أَعاذِلُ نِعمَ قَومُ الحَربِ قَومي

أَعاذِلُ نِعمَ قَومُ الحَربِ قَومي

إِذا نَزَلَ المُلِمّاتُ الكِبارُ

إِذا نَزَلَ المُلِمّاتُ الكِبارُ

O reproacher, my people are excellent warriors,

I censure, though my people love war, my people,

When great calamities descend.

When grievous misfortunes befall,

رَبيعَةُ حينَ تَختَلِفُ العَوالي

رَبيعَةُ حينَ تَختَلِفُ العَوالي

وَما بي إِن مَدَحتُهُمُ اِبتِهارُ

وَما بي إِن مَدَحتُهُمُ اِبتِهارُ

Rabi'ah, when the spearheads cross—

Rabee'a, when the fires blaze,

And there is no false boasting in me if I praise them.

It's not that I praise them out of vain glory,

وَلَكِنّي أَرى قَومي مُلوكاً

وَلَكِنّي أَرى قَومي مُلوكاً

وَقَيسٌ في نُفوسِهِمِ صِغارُ

وَقَيسٌ في نُفوسِهِمِ صِغارُ

But I see my people as kings,

But I see my people as kings,

And Qays are lowly in their eyes.

While Qais in their souls are lesser men.

فَضَلنا الناسَ أَنَّ الجارَ فينا

فَضَلنا الناسَ أَنَّ الجارَ فينا

يُجيرُ وَأَيُّ جارٍ يُستَجارُ

يُجيرُ وَأَيُّ جارٍ يُستَجارُ

We surpassed others in that a protected neighbor among us

We surpass men in that the neighbor among us

Grants protection—and what a neighbor to seek refuge with!

Gives refuge, and what neighbor grants refuge?

وَأَنّا نُطعِمُ الأَضيافَ قِدماً

وَأَنّا نُطعِمُ الأَضيافَ قِدماً

إِذا العَذراءُ أَخرَجَها القُتارُ

إِذا العَذراءُ أَخرَجَها القُتارُ

And we have long fed guests,

And that we feed guests betimes,

When the scent of roasting meat draws the maiden out.

When the maiden lays the evening meal.

وَأَنّا الضارِبونَ إِذا اِلتَقَينا

وَأَنّا الضارِبونَ إِذا اِلتَقَينا

كِباشَ القَومِ قَد عَلِمَت نِزارُ

كِباشَ القَومِ قَد عَلِمَت نِزارُ

And we are those who strike, when we meet,

And we are the warriors when we meet,

The rams of the host—Nizar knows it.

The bulls of the tribe, as Nizar knows.

نُدافِعُ في الكَريهَةِ عَن بَنينا

نُدافِعُ في الكَريهَةِ عَن بَنينا

وَنَعلَمُ أَنَّ جُبنَ القَومِ عارُ

وَنَعلَمُ أَنَّ جُبنَ القَومِ عارُ

We defend our sons in battle,

We defend against dishonor our sons,

And know that a people's cowardice is a disgrace,

And we know that the tribe's cowardice is shame,

بِضَربٍ لا كِفاءَ لَهُ وَطَعنٍ

بِضَربٍ لا كِفاءَ لَهُ وَطَعنٍ

كَأَفواهِ المَزادِ لَهُ شَرارُ

كَأَفواهِ المَزادِ لَهُ شَرارُ

With blows that have no equal, and thrusts

With blows none can requite, and stabs

Like the mouths of waterskins, giving off sparks.

Like mouths of water-skins—theirs is mischief.

شَفَيتُ النَفسَ مِن أَبناءِ قَيسٍ

شَفَيتُ النَفسَ مِن أَبناءِ قَيسٍ

وَذَلِكَ عَنكَ مِن قَيسٍ جُبارُ

وَذَلِكَ عَنكَ مِن قَيسٍ جُبارُ

I healed my soul through vengeance on the sons of Qays,

I sated my soul on the sons of Qais,

And that blood of Qays goes without redress from you.

And that to you from Qais is pride.

