قالَت وَلَم تَقصِد لِقَولِ الخَنا

قالَت وَلَم تَقصِد لِقَولِ الخَنا

مَهلاً فَقَد أَبلَغتَ أَسماعِ

مَهلاً فَقَد أَبلَغتَ أَسماعِ

She said, intending no foul speech:

She spoke without intending insult

Easy now—you have made yourself heard.

Slow down, for you have made my ears hear

أَنكَرتُهُ حَتّى تَوَسَّمتُهُ

أَنكَرتُهُ حَتّى تَوَسَّمتُهُ

وَالحَربُ غولٌ ذاتُ أَوجاعِ

وَالحَربُ غولٌ ذاتُ أَوجاعِ

I did not recognize him until I studied him closely;

I denied it until I thought it true

and war is a ghoul, fraught with pain.

And war is a painful misfortune

مَن يَذُقِ الحَربَ يَجِد طَعمَها

مَن يَذُقِ الحَربَ يَجِد طَعمَها

مُرّاً وَتَحبِسهُ بِجَعجاعِ

مُرّاً وَتَحبِسهُ بِجَعجاعِ

Whoever tastes war finds its flavor

He who tastes war finds it

bitter, and it confines him to cramped, barren ground.

Bitter, and it imprisons him in shackles

قَد حَصَّتِ البَيضَتُ رَأسي فَما

قَد حَصَّتِ البَيضَتُ رَأسي فَما

أَطعَمُ نَوماً غَيرَ تَهجاعِ

أَطعَمُ نَوماً غَيرَ تَهجاعِ

The helmet has worn my head bare, so I do not

My temples have turned white, so

taste sleep except in brief snatches.

I cannot sleep except fitfully

أَسعى عَلى جُلِّ بَني مالِكٍ

أَسعى عَلى جُلِّ بَني مالِكٍ

كُلُّ اِمرِئٍ في شَأنِهِ ساعِ

كُلُّ اِمرِئٍ في شَأنِهِ ساعِ

I strive for the greater part of Banu Malik;

I hurry to help the Bani Malik tribe

each man strives in his own affairs.

Each man busy with his own task

بَينَ يَدَي فَضفاضَةٍ فَخمَةٍ

بَينَ يَدَي فَضفاضَةٍ فَخمَةٍ

ذاتَ عَرانَينَ وَدَفّاعِ

ذاتَ عَرانَينَ وَدَفّاعِ

At the front of a vast, mighty host,

Before me a horse, sturdy and brave

with chieftains and a staunch defender.

With fast legs and chest armor

أَعدَدتُ لِلهَيجاءِ موضونَةً

أَعدَدتُ لِلهَيجاءِ موضونَةً

مُتَرَصَّةً كَالنَهيِ بِالقاعِ

مُتَرَصَّةً كَالنَهيِ بِالقاعِ

I have prepared for battle a woven coat of mail,

I readied it, tied up, steadfast

closely interlinked, like a pool on the plain.

Like a pillar fixed in the ground

أَخفُرُها عَنّي بِذي رَونَقٍ

أَخفُرُها عَنّي بِذي رَونَقٍ

أَبيَضَ مِثلَ المِلحِ قَطّاعِ

أَبيَضَ مِثلَ المِلحِ قَطّاعِ

I defend it for myself with a gleaming sword,

I protected it for myself, a graceful one

white as salt, a mighty cutter,

White like a cutting sword

صَدقٍ حُسامٍ وادِقٌ حَدُّهُ

صَدقٍ حُسامٍ وادِقٌ حَدُّهُ

وَمَجنَإٍ أَسمَرَ فَزّاعِ

وَمَجنَإٍ أَسمَرَ فَزّاعِ

stout and keen, with a piercing edge,

A true, polished, sharp-edged sword

and a brown shield that strikes terror.

And a brown, curved machete

لا نَألَمُ القَتلَ وَنَجزي بِهِ ال

لا نَألَمُ القَتلَ وَنَجزي بِهِ ال

أَعداءَ كَيلَ الصاعِ بِالصاعِ

أَعداءَ كَيلَ الصاعِ بِالصاعِ

We do not flinch at killing, and with it we repay

We do not flinch from killing, and repay

our enemies, measure for measure.

Enemies measure for measure

كَأَنَّنا أُسدٌ لَدى أَشبُلٍ

كَأَنَّنا أُسدٌ لَدى أَشبُلٍ

يَنهَتنَ في غَيلٍ وَأَجزاعِ

يَنهَتنَ في غَيلٍ وَأَجزاعِ

As though we were lions beside their cubs,

As if we were a lion by its cubs

growling in thickets and bends of valleys.

