مَشَيتُ البَراحَ لِلرِجالِ شَبيبَتي

مَشَيتُ البَراحَ لِلرِجالِ شَبيبَتي

إِلى أَن عَلَتني كَبرَةٌ بِمَشيبِ

إِلى أَن عَلَتني كَبرَةٌ بِمَشيبِ

I strode openly to face men throughout my youth,

I walked the wilds in the vigor of youth,

I trod the open lands confronting men in my youth, until old age surmounted me with gray.

Until old age overtook me with gray hair.

Until old age overtook me with its gray.

So do not gape your mouths, for I am a choking obstruction to the throat and molars, far from beloved.

فَلا تَفغَروا أَفواهكُم إِنَّني شَجّاً

فَلا تَفغَروا أَفواهكُم إِنَّني شَجّاً

إِلى الحَلقِ والأضراسِ غَيرُ حَبيبِ

إِلى الحَلقِ والأضراسِ غَيرُ حَبيبِ

So do not open your mouths wide: I am a choking morsel,

So gape not your mouths, for I'm rough

By my life, my abuse of you, should I abuse, is no secret, nor is my walk toward you a creeping crawl.

Unwelcome to the throat and molars.

To the throat and molars, no more a darling.

Your friendship is no precious catch I hoard, nor is your malice a truly fearsome threat to me.

لَعَمريَ ما شَتمي لَكُم إِن شَتَمتُكُم

لَعَمريَ ما شَتمي لَكُم إِن شَتَمتُكُم

بِسِرٍّ وَلا مَشيي لَكُم بِدَبيبِ

بِسِرٍّ وَلا مَشيي لَكُم بِدَبيبِ

By my life, my insults to you—if I insult you—

By my life! Not in secret did I revile you

For too long you rushed to tame an untamed stallion, proud, stiff-backed, and never to be ridden.

Are no secret, nor is my advance toward you a stealthy crawl.

If I reviled you, nor walked for you with coyness.

You struggled against a torrent stretching its rein, like the Euphrates' flood surging in a southern wind.

وَلا وُدُّكُم عِندي بِعِلقِ مَضَنَّةٍ

وَلا وُدُّكُم عِندي بِعِلقِ مَضَنَّةٍ

وَلا شَرُّكُم عِندي بِجِدِّ مَهيبِ

وَلا شَرُّكُم عِندي بِجِدِّ مَهيبِ

Nor is your affection, to me, a treasure to guard jealously,

Neither do I like you with clinging affection,

Nor is your malice, to me, truly fearsome.

Nor do I dislike you with awesome gravity.

فَمِلآنَ عاجَلتُم رياضَةَ مُصعَبٍ

فَمِلآنَ عاجَلتُم رياضَةَ مُصعَبٍ

مُدِلٍّ عَسيرِ الصُلبِ غَيرِ رَكوب

مُدِلٍّ عَسيرِ الصُلبِ غَيرِ رَكوب

So now you have rushed to tame an unbroken mount,

You have filled to the full the hard riding of Mus'ab,

Proud, stiff-backed, not to be ridden.

Supple of frame when not riding a mount.

وَقاسَيتُم غَرباً يَمُدُّ عِنانَهُ

وَقاسَيتُم غَرباً يَمُدُّ عِنانَهُ

كَغَربِ الفُراتِ جاشَ يَومَ جَنوبِ

كَغَربِ الفُراتِ جاشَ يَومَ جَنوبِ

And you have contended with a fury that strains at its rein,

And you endured a west that stretches its leading rope

Like the Euphrates’ fury when it seethed on a day of south wind.

Like the Euphrates' west, swirling in south wind.