يا خَليلَيَّ اِربَعا وَاِستَخبِرا ال

يا خَليلَيَّ اِربَعا وَاِستَخبِرا ال

مَنزِلِ الدارِسَ مِن أَهلِ الحَلالِ

مَنزِلِ الدارِسَ مِن أَهلِ الحَلالِ

O my two friends, halt and ask the

O my beloved, go about and ask of the abode

effaced dwelling about the people of the encampment.

Of him who studies, of the people of probity,

مِثلَ سَحقِ البُردِ عَفّى بَعدَكَ ال

مِثلَ سَحقِ البُردِ عَفّى بَعدَكَ ال

قَطرُ مَغناهُ وَتَأويبُ الشَمالِ

قَطرُ مَغناهُ وَتَأويبُ الشَمالِ

Like a threadbare cloak; effaced after you by the

Like the crushing of ice, the dew has cleared after you

rain was its site, and by the north wind's repeated blowing.

Its tune and the blowing of the north wind,

وَلَقَد يَغنى بِهِ أَصحابُكَ ال

وَلَقَد يَغنى بِهِ أَصحابُكَ ال

مُمسِكو مِنكَ بِأَسبابِ الوِصالِ

مُمسِكو مِنكَ بِأَسبابِ الوِصالِ

And once your companions dwelt there—the

And your companions will surely sing of it,

ones holding fast to the cords of fellowship with you.

Those who cling to the causes of reunion with you,

ثُمَّ أَكدى وُدُّهُم أَن أَزمَعوا ال

ثُمَّ أَكدى وُدُّهُم أَن أَزمَعوا ال

بَينَ وَالأَيّامُ حالٌ بَعدَ حالِ

بَينَ وَالأَيّامُ حالٌ بَعدَ حالِ

Then their affection ran dry, for they resolved on

Then their love was strengthened when they intended

parting; days are one state after another.

Between the days, a state after a state,

فَاِسلُ عَنهُم بِأَمونٍ كَالوَأى ال

فَاِسلُ عَنهُم بِأَمونٍ كَالوَأى ال

جَأبِ ذي العانَةِ أَو تَيسِ الرِمالِ

جَأبِ ذي العانَةِ أَو تَيسِ الرِمالِ

So forget them on a trusty she-camel, like the mighty

So ask about them securely, like the remoteness

stout wild ass with his herd, or a buck of the sands.

Of the one who seeks refuge, or the mountain goat,

نَحنُ قُدنا مِن أَهاضِيبِ المَلا ال

نَحنُ قُدنا مِن أَهاضِيبِ المَلا ال

خَيلَ في الأَرسانِ أَمثالَ السَعالي

خَيلَ في الأَرسانِ أَمثالَ السَعالي

We led from the uplands of al-Malā the

We led our horses from the pastures

horses in halters, like she-ghouls.

In the stables, examples of thoroughbreds,

شُزَّباً يَغشَينَ مِن مَجهولَةِ ال

شُزَّباً يَغشَينَ مِن مَجهولَةِ ال

أَرضِ وَعثاً مِن سُهولٍ وَجِبالِ

أَرضِ وَعثاً مِن سُهولٍ وَجِبالِ

Gaunt, they traversed unfamiliar

Roaming from an unknown land

land—difficult ground of plains and mountains.

And wandering through plains and mountains,

فَاِنتَجَعنا الحارِثَ الأَعرَجَ في

فَاِنتَجَعنا الحارِثَ الأَعرَجَ في

جَحفَلٍ كَاللَيلِ خَطّارِ العَوالي

جَحفَلٍ كَاللَيلِ خَطّارِ العَوالي

So we made for al-Hārith al-Aʿraj in

So we encountered Al-Harith the lame in

a vast host like night, its spears swaying.

An army like the night, lowering the highlands,

يَومَ غادَرنا عَدِيّاً بِالقَنا ال

يَومَ غادَرنا عَدِيّاً بِالقَنا ال

ذُبَّلِ السُمرِ صَريعاً في المَجالِ

ذُبَّلِ السُمرِ صَريعاً في المَجالِ

The day we left ʿAdī, struck by the spears—

The day we left the enemy in Al-Qana

slender and brown—lying fallen on the battlefield.