Roaring in a valley of narrow paths

ثُمَّ اِلتَقَينا وَلَنا غابَةٌ

ثُمَّ اِلتَقَينا وَلَنا غابَةٌ

مِن بَينِ جَمعٍ غَيرِ جُمّاعِ

مِن بَينِ جَمعٍ غَيرِ جُمّاعِ

Then we met, with a forest of spears on our side,

Then we met, and we were a dense

amid a host that was no motley gathering.

Throng, not a scattered crowd

وَالكَيسُ وَالقُوَّةُ خَيرٌ مِنَ ال

وَالكَيسُ وَالقُوَّةُ خَيرٌ مِنَ ال

إِشفاقِ وَالفَكَّةِ وَالهاعِ

إِشفاقِ وَالفَكَّةِ وَالهاعِ

Shrewdness and strength are better than

Wisdom and strength are better than

fear, feebleness, and cowardice.

Mercy, jest and wailing

لَيسَ قَطا مِثلَ قُطَيٍّ وَلا ال

لَيسَ قَطا مِثلَ قُطَيٍّ وَلا ال

مَرعِيُّ في الأَقوامِ كَالراعي

مَرعِيُّ في الأَقوامِ كَالراعي

A sandgrouse is not like a chick, nor

A cat is never like a leopard, nor is

is one tended among peoples like the shepherd.

A sheepherder like a shepherd among men

فَسائِلِ الأَحلافَ إِذ قَلَّصَت

فَسائِلِ الأَحلافَ إِذ قَلَّصَت

ما كانَ إِبطائي وَإِسراعي

ما كانَ إِبطائي وَإِسراعي

So ask the allies, when war grew fierce,

Asking pledges when he had limited

what my delay and my haste were.

My slowness and haste

هَل أَبذُلُ المالَ عَلى حُبِّهِ

هَل أَبذُلُ المالَ عَلى حُبِّهِ

فيكُم وَآتي دَعوَةَ الداعي

فيكُم وَآتي دَعوَةَ الداعي

Do I give wealth, despite my love for it,

Shall I spend money for his love

among you, and answer the caller's summons,

Among you, and answer the caller's call?

وَأَضرِبُ القَونَسَ بِالسَيفِ في ال

وَأَضرِبُ القَونَسَ بِالسَيفِ في ال

هَيجاءِ لَم يَقصُر بِهي باعي

هَيجاءِ لَم يَقصُر بِهي باعي

and strike the helmet's crest with my sword in

And strike with the sword in the

battle? With it, my reach has never fallen short.

Fray - my arm did not fall short

فَتِلكَ أَفعالي وَقَد أَقطَعُ ال

فَتِلكَ أَفعالي وَقَد أَقطَعُ ال

خَرقَ عَلى أَدماءِ هِلواعِ

خَرقَ عَلى أَدماءِ هِلواعِ

Such are my deeds; often I cross

Those are my deeds, and I have sealed

the vast wasteland on a swift, pale she-camel,

Bloodshed on the skulls of prey

ذاتِ شَقائِقٍ جَماليَّةٍ

ذاتِ شَقائِقٍ جَماليَّةٍ

زينَت بِحَيريٍّ وَأَقطاعِ

زينَت بِحَيريٍّ وَأَقطاعِ

with cloth strips, massive as a he-camel,

Of beautiful cheeks

adorned with cloth from Hira and saddle-rugs.

Adorned with kohl and tattoos

تَمطو عَلى الزَجرِ وَتَنجو مِنَ ال

تَمطو عَلى الزَجرِ وَتَنجو مِنَ ال

سَوطِ أَمونٌ غَيرُ مِظلاعِ

سَوطِ أَمونٌ غَيرُ مِظلاعِ

She lengthens her stride at a shout and outruns the

Swaying to scolding and escaping

whip—a trusty mount, never prone to limping.

The whip, safe, unblemished

أَفضي بِها الحاجاتِ إِنَّ الفَتى

أَفضي بِها الحاجاتِ إِنَّ الفَتى

رَهنٌ لِذي لَونَينِ خَدّاعِ

رَهنٌ لِذي لَونَينِ خَدّاعِ

I attain my ends upon her; indeed, a young man

I accomplish my needs through them - the gallant man

is hostage to a two-colored deceiver.

Is captive to one of dual guises