بَلِّغ حُبَيباً وَخَلِّل في صَراتِهِمِ

بَلِّغ حُبَيباً وَخَلِّل في صَراتِهِمِ

إِنَّ الفُؤادَ اِنطَوى مِنهُم عَلى حَزَنِ

إِنَّ الفُؤادَ اِنطَوى مِنهُم عَلى حَزَنِ

Carry word to Ḥubayyib, and make your way through their lava fields:

Tell Ḥubayb, and move among their company:

the heart has folded in upon itself, grieving because of them.

my heart has closed around sorrow because of them.

قَد كُنتُ أَسبِقُ مَن جارَوا عَلى مَهلٍ

قَد كُنتُ أَسبِقُ مَن جارَوا عَلى مَهلٍ

مِن وُلدِ آدَمَ ما لَم يَخلَعوا رَسَني

مِن وُلدِ آدَمَ ما لَم يَخلَعوا رَسَني

I once outstripped, at an easy pace, every one who vied with me

I used to outstrip those who raced, at an easy pace,

among Adam’s offspring, so long as they did not cast off my halter.

among Adam's offspring, so long as they did not cast off my halter.

قالوا عَلَيَّ وَلَم أَملِك فَيالَيتَهُم

قالوا عَلَيَّ وَلَم أَملِك فَيالَيتَهُم

حَتّى اِنتَحَيتُ عَلى الأَرساغِ وَالثُنَنِ

حَتّى اِنتَحَيتُ عَلى الأَرساغِ وَالثُنَنِ

They spoke against me when I had no power—if only they had waited

They spoke against me, and I was powerless—would that they had not!—

until I sank down upon fetlocks and pastern tufts.

until I bore down on the pasterns and fetlock tufts.

لَو أَنَّني كُنتُ مِن عادٍ وَمِن إِرَمٍ

لَو أَنَّني كُنتُ مِن عادٍ وَمِن إِرَمٍ

رَبيتُ فيهِم وَمِن لُقمانَ أَو جَدَنِ

رَبيتُ فيهِم وَمِن لُقمانَ أَو جَدَنِ

Had I belonged to ʿĀd, and to Iram,

Had I been of ʿĀd and of Iram,

reared among them and descended from Luqmān or Jadan,

grown up among them, and of Luqmān or Jadan,

لَمّا فَدوا بِأَخيهِم مِن مُهَوَّلَةٍ

لَمّا فَدوا بِأَخيهِم مِن مُهَوَّلَةٍ

اَخا السُكونِ وَلا جاروا عَنِ السَنَنِ

اَخا السُكونِ وَلا جاروا عَنِ السَنَنِ

when, with their own brother, they ransomed from a dreadful plight

they would not have ransomed, with their own brother, from a dreadful ordeal

a brother of al-Sukūn, they would not have strayed from the right path.

a brother of al-Sukūn, nor strayed from the right path.

سَأَلتُ قَومي وَقَد سَدَّت أَباعِرُهُم

سَأَلتُ قَومي وَقَد سَدَّت أَباعِرُهُم

ما بَينَ رَحبَةَ ذاتِ العيصِ فَالعَدَنِ

ما بَينَ رَحبَةَ ذاتِ العيصِ فَالعَدَنِ

I appealed to my people, while their camels already filled

I asked my people, whose camels had filled

all between Raḥbat Dhāt al-ʿĪṣ and al-ʿAdan,

the stretch between Raḥbat Dhāt al-ʿĪṣ and al-ʿAdan,

إِذا قَرَّبوا لِاِبنِ سَوّارٍ أَباعِرَهُم

إِذا قَرَّبوا لِاِبنِ سَوّارٍ أَباعِرَهُم

لِلَهِ دَرُّ عَطاءٍ كانَ ذا غَبَنِ

لِلَهِ دَرُّ عَطاءٍ كانَ ذا غَبَنِ

when they offered Ibn Sawwār their camels—

when they brought their camels forward for Ibn Sawwār:

by God, what a gift it was—one fraught with loss!

God bless that gift—a gift that brought loss!

أَنّى جَزَوا عامِراً سُؤى بِفِعلِهِم

أَنّى جَزَوا عامِراً سُؤى بِفِعلِهِم

أَم كَيفَ يَجزونَني السُؤى مِنَ الحَسَنِ

أَم كَيفَ يَجزونَني السُؤى مِنَ الحَسَنِ

How could their deed have repaid ʿĀmir with evil?

How could they repay ʿĀmir with evil by their deed?

Or how can they repay me evil for good?

Or how can they repay me with evil in return for good?

أَم كَيفَ يَنفَعُ ما تُعطي العَلوقَ بِهِ

أَم كَيفَ يَنفَعُ ما تُعطي العَلوقَ بِهِ

رِئمانَ أَنفٍ إِذا ما ضُنَّ بِاللَبَنِ

رِئمانَ أَنفٍ إِذا ما ضُنَّ بِاللَبَنِ

Or how can what you use to induce in a bereaved she-camel

Or how can one for whose sake you give to the reluctant she-camel be helped

a forced mother-love avail, when the milk is withheld?

by mere affection of the nose, when milk is withheld?