Subdued, sprawled in the arena,

ثُمَّ عُجناهُنَّ خوصاً كَالقَطا ال

ثُمَّ عُجناهُنَّ خوصاً كَالقَطا ال

قارِبِ المَنهَلَ مِن أَينِ الكَلالِ

قارِبِ المَنهَلَ مِن أَينِ الكَلالِ

Then we turned them, sunken-eyed, like sandgrouse

Then we drove them insistently like wood

approaching the watering place, worn down by exhaustion.

Approaching the watering place, wherever it flows,

نَحوَ قُرصٍ يَومَ جالَت حَولَهُ ال

نَحوَ قُرصٍ يَومَ جالَت حَولَهُ ال

خَيلُ قُبّاً عَن يَمينٍ وَشِمالِ

خَيلُ قُبّاً عَن يَمينٍ وَشِمالِ

Toward Qurṣ, on the day there wheeled around it the

Towards a hill the day the horses encircled it

hollow-flanked horses, to right and left.

Pressing from the right and left,

كَم رَئيسٍ يَقدُمُ الأَلفَ عَلى ال

كَم رَئيسٍ يَقدُمُ الأَلفَ عَلى ال

أَجوَدِ السابِحِ ذي العَقبِ الطُوالِ

أَجوَدِ السابِحِ ذي العَقبِ الطُوالِ

How many a chief, leading a thousand on the

How many a chief who sends his thousand ahead

finest, swimming-gaited steed, with long bouts of running,

Of the most generous, the long-striding swimmer,

قَد أَباحَت جَمعَهُ أَسيافُنا ال

قَد أَباحَت جَمعَهُ أَسيافُنا ال

بيضُ وَالسُمرُ وَمِن حَيٍّ حِلالِ

بيضُ وَالسُمرُ وَمِن حَيٍّ حِلالِ

has had his host laid waste by our swords—the

Our white and brown swords made lawful to seize their group,

white ones—and brown spears; and many an encamped tribe!

And we have an abode which we inherited its glory

وَلَنا دارٌ وَرِثنا عِزَّها ال

وَلَنا دارٌ وَرِثنا عِزَّها ال

أَقدَمَ القُدموسَ عَن عَمٍّ وَخالِ

أَقدَمَ القُدموسَ عَن عَمٍّ وَخالِ

And ours is a home whose honor we inherited—

From ancestors, the oldest ancestry, from an uncle and maternal uncle,

most ancient, age-old—from paternal and maternal uncles.

A house which our forefathers inhabited,

مَنزِلٌ دَمَّنَهُ آباؤُنا ال

مَنزِلٌ دَمَّنَهُ آباؤُنا ال

مورِثونا المَجدَ في أولى اللَيالِ

مورِثونا المَجدَ في أولى اللَيالِ

A dwelling long inhabited by our forefathers,

The ones who bequeathed us glory in the first nights,

who bequeathed us glory in the earliest nights.

In it we have no castles other than

ما لَنا فيها حُصونٌ غَيرُ ما ال

ما لَنا فيها حُصونٌ غَيرُ ما ال

مُقرَباتِ الجُردِ تَردي بِالرِجالِ

مُقرَباتِ الجُردِ تَردي بِالرِجالِ

We have no fortresses there save the

The neighbouring bare hills, stormed by men,

cherished, sleek-coated steeds, galloping with men.

In the hollows of Udhaymuli, lofty of

في رَوابي عُدمُلِيٍّ شامِخِ ال

في رَوابي عُدمُلِيٍّ شامِخِ ال

أَنفِ فيهِ إِرثُ مَجدٍ وَجَمالِ

أَنفِ فيهِ إِرثُ مَجدٍ وَجَمالِ

On the heights of a vast, ancient mountain, with a soaring

Nose, in it the inheritance of glory and beauty,

nose; in it lies a legacy of glory and beauty.

So we followed the ruin of our first ones,

فَاِتَّبَعنا ذاتَ أولانا الأَذولى ال

فَاِتَّبَعنا ذاتَ أولانا الأَذولى ال

موقِدي الحَربِ وَموفي بِالحِبالِ

موقِدي الحَربِ وَموفي بِالحِبالِ

So we followed the way of our earliest forebears, the

Kindlers of war, and fulfilling promises,

kindlers of war and faithful keepers of bonds.