وَلا اِتَّبَعَتكُم يَومَ ظَعنٍ فِلائُها

وَلا اِتَّبَعَتكُم يَومَ ظَعنٍ فِلائُها

وَلا زُجِرَت فيكُم فِحالَتُها هَلِ

وَلا زُجِرَت فيكُم فِحالَتُها هَلِ

Nor did its foals follow you on the day of departure,

Nor did they follow you on the day of rift, so blame them,

nor were its stallions driven among you with “Hal!”

Nor were they deterred among you, so censure them.

وَلَكِنَّ أَعفاءً عَلى إِثرِ عانَةً

وَلَكِنَّ أَعفاءً عَلى إِثرِ عانَةً

عَلَيهِنَّ أَنحاءُ السِلاءِ المُعَدَّلِ

عَلَيهِنَّ أَنحاءُ السِلاءِ المُعَدَّلِ

But donkey foals trailed a herd of she-asses,

But they were gentle after suffering,

with skins of blended clarified butter upon them.

Upon them the easy going, balanced saddle clothes.

بَناتُ اِبنِ مَرقومِ الذِراعَينِ لَم يَكُن

بَناتُ اِبنِ مَرقومِ الذِراعَينِ لَم يَكُن

لِيُذعَرَ مِن صَوتِ اللِجامِ المُصَلصِلِ

لِيُذعَرَ مِن صَوتِ اللِجامِ المُصَلصِلِ

Daughters of the son of the striped-forelegged one, who was not

The daughters of the one whose arms were marked that he scare

to be frightened by the sound of a jingling bridle.

From the clanging, rattling bridle.

أَرى اللَيلَ يَجلوهُ النَهارَ وَلا أَرى

أَرى اللَيلَ يَجلوهُ النَهارَ وَلا أَرى

عِظامَ المَخازي عَن عَطِيَّةَ تَنجَلي

عِظامَ المَخازي عَن عَطِيَّةَ تَنجَلي

I see the night dispelled by day, but I do not see

I see the night disclosing the day, but do not see

the great disgraces lifting from Atiyya.

The bones of the wind-riders 'bout Uthayya appear.

أَمِن جَزَعٍ أَن لَم يَكُن مِثلَ غالِبٍ

أَمِن جَزَعٍ أَن لَم يَكُن مِثلَ غالِبٍ

أَبوكَ الَّذي يَمشي بِريقٍ مُوَصَّلِ

أَبوكَ الَّذي يَمشي بِريقٍ مُوَصَّلِ

Was it from anguish at his not being like Ghalib—

Is it from fear that he was not like victor Ghalib

your father, who walks in a patched rag—

Your father who walks proudly with bared sword?

ظَلِلتَ تُصادي عَن عَطِيَّةَ قائِماً

ظَلِلتَ تُصادي عَن عَطِيَّةَ قائِماً

لِتَضرِبَ أَعلى رَأسِهِ غَيرَ مُؤتَلِ

لِتَضرِبَ أَعلى رَأسِهِ غَيرَ مُؤتَلِ

that you kept standing, pleading on Atiyya’s behalf,

You continued to block Uthayya standing

to strike the crown of his head without holding back?

To strike at the top of his head without wavering.

لَكَ الوَيلُ لا تَقتُل عَطِيَّةَ إِنَّهُ

لَكَ الوَيلُ لا تَقتُل عَطِيَّةَ إِنَّهُ

أَبوكَ وَلَكِن غَيرَهُ فَتَبَدَّلِ

أَبوكَ وَلَكِن غَيرَهُ فَتَبَدَّلِ

Woe to you! Do not kill Atiyya, for he is

Woe to you! Do not kill Uthayya, for he is

your father; instead, take someone else in his place.

Your father, though another one has changed.

وَبادِل بِهِ مِن قَومِ بَضعَةَ مِثلَهُ

وَبادِل بِهِ مِن قَومِ بَضعَةَ مِثلَهُ

أَباً شَرَّ ذي نَعلَينِ أَو غَيرِ مُنعَلِ

أَباً شَرَّ ذي نَعلَينِ أَو غَيرِ مُنعَلِ

And exchange him for one like him from the people of Baḍʿa,

And change him with another one from Bana's tribe, like him

a father, the worst of those in two sandals or barefoot.

A father, worse sandaled or unshod!

