أُمامَةُ لَيسَت لِلَّتي شاعَ سِرُّها

أُمامَةُ لَيسَت لِلَّتي شاعَ سِرُّها

بِإِلفٍ وَلا ذاكَ المُريبُ خَدينُ

بِإِلفٍ وَلا ذاكَ المُريبُ خَدينُ

Umamah is not, to the woman whose secret became known,

Umma is not for the one whose secret is widespread

a close companion, nor is that suspect man her intimate.

With friendship or with that dubious cheek

لَها في بَني ذُبيانَ نَبتٌ بِمَفرَعٍ

لَها في بَني ذُبيانَ نَبتٌ بِمَفرَعٍ

وَفي مِنقَرٍ عالي البِناءِ كَنينُ

وَفي مِنقَرٍ عالي البِناءِ كَنينُ

She has among the sons of Dhubyan a shoot on high ground,

She has growth in the youth of Dhubyan

and in Minqar, a lofty-built, sheltered refuge.

And in the high nest, a whimper

وَما كانَ عِندي في أُمامَةَ عاذِلٌ

وَما كانَ عِندي في أُمامَةَ عاذِلٌ

مُطاعاً وَلا الواشي لَدَيَّ مَكينُ

مُطاعاً وَلا الواشي لَدَيَّ مَكينُ

No reproacher over Umamah was ever, in my eyes,

And I had no faultfinder in Umma

one to be obeyed, nor did a slanderer have standing with me.

Obeyed or the slanderer firmly established with me

لَقَد شَفَّني بَينُ الخَليطِ بِساجِرٍ

لَقَد شَفَّني بَينُ الخَليطِ بِساجِرٍ

وَمَحبِسُ أَجمالٍ لَهُنَّ حَنينُ

وَمَحبِسُ أَجمالٍ لَهُنَّ حَنينُ

Parting from the company at Sajir has indeed wasted me,

Indeed she healed me among the mixed throng with conversation

and the stopping place of camels with their plaintive cries.

And the imprisonment of beauties, for them yearning

فَكَيفَ بِوَصلِ الغانِياتِ وَلَم يَزَل

فَكَيفَ بِوَصلِ الغانِياتِ وَلَم يَزَل

لِقَلبِكَ مِن أَقرانِهِنَّ قَرينُ

لِقَلبِكَ مِن أَقرانِهِنَّ قَرينُ

How, then, can you unite with the beauties, while there is still

So how about joining the singers, and he has not stopped

a companion for your heart among their peers?

For your heart from their peers, a companion

فَإِن كُنتُمُ كَلبى فَعِندي شِفاؤُكُم

فَإِن كُنتُمُ كَلبى فَعِندي شِفاؤُكُم

وَلِلجِنِّ إِن كانَ اِعتَراكَ جُنونُ

وَلِلجِنِّ إِن كانَ اِعتَراكَ جُنونُ

So if you are rabid, I have your cure,

So if you are my dogs, then I have your cure

and one for the jinn, if madness has afflicted you.

And for the jinn if madness afflicted you, madness

بِوادي أُشَيَّ الخُبثِ يا آلَ مُنقِذٍ

بِوادي أُشَيَّ الخُبثِ يا آلَ مُنقِذٍ

مَعاذِرُ فيها سِرقَةٌ وَمُجونُ

مَعاذِرُ فيها سِرقَةٌ وَمُجونُ

In the valley of foul Ushayy, O house of Munqidh,

In the valley of Ushayy, evil's family, O savior's kin

are disgraces containing theft and debauchery.

Excuses in it, theft and immorality

وَتُعجِبُ قَيساً وَالقُباعَ إِذا اِنتَشَوا

وَتُعجِبُ قَيساً وَالقُباعَ إِذا اِنتَشَوا

سَوالِفُ مالَت لِلصِبا وَعُيونُ

سَوالِفُ مالَت لِلصِبا وَعُيونُ

And Qays and al-Qubaʿ are charmed, when they get drunk,

And you wonder at Qays and Al-Quba’a when they recoiled

by necks inclined toward youthful passion, and by eyes.

Conversations inclined to youth and eyes

بَني مُنقِذٍ لا صُلحَ حَتّى تُصيبَكُم

بَني مُنقِذٍ لا صُلحَ حَتّى تُصيبَكُم

مِنَ الحَربِ صَمّاءُ القَناةِ زَبونُ

مِنَ الحَربِ صَمّاءُ القَناةِ زَبونُ

Sons of Munqidh, no peace until you are struck

Saviors' kin, no peace until you are struck

by a fierce war with an unyielding spear-shaft.

By the deafness of war, toads

وَحَتّى تَذوقوا كَأسَ مَن كانَ قَبلَكُم

وَحَتّى تَذوقوا كَأسَ مَن كانَ قَبلَكُم

وَيَزرِقَ مِنكُم في الحِبالِ قَرينُ

وَيَزرِقَ مِنكُم في الحِبالِ قَرينُ

And until you taste the cup of those who were before you,

And until you taste the cup of those before you

and a captive from among you fouls himself in the ropes.

And blue from you twists in ropes, a mate

وَحَتّى تَضُمَّ الحَربُ مَعكُم عُطارِداً

وَحَتّى تَضُمَّ الحَربُ مَعكُم عُطارِداً

وَيَبرَأَ تَخليجٌ بِهِ وَجُنونُ

وَيَبرَأَ تَخليجٌ بِهِ وَجُنونُ

And until war draws Utarid in along with you,

And until war includes with you a pursuer

and his twitching and madness are cured.

And a gulf with it heals, and madness

بَني مُنقِذٍ ما بالُ مِنحَةِ جارِكُم

بَني مُنقِذٍ ما بالُ مِنحَةِ جارِكُم

تَدَفَّنُ أَظلافٌ لَها وَقُرونُ

تَدَفَّنُ أَظلافٌ لَها وَقُرونُ

Sons of Munqidh, what ails your neighbor's loaned milch-beast,

Saviors' kin, what is wrong with your neighbor's gift

that its cloven hooves and horns are buried?

Buried shadows for it and horns

وَلَو نَزَلوا بِالبَيتِ ما باتَ آمِناً

وَلَو نَزَلوا بِالبَيتِ ما باتَ آمِناً

حَمامٌ لَدى البَيتِ الحَرامِ قَطونُ

حَمامٌ لَدى البَيتِ الحَرامِ قَطونُ

And were they to lodge at the House, there would be no safe night's rest

And if they descended upon the house, no dove

for pigeons dwelling beside the Sacred House.

Near the Sacred House would sleep secure, cotton

وَلَو يَعلَمُ السُلطانُ ما تَفعَلونَهُ

وَلَو يَعلَمُ السُلطانُ ما تَفعَلونَهُ

لَبانَت يَمينٌ مِنكُمُ وَيَمينُ

لَبانَت يَمينٌ مِنكُمُ وَيَمينُ

And if the ruler knew what you do,

And if the sultan knew what you do

one right hand after another among you would be severed.

An oath from you and oath would appear