حَيِّ الدِيارَ كَوَحيِ الكافِ وَالميمِ

حَيِّ الدِيارَ كَوَحيِ الكافِ وَالميمِ

ما حَظُّكَ اليَومَ مِنها غَيرُ تَسليمِ

ما حَظُّكَ اليَومَ مِنها غَيرُ تَسليمِ

Greet the dwellings, whose traces are like the written strokes of kāf and mīm.

Greet the dwellings, like the traced letters kaf and mim.

Today your only share of them is a greeting.

What do you gain from them today but a greeting?

إِذ أَنتَ صادٍ بِنَبلِ الجِنِّ مُقتَتَلٌ

إِذ أَنتَ صادٍ بِنَبلِ الجِنِّ مُقتَتَلٌ

وَالشِربُ يُمنَعُ مِن صَديانَ مَهيومِ

وَالشِربُ يُمنَعُ مِن صَديانَ مَهيومِ

For you are parched, struck down by the arrows of the jinn,

When you are thirsty, slain by the arrows of the jinn,

while drink is withheld from a thirst-maddened wanderer rushing headlong.

and drink is withheld from one parched and love-distraught.

لَلمَوتُ أَروَحُ مِما تَفعَلينَ بِنا

لَلمَوتُ أَروَحُ مِما تَفعَلينَ بِنا

وَمِن مَواعِدَ مِن خُلفٍ وَتَأثيمِ

وَمِن مَواعِدَ مِن خُلفٍ وَتَأثيمِ

Death, surely, is more restful than what you do to us—

Surely death brings more ease than what you do to us,

than promises ending in breach and accusations of sin.

and than promises marked by broken faith and sinful talk.

قَد كُنتُ أَصطادُ إِذ ريشُ القِداحِ بِها

قَد كُنتُ أَصطادُ إِذ ريشُ القِداحِ بِها

قَبلَ الرُماةِ بِسَهمٍ غَيرِ مَحرومِ

قَبلَ الرُماةِ بِسَهمٍ غَيرِ مَحرومِ

I once hunted, when the feathers of the arrow-shafts were with her,

I once used to hunt, when the shafts still bore their feathers,

ahead of the archers, with a shaft never denied its prize.

ahead of the archers, with an arrow never denied its prize.

يا تَيمُ قَد طالَ إِنذاري عَلى طُرُقٍ

يا تَيمُ قَد طالَ إِنذاري عَلى طُرُقٍ

وَعِندَ زائِدَةَ الكَلبيِّ تَقديمي

وَعِندَ زائِدَةَ الكَلبيِّ تَقديمي

O Taym, long has my warning sounded along the roads,

O Taym, long has my warning sounded along the roads,

and I had delivered it before Zāʾidah al-Kalbī.

and my forewarning before Za'idah al-Kalbi.

إِذ قُلتُ لِلتَيمِ لا تُدنوا فِلِزَّكُمُ

إِذ قُلتُ لِلتَيمِ لا تُدنوا فِلِزَّكُمُ

مِن قاطِعٍ طَبَقَ الأَعناقِ مَسمومِ

مِن قاطِعٍ طَبَقَ الأَعناقِ مَسمومِ

When I told Taym, “Do not draw near, for what awaits you

When I told Taym, 'Do not bring your base metal near

comes from a poisoned cutter that sweeps across necks.”

a poisoned blade that cuts through the necks' joints.'

تَسمو تَميمٌ بِسامٍ ذي مُراهَنَةٍ

تَسمو تَميمٌ بِسامٍ ذي مُراهَنَةٍ

عِندَ المُواطِنِ سَبّاقِ الأَضاميمِ

عِندَ المُواطِنِ سَبّاقِ الأَضاميمِ

Tamim rises through a lofty, awe-inspiring champion,

Tamim rises high with a lofty contender for the stakes,

at the gathering places, outstripping the massed hosts.

on the battlefields, outstripping the gathered bands.

أَدعو تَميمَ بنَ مُرٍّ ثُمَّ تَرفِدُني

أَدعو تَميمَ بنَ مُرٍّ ثُمَّ تَرفِدُني

عِندَ المُواطِنِ رِفداً غَيرَ مَغمومِ

عِندَ المُواطِنِ رِفداً غَيرَ مَغمومِ

I call Tamim son of Murr, and then they hasten to my aid

I call on Tamim ibn Murr; then she lends me aid

at the gathering places, a supporting host beyond reproach.

on the battlefields, with support unclouded by sorrow.

