1. يا اِبنَ المَراغَةِ إِنَّما جارَيتَني

    بِمُسَبَّقينَ لَدى الفَعالِ قِصارِ

    O son of al-Maragha, you have only vied with me

    with men outstripped, stunted in noble deeds,

  2. وَالحابِسينَ إِلى العَشِيِّ لِيَأخُذوا

    نُزُحَ الرَكِيِّ وَدِمنَةَ الأَسآرِ

    and those who linger until evening to take

    the dregs of wells and the foul residue of leftovers.

  3. يا اِبنَ المَراغَةِ كَيفَ تَطلُبُ دارِماً

    وَأَبوكَ بَينَ حِمارَةٍ وَحِمارِ

    O son of al-Maragha, how can you rival Darim

    when your father is between a she-ass and a he-ass?

  4. وَإِذا كِلابُ بَني المَراغَةِ رَبَّضَت

    خَطَرَت وَرائي دارِمي وَجِماري

    And when the dogs of Banu al-Maragha lie crouched,

    my Darim clan and my tribal hosts strut behind me.

  5. هَل أَنتُمُ مُتَقَلِّدي أَرباقِكُم

    بِفَوارِسِ الهَيجا وَلا الأَيسارِ

    Are you, with your halters round your necks,

    horsemen of battle, or generous gamblers?

  6. مِثلُ الكِلابِ تَبولُ فَوقَ أُنوفِها

    يَلحَسنَ قاطِرَهُنَّ بِالأَسحارِ

    Like dogs that urinate over their own noses,

    they lick their drippings in the hours before dawn.

  7. لَن تُدرِكوا كَرَمي بِلُؤمِ أَبيكُمُ

    وَأَوابِدي بِتَنَحُّلِ الأَشعارِ

    You will never attain my nobility through your father's baseness,

    nor my untamed verses by claiming others' poems as your own.

  8. هَلّا غَداةَ حَسَبتُمُ أَعيارَكُم

    بِجَدودَ وَالخَيلانِ في إِعصارِ

    Why not on the morning you counted your asses

    at Jadud, with the two cavalry hosts in a whirlwind,

  9. وَالحَوفَزانُ مُسَوِّمٌ أَفراسَهُ

    وَالمُحصَناتُ حَواسِرُ الأَبكارِ

    and al-Hawfazan sending forth his horses,

    and the chaste maidens bareheaded,

  10. يَدعونَ زَيدَ مَناةَ إِذ وَلَّيتُمُ

    لا يَتَّقينَ عَلى قَفاً بِخِمارِ

    calling on Zayd Manat as you turned away,

    not shielding their napes with a veil?

  11. صَبَرَت بَنو سَعدٍ لَهُم بِرِماحِهِم

    وَكَشَفتُمُ لَهُمُ عَنِ الأَدبارِ

    Banu Sa'd stood firm against them with their spears,

    while you showed them your backs.

  12. فَلَنَحنُ أَوثَقُ في صُدورِ نِسائِكُم

    عِندَ الطِعانِ وَقُبَّةِ الجَبّارِ

    So surely we are more trusted in your women's hearts

    during spear-fighting and at the mighty lord's pavilion

  13. مِنكُم إِذا لَحِقَ الرُكوبُ كَأَنَّها

    خِرَقُ الجَرادِ تَثورُ يَومَ غُبارِ

    than you, when the riders catch up—as though they were

    swarms of locusts rising on a dusty day—

  14. بِالمُردَفاتِ إِذا اِلتَقَينَ عَشِيَّةً

    يَبكينَ خَلفَ أَواخِرِ الأَكوارِ

    with the women riding pillion, when they meet at evening,

    weeping behind the rear ends of the camel saddles.