أَلاَ يا عمرو عمرو قَبيلِ سَهْمٍ

أَلاَ يا عمرو عمرو قَبيلِ سَهْمٍ

لقد أخطأتَ رأيكَ في عَقيلِ

لقد أخطأتَ رأيكَ في عَقيلِ

Listen, O Amr—Amr of the tribe of Sahm—

Alas, O Amr, before the arrow strikes,

you have indeed erred in your judgment of Aqil.

You have erred in judgment, O Aqil.

بُليتَ بِحَيّةٍ صَمّاءَ باتَتْ

بُليتَ بِحَيّةٍ صَمّاءَ باتَتْ

تَلَفّتُ أينَ مُلْتَمَسُ القبيلِ

تَلَفّتُ أينَ مُلْتَمَسُ القبيلِ

You have been afflicted with a deaf serpent that spent the night

You were stung by a deaf adder

looking about for where the clan might be found,

As I search - where can the tribe be found?

بِعَيْنٍ تَنْفُذُ البيداءَ لحظاً

بِعَيْنٍ تَنْفُذُ البيداءَ لحظاً

ونابٍ غيرِ موصولٍ كليلِ

ونابٍ غيرِ موصولٍ كليلِ

with an eye whose glance pierces the desert,

With an eye piercing the horizon in a glance

and a fang—not a grafted, blunt one.

And fangs unleashed like a smooth file.

وقد كانتْ تُرَجِّمُهُ قريشٌ

وقد كانتْ تُرَجِّمُهُ قريشٌ

على عَمياءَ مِنْ قالٍ وقيلِ

على عَمياءَ مِنْ قالٍ وقيلِ

And Quraysh had indeed been judging him by guesswork,

The Quraysh used to translate it for him

blindly, through gossip and hearsay.

Based on the blindness of saying and telling.

أَلاَ للهِ درُّ أبي يَزيدٍ

أَلاَ للهِ درُّ أبي يَزيدٍ

لِهَرْجِ الأَمْرِ والخَطْبِ الجليلِ

لِهَرْجِ الأَمْرِ والخَطْبِ الجليلِ

Ah, God be praised for Abu Yazid,

Alas! Praiseworthy is my father Yazid

amid the turmoil of affairs and grave calamity!

For the tumultuous affair and momentous event.

فما خاصَمْتُ مِثْلَكَ من خصِيمٍ

فما خاصَمْتُ مِثْلَكَ من خصِيمٍ

ولا حالوتَ مِثْلَكَ مِنْ حَويلِ

ولا حالوتَ مِثْلَكَ مِنْ حَويلِ

For I have never disputed with an adversary like you,

Never have I contended with the like of you,

nor have you contended with a rival like yourself.

Nor been confounded by the like of your wiles.

أتاني زائراً ورأى عَلِيّا

أتاني زائراً ورأى عَلِيّا

قَليلَ المالِ مُنْقَطِعَ الخَليلِ

قَليلَ المالِ مُنْقَطِعَ الخَليلِ

He came to me as a visitor, and saw Ali

You came to me as a visitor and saw

short of money, bereft of close friends.

Me, with little wealth, deserted by friends.

فأَجْزَلتُ العطاء له ودَبّتْ

فأَجْزَلتُ العطاء له ودَبّتْ

عَقَارِبُهُ لِسَالِفَةِ الدّخولِ

عَقَارِبُهُ لِسَالِفَةِ الدّخولِ

So I lavished gifts on him, and there crept

So I was generous to you, though your toes

his scorpions, over that earlier entry.

Itched to flee once your wants were fulfilled.

فلم يرضَ الكثيرَ وقد أراهُ

فلم يرضَ الكثيرَ وقد أراهُ

سَخُوطاً للكثيرِ وَلِلْقَلِيلِ

سَخُوطاً للكثيرِ وَلِلْقَلِيلِ

Yet he was not content with much, and I see him

You were ungrateful for much, though I showed it to you,

discontented with much and with little alike.

Scowling at plenty and little alike.