إِنَّ الجَراثيمَ كُبراها يَكونُ لَنا

إِنَّ الجَراثيمَ كُبراها يَكونُ لَنا

لا حَقَّ لِلتَيمِ في تِلكَ الجَراثيمِ

لا حَقَّ لِلتَيمِ في تِلكَ الجَراثيمِ

The greatest of the ancestral roots belong to us;

Surely the greatest of the ancestral stocks belongs to us;

Taym has no claim upon those noble roots.

Taym has no claim to those ancestral stocks.

قالَت تَميمٌ أَلَستُم يا بَني كُسَعٍ

قالَت تَميمٌ أَلَستُم يا بَني كُسَعٍ

ريشَ الذُنابى وَلَستُم بِالمَقاديمِ

ريشَ الذُنابى وَلَستُم بِالمَقاديمِ

Tamim said, “Are you not, O sons of Kusaʿ,

Tamim said, 'Are you not, O sons of Kusaʿ,

the tail feathers—never the foremost pinions?”

the tail-feathers, and not the leading feathers?'

يا تَيمُ وَيحَكَ مِن جَدعٍ لَهُ نَدَبٌ

يا تَيمُ وَيحَكَ مِن جَدعٍ لَهُ نَدَبٌ

يَبدو بِأَنفِكَ مِن ذُلٍّ وَتَرغيمِ

يَبدو بِأَنفِكَ مِن ذُلٍّ وَتَرغيمِ

O Taym, woe to you! The cutting of your nose has left a scar

O Taym, woe to you for a nose-cutting that leaves a scar,

plain upon your nose, born of abasement and being rubbed in dust.

showing on your nose from humiliation and rubbing it in dust.

يا تَيمَ تَمضي عَليكُم كُلُّ مَظلِمَةٍ

يا تَيمَ تَمضي عَليكُم كُلُّ مَظلِمَةٍ

عادَتِ مُعتَرِفٍ بِالذُلِّ مَظلومِ

عادَتِ مُعتَرِفٍ بِالذُلِّ مَظلومِ

O Taym, every claim of injustice is upheld against you;

O Taym, every injustice is visited upon you,

the wronged man returns confessing humiliation.

as is customary for one wronged who accepts humiliation.

يا قَبَّحَ اللَهُ عَبداً مِن بَني لَجَإٍ

يا قَبَّحَ اللَهُ عَبداً مِن بَني لَجَإٍ

يَأوي إِلى نِسوَةٍ رُصعٍ مَداريمِ

يَأوي إِلى نِسوَةٍ رُصعٍ مَداريمِ

May God make hideous a slave of the sons of Lajaʾ

Ah, may God make vile a slave from the sons of Lajaʾ,

who seeks shelter among nursing women, squat and thickset,

who shelters among narrow-vulvaed, fleshy-ankled women.

وَاِبنَي شَريكٍ شَريكِ اللُؤمِ إِذ نَزَلا

وَاِبنَي شَريكٍ شَريكِ اللُؤمِ إِذ نَزَلا

بِالجِزعِ أَسفَلَ مِن أَطواءِ مَوشومِ

بِالجِزعِ أَسفَلَ مِن أَطواءِ مَوشومِ

and the two sons of Sharīk, partners together in baseness, when they encamped

And the two sons of Sharik, partner in baseness, when they settled

in the sandy bend below the marked wells.

at the valley bend below Mawshum's stone-lined wells.

عَمداً رَمَيتُ اِبنَ مَكحولٍ بِدامِغَةٍ

عَمداً رَمَيتُ اِبنَ مَكحولٍ بِدامِغَةٍ

حَتّى اِستَدارَ بَواهي الرَأسِ مَأمومِ

حَتّى اِستَدارَ بَواهي الرَأسِ مَأمومِ

Deliberately I struck Ibn Makhūl with a brain-wounding blow,

I deliberately struck Ibn Makhul with a brain-piercing blow,

until he reeled from it, his skull pierced to the brain.

until he spun around, his skull fractured, wounded to the brain's membrane.

فَرعا قُرَيشٍ إِذا ما حُكِّموا عَدَلوا

فَرعا قُرَيشٍ إِذا ما حُكِّموا عَدَلوا

فَصلَ القَضاءِ وَكانوا أَهلَ تَحكيمِ

فَصلَ القَضاءِ وَكانوا أَهلَ تَحكيمِ

Two branches of Quraysh: when chosen to judge, they judge justly,

Quraysh's two branches, whenever appointed judges, judged fairly

deciding the case, for they are fit to arbitrate.

in delivering decisive judgment, and were worthy arbiters.

