أَقَيسَ بنَ مَسعودِ بنِ قَيسِ بنِ خالِدٍ

أَقَيسَ بنَ مَسعودِ بنِ قَيسِ بنِ خالِدٍ

وَأَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ تَرجو شَبابَكَ وائِلُ

وَأَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ تَرجو شَبابَكَ وائِلُ

O Qays, son of Mas'ud, son of Qays, son of Khalid,

Aqiys, the son of Mas'ud, the son of Qays, the son of Khalid,

You are a man in whose youthful vigor Wa'il places hope.

While you are a man who hopes for the prime of his youth to endure,

أَطَورَينِ في عامٍ غَزاةٌ وَرِحلَةٌ

أَطَورَينِ في عامٍ غَزاةٌ وَرِحلَةٌ

أَلا لَيتَ قَيساً غَرَّقَتهُ القَوابِلُ

أَلا لَيتَ قَيساً غَرَّقَتهُ القَوابِلُ

Twice in a year—a campaign and a journey?

In one year, two raids and a migration!

Ah, would that the midwives had drowned Qays!

Oh, would that Qays had drowned at the hands of the executioners,

وَلَيتَكَ حالَ البَحرُ دونَكَ كُلُّهُ

وَلَيتَكَ حالَ البَحرُ دونَكَ كُلُّهُ

وَكُنتَ لَقىً تَجري عَلَيهِ السَوائِلُ

وَكُنتَ لَقىً تَجري عَلَيهِ السَوائِلُ

And would that the whole sea had stood between us and you,

And would that the sea had stood between you, all of it,

And you lay cast aside, with waters flowing over you.

And you were flotsam, borne on its currents,

كَأَنَّكَ لَم تَشهَد قَرابينَ جَمَّةً

كَأَنَّكَ لَم تَشهَد قَرابينَ جَمَّةً

تَعيثُ ضِباعٌ فيهِمُ وَعَواسِلُ

تَعيثُ ضِباعٌ فيهِمُ وَعَواسِلُ

As though you had not seen so many royal favorites,

As if you had never witnessed the sacrificial offerings of Jammal,

With hyenas and wolves ravaging among them.

Wild beasts savaging them, and noble camels,

تَرَكتَهُمُ صَرعى لَدى كُلِّ مَنهَلٍ

تَرَكتَهُمُ صَرعى لَدى كُلِّ مَنهَلٍ

وَأَقبَلتَ تَبغي الصُلحَ أُمُّكَ هابِلُ

وَأَقبَلتَ تَبغي الصُلحَ أُمُّكَ هابِلُ

You left them lying slain at every watering place,

You left them lying dead at every watering place,

And came seeking peace—may your mother be bereaved!

And went to seek reconciliation while your mother mourned.

أَمِن جَبَلِ الأَمرارِ صُرَّت خِيامُكُم

أَمِن جَبَلِ الأَمرارِ صُرَّت خِيامُكُم

عَلى نَبَإٍ أَنَّ الأَشافِيَّ سائِلُ

عَلى نَبَإٍ أَنَّ الأَشافِيَّ سائِلُ

Was it from Mount al-Amrar that your tents were packed up

As if your tents had not removed from Mount Marar,

At the news that al-Ashafi was in flood?

On news that the cavalry of Al-Shafi was pursuing you,

فَهانَ عَلَينا أَن تَجِفَّ وِطابُكُم

فَهانَ عَلَينا أَن تَجِفَّ وِطابُكُم

إِذا حُنِيَت فيها لَدَيكَ الزَواجِلُ

إِذا حُنِيَت فيها لَدَيكَ الزَواجِلُ

So it mattered little to us that your milk-skins should dry up,

We scorn that your cooking-pots should go cold

When their wooden fasteners were bent inside them beside you.

When the cooking-stands are bent over them.

لَقَد كانَ في شَيبانَ لَو كُنتَ راضِياً

لَقَد كانَ في شَيبانَ لَو كُنتَ راضِياً

قِبابٌ وَحَيٌّ حِلَّةٍ وَقَنابِلُ

قِبابٌ وَحَيٌّ حِلَّةٍ وَقَنابِلُ

There were indeed in Shayban, had you been content,

Indeed there were in Shi'bān, had you been content,

Domed tents, an encamped clan, and squadrons,

Tent soaring aloft with fine garments and clear wineskins within,

وَرَجراجَةٌ تُعشي النَواظِرَ فَخمَةٌ

وَرَجراجَةٌ تُعشي النَواظِرَ فَخمَةٌ

وَجُردٌ عَلى أَكنافِهِنَّ الرَواحِلُ

وَجُردٌ عَلى أَكنافِهِنَّ الرَواحِلُ

And a mighty, surging host that dazzled the eyes,

And smooth-cheeked gazelles to dazzle the eyes, haughty,

And sleek steeds with riding camels along their flanks.

And, around their flanks, does who have shed their coats.

تَرَكتَهُمُ جَهلاً وَكُنتَ عَميدَهُم

تَرَكتَهُمُ جَهلاً وَكُنتَ عَميدَهُم

فَلا يَبلُغَنّي عَنكَ ما أَنتَ فاعِلُ

فَلا يَبلُغَنّي عَنكَ ما أَنتَ فاعِلُ

You abandoned them foolishly, though you were their chief;

You abandoned them in ignorance though you were their chieftain,

So let me hear nothing of what you are doing.

So let no report of what you do reach me.

وَعُرّيتَ مِن وَفرٍ وَمالٍ جَمَعتَهُ

وَعُرّيتَ مِن وَفرٍ وَمالٍ جَمَعتَهُ

كَما عُرِّيَت مِمّا تُسِرُّ المَغازِلُ

كَما عُرِّيَت مِمّا تُسِرُّ المَغازِلُ

And may you be stripped of abundance and the wealth you amassed,

You stripped yourself of wealth and possessions you had gathered

As mother gazelles are stripped of the young they hide.

As you were stripped of what delights the amorous.

شَفى النَفسَ قَتلى لَم تُوَسَّد خُدودُها

شَفى النَفسَ قَتلى لَم تُوَسَّد خُدودُها

وِساداً وَلَم تُعضَض عَلَيها الأَنامِلُ

وِساداً وَلَم تُعضَض عَلَيها الأَنامِلُ

The slain soothed the soul; their cheeks were not laid

It was balm to the soul to kill those whose cheeks

On a pillow, nor were fingertips bitten in grief for them.

Were not pillowed, whose ankles were not bitten by sandals.

بِعَينَيكَ يَومَ الحِنوِ إِذ صَبَّحَتهُمُ

بِعَينَيكَ يَومَ الحِنوِ إِذ صَبَّحَتهُمُ

كَتائِبُ مَوتٍ لَم تَعُقها العَواذِلُ

كَتائِبُ مَوتٍ لَم تَعُقها العَواذِلُ

Before your eyes on the day of al-Hinw, when they were attacked at dawn

On that day of sorrow, when at dawn they surprised them,

By battalions of death that the reproaching women did not hold back.

Squadrons of death they could not escape.