُ

A war—by your mother!—no fugitive can be saved

A war where your mother cannot save a fugitive,

from it by flight, even if he rode ostriches.

Even if he takes to flight on ostrich or spur,

فَلَأَفخَرَنَّ عَلَيكَ فَخراً لي بِهِ

فَلَأَفخَرَنَّ عَلَيكَ فَخراً لي بِهِ

قُحَمٌ عَلَيكَ مِنَ الفَخارِ كِبارُ

قُحَمٌ عَلَيكَ مِنَ الفَخارِ كِبارُ

So I shall surely boast over you, with a boast that gives me

I will proudly surpass you in a boast,

great, headlong assaults against you in boasting.

Great vessels poured upon you in my confer,

إِنّي لَيَرفَعُني عَلَيكَ لِدارِمٍ

إِنّي لَيَرفَعُني عَلَيكَ لِدارِمٍ

قَرمٌ لَهُم وَنَجيبَةٌ مِذكارُ

قَرمٌ لَهُم وَنَجيبَةٌ مِذكارُ

Indeed, I am surely raised above you by Darim's

A noble lineage raises me above you indeed,

lordly sire and a high-born woman, prolific in sons.

Honorable for them, of glorious register.