شُرَيحُ لا تَترُكَنّي بَعدَما عَلِقَت

شُرَيحُ لا تَترُكَنّي بَعدَما عَلِقَت

حِبالَكَ اليَومَ بَعدَ القِدِّ أَظفاري

حِبالَكَ اليَومَ بَعدَ القِدِّ أَظفاري

Shurayh, do not abandon me now that they have caught hold—

Do not leave me, oh Sharīḥ, after your ropes

my fingernails—of your ropes today, after the rawhide thong.

Have clung today to my mature nails

قَد طُفتُ ما بَينَ بانِقيا إِلى عَدَنٍ

قَد طُفتُ ما بَينَ بانِقيا إِلى عَدَنٍ

وَطالَ في العُجمِ تِرحالي وَتَسياري

وَطالَ في العُجمِ تِرحالي وَتَسياري

I have roamed all the way from Baniqya to Aden,

I roamed between Banīqiyā and Aden

and long have been my travels and wanderings among the non-Arabs.

My wandering and traveling was long among foreigners

فَكانَ أَوفاهُمُ عَهداً وَأَمنَعَهُم

فَكانَ أَوفاهُمُ عَهداً وَأَمنَعَهُم

جاراً أَبوكَ بِعُرفٍ غَيرِ إِنكارِ

جاراً أَبوكَ بِعُرفٍ غَيرِ إِنكارِ

So the truest of them to a pledge, and the staunchest defender

The most faithful of them in keeping a covenant and

of a neighbor, was your father, with kindness, not refusal.

The most impregnable neighbor was your father through customary accord without refusal

كَالغَيثِ ما اِستَمطَروهُ جادَ وابِلُهُ

كَالغَيثِ ما اِستَمطَروهُ جادَ وابِلُهُ

وَعِندَ ذِمَّتِهِ المُستَأسِدُ الضاري

وَعِندَ ذِمَّتِهِ المُستَأسِدُ الضاري

Like rain: whenever they sought his showers, his downpour flowed freely;

Like rain whose downpour they begged for, he was generous and pouring

and in guarding his pledge, he was fierce as a ravening lion.

And with his guaranty, the fierce attacking lion

كُن كَالسَمَوأَلِ إِذ سارَ الهُمامُ لَهُ

كُن كَالسَمَوأَلِ إِذ سارَ الهُمامُ لَهُ

في جَحفَلٍ كَسَوادِ اللَيلِ جَرّارِ

في جَحفَلٍ كَسَوادِ اللَيلِ جَرّارِ

Be like al-Samaw'al, when the valiant warrior marched against him

Be like the high clouds when the courageous souls set out for it

with a mighty host, vast and black as night.

In a group dark like the blackness of flowing night

جارُ اِبنِ حَيّا لِمَن نالَتهُ ذِمَّتُهُ

جارُ اِبنِ حَيّا لِمَن نالَتهُ ذِمَّتُهُ

أَوفى وَأَمنَعُ مِن جارِ اِبنِ عَمّارِ

أَوفى وَأَمنَعُ مِن جارِ اِبنِ عَمّارِ

Ibn Hayya's neighbor—whoever was embraced by his pledge—

Ibn Ḥayyān's neighbor, for one whom his guaranty reached

enjoyed truer faith and stronger protection than Ibn Ammar's neighbor.

Is more faithful and impregnable than the neighbor of Ibn 'Ammār

بِالأَبلَقِ الفَردِ مِن تَيماءَ مَنزِلُهُ

بِالأَبلَقِ الفَردِ مِن تَيماءَ مَنزِلُهُ

حِصنٌ حَصينٌ وَجارٌ غَيرُ غَدّارِ

حِصنٌ حَصينٌ وَجارٌ غَيرُ غَدّارِ

His dwelling is at al-Ablaq the Solitary, in Tayma:

His abode at Abalaq al-Fard in Taima’ is a fortress, a stronghold

a stout stronghold, and a neighbor who never betrays.

And a neighbor without betrayal

إِذ سامَهُ خُطَّتي خَسفٍ فَقالَ لَهُ

إِذ سامَهُ خُطَّتي خَسفٍ فَقالَ لَهُ

مَهما تَقُلهُ فَإِنّي سامِعٌ حارِ

مَهما تَقُلهُ فَإِنّي سامِعٌ حارِ

When forced to face two degrading choices, he said to him:

When Khussat directed me to him, he said to him

“Whatever you say, I am listening, bewildered.”

Whatever you say, I am a listening protector

فَقالَ ثُكلٌ وَغَدرٌ أَنتَ بَينَهُما

فَقالَ ثُكلٌ وَغَدرٌ أَنتَ بَينَهُما

فَاِختَر وَما فيهِما حَظٌّ لِمُختارِ

فَاِختَر وَما فيهِما حَظٌّ لِمُختارِ

He said, “Bereavement and betrayal—you stand between them;

So he said, "unfaithfulness and betrayal, between them you are

so choose: neither offers good fortune to the chooser.”

So choose, and there is no share for the chooser between them"

فَشَكَّ غَيرَ قَليلٍ ثُمَّ قالَ لَهُ

فَشَكَّ غَيرَ قَليلٍ ثُمَّ قالَ لَهُ

اِذبَح هَدِيَّكَ إِنّي مانِعٌ جاري

اِذبَح هَدِيَّكَ إِنّي مانِعٌ جاري

He hesitated at length, then said to him:

He doubted for a while, then said to him

“Slaughter your sacrificial victim; I will defend my neighbor.

