أعُريانُ مايدري امرؤٌ سِيلَ عَنكُمُ

أعُريانُ مايدري امرؤٌ سِيلَ عَنكُمُ

أَمِن مذحِجٍ تُدعَونَ أَم مِن إيادِ

أَمِن مذحِجٍ تُدعَونَ أَم مِن إيادِ

O ʿUryān, a man asked about you cannot tell

I know not, O men, why you are called

whether you are reckoned of Madhḥij or of Iyād.

Mudar or Iyad;

فَإِن قُلتُم مِن مَذحِجٍ إِنَّ مَذحِجاً

فَإِن قُلتُم مِن مَذحِجٍ إِنَّ مَذحِجاً

لَبِيضُ الوُجُوهِ غَيرُ جِدِّ جِعَادِ

لَبِيضُ الوُجُوهِ غَيرُ جِدِّ جِعَادِ

So if you say, 'From Madhḥij,' then Madhḥij

If you say you are Mudar, for Mudar

are indeed white-faced, not very curly-haired.

Are fair of face, not like strong Jidad;

وأَنتُم صِغَارُ الهَامِ جُدلٌ كأَنَّمَا

وأَنتُم صِغَارُ الهَامِ جُدلٌ كأَنَّمَا

وُجُوهُكُمُ مَطلِيَّةٌ بِمدَادِ

وُجُوهُكُمُ مَطلِيَّةٌ بِمدَادِ

And you are small-headed and stocky, as though

And you are small, with locks like ropes,

your faces were coated with ink.

And faces smeared as with ink overlaid.

فإن قُلتُم الحيُّ اليمانُونَ أصلُنا

فإن قُلتُم الحيُّ اليمانُونَ أصلُنا

ونَاصِرُنَا فِي كُلِّ يَومِ جِلاَدِ

ونَاصِرُنَا فِي كُلِّ يَومِ جِلاَدِ

And if you say, 'The Yemeni clan is our stock

If you say that you are Yemenites pure,

and our defender on every day of battle,'

Allies of ours when swords flash and blade,

فَأَطوِل بِأمرٍ مِن مَعَدٍّ وَنَزوَةٍ

فَأَطوِل بِأمرٍ مِن مَعَدٍّ وَنَزوَةٍ

نَزَت بإِيَادٍ خَلفَ دَارِ مُرَادِ

نَزَت بإِيَادٍ خَلفَ دَارِ مُرَادِ

then what a long affair from Maʿadd, and what a leap

I say that Ma'add's and Kahlan's descent

that carried Iyād behind Murād’s dwelling!

Came to Iyad, Kahlan's place and stead.

لَعَمرُ بني شيبانَ إن يُنكِحُونَهُ

لَعَمرُ بني شيبانَ إن يُنكِحُونَهُ

زبَادِ لَقِدماً قَصَّرُوا بِزَبَادِ

زبَادِ لَقِدماً قَصَّرُوا بِزَبَادِ

By the life of Shaybān’s sons, if they marry him to

By God, Banu Shayban, your matchmaker

Zabād, they have indeed long since slighted Zabād.

For shabby gifts diminished your grade;

أبَعدَ الوَلِيدِ أنكحُوا عَبدَ مَذحِجٍ

أبَعدَ الوَلِيدِ أنكحُوا عَبدَ مَذحِجٍ

كَمُنزِيَةً عَيراً خِلاَفَ جَوَادِ

كَمُنزِيَةً عَيراً خِلاَفَ جَوَادِ

After al-Walīd, did they marry her to a slave of Madhḥij,

Beyond al-Walid you wed a Mudarite -

like a woman putting an ass to stud instead of a thoroughbred stallion?

Like scoring a goal behind at football played;

وأنكَحَهَا لاَ فِي كَفَاءٍ وَلاَ غِنًى

وأنكَحَهَا لاَ فِي كَفَاءٍ وَلاَ غِنًى

زيادٌ أَضَلَّ اللهُ سَعيَ زِيَادِ

زيادٌ أَضَلَّ اللهُ سَعيَ زِيَادِ

And she was married off, to neither an equal nor a wealthy man,

Wed her without worth or means, did Ziyad

by Ziyād—may God thwart Ziyād’s efforts!

Whom God confused and from right pathway swayed!