نُبِّئتُ كَلباً تَمَنّى أَن تُسافِهَنا

نُبِّئتُ كَلباً تَمَنّى أَن تُسافِهَنا

وَرُبَّما سافَهونا ثُمَّ ما ظَفِروا

وَرُبَّما سافَهونا ثُمَّ ما ظَفِروا

I am told that Kalb has wished to trade abuse with us;

I was told that Kalb wished to trade insults with us.

many a time they have abused us, only to win no victory.

At times they have traded insults with us, yet failed to prevail.

كَلَّفتُمونا أُناساً قاطِعي قَرَنٍ

كَلَّفتُمونا أُناساً قاطِعي قَرَنٍ

مُستَلحَقينَ كَما يُستَلحَقُ اليَسَرُ

مُستَلحَقينَ كَما يُستَلحَقُ اليَسَرُ

You set us against men who cut down my equal,

You have burdened us with men who cut coupling-ropes,

gathered in a ring as gamblers gather in their circle.

Affiliates brought in, as a gambler is brought in.

لَيسَت عَلَيهِم دِياتٌ يُؤخَذونَ بِها

لَيسَت عَلَيهِم دِياتٌ يُؤخَذونَ بِها

وَلا يَكونُ لَهُم إيجابُ ما قَمَروا

وَلا يَكونُ لَهُم إيجابُ ما قَمَروا

No blood-money lies upon them for which they can be called to account,

They owe no blood-money for which they can be held liable,

nor does any binding claim accrue to them from what they win at play.

Nor have they an enforceable claim to what they win at gambling.

قَد أُنذِروا حَيَّةً في رَأسِ هَضبَتِهِ

قَد أُنذِروا حَيَّةً في رَأسِ هَضبَتِهِ

وَقَد أَتَتهُم بِهِ الأَخبارُ وَالنُذُرُ

وَقَد أَتَتهُم بِهِ الأَخبارُ وَالنُذُرُ

They had indeed been warned of a serpent atop its rocky height,

They had been warned of a serpent atop his crag,

and reports and warnings of it had reached them.

And reports and warnings of him had reached them.

باتوا نِياماً عَلى الأَنماطِ لَيلَتَهُم

باتوا نِياماً عَلى الأَنماطِ لَيلَتَهُم

وَلَيلُهُ ساهِرٌ فيها وَما شَعَروا

وَلَيلُهُ ساهِرٌ فيها وَما شَعَروا

They spent their whole night asleep upon patterned carpets,

They spent their night asleep on patterned coverlets,

while their night kept vigil there, and they never knew.

While he kept vigil through it, and they were unaware.

هُناكَ قالوا أَنامَ الماءَ حَيَّتَهُ

هُناكَ قالوا أَنامَ الماءَ حَيَّتَهُ

وَما يَكادُ يَنامُ الحَيَّةُ الذَكَرُ

وَما يَكادُ يَنامُ الحَيَّةُ الذَكَرُ

There they said, “The water has lulled its serpent to sleep”;

There they said, 'The water has lulled his serpent to sleep.'

but the male serpent hardly ever sleeps.

But the male serpent scarcely sleeps.

وَكَذَّبوا رُسُلَ الأَكفاءِ وَاِنتَقَضَت

وَكَذَّبوا رُسُلَ الأَكفاءِ وَاِنتَقَضَت

بِالقَومِ أَوزارُهُم في الأَمرِ فَاِنتَشَروا

بِالقَومِ أَوزارُهُم في الأَمرِ فَاِنتَشَروا

They called the envoys of their peers liars, and came undone—

They disbelieved their peers' envoys; undone were

beneath the men, their burdens—in the crisis; then they scattered,

The people's defenses in the affair, and they scattered.

حَتّى اِستَبانوا جِيادَ الخَيلِ مُعلِمَةً

حَتّى اِستَبانوا جِيادَ الخَيلِ مُعلِمَةً

وَكَوكَبُ المَوتِ يَعشى دونَهُ البَصَرُ

وَكَوكَبُ المَوتِ يَعشى دونَهُ البَصَرُ

until they clearly beheld the cavalry’s fine, battle-marked steeds,

Until they made out the finest horses, bearing battle-marks,

and death’s blazing star, before which eyesight dims,

And death's star, before which the eye is dazzled,

في عارِضٍ مِن كِلابٍ يُبرِقونَ إِذا

في عارِضٍ مِن كِلابٍ يُبرِقونَ إِذا

صابَ الأَعادِيَ مِنهُم وابِلٌ قُشِروا

صابَ الأَعادِيَ مِنهُم وابِلٌ قُشِروا

amid a storm cloud of Kalb, its warriors flashing whenever

In a storm-cloud of Kilab, flashing lightning—when

a downpour from them fell upon their foes, who were stripped bare,

A downpour from them strikes foes, those foes are stripped bare.

حَتّى حَدَونا إِلى البَلقاءِ فَلَّهُمُ

حَتّى حَدَونا إِلى البَلقاءِ فَلَّهُمُ

وَالذُلُّ مُجحِرُ كَلبٍ حَيثُما اِنجَحَروا

وَالذُلُّ مُجحِرُ كَلبٍ حَيثُما اِنجَحَروا

until we drove them to al-Balqāʾ and broke their ranks.

Until we drove their routed remnant to al-Balqa,

Humiliation drives Kalb into its holes wherever they burrow for refuge.

And humiliation drives Kalb into burrows, wherever they hide.

يَمشونَ تَحتَ بُطونِ الخَيلِ تَصرَعُهُم

يَمشونَ تَحتَ بُطونِ الخَيلِ تَصرَعُهُم

زُرقُ الأَسِنَّةِ وَالخَطِيَّةُ السُمُرُ

زُرقُ الأَسِنَّةِ وَالخَطِيَّةُ السُمُرُ

They pass beneath the horses’ bellies, felled by

They walk beneath the horses' bellies, struck down by

blue-gray spearheads and dusky Khattian lances.

Blue spearheads and dusky Khatti spears.

أَولى فَأَولى بَني ماوِيَّةَ اِنتَشرَت

أَولى فَأَولى بَني ماوِيَّةَ اِنتَشرَت

مِنكُم قَريباً وَأَولى مِنكَ يا زُفَرُ

مِنكُم قَريباً وَأَولى مِنكَ يا زُفَرُ

Woe, then woe, sons of Māwiya! They have spread

Cries of 'Woe upon woe!' have spread, sons of Mawiyya,

from you close by—and nearer than you, O Zufar.

From you lately—and 'Woe!' from you, O Zufar.

ما ظَنُّهُم لَو لَقونا وَهيَ تَحمِلُنا

ما ظَنُّهُم لَو لَقونا وَهيَ تَحمِلُنا

صَلادِمُ الخَيلِ لا فانٍ وَلا مُهُرُ

صَلادِمُ الخَيلِ لا فانٍ وَلا مُهُرُ

What would they think if they met us while the horses bore us—

What would they think if they met us, borne by

massive, iron-hard chargers, neither spent nags nor colts?

Massive steeds—not worn-out mounts, nor colts?