أَبلِغ رَبيعَةَ وَاِبنَ أُمِّهِ نَوفَلاً

أَبلِغ رَبيعَةَ وَاِبنَ أُمِّهِ نَوفَلاً

أَني مُصيبُ العُظمِ إِن لَم أَصْفَحِ

أَني مُصيبُ العُظمِ إِن لَم أَصْفَحِ

Tell Rabīʿah and his mother's son, Nawfal,

Tell Rabee'ah and Ibn Ummuhu Nowfal

that I strike to the bone if I do not pardon.

That I bear a grudge if I do not pardon.

وَكَأَنَّني رِئبالُ غابٍ ضَيغَمٍ

وَكَأَنَّني رِئبالُ غابٍ ضَيغَمٍ

يَقرو الأَماعِزَ بِالفَجاجِ الأَفيَحِ

يَقرو الأَماعِزَ بِالفَجاجِ الأَفيَحِ

And I am like a fierce lion of the thickets,

I am like a hungry wolf in the rugged land

roaming the stony ground through spacious passes.

Who bleats at the goats in the barren valley.

غَرَثَت حَليلَتُهُ وَأَرمَلَ لَيلَةُ

غَرَثَت حَليلَتُهُ وَأَرمَلَ لَيلَةُ

فَكَأَنَّهُ غَضبانُ ما لَمْ يَجرَحِ

فَكَأَنَّهُ غَضبانُ ما لَمْ يَجرَحِ

His mate has grown hungry, and he has gone a night without food,

His female has miscarried and a night has widowed him,

so he seems enraged until he draws blood.

So he is wrathful if he is not vicious.

فَتَخالُهُ حَسّانَ إِذ حَرَّبتَهُ

فَتَخالُهُ حَسّانَ إِذ حَرَّبتَهُ

فَدَعِ الفَضاءَ إِلى مَضيقِكَ وَاِفسَحِ

فَدَعِ الفَضاءَ إِلى مَضيقِكَ وَاِفسَحِ

You would take him for Ḥassān when you have provoked him.

Deem him to be singing when you have provoked him,

So leave the open ground for your narrow confines, and make room.

So leave the open country for your narrow pass and give room.

إِنَّ الخِيانَةَ وَالمَغالَةَ وَالخَنا

إِنَّ الخِيانَةَ وَالمَغالَةَ وَالخَنا

وَاللُؤمَ أَصبَحَ ثاوِياً بِالأَبطَحِ

وَاللُؤمَ أَصبَحَ ثاوِياً بِالأَبطَحِ

Indeed, treachery, guile, and foul speech,

Truly treachery, sinfulness, and baseness.

and baseness have come to dwell in al-Abṭaḥ.

Have become desolate in the stony tracts.

قَومٌ إِذا نَطَقَ الخَنا ناديهِمِ

قَومٌ إِذا نَطَقَ الخَنا ناديهِمِ

تُبِعَ الخَنا وَأُضيعَ أَمرُ المُصلِحِ

تُبِعَ الخَنا وَأُضيعَ أَمرُ المُصلِحِ

A people: when their assembly utters foul speech,

A people, if an evildoer addresses them,

foul speech is followed, and the reformer's command is ignored.

Evil is followed and the good deed of the reformer is lost.

وَاِشَتقَّ عِندَ الحِجرِ كُلُّ مُزَلَّجٍ

وَاِشَتقَّ عِندَ الحِجرِ كُلُّ مُزَلَّجٍ

إِلّا يَصِح عِندَ المَقالَةِ يَنبَحِ

إِلّا يَصِح عِندَ المَقالَةِ يَنبَحِ

And every baseborn man launches into speech beside al-Ḥijr;

Everyone slick withdrew at the stone(-throwing)

if he does not shout in discussion, he barks.

Except the barking of the fools in altercation.

أَهَجَوتَ حَمزَةَ أَن تُوَفِّيَ صابِراً

أَهَجَوتَ حَمزَةَ أَن تُوَفِّيَ صابِراً

وَكَفاكَ أَهلُكَ كَالرِئالِ الرُزَّحِ

وَكَفاكَ أَهلُكَ كَالرِئالِ الرُزَّحِ

Did you lampoon Ḥamzah because he died steadfast,

You censured Hamzah hoping he would show forbearance

while your own kin, like exhausted ostrich chicks, were enough for you?

While your family suffices you like jointed puppets.

فَلَبِئسَ ما قاتَلتَ يَومَ لَقيتَنا

فَلَبِئسَ ما قاتَلتَ يَومَ لَقيتَنا

أَيرٌ تَقَلقَلَ في حِرٍ لَم يُصلَحِ

أَيرٌ تَقَلقَلَ في حِرٍ لَم يُصلَحِ

How badly you fought the day you met us—

Evil is that for which you fought us the day you met us -

a penis wobbling in a vulva left unmended.

A blind man tottering in barren heat that cannot be rectified.

عَبدٌ إِذا فَعَلَ العَظائِمَ أَهلُها

عَبدٌ إِذا فَعَلَ العَظائِمَ أَهلُها

جَعدُ الأَنامِلِ في الشِتاءِ المَدلَحِ

جَعدُ الأَنامِلِ في الشِتاءِ المَدلَحِ

A slave, when those worthy of great deeds perform them,

When a slave commits enormities, his people

tight-fingered in the rain-laden winter.

Are ruffled hair in winter's violent cold.