لَعَمرُ أَبي رَبيعَةَ ما نَفاهُ

لَعَمرُ أَبي رَبيعَةَ ما نَفاهُ

مِن اَرضِ بَني رَبيعَةَ مِن هَوانِ

مِن اَرضِ بَني رَبيعَةَ مِن هَوانِ

By Abu Rabi‘ah’s life, he was not driven away

By the life of Abi Rabi'ah, he would not have left

From the land of Banu Rabi‘ah out of disgrace.

The land of Bani Rabi'ah out of disgrace,

لَكانَ هَوى الغَنِيِّ اِلى غِناهُ

لَكانَ هَوى الغَنِيِّ اِلى غِناهُ

وَكانَ مِنَ العَشيرَةِ في مَكانِ

وَكانَ مِنَ العَشيرَةِ في مَكانِ

Indeed, the rich man’s desire was for his wealth,

Had the love of the rich been for his riches,

And he held a place of standing among his clan.

And had he been among his clan in any stature.

تَكَنَّفَهُ الوُشاةُ فَأَزعَجوهُ

تَكَنَّفَهُ الوُشاةُ فَأَزعَجوهُ

وَدَسٌّ مِن فَضالَةَ غَيرُ واني

وَدَسٌّ مِن فَضالَةَ غَيرُ واني

The slanderers surrounded him and drove him away,

The slanderers hemmed him in and disquieted him,

And unflagging intrigue came from Fadalah.

And there was also covert enmity from some scoundrels.

فَلَولا أَنَّ أُمَّ أَبيهِ أُمّي

فَلَولا أَنَّ أُمَّ أَبيهِ أُمّي

وَأَن مَن قَد هَجاهُ فَقَد هَجاني

وَأَن مَن قَد هَجاهُ فَقَد هَجاني

So, were it not that his father’s mother is my mother,

But for the fact that his mother is my mother,

And that whoever has lampooned him has lampooned me,

And that he who insults him has insulted me,

وَأَنَّ أَبي أَبوهُ لَذاقَ مِني

وَأَنَّ أَبي أَبوهُ لَذاقَ مِني

مَرارَةَ مِبرَدي وَلَكانَ شاني

مَرارَةَ مِبرَدي وَلَكانَ شاني

And that my father is his father, he would have tasted from me

And that his father is as my father, and would have tasted

The bitterness of my file, and he would have become my concern.

The bitterness of my ice-cold blade, had it been otherwise!

إِذا لأَصابَهُ مِني هِجاءٌ

إِذا لأَصابَهُ مِني هِجاءٌ

يَذِلُّ بِهِ الرَوِيُّ عَلى لِساني

يَذِلُّ بِهِ الرَوِيُّ عَلى لِساني

Then satire from me would have struck him,

For if he insulted me with satire,

Through which the rhyme-letter would yield upon my tongue.

That would humiliate the most eloquent upon my tongue.

أَعَلِّمُهُ الرِمايَةَ كُلُّ يَومٍ

أَعَلِّمُهُ الرِمايَةَ كُلُّ يَومٍ

فَلَمّا اِستَدَّ ساعِدُهُ رَماني

فَلَمّا اِستَدَّ ساعِدُهُ رَماني

I teach him archery every day;

I taught him archery every day,

But when his forearm grew steady, he shot at me.

But when his arm grew strong, he shot me!

وَكَم عَلَّمتُهُ نَظمَ القَوافي

وَكَم عَلَّمتُهُ نَظمَ القَوافي

فَلَمّا قالَ قافِيَةً هَجاني

فَلَمّا قالَ قافِيَةً هَجاني

And how often I taught him to compose rhymes;

And how much did I teach him the composition of verse,

But when he uttered a rhyme, he lampooned me.

But when he composed a single line, he insulted me!