بَكَتْ عَيْني وعاوَدَها قَذاها

بَكَتْ عَيْني وعاوَدَها قَذاها

بعوَّارٍ فما تقضي كراها

بعوَّارٍ فما تقضي كراها

My eye wept, and its mote troubled it anew,

My eyes wept and their tears flowed

With soreness, so it cannot get its fill of sleep.

With heavy rain, relentless in sorrow’s load

على صَخْرٍ، وأيّ فتًى كصَخْرٍ

على صَخْرٍ، وأيّ فتًى كصَخْرٍ

إذا ما النّابُ لم تَرْأمْ طِلاها

إذا ما النّابُ لم تَرْأمْ طِلاها

For Sakhr—and what youth could compare with Sakhr,

Upon a rock, and what youth compares to rock

When the aged she-camel would not cherish her calf?

When claws cannot make a scratch or erode

فَتى الفِتْيانِ ما بَلَغوا مَداهُ

فَتى الفِتْيانِ ما بَلَغوا مَداهُ

ولا يَكْدَى إذا بلغَتْ كُداها

ولا يَكْدَى إذا بلغَتْ كُداها

The youth of youths—none ever reached his stature,

The finest of youths, none reached his peak

Nor did he cease giving when hard bedrock was reached.

Nor would be marred, once reaching its mode

حلفتُ بربِّ صهبٍ معيلاتٍ

حلفتُ بربِّ صهبٍ معيلاتٍ

الى البيتِ المحرَّمِ منتهاها

الى البيتِ المحرَّمِ منتهاها

I swore by the Lord of tawny camels carrying families,

I swore by the Lord of lofty al-Sahab

Whose journey ends at the Sacred House:

To the sacred house, pilgrimage's abode

لئنْ جزعتْ بنو عمرٍو عليهِ

لئنْ جزعتْ بنو عمرٍو عليهِ

لقدْ رزئتْ بنو عمرٍو فتاها

لقدْ رزئتْ بنو عمرٍو فتاها

If the sons of ʿAmr grieved for him,

If Banu 'Amr grieved for him

The sons of ʿAmr were indeed bereft of their champion.

Then Banu 'Amr lost a lion untold

لهُ كفٌّ يشدُّ بها وكفٌّ

لهُ كفٌّ يشدُّ بها وكفٌّ

تَحَلَّبُ ما يجِفّ ثرَى نَداها

تَحَلَّبُ ما يجِفّ ثرَى نَداها

He had a hand with which he held firm, and a hand

With one palm he grabs, with another

That flowed like milk; its bounty's moist earth never dried.

He milks, when the dirt of his valley is cold

تَرَى الشُّمّ الجَحاجِحَ من سُلَيْمٍ

تَرَى الشُّمّ الجَحاجِحَ من سُلَيْمٍ

يَبُلّ نَدَى مَدامِعها لِحاها

يَبُلّ نَدَى مَدامِعها لِحاها

You see the proud, mighty chieftains of Sulaym,

You see the women of Sulaym

The dew from their weeping eyes wetting their beards,

Tears flowing like dew, crying aloud

على رجلٍ كريمِ الخيمِ اضحى

على رجلٍ كريمِ الخيمِ اضحى

ببطنِ حفيرة ٍ صخبٍ صداها

ببطنِ حفيرة ٍ صخبٍ صداها

For a man noble in nature, who now lies

For the generous man, praiseworthy and brave

In the depths of a grave, whose owl cries noisily.

In the valley of clamor, buried below

ليَبْكِ الخَيرَ صَخراً من مَعَدٍّ

ليَبْكِ الخَيرَ صَخراً من مَعَدٍّ

ذَوو أحلامِها وذوو نُهاها

ذَوو أحلامِها وذوو نُهاها

Let the men of Maʿadd weep for noble Sakhr—

Let the virtuous rock of Ma'add weep

Those of sound judgment and those of wisdom.

Of withered dreams and glories forego

وخَيْلٍ قدْ لَفَفْتَ بجَوْلِ خَيْلٍ

وخَيْلٍ قدْ لَفَفْتَ بجَوْلِ خَيْلٍ

فدارتْ بينَ كبشيها رحاها

فدارتْ بينَ كبشيها رحاها

And many a troop of horse you tangled with another troop,

And horses you shrouded in steeds’ round

And battle's millstone turned between its two ram-like champions.

