لا يَظُنَّنَّ مَعشَري أَنَّ بُعدي

لا يَظُنَّنَّ مَعشَري أَنَّ بُعدي

عَنهُمُ اليَومَ موجِبٌ لِلتَراخي

عَنهُمُ اليَومَ موجِبٌ لِلتَراخي

Let my people never think that my distance

My companions must not think that my absence from them today

from them today is cause for slackening.

Justifies any slackening.

بَل أَبَيتُ المُقامَ بَعدَ شُيوخي

بَل أَبَيتُ المُقامَ بَعدَ شُيوخي

ما مُقامُ الفِرزانِ بَعدَ الرَخاخِ

ما مُقامُ الفِرزانِ بَعدَ الرَخاخِ

Rather, I refused to remain after my elders;

Rather, I refused to stay after my elders left.

what place has the chess vizier after the rooks?

How can the noble hawk remain when the quails have flown?

أَينَما سِرتُ كانَ لي فيهِ رَبعٌ

أَينَما سِرتُ كانَ لي فيهِ رَبعٌ

وَأَخٌ مِن بَني الزَمانِ أُؤاخي

وَأَخٌ مِن بَني الزَمانِ أُؤاخي

Wherever I journeyed, I had a dwelling there,

Wherever I went, I had a quarter and a brother

and a brother among the sons of the age whom I befriended.

From the children of time to befriend.

وَإِذا أَجَّجوا الكِفاحَ رَأوني

وَإِذا أَجَّجوا الكِفاحَ رَأوني

تابِعاً في مَجالِها أَشياخي

تابِعاً في مَجالِها أَشياخي

And when they kindled combat, they saw me

And when they stirred up strife, they saw me

following my elders in its arena.

Following in the footsteps of my elders.

رُبَّ فِعلٍ يَسمو عَلى شامِخِ الشُم

رُبَّ فِعلٍ يَسمو عَلى شامِخِ الشُم

مِ وَقَولٍ يَسمو عَلى الشَمّاخِ

مِ وَقَولٍ يَسمو عَلى الشَمّاخِ

Many a deed towers above the loftiest mountain peaks,

Many a lofty deed transcends the towering mountain peak,

and many a saying rises above al-Shammakh.

And many a word transcends mere chatter.

حاوَلَتني مِنَ العُداةِ لُيوثٌ

حاوَلَتني مِنَ العُداةِ لُيوثٌ

لا أَراها بَعوضَةً في صِماخي

لا أَراها بَعوضَةً في صِماخي

Lions among my foes sought to overcome me;

The enemies have tried to confront me,

I do not reckon them even a mosquito in my ear.

But to me they are no more than gnats in a bottle.

قَد رَأوا كَيفَ كانَ لِلحَبِّ لَقطي

قَد رَأوا كَيفَ كانَ لِلحَبِّ لَقطي

وَفَراري مِن قَبلِ فَقسِ الفِخاخِ

وَفَراري مِن قَبلِ فَقسِ الفِخاخِ

They have seen how I picked up the grain,

They have seen how I was once ensnared by love

and how I fled before the traps snapped shut.

And how I fled the traps of the hunters.

إِن أَبادوا بِالغَدرِ مِنّا بُزاةً

إِن أَبادوا بِالغَدرِ مِنّا بُزاةً

وَيلَهُم مِن كَمالِ ريشِ الفِراخِ

وَيلَهُم مِن كَمالِ ريشِ الفِراخِ

If they have treacherously wiped out hawks among us,

If the wrongdoers among us are treacherously destroyed,

woe to them when the chicks' plumage is complete!

Woe to them from the fully-fledged eaglets!

سَوفَ تَذكو عَداوَةٌ زَرَعوها

سَوفَ تَذكو عَداوَةٌ زَرَعوها

إِنَّها أُلقِيَت بِغَيرِ السِباخِ

إِنَّها أُلقِيَت بِغَيرِ السِباخِ

The enmity they sowed will blaze up;

The enmity they have sown will smolder on—

indeed, it was cast into soil that is not salt-barren.

It was cast without a thrashing sledge.