أبلِغ عَديّاً حيثُ صار بها النوَى

أبلِغ عَديّاً حيثُ صار بها النوَى

وليسَ لدهرِ الطالِبينَ فَنَاءُ

وليسَ لدهرِ الطالِبينَ فَنَاءُ

Tell ʿAdiyy, wherever distance has carried them,

Convey to 'Adiyy wherever he has settled,

and the time of those who seek has no end.

For the days of seekers have no end,

كُسَالى إذا لاقيتهُم غيرَ منطقٍ

كُسَالى إذا لاقيتهُم غيرَ منطقٍ

يُلهَّى به المتبولُ وهو عَناءُ

يُلهَّى به المتبولُ وهو عَناءُ

They are idle when you meet them, with nothing but talk

When you meet the tribes of Kusayla unarmed,

that distracts the lovesick man, yet is only trouble.

Distracted by trifles though it wearies you,

أُخبِّرُ من لاقيتُ أَن قد وفيتُمُ

أُخبِّرُ من لاقيتُ أَن قد وفيتُمُ

ولو شِئتُ قالَ المنبِئونَ أساؤوا

ولو شِئتُ قالَ المنبِئونَ أساؤوا

I tell whomever I meet that you have kept your word,

Tell whoever you meet that I have kept faith,

yet had I wished, the news-bearers would have said, 'They did wrong.'

Though if I wished, informants would have lied,

لهُم رَثيةٌ تعلو صَريمة أمرِهم

لهُم رَثيةٌ تعلو صَريمة أمرِهم

وللأمرِ يوماً راحةٌ فقَضاءُ

وللأمرِ يوماً راحةٌ فقَضاءُ

Their weakness overcomes the firmness of their purpose,

For them a dirge mounts above their misfortune's pitch,

and the matter will one day have respite, then resolution.

And every command must someday come to rest,

وَإني لراجيكُم علَى بطءِ سَعيِكُم

وَإني لراجيكُم علَى بطءِ سَعيِكُم

كما في بُطُونِ الحامِلاتِ رَجاءُ

كما في بُطُونِ الحامِلاتِ رَجاءُ

And I do place my hope in you, despite your slow efforts,

Yet still I hope for you despite your slow endeavor,

just as hope lies in the wombs of those bearing young.

As hope resides in pregnant women's wombs,

فَهلا سَعَيتُم سَعيَ عُصبةِ مازنٍ

فَهلا سَعَيتُم سَعيَ عُصبةِ مازنٍ

وَهل كُفَلائي في الوَفاءِ سواءُ

وَهل كُفَلائي في الوَفاءِ سواءُ

Why, then, did you not strive as Māzin's band strove?

Why not strive like the allied tribes of Mazin?

And are my guarantors alike in keeping faith?

Are my caretakers not equal to them in loyalty?

لَهُم أذرُعٌ بادٍ نواشِرُ لَحمِها

لَهُم أذرُعٌ بادٍ نواشِرُ لَحمِها

وبعضُ الرِّجَالِ في الحرُوبِ غُثَاءُ

وبعضُ الرِّجَالِ في الحرُوبِ غُثَاءُ

They have arms, the sinews of their flesh plain to see,

They have flabby, useless arms,

while some men in war are mere flotsam.

Some men in war are mere rabble,

كأنَّ دَنانِيراً علَى قَسماتِهم

كأنَّ دَنانِيراً علَى قَسماتِهم

وَإن كانَ قَد شَفَّ الوُجُوهَ لِقاءُ

وَإن كانَ قَد شَفَّ الوُجُوهَ لِقاءُ

As though dinars lay upon their features,

As if dinars were struck on their brows,

even though battle had already worn their faces thin.

Though, truly, war had marred their faces.