أَلِكني وَقَد تَأتي الرِسالَةُ مَن نَأى

أَلِكني وَقَد تَأتي الرِسالَةُ مَن نَأى

إِلى اِبنِ شَريكٍ ذي الحُجولِ المُطَوَّقِ

إِلى اِبنِ شَريكٍ ذي الحُجولِ المُطَوَّقِ

Carry my message—and a message may reach one far away—

Embrace me though the message may come from one afar

to Ibn Sharik, the ankleted, collared one,

To the son of a comrade with neck ringed as if captive

بِأَنَّ جَناباً لَم يُغَيِّر فُؤادَهُ

بِأَنَّ جَناباً لَم يُغَيِّر فُؤادَهُ

تَلاقي مَعَدٍّ في مَناخِ التَفَرُّقِ

تَلاقي مَعَدٍّ في مَناخِ التَفَرُّقِ

that Janab's heart was not changed

That a noble one has not changed his heart

by Ma'add's gathering at the camp of dispersal.

Encountering a foe amidst the climate of schism

وَما زادَهُ إِلّا اِنفِراثاً لِقاؤُهُ

وَما زادَهُ إِلّا اِنفِراثاً لِقاؤُهُ

قُرَيشاً وَما اِستَحيا وَذو العِرضِ يَتَّقي

قُرَيشاً وَما اِستَحيا وَذو العِرضِ يَتَّقي

He only fell further apart through his meeting

And naught but his meeting increased his fury

with Quraysh; he felt no shame, though a man of honor takes care

Against Quraysh though he was too modest to defame

عَلى نَفسِهِ حَتّى يُزايِلَ جارَهُ

عَلى نَفسِهِ حَتّى يُزايِلَ جارَهُ

كَريماً وَلَم يَظعَن بِعِرضٍ مُخَرَّقِ

كَريماً وَلَم يَظعَن بِعِرضٍ مُخَرَّقِ

for himself until he parts from his neighbor

Himself until he rivals his neighbor however eminent

honorable, without departing with his reputation in tatters.

Nor maligns a honor however tattered

أَلَم أَضمَنِ المَوتَ الَّذي لا يَرُدُّهُ

أَلَم أَضمَنِ المَوتَ الَّذي لا يَرُدُّهُ

إِذا جاءَ إِلّا رَبُّ غَربٍ وَمَشرِقِ

إِذا جاءَ إِلّا رَبُّ غَربٍ وَمَشرِقِ

Did I not pledge death, which none can turn away

Do I not reckon death which none can repeal

when it comes, except the Lord of west and east,

When it comes except the Lord of West and East

لِذَحلَيهُما إِذ فَوَّزَت نِقضَياهُما

لِذَحلَيهُما إِذ فَوَّزَت نِقضَياهُما

بِبايِنَةٍ عَن زَورِها كُلَّ مِرفَقِ

بِبايِنَةٍ عَن زَورِها كُلَّ مِرفَقِ

for their two blood-debts, when their two worn-out camels crossed the wastes,

For their two tribes when their pact was dissolved

with a she-camel whose every elbow stood clear of her breast?

Openly from its fraud every joint is disjointed

وَقُلتُ لِأُخرى اِستَظهِروا بِنَجائِها

وَقُلتُ لِأُخرى اِستَظهِروا بِنَجائِها

كَأَحقَبِ ميفاءٍ عَلى القورِ سَهوَقِ

كَأَحقَبِ ميفاءٍ عَلى القورِ سَهوَقِ

And of another I said, 'Rely on her speed,'

And I said to another seek ye help through her deliverance

like a tall, white-girdled wild ass that climbs the flat-topped hills.

Like the humpback of a harbor on the coast subjugated

إِذا شَلَّ في صَمّانَةٍ أَوقَدَت لَهُ

إِذا شَلَّ في صَمّانَةٍ أَوقَدَت لَهُ

حَوافِرُها نيرانَ مَروٍ مُفَلَّقِ

حَوافِرُها نيرانَ مَروٍ مُفَلَّقِ

When he drove them across stony ground, they kindled for him

When paralyzed in desolation her kindled for him

with their hooves, fires from splintered flint.

Hoofs a fire of bitter aloes shredded

كَأَنَّ عُكاظِيّاً لَهُ حينَ زايَلَت

كَأَنَّ عُكاظِيّاً لَهُ حينَ زايَلَت

عَقيقَتُهُ سِربالَ حَولٍ مُمَزَّقِ

عَقيقَتُهُ سِربالَ حَولٍ مُمَزَّقِ

It was as though his Ukaz-leather hide, when he shed

As if Ukazian on him when she turned away

his birth-fleece, were a year-old tunic torn to shreds.

Her lace a Sirbal of surrounding shreds

وَأَلقَيتُ عَن ظَهرَيهِما شِملَتَيهِما

وَأَلقَيتُ عَن ظَهرَيهِما شِملَتَيهِما

بِأَردِيَةِ العَصبِ اليَماني المُلَفَّقِ

بِأَردِيَةِ العَصبِ اليَماني المُلَفَّقِ

And I cast their two wraps off their backs,

And I cast off both their mantles from their backs

replacing them with cloaks of pieced-together Yemeni striped cloth.

With cloak of Yemeni league patched and threadbare

وَما كُنتُما أَهلاً لَهُ غَيرَ أَنَّني

وَما كُنتُما أَهلاً لَهُ غَيرَ أَنَّني

ذَكَرتُ أَبي لِلصاحِبِ المُتَعَلِّقِ

ذَكَرتُ أَبي لِلصاحِبِ المُتَعَلِّقِ

And you two were not worthy of it; it was only that I

Yet ye were not worthy of it except that I

remembered my father for the sake of the clinging companion.

Recalled my father to his intimate friend

وَكَم عَن جَنابٍ لَو تَلَبَّثَ لَم يَؤب

وَكَم عَن جَنابٍ لَو تَلَبَّثَ لَم يَؤب

إِلى أَهلِهِ إِلّا بِكُرسوعِ مِرفَقِ

إِلى أَهلِهِ إِلّا بِكُرسوعِ مِرفَقِ

And how much [I warded off] from Janab! Had he lingered, he would not have returned

And how often from a noble one had he lingered, he would not

to his family with anything but an elbow's jutting bone.

Return to his folk except with arm wrenched from its socket

فَمِنهُنَّ عَندَ البَيتِ حَيثُ سَرَقنَهُ

فَمِنهُنَّ عَندَ البَيتِ حَيثُ سَرَقنَهُ

مَتاعُ أَبي زَبّانَ في أَيُّ مَسرَقِ

مَتاعُ أَبي زَبّانَ في أَيُّ مَسرَقِ

Among these was, by the House, where they stole it,

Amongst them at the House when they stole from him

Abu Zabban's property—in what a place of theft!

Merchandise of Abu Zubyan on what night of theft

بِمَنزِلَةٍ بَينَ الصَفا كُنتُما بِها

بِمَنزِلَةٍ بَينَ الصَفا كُنتُما بِها

وَزَمزَمَ وَالمَسعى وَعِندَ المُحَلَّقِ

وَزَمزَمَ وَالمَسعى وَعِندَ المُحَلَّقِ

at a lodging between al-Safa—you two were there—

With status between Safa which ye held

and Zamzam and the running-course, beside the shaving-place.

And Zamzam and the running place and barbershop