Spinning amidst them while breathing their woe

ترفَّعَ فضلُ سابغة ٍ دلاصِ

ترفَّعَ فضلُ سابغة ٍ دلاصِ

على خَيْفانَة ٍ خَفِقٍ حَشاها

على خَيْفانَة ٍ خَفِقٍ حَشاها

The trailing hem of a smooth, ample coat of mail rose

Excelling men of many fine traits

Over a slender, swift mare whose belly was lean.

Above the rest, with bounties bestowed

وتسعى حينَ تشتجرُ العوالي

وتسعى حينَ تشتجرُ العوالي

بكأسِ المَوْتِ ساعَة َ مُصْطَلاها

بكأسِ المَوْتِ ساعَة َ مُصْطَلاها

And you would hasten as the long spears interlocked,

Rushing when calamities beset

With the cup of death at the hour of battle's blaze,

With death's cup, in time of need showed

محافظة ً ومحمية ً اذا ما

محافظة ً ومحمية ً اذا ما

نبا بالقومِ منْ جزعٍ لظاها

نبا بالقومِ منْ جزعٍ لظاها

In loyal defense and protective zeal, whenever

Guarding and protecting, when perils neared

Its blaze made the men recoil in panic.

Announcing to the tribe, lest fears erode

فتترُكُها قدِ اضطَرَمَتْ بطَعْنٍ

فتترُكُها قدِ اضطَرَمَتْ بطَعْنٍ

تَضَمّنَهُ إذا اخْتَلَفَتْ كُلاها

تَضَمّنَهُ إذا اخْتَلَفَتْ كُلاها

Then you would leave it aflame with spear-thrusts,

Leaving it kindled with raging stabs

Which it absorbed as its opposing flanks clashed.

Harboring them when all else corrode

فمَنْ للضّيْفِ إنْ هَبّتْ شَمالٌ

فمَنْ للضّيْفِ إنْ هَبّتْ شَمالٌ

مزعزعة ٌ تجلوبها صباها

مزعزعة ٌ تجلوبها صباها

Who, then, will care for the guest if a north wind blows,

Who will host the guest when north winds gust

Buffeting, driven onward by its easterly gusts,

Shaking the tent stakes that firmly towed?

وألجا بَرْدُها الأشوالَ حُدْباً

وألجا بَرْدُها الأشوالَ حُدْباً

الى الحجراتِ بادية ً كلاها

الى الحجراتِ بادية ً كلاها

And its cold drives the dry-uddered camels, hunched,

Its chill made the she-camels huddle for warmth

Into the enclosures, their kidneys showing?

To the rooms, displaying themselves in full show

هنالِكَ لوْ نَزَلْتَ بآلِ صَخْرٍ

هنالِكَ لوْ نَزَلْتَ بآلِ صَخْرٍ

قِرى الأضيافِ شَحْماً من ذراها

قِرى الأضيافِ شَحْماً من ذراها

There, if you had alighted with Sakhr's household,

If you stayed with Banu Sahar's line

The guests' fare would be fat from their humps.

Feeding guests is a duty they owed

فلمْ املكْ غداة َ نعيِّ صخرٍ

فلمْ املكْ غداة َ نعيِّ صخرٍ

سوابقَ عبرة ٍ حلبتْ صراها

سوابقَ عبرة ٍ حلبتْ صراها

I could not hold back, on the morning of Sakhr's death-tidings,

But when Sahar died, I could not control

The first rushing tears that milked out their gathered store.

Preceding tears that plentifully flowed

أمُطعِمَكُمْ وحامِلَكُمْ ترَكتمْ

أمُطعِمَكُمْ وحامِلَكُمْ ترَكتمْ

لدى غبراءَ منهدمٍ رجاها

لدى غبراءَ منهدمٍ رجاها

Have you left the man who fed and carried you

You left your feeder and transporter

In a dust-gray grave whose edge has fallen in?

By an abandoned grave, its glory owed

ليَبْكِ علَيْكَ قوْمُكَ للمَعالي

ليَبْكِ علَيْكَ قوْمُكَ للمَعالي

وللهَيْجاءِ، إنّكَ ما فَتاها

وللهَيْجاءِ، إنّكَ ما فَتاها

Let your people mourn you for lofty deeds,

Let your people cry for the noble traits

And for battle—you were indeed its champion.

And virtues in you that flourished and glowed

وقدْ فقدتكَ طلقة ُ فاستراحتْ

وقدْ فقدتكَ طلقة ُ فاستراحتْ

فليتَ الخيلَ فارسها يراها

فليتَ الخيلَ فارسها يراها

And Talqa has lost you and found rest;

With you gone, the mare is relieved

Would that the horses' rider could see them!

If only steeds could see their riders abode!