أَيا راكِباً إِمّا عَرَضتَ فَبَلِّغَن

أَيا راكِباً إِمّا عَرَضتَ فَبَلِّغَن

بَني ناشِبٍ عَنّي وَمَن يَتَنَشَّبُ

بَني ناشِبٍ عَنّي وَمَن يَتَنَشَّبُ

O rider, if you pass by, be sure to tell

O rider, if you meet the people of Nashib,

The sons of Nashib on my behalf, and whoever claims kinship with them:

Then convey my regards to those who yearn for me,

أَكُلُّكُمُ مُختارُ دارٍ يَحُلُّها

أَكُلُّكُمُ مُختارُ دارٍ يَحُلُّها

وَتارِكُ هُدمٍ لَيسَ عَنها مُذَنَّبُ

وَتارِكُ هُدمٍ لَيسَ عَنها مُذَنَّبُ

Does each of you choose a home to settle in,

Each of you chooses the abode he settles,

And leave a ruin behind, unblamed for abandoning it?

And leaves a ruin with no one to blame,

وَأَبلِغ بَني عَوذِ بنِ زَيدٍ رِسالَةً

وَأَبلِغ بَني عَوذِ بنِ زَيدٍ رِسالَةً

بِآيَةِ ما إِن يَقصِبونِيَ يَكذِبوا

بِآيَةِ ما إِن يَقصِبونِيَ يَكذِبوا

And convey a message to the sons of ʿAwdh ibn Zayd,

And convey to the clan of Awd ibn Zayd a message,

With this sign: if they slander me, they lie.

With the sign that if they try to harm me they lie,

فَإِن شِئتُمُ عَنّي نَهَيتُم سَفيهَكُم

فَإِن شِئتُمُ عَنّي نَهَيتُم سَفيهَكُم

وَقالَ لَهُ ذو حِلمُكُم أَينَ تَذهَبُ

وَقالَ لَهُ ذو حِلمُكُم أَينَ تَذهَبُ

So, if you wish, you may keep your fool away from me,

If you wish, you forbade your fool about me,

And your prudent man may say to him, 'Where are you going?'

And your wise one said to him "Where are you going?",

وَإِن شِئتُمُ حارَبتُموني إِلى مَدىً

وَإِن شِئتُمُ حارَبتُموني إِلى مَدىً

فَيَجهَدُكُم شَأوُ الكِظاظِ المُغَرَّبُ

فَيَجهَدُكُم شَأوُ الكِظاظِ المُغَرَّبُ

And if you wish, wage war on me to the end;

And if you wish, you fought me to the utmost,

Then the far-reaching course of fierce combat will exhaust you.

Then the misery of war in the dusk confuses you,

فَيَلحَقُ بِالخَيراتِ مَن كانَ أَهلَها

فَيَلحَقُ بِالخَيراتِ مَن كانَ أَهلَها

وَتَعلَمُ عَبسٌ رَأسُ مَن يَتَصَوَّب

وَتَعلَمُ عَبسٌ رَأسُ مَن يَتَصَوَّب

Then whoever is worthy of good things will attain them,

So good deeds reach those who deserve them,

And ʿAbs will know whose head bows down.

And gloom learns whose head wished but missed them.