الطَيِّبونَ مِنَ الرَيحانِ مَنبِتُهُم

الطَيِّبونَ مِنَ الرَيحانِ مَنبِتُهُم

وَمَنبِتُ التَيمِ في الكُرّاثِ وَالثومِ

وَمَنبِتُ التَيمِ في الكُرّاثِ وَالثومِ

Those noble men have their stock planted among fragrant basil,

The pure ones—their roots spring from fragrant basil,

while Taym’s stock grows amid leeks and garlic.

while Taym's roots lie among leeks and garlic.

تَقضي القُضاةُ عَلى تَيمٍ وَإِن رَغَمَت

تَقضي القُضاةُ عَلى تَيمٍ وَإِن رَغَمَت

فَاِكتُب قَضاءَكَ وَاِطبَع بِالخَواتيمِ

فَاِكتُب قَضاءَكَ وَاِطبَع بِالخَواتيمِ

The judges rule against Taym, though she be rubbed in dust;

The judges rule against Taym, even if she resents it;

so write down your judgment and stamp it with the seals.

so write your judgment and stamp it with the seals.

فَاِسأَل بَني عَبدِ شَمسٍ قَد رَضيتُ بِهِم

فَاِسأَل بَني عَبدِ شَمسٍ قَد رَضيتُ بِهِم

أَو هاشِمَ الصيدَ أَو أَبناءَ مَخزومِ

أَو هاشِمَ الصيدَ أَو أَبناءَ مَخزومِ

Ask the sons of ʿAbd Shams—I accept their judgment—

So consult the sons of Abd Shams; I am satisfied with them,

or truthful Hāshim, or the sons of Makhzūm.

or the proud nobles of Hashim, or the sons of Makhzum.

يا تَيمُ إِنَّكَ عَبدٌ مِن بَني كُسعٍ

يا تَيمُ إِنَّكَ عَبدٌ مِن بَني كُسعٍ

ما كُنتُ أَوَّلَ عَبدٍ ضَلَّ مَغتومِ

ما كُنتُ أَوَّلَ عَبدٍ ضَلَّ مَغتومِ

O Taym, you are a slave of the sons of Kusaʿ;

O Taym, you are indeed a slave of the sons of Kusaʿ;

you would not be the first slave to lose his way in darkness.

I was not the first slave to stray, grief-stricken.

يا تَيمُ أُمُّكُمُ عَمياءُ مُقعَدَةٌ

يا تَيمُ أُمُّكُمُ عَمياءُ مُقعَدَةٌ

جاءَت بِنَسلٍ خَبيثِ الريحِ مَجذومِ

جاءَت بِنَسلٍ خَبيثِ الريحِ مَجذومِ

O Taym, your mother is blind and crippled;

O Taym, your mother is blind and crippled;

she bore foul-smelling, leprous offspring.

she bore foul-smelling, leprous offspring.

ما بَينَ تَيمٍ وَإِسماعيلَ مِن نَسَبٍ

ما بَينَ تَيمٍ وَإِسماعيلَ مِن نَسَبٍ

إِلّا القَرابَةُ بَينَ الزَنجِ وَالرومِ

إِلّا القَرابَةُ بَينَ الزَنجِ وَالرومِ

There is no kinship between Taym and Ishmael,

There is no kinship between Taym and Isma'il,

save the kinship between the Zanj and the Romans.

save the kinship between the Zanj and the Romans.

إِنَّ اِبنَ تَيمٍ لَمَنسوبٌ لِوالِدِهِ

إِنَّ اِبنَ تَيمٍ لَمَنسوبٌ لِوالِدِهِ

داني القَرابَةِ مِن حامٍ وَيَحمومِ

داني القَرابَةِ مِن حامٍ وَيَحمومِ

Indeed, Taym’s son is ascribed to his father,

Indeed, Taym's son is surely ascribed to his father,

near in kin to Ham and Yaʾmūm.

close in kinship to Ham and Yahmum.

هَذي الَّتي جَدَعَت تَيماً مَواسِمُها

هَذي الَّتي جَدَعَت تَيماً مَواسِمُها

ثُمَّ اِقعُدي بَعدَها يا تَيمُ أَو قومي

ثُمَّ اِقعُدي بَعدَها يا تَيمُ أَو قومي

This is the poem whose brands have cut off Taym’s nose;

This is the one whose branding irons have cut off Taym's nose;

then sit down after it, O Taym—or rise.

then sit down after it, O Taym, or stand up.