فَإِن هُم أَبَوا أَن يَقبَلوهُ وَلَم تَجِد

فَإِن هُم أَبَوا أَن يَقبَلوهُ وَلَم تَجِد

فِراقاً لَهُ إِلّا الَّذي رُمتَ فَاِفعَلِ

فِراقاً لَهُ إِلّا الَّذي رُمتَ فَاِفعَلِ

If they refuse to accept him, and you find no

And if they refuse to accept him and you find

way to part from him except what you intended, then do it.

No separation for him but that you have cast, then do it!

وَإِن تَهجُ آلَ الزِبرِقانِ فَإِنَّما

وَإِن تَهجُ آلَ الزِبرِقانِ فَإِنَّما

هَجَوتَ الطِوالَ الشُمَّ مِن هَضبِ يَذبُلِ

هَجَوتَ الطِوالَ الشُمَّ مِن هَضبِ يَذبُلِ

And if you lampoon al-Zibriqan’s family, you have only

And if you stir up the family of Zibriqan, then you have

lampooned the tall, lofty crags of Yadhbul.

But stirred the tall, slender one of withering Hudba.

وَقَد يَنبَحُ الكَلبُ النُجومَ وَدونَها

وَقَد يَنبَحُ الكَلبُ النُجومَ وَدونَها

فَراسِخُ تُنضي العَينَ لِلمَتَأَمِّلِ

فَراسِخُ تُنضي العَينَ لِلمَتَأَمِّلِ

A dog may bark at the stars, yet between it and them lie

And the dog may bark at the stars while beneath them

parasangs that weary the beholder’s eye.

Lie fathomless leagues for the gazer.

فَما تَمَّ في سَعدٍ وَلا آلِ مالِكٍ

فَما تَمَّ في سَعدٍ وَلا آلِ مالِكٍ

غُلامٌ إِذا ما قيلَ لَم يَتَبَهدَلِ

غُلامٌ إِذا ما قيلَ لَم يَتَبَهدَلِ

For neither in Saʿd nor in Malik’s family has there matured

And none of Sa'd's family nor Malik's house was

a youth who, when addressed, does not claim kinship with Bahdala.

A lad who when addressed would then waver.

لَهُم وَهَبَ النُعمانُ بُردَ مُحَرِّقٍ

لَهُم وَهَبَ النُعمانُ بُردَ مُحَرِّقٍ

بِمَجدِ مَعَدٍّ وَالعَديدِ المُحَصَّلِ

بِمَجدِ مَعَدٍّ وَالعَديدِ المُحَصَّلِ

To them al-Nuʿman gave Muharriq’s mantle,

To them Nu'man gave a burning coat of mail

for Maʿadd’s glory and their fully reckoned numbers.

By the glory of Ma'add and the assembled host.

وَهُم لِرَسولِ اللَهِ أَوفى مُجيرُهُم

وَهُم لِرَسولِ اللَهِ أَوفى مُجيرُهُم

وَعَمّوا بِفَضلٍ يَومَ بَسرٍ مُجَلَّلِ

وَعَمّوا بِفَضلٍ يَومَ بَسرٍ مُجَلَّلِ

And their protector kept faith with the Messenger of God,

And they to Allah's Messenger were the best protectors of one granted sanctuary,

and they spread bounty to all on a bleak, shrouded day.

And they spread favour the day of Basra, bedecked.

هَجَوتَ بَني عَوفٍ وَما في هِجائِهِم

هَجَوتَ بَني عَوفٍ وَما في هِجائِهِم

رَواحٌ لِعَبدٍ مِن كُلَيبٍ مُغَربَلِ

رَواحٌ لِعَبدٍ مِن كُلَيبٍ مُغَربَلِ

You lampooned the sons of ʿAwf, but lampooning them brings no

You railed at Bana 'Awf, but in your railing at them

relief to a sifted-out slave from Kulayb.

Is no meanness for a slave from Culayb sifted.

أَبَهدَلَةَ الأَخيارَ تَهجو وَلَم يَزَل

أَبَهدَلَةَ الأَخيارَ تَهجو وَلَم يَزَل

لَهُم أَوَّلٌ يَعلو عَلى كُلِّ أَوَّلِ

لَهُم أَوَّلٌ يَعلو عَلى كُلِّ أَوَّلِ

Do you lampoon the noble men of Bahdala? They have always had

Abahdal, you rail at the virtuous! Yet there was not

a forebear who towers above every forebear.

To them a first who would rise over every first!