حَسِبتَ قِذافي بَعدَ عامٍ وَلَم يَكُن

حَسِبتَ قِذافي بَعدَ عامٍ وَلَم يَكُن

قِذافي زَماناً ما يُرَوَّحُ سائِمُه

قِذافي زَماناً ما يُرَوَّحُ سائِمُه

You thought my invective a year away, yet

You thought Gaddafi after a year, yet Gaddafi

at no time is my invective's grazing herd brought home at dusk.

Was never a time his thirst could be quenched

سَتَعلَمُ يا حَيضَ المَراغَةِ أَيُّنا

سَتَعلَمُ يا حَيضَ المَراغَةِ أَيُّنا

لَهُ حينَ يَدعو مِن تَميمٍ قَماقِمُه

لَهُ حينَ يَدعو مِن تَميمٍ قَماقِمُه

You will learn, O menstrual blood of al-Marāgha, which of us

You will know, O cycle of Maraghah, which of us

has his mighty chiefs from Tamīm when he calls.

When he calls, has his resolute people respond

أَلَم تَعوِ عَن قَيسِ اِبنِ عَيلانَ باسِطاً

أَلَم تَعوِ عَن قَيسِ اِبنِ عَيلانَ باسِطاً

إِلَيهِم يَدَي مُستَطعِمٍ لا تُطاعِمُه

إِلَيهِم يَدَي مُستَطعِمٍ لا تُطاعِمُه

Did you not howl on behalf of Qays ibn ʿAylān, stretching

Did you not know of Qais ibn Ailan extending

toward them the hands of a beggar with whom you do not share food,

His hands to them, begging, yet none would feed him

بِأَعراضِ قَومٍ خِندِفِيِّينَ مِنهُمُ

بِأَعراضِ قَومٍ خِندِفِيِّينَ مِنهُمُ

لُؤَيُّ اِبنُ فِهرٍ وَالسُعودُ وَدارِمُه

لُؤَيُّ اِبنُ فِهرٍ وَالسُعودُ وَدارِمُه

against the honor of Khindifite people, among them

With the integrity of sneering people among them

Luʾayy ibn Fihr, the Saʿd clans, and their Dārim?

Luyayy son of Fihr, Saud and their houses

أَرى كُلَّ جانٍ مِن تَميمٍ إِذا جَنى

أَرى كُلَّ جانٍ مِن تَميمٍ إِذا جَنى

لَهُم حَدَثاً كانَت عَلَيَّ جَرائِمُه

لَهُم حَدَثاً كانَت عَلَيَّ جَرائِمُه

I see that every wrongdoer of Tamīm, whenever he commits

I see every coward of Tamim, if they commit

an offense on their behalf, has his crimes laid upon me.

A crime against me, I will repay their crimes

وَقَد عَلِمَ الجانونَ أَنَّ اِبنَ غالِبٍ

وَقَد عَلِمَ الجانونَ أَنَّ اِبنَ غالِبٍ

لِكُلِّ دَمٍ قالوا هَرَقناهُ غارِمُه

لِكُلِّ دَمٍ قالوا هَرَقناهُ غارِمُه

And the wrongdoers well know that the son of Ghālib

And the cowards knew that the son of Ghalib

pays the blood-price for all the blood they say they shed.

For every blood they spilt, he will make them pay

وَلَمّا دَعا الداعونَ أَينَ اِبنُ غالِبٍ

وَلَمّا دَعا الداعونَ أَينَ اِبنُ غالِبٍ

لِصَدعِ ثَأىً يُخشى لَهُم مُتَفاقِمُه

لِصَدعِ ثَأىً يُخشى لَهُم مُتَفاقِمُه

And when the callers cried, 'Where is the son of Ghālib?'

And when the callers called "Where is the son of Ghalib?"

over a ruinous breach whose worsening was feared for them,

To the crack of the saddle, they feared his anger

دَعَوا غالِباً عِندَ الحَمالَةِ وَالقِرى

دَعَوا غالِباً عِندَ الحَمالَةِ وَالقِرى

وَأَينَ اِبنُهُ الشافي تَميماً نَقايِمُه

وَأَينَ اِبنُهُ الشافي تَميماً نَقايِمُه

they called upon Ghālib when blood-money and hospitality were needed,

They called Ghalib at Al-Hamalah and the villages

and, 'Where is his son, whose acts of vengeance heal Tamīm?'

And where is his son who heals Tamim their wounds