أَمسى الخَلابيسُ قَد عُزّوا وَقَد كَثَروا

أَمسى الخَلابيسُ قَد عُزّوا وَقَد كَثَروا

وَاِبنُ الفُرَيعَةِ أَمسى بَيضَةَ البَلَدِ

وَاِبنُ الفُرَيعَةِ أَمسى بَيضَةَ البَلَدِ

The rabble have now been exalted and grown numerous,

The villains have grown mighty and numerous,

And Ibn al-Furayʿa has become the town's abandoned egg.

While the son of al-Furaieh has become the egg of the country.

جاءَت مُزَينَةُ مِن عَمقٍ لِتُخرِجُني

جاءَت مُزَينَةُ مِن عَمقٍ لِتُخرِجُني

إِخسي مُزَينَ وَفي أَعناقِكُم قَدَدي

إِخسي مُزَينَ وَفي أَعناقِكُم قَدَدي

Muzayna came from ʿAmq to drive me out.

Muzaynah came from the depths to take me out,

Begone, Muzayn—my leather straps are around your necks.

Go away Muzaynah, there are chains around your necks.

يَرمونَ بِالقَولِ سِرّاً في مُهادَنَةٍ

يَرمونَ بِالقَولِ سِرّاً في مُهادَنَةٍ

يُهدى إِلَيَّ كَأَنّي لَستُ مِن أَحَدِ

يُهدى إِلَيَّ كَأَنّي لَستُ مِن أَحَدِ

They hurl words in secret during a truce,

They whisper words secretly with hypocrisy,

Brought to me as though I belonged to no one.

As if I am not one of anyone.

قَد ثَكِلَت أُمُّهُ مَن كُنتُ صاحِبَهُ

قَد ثَكِلَت أُمُّهُ مَن كُنتُ صاحِبَهُ

أَو كانَ مُنتَشِباً في بُرثُنِ الأَسَدِ

أَو كانَ مُنتَشِباً في بُرثُنِ الأَسَدِ

Surely bereaved is the mother of anyone whose adversary I was,

May his mother be bereaved, he who was my friend,

Or who was caught in the claw of a lion.

Or frequented the lairs of lions.

ما البَحرُ حينَ تَهُبُّ الريحُ شامِيةً

ما البَحرُ حينَ تَهُبُّ الريحُ شامِيةً

فَيَغطَئِلُّ وَيَرمي العِبرَ بِالزَبَدِ

فَيَغطَئِلُّ وَيَرمي العِبرَ بِالزَبَدِ

The sea—when the wind blows from Syria,

The sea is not, when the north wind blows,

And it surges darkly and pelts the shore with foam—

To surge and cast foam and spume.

يَوماً بِأَغلَبَ مِنّي حينَ تُبصِرُني

يَوماً بِأَغلَبَ مِنّي حينَ تُبصِرُني

أَفرى مِنَ الغَيظِ فَريَ العارِضِ البَرِدِ

أَفرى مِنَ الغَيظِ فَريَ العارِضِ البَرِدِ

Is never mightier than I when you see me

One day you will see me overcome with wrath,

Rending in fury as a cold rain cloud rends.

Fleeing from anger like the fleeing cold shower.

ما لِلقَتيلِ الَّذي أَغدو فَآخُذُهُ

ما لِلقَتيلِ الَّذي أَغدو فَآخُذُهُ

مِن دِيَةٍ فيهِ يُعطاها وَلا قَوَدِ

مِن دِيَةٍ فيهِ يُعطاها وَلا قَوَدِ

For the slain man I go forth at dawn to seize,

Of no use is vengeance for one slain,

There is no blood money paid on his account, nor retaliatory execution.

Whom I waylay and there is no blood-money or retaliation for him.

بَلِّغ عُبَيداً بِأَنّي قَد تَرَكتُ لَهُ

بَلِّغ عُبَيداً بِأَنّي قَد تَرَكتُ لَهُ

مِن خَيرِ ما يَترُكُ الآباءُ لِلوَلَدِ

مِن خَيرِ ما يَترُكُ الآباءُ لِلوَلَدِ

Tell ʿUbayd that I have left him

Tell Obaid that I have left for him

Some of the best that fathers leave their children:

The best that fathers leave for a son -

الدارُ واسِطَةٌ وَالنَخلُ شارِعَةٌ

الدارُ واسِطَةٌ وَالنَخلُ شارِعَةٌ

وَالبيضُ يَرفُلنَ في القَسِّيِّ كَالبَرَدِ

وَالبيضُ يَرفُلنَ في القَسِّيِّ كَالبَرَدِ

The house stands in the midst, and the date palms rise high,

The house is central, the palms line the street,

And fair-skinned women trail their robes in Qassi cloth, like hailstones.

And the eggs are covered in the fine soft sand.

أَمّا قُرَيشٌ فَإِنّي غَيرُ تارِكِهِم

أَمّا قُرَيشٌ فَإِنّي غَيرُ تارِكِهِم

حَتّى يُنيبوا مِنَ الغِيّاثِ لِلرَشَدِ

حَتّى يُنيبوا مِنَ الغِيّاثِ لِلرَشَدِ

As for Quraysh, I will not leave them alone

As for Quraish, I will not leave them

Until they turn from error to right guidance,

Until they come to the rightly guided one pleading.

وَيَترُكوا اللاتَ وَالعِزّى بِمَعزِلَةٍ

وَيَترُكوا اللاتَ وَالعِزّى بِمَعزِلَةٍ

وَيَسجُدوا كُلُّهُم لِلخالِقِ الصَمَدِ

وَيَسجُدوا كُلُّهُم لِلخالِقِ الصَمَدِ

And leave al-Lat and al-ʿUzza cast aside,

They will abandon al-Lat and al-Uzza,

And all prostrate themselves before the Creator, the Self-Sufficient,

And all bow down in prostration to the Eternal Refuge.

وَيَشهَدوا أَنَّ ما قالَ الرَسولُ لَهُم

وَيَشهَدوا أَنَّ ما قالَ الرَسولُ لَهُم

حَقٌّ وَيوفوا بِعَهدِ الواحِدِ الأَحَدِ

حَقٌّ وَيوفوا بِعَهدِ الواحِدِ الأَحَدِ

And bear witness that what the Messenger told them

They will testify that what the Messenger told them

Is true, and keep faith with the covenant of the One, the Unique.

Is true, and fulfill the covenant of the One God.