يا راكِباً إِمّا عَرَضتَ فَبَلِّغَن

يا راكِباً إِمّا عَرَضتَ فَبَلِّغَن

عَبدَ المُدانِ وَجُلَّ آلِ قَنانِ

عَبدَ المُدانِ وَجُلَّ آلِ قَنانِ

O rider, if you pass by, be sure to tell

O rider, if you pass by, convey

ʿAbd al-Mudān and most of the house of Qanān:

to Abd al-Mudan and all the family of Qanan

قَد كُنتُ أَحسِبُ أَنَّ أَصلي أَصلُكُم

قَد كُنتُ أَحسِبُ أَنَّ أَصلي أَصلُكُم

حَتّى أَمَرتُم عَبدَكُم فَهَجاني

حَتّى أَمَرتُم عَبدَكُم فَهَجاني

I had thought that my lineage was your lineage,

I had thought I was of the same origins as you

until you commanded your slave, and he lampooned me.

until you ordered your slave, so he raged against me

فَتَوَقَّعوا سَبَلَ العَذابِ عَلَيكُمُ

فَتَوَقَّعوا سَبَلَ العَذابِ عَلَيكُمُ

مِمّا يُمِرُّ عَلى الرَوِيِّ لِساني

مِمّا يُمِرُّ عَلى الرَوِيِّ لِساني

So expect showers of torment upon you

So expect the paths of torment upon you

from what my tongue sends forth in rhyme.

from what passes on my sharp tongue

وَلَتَعرِفُنَّ قَلائِدي بِرِقابِكُم

وَلَتَعرِفُنَّ قَلائِدي بِرِقابِكُم

كَالوَشمِ لا تَبلى عَلى الحَدَثانِ

كَالوَشمِ لا تَبلى عَلى الحَدَثانِ

And you shall surely recognize my necklaces around your necks,

And you will know my necklaces around your necks

like a tattoo, never worn away by time.

like a tattoo that does not fade on the young

فَلَأَذكُرَنَّ بَني رُهَيَّةَ كُلَّهُم

فَلَأَذكُرَنَّ بَني رُهَيَّةَ كُلَّهُم

وَبَني الحُصَينِ بِخُزيَةٍ وَهَوانِ

وَبَني الحُصَينِ بِخُزيَةٍ وَهَوانِ

So I shall surely mention all the sons of Ruhayyah,

So I will mention all the sons of Ruhayya

and the sons of al-Ḥuṣayn, with disgrace and humiliation.

and the sons of al-Husayn in humiliation and disgrace

وَبَني الحِماسِ لَأَبعَثَنَّ عَلَيهِمِ

وَبَني الحِماسِ لَأَبعَثَنَّ عَلَيهِمِ

حَرباً تَفوقُ نَوائِبَ الحَدَثانِ

حَرباً تَفوقُ نَوائِبَ الحَدَثانِ

And the sons of al-Ḥimās—I shall surely unleash upon them

And the sons of al-Himmas, I will unleash upon them

a war surpassing the calamities of time.

a war exceeding the calamities of the young

أَبَني الحِماسِ فَما أَقولُ لِثُلَّةٍ

أَبَني الحِماسِ فَما أَقولُ لِثُلَّةٍ

تَرعى البِقاعَ خَبيثَةِ الأَوطانِ

تَرعى البِقاعَ خَبيثَةِ الأَوطانِ

O sons of al-Ḥimās, what shall I say to a flock

O sons of al-Himmas, what can I say about a rabble

that grazes the lands, its dwelling-places foul?

that grazes on the despised lands

أَينَ المَآلُ بَني الحِماسِ إِذا ذَكَت

أَينَ المَآلُ بَني الحِماسِ إِذا ذَكَت

بِهِجائِكُم مُتَشَنِّعاً نيراني

بِهِجائِكُم مُتَشَنِّعاً نيراني

Where will you turn, sons of al-Ḥimās, when they blaze—

Where will it end, O sons of al-Himmas, when

my fires of scathing satire against you?

my fiery anger against you blazes?