فتىً كلَّما قالوا تَنَاهَى صُعودُهُ

فتىً كلَّما قالوا تَنَاهَى صُعودُهُ

إلى كُلِّ مَجدٍ خالفَ القَولَ صاعِدا

إلى كُلِّ مَجدٍ خالفَ القَولَ صاعِدا

A youth who, whenever they say his ascent has reached its limit,

A youth, whenever they said he had reached his limit,

Toward every glory, defies their words by rising still.

His ascent to every glory went beyond what was said, climbing.

تَرى كلَّ من تُلقى المَقاليد في الوَغى

تَرى كلَّ من تُلقى المَقاليد في الوَغى

إليهِ إذا لاقاهُ ألقى المَقالِدا

إليهِ إذا لاقاهُ ألقى المَقالِدا

You see every man entrusted with the reins in battle

You see everyone who takes on the burdens in times of calamity,

Cast down those reins whenever he meets him.

Throws their burdens to him when they meet him.

ولستَ تَرى بَيتاً من المَجدِ أو تَرَى

ولستَ تَرى بَيتاً من المَجدِ أو تَرَى

من الجُودِ أركاناً له وقَواعِدا

من الجُودِ أركاناً له وقَواعِدا

And you see no house of glory without seeing

And you do not see a house of glory or pillars of generosity for it,

Its pillars and foundations made of generosity.

And foundations.

لقَد شرُفَت أبياتُ عَوفٍ وطُهِّرَت

لقَد شرُفَت أبياتُ عَوفٍ وطُهِّرَت

من الرِّجسِ حتَّى خِلتَهنَّ مَعابِدا

من الرِّجسِ حتَّى خِلتَهنَّ مَعابِدا

The houses of Awf have indeed been ennobled and purified

Indeed the verses of Awf were ennobled and purified

Of defilement, until you take them for places of worship.

From filth until they became like sanctuaries.

وكُلٌّ يَعافُ الوِردَ من بَعدِ ريِّهِ

وكُلٌّ يَعافُ الوِردَ من بَعدِ ريِّهِ

وأرماحُ عَوفٍ لا تَعافُ المَوارِدا

وأرماحُ عَوفٍ لا تَعافُ المَوارِدا

And everyone shuns the watering place once he has drunk his fill;

And everyone avoids roses after watering them,

But Awf's spears never shun the watering places.

But the spears of Awf do not avoid the pastures.

تَرى منهُم يوم الوَغى كلَّ ناِشرٍ

تَرى منهُم يوم الوَغى كلَّ ناِشرٍ

من النَّقعِ فوقَ الدّارِ عينَ مطاردا

من النَّقعِ فوقَ الدّارِ عينَ مطاردا

You see among them on battle day each man unfurling

You see them on the day of battle, every spreader

Lances of dust above the armored men [the supplied wording appears mis-segmented].

Of the cloth over the house, keeping watch.

يَنالُونَ ما أَمسَى بَعيداً منالُه

يَنالُونَ ما أَمسَى بَعيداً منالُه

كأنَّهم طالُوا الرِّماحَ سَواعِدا

كأنَّهم طالُوا الرِّماحَ سَواعِدا

They attain what has become far beyond reach,

They attain what was far out of reach,

As though their forearms were longer than the spears.

As if they lengthened their spears with their forearms.

وقلَّبتِ الهَيجاءُ أعيَانَ خَلقِهم

وقلَّبتِ الهَيجاءُ أعيَانَ خَلقِهم

فقَد وَثبُوا أُسداً ودبُّوا أساوِدا

فقَد وَثبُوا أُسداً ودبُّوا أساوِدا

And battle has transformed the very substance of their bodies:

And war stirred up the notables among their people,

For they have leapt as lions and crept as black serpents.

So they pounced like lions and crept like black serpents

عَلى أنَّ من لاقَيت مِنهُم مُسالِماً

عَلى أنَّ من لاقَيت مِنهُم مُسالِماً

لقيتَ به نَوءَ السِّماكِ مُجاوِدا

لقيتَ به نَوءَ السِّماكِ مُجاوِدا

Yet whoever among them you meet in peace—

Though when you met them in peace

In him you meet al-Simak's rain, vying in generosity.

You met the gushing of rain from thick clouds.