وَاللَهِ ما مَعشَرٌ لاموا اِمرَأً جُنُباً

وَاللَهِ ما مَعشَرٌ لاموا اِمرَأً جُنُباً

في آلِ لَأيِ بنِ شَمّاسٍ بِأَكياسِ

في آلِ لَأيِ بنِ شَمّاسٍ بِأَكياسِ

By God, no folk who blamed an outsider

By God, the people did not blame a chaste man

over the house of La’y son of Shammas are wise.

Among the family of Layy son of Shammās with purses.

عَلامَ كَلَّفتَني مَجدَ اِبنِ عَمِّكُمُ

عَلامَ كَلَّفتَني مَجدَ اِبنِ عَمِّكُمُ

وَالعيسُ تَخرُجُ مِن أَعلامِ أَوطاسِ

وَالعيسُ تَخرُجُ مِن أَعلامِ أَوطاسِ

Why did you burden me with your cousin’s glory,

Why did you burden me with the glory of your cousin’s son

while the pale camels were emerging from the heights of Awtas?

While Jesus comes out from the signs of Autās?

ما كانَ ذَنبُ بَغيضٍ لا أَبا لَكُمُ

ما كانَ ذَنبُ بَغيضٍ لا أَبا لَكُمُ

في بائِسٍ جاءَ يَحدو آخِرَ الناسِ

في بائِسٍ جاءَ يَحدو آخِرَ الناسِ

What was Baghid’s fault—may you have no father!—

It was not the sin of the hated one that he had no father for you

concerning a destitute man who came urging the stragglers onward with song?

In a wretch who came at the end of people to compete.

لَقَد مَرَيتُكُمُ لَو أَنَّ دِرَّتَكُم

لَقَد مَرَيتُكُمُ لَو أَنَّ دِرَّتَكُم

يَوماً يَجيءُ بِها مَسحي وَإِبساسي

يَوماً يَجيءُ بِها مَسحي وَإِبساسي

I did stroke you for milk—if only your flow

I have certainly seen you all, if your riches

could one day be brought forth by my stroking and coaxing calls.

Came one day with my wiping and squeezing.

وَقَد مَدَحتُكُمُ عَمداً لِأُرشِدَكُم

وَقَد مَدَحتُكُمُ عَمداً لِأُرشِدَكُم

كَيما يَكونَ لَكُم مَتحي وَإِمراسي

كَيما يَكونَ لَكُم مَتحي وَإِمراسي

And I praised you deliberately, to guide you,

And I have willfully praised you to guide you

so that my drawing water and working the well-rope might serve you.

So there would be for you a wiper and cleaner.

وَقَد نَظَرتُكُمُ إِعشاءَ صادِرَةٍ

وَقَد نَظَرتُكُمُ إِعشاءَ صادِرَةٍ

لِلخَمسِ طالَ بِها حَبسي وَتَنساسي

لِلخَمسِ طالَ بِها حَبسي وَتَنساسي

And I waited for you as one keeps a departing herd grazing at dusk,

And I have seen you in the evening of a young woman

for its five-day watering cycle; long did I hold it back and urge it on.

For five whose detention has prolonged my forgetfulness and oblivion.

فَما مَلَكتُ بِأَن كانَت نُفوسُكُمُ

فَما مَلَكتُ بِأَن كانَت نُفوسُكُمُ

كَفارِكٍ كَرِهَت ثَوبي وَإِلباسي

كَفارِكٍ كَرِهَت ثَوبي وَإِلباسي

So I was powerless, since your souls were

Yet I do not own that your souls were

like an estranged wife who loathed my garment and my clothing her.

Like unbelievers, hating my garment and dress.

لَمّا بَدا لِيَ مِنكُم غَيبُ أَنفُسِكُم

لَمّا بَدا لِيَ مِنكُم غَيبُ أَنفُسِكُم

وَلَم يَكُن لِجِراحي مِنكُمُ آسي

وَلَم يَكُن لِجِراحي مِنكُمُ آسي

When what lay hidden in your souls became plain to me,

When the inner secrets of your souls became apparent to me

and among you there was no healer for my wounds,

And I had no comforter among you for my wounds,

أَزمَعتُ يَأساً مُبيناً مِن نَوالِكُمُ

أَزمَعتُ يَأساً مُبيناً مِن نَوالِكُمُ

وَلَن تَرى طارِداً لِلحُرِّ كَالياسِ

وَلَن تَرى طارِداً لِلحُرِّ كَالياسِ

I resolved on outright despair of your bounty,

I despaired openly of attaining you

and you will see nothing drive a freeborn man away like despair.

And you will not see one chasing the free man like the ostrich.

أَنا اِبنُ بَجدَتِها عِلماً وَتَجرِبَةً

أَنا اِبنُ بَجدَتِها عِلماً وَتَجرِبَةً

فَسَل بِسَعدٍ تَجِدني أَعلَمَ الناسِ

فَسَل بِسَعدٍ تَجِدني أَعلَمَ الناسِ

I am a son of its very heart, in knowledge and experience;

I am the son of her grandmother in knowledge and experience

so ask about Sa‘d: you will find me the best-informed of people.

