إِنَّ اِمرَأً سَرفَ الفُؤادِ يَرى

إِنَّ اِمرَأً سَرفَ الفُؤادِ يَرى

عَسَلاً بِماءِ سَحابَةٍ شَتمي

عَسَلاً بِماءِ سَحابَةٍ شَتمي

Indeed, a heedless-hearted man regards

A man indulging his heart's desires sees

my insults as honey mixed with raincloud water.

honey in a passing cloud's sprinkled water.

وَأَنا اِمرُؤٌ أُكوى مِنَ القَصرِ ال

وَأَنا اِمرُؤٌ أُكوى مِنَ القَصرِ ال

بادي وَأَغشى الدُهمَ بِالدُهمِ

بادي وَأَغشى الدُهمَ بِالدُهمِ

And I am a man seared by a slight

While I, a man singed by the visible estate,

plain to see; I charge dark cavalry with dark steeds.

cloak gloom with more gloom,

وَأُصيبُ شاكِلَةَ الرِمِيَّةِ إِذ

وَأُصيبُ شاكِلَةَ الرِمِيَّةِ إِذ

صَدَّت بِصَفحَتِها عَنِ السَهمِ

صَدَّت بِصَفحَتِها عَنِ السَهمِ

And I strike the quarry's flank when

and match the glancing doe when

it turns its side away from the arrow.

she turns her parchment side from the arrow.

وَأُجِرُّ ذا الكَفِلِ القَناةَ عَلى

وَأُجِرُّ ذا الكَفِلِ القَناةَ عَلى

أَنسائِهِ فَيَظَلُّ يَستَدمي

أَنسائِهِ فَيَظَلُّ يَستَدمي

And I make the saddle-pad rider drag the spear along

I ply the lash on the back of my she-camel to urge

his thigh-veins, so that he keeps bleeding.

her on though she continues to pace elegantly.

وَتَصُدُّ عَنكَ مَخيلَةَ الرَجُلِ ال

وَتَصُدُّ عَنكَ مَخيلَةَ الرَجُلِ ال

عِرّيضِ موضِحَةٌ عَنِ العَظمِ

عِرّيضِ موضِحَةٌ عَنِ العَظمِ

And what drives from you the arrogance of the

The fantasies of the wide-shouldered man shy

overbearing man is a wound that lays the bone bare,

from you, outlining the bone beneath the flesh.

بِحُسامِ سَيفِكَ أَو لِسانِكَ وَال

بِحُسامِ سَيفِكَ أَو لِسانِكَ وَال

كَلِمُ الأَصيلُ كَأَرغَبِ الكَلمِ

كَلِمُ الأَصيلُ كَأَرغَبِ الكَلمِ

dealt by the keen edge of your sword or your tongue; and the

With your sword's blade or your tongue, the genuine

incisive words are like the widest wounds.

word slicing like the sharpest word.

أَبلِغ قَتادَةَ غَيرَ سائِلِهِ

أَبلِغ قَتادَةَ غَيرَ سائِلِهِ

مِنهُ الثَوابَ وَعاجِلَ الشَكمِ

مِنهُ الثَوابَ وَعاجِلَ الشَكمِ

Tell Qatadah, without asking him

Inform Qatádah though unsolicited

for recompense or immediate reward:

the reward comes more quickly if the gifts precede.

أَنّي حَمِدتُكَ لِلعَشيرَةِ إِذ

أَنّي حَمِدتُكَ لِلعَشيرَةِ إِذ

جاءَت إِلَيكَ مُرِقَّةَ العَظمِ

جاءَت إِلَيكَ مُرِقَّةَ العَظمِ

"I praised you before the clan when

I praised you before the tribe when

it came to you with bones wasted thin.

the bone-breaker came begging to you.

أَلقَوا إِلَيكَ بِكُلِّ أَرمَلَةٍ

أَلقَوا إِلَيكَ بِكُلِّ أَرمَلَةٍ

شَعثاءَ تَحمِلُ مَنقَعَ البُرمِ

شَعثاءَ تَحمِلُ مَنقَعَ البُرمِ

They brought to you every needy widow,

They tossed you each widow

disheveled, carrying a stone soaking-bowl.

disheveled, carrying her sack of troubles.

فَفَتَحتَ بابَكَ لِلمَكارِمِ حي

فَفَتَحتَ بابَكَ لِلمَكارِمِ حي

نَ تَواصَتِ الأَبوابُ بِالأَزمِ

نَ تَواصَتِ الأَبوابُ بِالأَزمِ

So you opened your door to noble deeds

You opened your door to hospitality at the hour

when other doors urged one another to clamp shut.

when doors close in crisis.

وَأَهَنتَ إِذ قَدِموا التَلادَ لَهُم

وَأَهَنتَ إِذ قَدِموا التَلادَ لَهُم

وَكَذاكَ يَفعَلُ مُبتَني النِعمِ

وَكَذاكَ يَفعَلُ مُبتَني النِعمِ

And when they arrived, you held your inherited wealth cheap for them;

You put them down when they arrived penniless,

and so acts one who builds up bounty.

as one nursed on bounty's wont to do.

فَسَقى بِلادَكَ غَيرَ مُفسِدِها

فَسَقى بِلادَكَ غَيرَ مُفسِدِها

صَوبُ الغَمامِ وَديمَةٌ تَهمي

صَوبُ الغَمامِ وَديمَةٌ تَهمي

So may your lands be watered without harm

Your lands were rained on by the clouds' downpour --

by the clouds' downpour and steady, streaming rain."

not by the corrupter -- a shower that brought much good.