"Slaughter your sacrifice, I am the protector of my neighbor"

إِنَّ لَهُ خَلَفاً إِن كُنتَ قاتِلَهُ

إِنَّ لَهُ خَلَفاً إِن كُنتَ قاتِلَهُ

وَإِن قَتَلتَ كَريماً غَيرَ عُوّارِ

وَإِن قَتَلتَ كَريماً غَيرَ عُوّارِ

There is one to take his place, if you mean to kill him,

"He has relatives if you kill him

though you will have killed a noble man, no coward,

And if you kill a generous man not given to shame

مالاً كَثيراً وَعِرضاً غَيرَ ذي دَنَسٍ

مالاً كَثيراً وَعِرضاً غَيرَ ذي دَنَسٍ

وَإِخوَةً مِثلَهُ لَيسوا بِأَشرارِ

وَإِخوَةً مِثلَهُ لَيسوا بِأَشرارِ

with ample wealth and honor free of any stain,

With much wealth, and honor without blemish

and brothers like him, who are no evildoers.

And brothers like him who are no evildoers

جَرَوا عَلى أَدَبٍ مِنّي بِلا نَزَقٍ

جَرَوا عَلى أَدَبٍ مِنّي بِلا نَزَقٍ

وَلا إِذا شَمَّرَت حَربٌ بِأَغمارِ

وَلا إِذا شَمَّرَت حَربٌ بِأَغمارِ

They have followed my teaching without rashness,

They flowed with good manners from me without misery

nor are they novices when war girds herself for action.

Or when war stirred with overflowing

وَسَوفَ يُعقِبُنيهِ إِن ظَفِرتَ بِهِ

وَسَوفَ يُعقِبُنيهِ إِن ظَفِرتَ بِهِ

رَبٌّ كَريمٌ وَبيضٌ ذاتُ أَطهارِ

رَبٌّ كَريمٌ وَبيضٌ ذاتُ أَطهارِ

And if you prevail over him, another will be given me in his place

And if you gain victory over him, a Lord, Generous,

by a generous Lord and fair women with their periods of purity.

And chaste women will inherit me

لا سِرُّهُنَّ لَدَينا ضائِعٌ مَذِقٌ

لا سِرُّهُنَّ لَدَينا ضائِعٌ مَذِقٌ

وَكاتِماتٌ إِذا اِستودِعنَ أَسراري

وَكاتِماتٌ إِذا اِستودِعنَ أَسراري

Their secrets in our keeping are neither lost nor tainted,

Their secrets are not lost with us, tasted,

and they are discreet when entrusted with my secrets.”

And secret keepers when entrusted with secrets"

فَقالَ تَقدِمَةً إِذ قامَ يَقتُلُهُ

فَقالَ تَقدِمَةً إِذ قامَ يَقتُلُهُ

أَشرِف سَمَوأَلُ فَاِنظُر لِلدَمِ الجاري

أَشرِف سَمَوأَلُ فَاِنظُر لِلدَمِ الجاري

Then, by way of warning, as he rose to kill him, he said:

So when he stood to kill him, he said as an offering

“Look down, Samaw'al, and behold the flowing blood.

"Noble Samaw’al, look at the flowing blood of the neighbor"

أَأَقتُلُ اِبنَكَ صَبراً أَو تَجيءُ بِها

أَأَقتُلُ اِبنَكَ صَبراً أَو تَجيءُ بِها

طَوعاً فَأَنكَرَ هَذا أَيَّ إِنكارِ

طَوعاً فَأَنكَرَ هَذا أَيَّ إِنكارِ

Shall I kill your son as a captive, or will you bring them

"Shall I kill your son with patience, or will you bring her

willingly?” He rejected this utterly.

Willingly?" He refused this with refusal

فَشَكَّ أَوداجَهُ وَالصَدرُ في مَضَضٍ

فَشَكَّ أَوداجَهُ وَالصَدرُ في مَضَضٍ

عَلَيهِ مُنطَوِياً كَاللَذعِ بِالنارِ

عَلَيهِ مُنطَوِياً كَاللَذعِ بِالنارِ

Then he pierced his jugular veins; his father's breast, in anguish,

His intestines were wrenched and his chest was in pain

contracted over him, as though seared by fire.

Folded over him like branding with fire

وَاِختارَ أَدراعَهُ أَن لا يُسَبَّ بِها

وَاِختارَ أَدراعَهُ أَن لا يُسَبَّ بِها

وَلَم يَكُن عَهدُهُ فيها بِخَتّارِ

وَلَم يَكُن عَهدُهُ فيها بِخَتّارِ

And he chose his coats of mail, lest he be reviled for them;

He chose his arms that he not be insulted by them

and he did not betray his pledge concerning them.

And he had no skill in them as a chooser

وَقالَ لا أَشتَري عاراً بِمَكرُمَةٍ

وَقالَ لا أَشتَري عاراً بِمَكرُمَةٍ

فَاِختارَ مَكرُمَةَ الدُنيا عَلى العارِ

فَاِختارَ مَكرُمَةَ الدُنيا عَلى العارِ

And he said, “I will not buy shame at the price of honor.”

And he said, "I will not buy shame with an honor"

So he chose the honor of this world over disgrace.

So he chose the honor of the world over shame

وَالصَبرُ مِنهُ قَديماً شيمَةٌ خُلُقٌ

وَالصَبرُ مِنهُ قَديماً شيمَةٌ خُلُقٌ

وَزَندُهُ في الوَفاءِ الثاقِبُ الواري

وَزَندُهُ في الوَفاءِ الثاقِبُ الواري

And steadfastness had long been his nature, his inborn character,

And patience from him was an old trait, a nature

and in fidelity his fire-stick shone and kindled flame.

And his heroism in unwavering loyalty was piercing and protective