So ask Saʿd and you will find me the most knowing of people.

ما كانَ ذَنبُ بَغيضٍ أَن رَأى رَجُلاً

ما كانَ ذَنبُ بَغيضٍ أَن رَأى رَجُلاً

ذا فاقَةٍ عاشَ في مُستَوعَرٍ شاسِ

ذا فاقَةٍ عاشَ في مُستَوعَرٍ شاسِ

What was Baghid’s fault in seeing a man

It was not the sin of the hated one that he saw a man

in need, who lived in rugged, far-off country,

With poverty who lived in a desolate place.

جارٌ لِقَومٍ أَطالوا هونَ مَنزِلِهِ

جارٌ لِقَومٍ أَطالوا هونَ مَنزِلِهِ

وَغادَروهُ مُقيماً بَينَ أَرماسِ

وَغادَروهُ مُقيماً بَينَ أَرماسِ

a neighbor to folk who prolonged the indignity of his stay,

A neighbor of people who made his dwelling vile

and left him dwelling among graves?

And left him residing between milestones.

مَلّوا قِراهُ وَهَرَّتهُ كِلابُهُمُ

مَلّوا قِراهُ وَهَرَّتهُ كِلابُهُمُ

وَجَرَّحوهُ بِأَنيابٍ وَأَضراسِ

وَجَرَّحوهُ بِأَنيابٍ وَأَضراسِ

They wearied of feeding him, and their dogs snarled at him,

They filled his villages and their dogs made him flee

and they wounded him with fangs and molars.

And wounded him with fangs and molars.

دَعِ المَكارِمَ لا تَرحَل لِبُغيَتِها

دَعِ المَكارِمَ لا تَرحَل لِبُغيَتِها

وَاِقعُد فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ الطاعِمُ الكاسي

وَاِقعُد فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ الطاعِمُ الكاسي

Abandon noble deeds; do not journey in pursuit of them,

Leave generosity! Do not travel to it!

and sit still, for you merely eat and wear clothes.

And sit, for you are the one who eats and dresses.

وَاِبعَث يَساراً إِلى وُفرٍ مُذَمَّمَةٍ

وَاِبعَث يَساراً إِلى وُفرٍ مُذَمَّمَةٍ

وَاِحدِج إِلَيها بِذي عَركَينِ قِنعاسِ

وَاِحدِج إِلَيها بِذي عَركَينِ قِنعاسِ

And send Yasar to the abundant, protected herds,

And send to the left, to a perfumed damsel,

and saddle a massive camel, broad at both bases of its hump, to reach them.

And urge her with a wine-skin full of wine.

سيري أُمامَ فَإِنَّ الأَكثَرينَ حَصىً

سيري أُمامَ فَإِنَّ الأَكثَرينَ حَصىً

وَالأَكرَمينَ أَباً مِن آلِ شَمّاسِ

وَالأَكرَمينَ أَباً مِن آلِ شَمّاسِ

Go, Umam, for those greatest in pebble-count

Walk ahead, for most in number

and noblest in ancestry are of the house of Shammas.

And the noblest in lineage are from the family of Shammās.

مَن يَفعَلِ الخَيرَ لا يَعدَم جَوازِيَهُ

مَن يَفعَلِ الخَيرَ لا يَعدَم جَوازِيَهُ

لا يَذهَبُ العُرفُ بَينَ اللَهِ وَالناسِ

لا يَذهَبُ العُرفُ بَينَ اللَهِ وَالناسِ

Whoever does good will not lack its rewards;

Whoever does good will not miss its rewards—

kindness is not lost between God and people.

Convention does not vanish between God and people.

ما كانَ ذَنبِيَ أَن فَلَّت مَعاوِلَكُم

ما كانَ ذَنبِيَ أَن فَلَّت مَعاوِلَكُم

مِن آلِ لَأيٍ صَفاةٌ أَصلُها راسِ

مِن آلِ لَأيٍ صَفاةٌ أَصلُها راسِ

What was my fault, that your pickaxes were blunted

It was not my sin that your hoes broke

by a rock of the house of La’y, firmly rooted?

From the hands of pure Layys whose origin is firm.

قَد ناضَلوكَ فَسَلّوا مِن كِنانَتِهِم

قَد ناضَلوكَ فَسَلّوا مِن كِنانَتِهِم

مَجداً تَليداً وَنَبلاً غَيرَ أَنكاسِ

مَجداً تَليداً وَنَبلاً غَيرَ أَنكاسِ

They vied with you in archery, then drew from their quiver

They have struggled with you and extracted from their perfection

ancestral glory and arrows, none refashioned backward from broken shafts.

An inherited glory and nobility not borrowed from others.