أَذاقونا سُيوفَهُمُ وَذاقوا

أَذاقونا سُيوفَهُمُ وَذاقوا

فَكَيفَ رَأَيتَنا صِرنا وَصاروا

فَكَيفَ رَأَيتَنا صِرنا وَصاروا

They made us taste their swords, and tasted ours;

They made us taste their swords, and tasted in turn;

So how did you see us fare, and how did they?

So how saw you us yield, and they become?

تَعوذُ هَوازِنٌ بِاِبنَي دُخانٍ

تَعوذُ هَوازِنٌ بِاِبنَي دُخانٍ

هَوازِنُ إِنَّ ذا لَهُوَ الصَغارُ

هَوازِنُ إِنَّ ذا لَهُوَ الصَغارُ

Hawazin seeks refuge with the two sons of Dukhan.

Hudhayl seeks refuge in Ibn Dukhan's sons—

Hawazin, this is indeed humiliation!

Hudhayl, that indeed is baseness.

وَسَوَّدَ حاتِماً أَن لَيسَ فيها

وَسَوَّدَ حاتِماً أَن لَيسَ فيها

إِذا ما توقَدُ النيرانُ نارُ

إِذا ما توقَدُ النيرانُ نارُ

And Hatim was made chief because they lack

And Hatim denies that among them exists,

A fire when fires are kindled.

When fires flare up, a burning brand.

لَعَمرُ أَبيكَ وَالأَنباءُ تَنمي

لَعَمرُ أَبيكَ وَالأَنباءُ تَنمي

لَقَد نَجّاكَ يا زُفرُ الفِرارُ

لَقَد نَجّاكَ يا زُفرُ الفِرارُ

By your father's life—and tidings spread—

By your father's life, and tidings spread—

Flight indeed saved you, O Zufar,

Escape, Zufar, did indeed save you,

وَرَكضُكَ غَيرَ مُلتَفِتٍ إِلَينا

وَرَكضُكَ غَيرَ مُلتَفِتٍ إِلَينا

بِخَوّارٍ إِذا عَرِقَ العِذارُ

بِخَوّارٍ إِذا عَرِقَ العِذارُ

And your galloping, without turning toward us,

Your racing off not looking back at us

On a feeble mount, when sweat soaked the cheekstrap.

With dung-splattered crupper when the roans sweat.

أَمَلتَ بِهِ شِمالَكَ مِن بَعيدٍ

أَمَلتَ بِهِ شِمالَكَ مِن بَعيدٍ

يَكادُ مِنَ الفَراغَةِ يُستَطارُ

يَكادُ مِنَ الفَراغَةِ يُستَطارُ

You veered him to your left from afar,

You aimed it left-handed from afar at us—

He almost took wing from panic.

It could, from emptiness, be folded up.

فَلا وَأَبيكَ لَو أَمكَنتَ قَومي

فَلا وَأَبيكَ لَو أَمكَنتَ قَومي

لَظَلَّ عَلى جَناجِنِكَ النِسارُ

لَظَلَّ عَلى جَناجِنِكَ النِسارُ

No, by your father—had you let my people get at you,

No, by your father! Could you reach my tribe,

Vultures would have lingered on your breastbones.

The eagles still would shade your wing bones.

تَصَلَّ حُروبَهُم فَلَسَوفَ تَلقى

تَصَلَّ حُروبَهُم فَلَسَوفَ تَلقى

رِماحاً لا تُباعُ وَلا تُعارُ

رِماحاً لا تُباعُ وَلا تُعارُ

Face the fire of their wars; then you will surely meet

Their wars will continue, so you will meet

Spears that are neither sold nor lent,

Spears that are not for sale or loan.

بِأَيدي مَعشَرٍ قَتَلوا بُجَيراً

بِأَيدي مَعشَرٍ قَتَلوا بُجَيراً

لِحَربِهِمِ إِذا شُبَّت سُعارُ

لِحَربِهِمِ إِذا شُبَّت سُعارُ

In the hands of men who killed Bujayr;

At the hands of a band who slew Bujayr

Their war, when kindled, burns with a raging blaze.

When their war flared up and fires stoked.