لَعَمرُكَ ما خَشيتُ عَلى يَزيدٍ

لَعَمرُكَ ما خَشيتُ عَلى يَزيدٍ

مِنَ الفَخرِ المُضَلَّلِ ما أَتاني

مِنَ الفَخرِ المُضَلَّلِ ما أَتاني

By your life, I never feared for Yazid

By your life! I did not fear for Yazid

Such misguided boasting as has reached me.

From the misguided boasting that came to me

كَأَنَّ التاجَ مَعصوباً عَلَيهِ

كَأَنَّ التاجَ مَعصوباً عَلَيهِ

لِأَذوادٍ أُصِبنَ بِذي أَبانِ

لِأَذوادٍ أُصِبنَ بِذي أَبانِ

As though a crown were bound around his head

As if the crown was tightly wrapped around him

For small camel-herds seized at Dhu Aban.

For lambs struck with wolf's teeth

فَحَسبُكَ أَن تُهاضَ بِمُحكَماتٍ

فَحَسبُكَ أَن تُهاضَ بِمُحكَماتٍ

يَمُرُّ بِها الرَويُّ عَلى لِساني

يَمُرُّ بِها الرَويُّ عَلى لِساني

So let it suffice you to be crushed by well-wrought verses,

It is enough for you to give measured judgments

Whose rhyme flows across my tongue.

Through which poetry flows on my tongue

فَقَبلَكَ ما شُتِمتُ وَقاذَعوني

فَقَبلَكَ ما شُتِمتُ وَقاذَعوني

فَما نَزُرَ الكَلامُ وَلا شَجاني

فَما نَزُرَ الكَلامُ وَلا شَجاني

For before you I was insulted, and they reviled me;

Before you, I was insulted and they antagonized me

Yet words did not grow scarce, nor did they grieve me.

But the words did not diminish me nor make me sad

يَصُدُّ الشاعِرُ الثَنيانُ عَنّي

يَصُدُّ الشاعِرُ الثَنيانُ عَنّي

صُدودَ البَكرِ عَن قَرمٍ هِجانِ

صُدودَ البَكرِ عَن قَرمٍ هِجانِ

The second-rate poet turns away from me

The critic turns away from me

As a young camel shies from a purebred breeding bull.

Like a young camel turns away from an old fiery stallion

أَثَرتَ الغَيَّ ثُمَّ نَزَعتَ عَنهُ

أَثَرتَ الغَيَّ ثُمَّ نَزَعتَ عَنهُ

كَما حادَ الأَزَبُّ عَنِ الظِعانِ

كَما حادَ الأَزَبُّ عَنِ الظِعانِ

You stirred up mischief, then withdrew from it,

You aroused mischief then removed yourself from it

As the shaggy one swerved away from the caravan.

Like a calf turns away from the she-camel returning from water

فَإِن يَقدِر عَلَيكَ أَبو قُبَيسٍ

فَإِن يَقدِر عَلَيكَ أَبو قُبَيسٍ

تَمَطَّ بِكَ المَعيشَةُ في هَوانِ

تَمَطَّ بِكَ المَعيشَةُ في هَوانِ

For if Abu Qubays gains power over you,

If Abu Qubays can have power over you

Life will drag you along in humiliation,

You will be dragged through life in humiliation

وَتُخضَب لِحيَةٌ غَدَرَت وَخانَت

وَتُخضَب لِحيَةٌ غَدَرَت وَخانَت

بِأَحمَرَ مِن نَجيعِ الجَوفِ آني

بِأَحمَرَ مِن نَجيعِ الجَوفِ آني

And a beard that broke faith and betrayed will be dyed

And a beard that betrayed and deceived

With hot red blood from the body's depths.

Will be dyed red with the blood of the slain from the stomach's interior

وَكُنتَ أَمينَهُ لَو لَم تَخُنهُ

وَكُنتَ أَمينَهُ لَو لَم تَخُنهُ

وَلَكِن لا أَمانَةَ لِليَمانِ

وَلَكِن لا أَمانَةَ لِليَمانِ

And you would have been his trusted man, had you not betrayed him;

You were his trustee had you not betrayed him

But there is no trustworthiness in the Yemeni.

But there is no loyalty for the treacherous