أَبي الشَيخُ ذو البَولِ الكَثيرِ مُجاشِعٌ

أَبي الشَيخُ ذو البَولِ الكَثيرِ مُجاشِعٌ

نَماني وَعَبدُ اللَهِ عَمّي وَنَهشَلُ

نَماني وَعَبدُ اللَهِ عَمّي وَنَهشَلُ

My father, the old man with abundant urine, Mujashiʿ,

My father, the old man with abundant urine

Sired me; ʿAbd Allah is my uncle, and Nahshal too.

Namani and Abdullah, my uncle and Nahshal

ثَلاثَةُ أَسلافٍ فَجِئني بِمِثلِهِم

ثَلاثَةُ أَسلافٍ فَجِئني بِمِثلِهِم

فَكُلٌّ لَهُ يا اِبنَ المَراغَةِ أَوَّلُ

فَكُلٌّ لَهُ يا اِبنَ المَراغَةِ أَوَّلُ

Three forebears—so bring me their equals.

Three ancestors, so bring me their likes

For each has ancient lineage, O son of al-Maragha.

Each, O son of Maragha, has primacy

بَنو الخَطَفى لا تَحمِلُنّي عَلَيكُمُ

بَنو الخَطَفى لا تَحمِلُنّي عَلَيكُمُ

فَما أَحَدٌ مِنّي عَلى القِرنِ أَثقَلُ

فَما أَحَدٌ مِنّي عَلى القِرنِ أَثقَلُ

Sons of al-Khatafa, do not provoke me against you,

O Banu Khatafa do not burden me upon you

For no one weighs more heavily on an adversary than I.

For none of me on the horn is heavier

تَرَكتُ لَكُم لَيّانَ كُلَّ قَصيدَةٍ

تَرَكتُ لَكُم لَيّانَ كُلَّ قَصيدَةٍ

شَرودٍ إِذا عارَت بِمَن يَتَمَثَّلُ

شَرودٍ إِذا عارَت بِمَن يَتَمَثَّلُ

I have left you the taming of every ode,

I left for you the content of every poem

A runaway, when it bolts with whoever quotes it.

Of madness, when it is disgraced by one who impersonates

إِذا خَرَجَت مِنّي تَرى كُلُّ شاعِرٍ

إِذا خَرَجَت مِنّي تَرى كُلُّ شاعِرٍ

يَدِبُّ وَيَستَخذي لَها حينَ تُرسَلُ

يَدِبُّ وَيَستَخذي لَها حينَ تُرسَلُ

When it issues from me, you see every poet

When it comes out of me you see every poet

Creeping and cringing before it when it is sent forth.

Creeping and begging for it when it is sent

أَذودُ وَأَحمي عَن ذِمارِ مُجاشِعٍ

أَذودُ وَأَحمي عَن ذِمارِ مُجاشِعٍ

كَما ذادَ عَن حَوضي أَبوهُ المُخَبَّلُ

كَما ذادَ عَن حَوضي أَبوهُ المُخَبَّلُ

I shield and defend Mujashiʿ’s honor,

I protect and guard from the predators of Mujashii

As his father, al-Mukhabbal, defended my pool.

As his urine-stained father protected my basin