أَمِن أهلِ الأراك عَفَت رُبُوعُ

أَمِن أهلِ الأراك عَفَت رُبُوعُ

نَعَم سَقياً لهم لو تستطيعُ

نَعَم سَقياً لهم لو تستطيعُ

Are these faded dwellings those of the people of al-Arak?

Inhabitants of a place I long to visit

Yes—may rain bless them! If only you could

Though journeying there is beyond my limit

زيارتَهم ولكن أحضَرَتنا

زيارتَهم ولكن أحضَرَتنا

همومٌ ما يزالُ لها مُشيعُ

همومٌ ما يزالُ لها مُشيعُ

visit them; but we have been beset

Burdens still pursue me, binding my will

by cares that never lack an escort.

Like poisonous snakes, their grip shall not remit

كأنَّ البَينَ جَرَّعني زُعافاً

كأنَّ البَينَ جَرَّعني زُعافاً

من الحيَّاتِ مَطعَمُهُ فظيعُ

من الحيَّاتِ مَطعَمُهُ فظيعُ

As though parting had made me swallow deadly venom

My tears have flowed in streams upon my cheek

from serpents, dreadful to taste.

Like wandering pigeons lit yet taking flight

وماءٍ قد وردت على جَبَاهُ

وماءٍ قد وردت على جَبَاهُ

حَمامٌ حائمٌ وقَطاً وقَطاً وُقوعُ

حَمامٌ حائمٌ وقَطاً وقَطاً وُقوعُ

And many a waterhole I reached—upon its brink

I made my turban ropes to draw up water

were circling doves, and sandgrouse, and sandgrouse alighting.

When leather buckets failed to yield their might

جعلتُ عِمامتي صِلةً لدَلوِي

جعلتُ عِمامتي صِلةً لدَلوِي

إليه حينَ لم تَردِ النسوعُ

إليه حينَ لم تَردِ النسوعُ

I made my turban an extension for my bucket,

To quench the thirst of maids and veiled ladies

down to it, when the leather straps fell short,

Whose travel wore them down in wretched plight

لأسِقيَ فِتيةً ومُنَقَّباتٍ

لأسِقيَ فِتيةً ومُنَقَّباتٍ

أضرَّ بِنقيِها سَفَرٌ وجِيعُ

أضرَّ بِنقيِها سَفَرٌ وجِيعُ

to give drink to young men and footsore she-camels

We mounted them, though emaciated they were

whose marrow a grueling journey had wasted.

Till their ribs and bones came into sight

رَكبناها سَمَانَتَها فلما

رَكبناها سَمَانَتَها فلما

بَدَت منها السَّناسِنُ والضُّلُوعُ

بَدَت منها السَّناسِنُ والضُّلُوعُ

We rode them while they were fat; but when

We flogged them down the rugged slopes

their spinal ridges and ribs began to show,

But still the wretched beasts held up the fight

صَبَحناها السِّياطَ مُحَدرَجاتٍ

صَبَحناها السِّياطَ مُحَدرَجاتٍ

فَعَزَّتها الضليعةُ والضليعُ

فَعَزَّتها الضليعةُ والضليعُ

we gave them tightly twisted whips for breakfast;

The horseman gathered troops to face us

then the sturdy she-camel and he-camel outmatched them.

Thinking numbers could our valor blight

لقد جَمَعَ المُهَيرُ لنا فقُلنا

لقد جَمَعَ المُهَيرُ لنا فقُلنا

أتحسَبُنا تروِّعُنا الجمُوعُ

أتحسَبُنا تروِّعُنا الجمُوعُ

Indeed, al-Muhayr mustered against us, and we said:

Khanifa's clan will shudder when they spy

Do you suppose that massed hosts can frighten us?

Our flashing swords, lightning in the night

سَتَرهَبُنا حَنِيفةُ أن رأتنا

سَتَرهَبُنا حَنِيفةُ أن رأتنا

وفي أيمانِنا البِيضُ اللّموعُ

وفي أيمانِنا البِيضُ اللّموعُ

Hanifa will fear us on seeing us,

Banu Qushayr will cower and retreat

with gleaming white swords in our right hands.

When faced against our arms in all their might

عُقَيلٌ تَغتَزي وبنو قُشَيرٍ

عُقَيلٌ تَغتَزي وبنو قُشَيرٍ

تَوارَى عن سواعِدها الدُّرُوعُ

تَوارَى عن سواعِدها الدُّرُوعُ

Uqayl goes to war, and the sons of Qushayr—

their coats of mail leave their forearms bare.

Ja'dah and Harith, lions of the jungle

وجَعدةُ والحريشُ لُيوثُ غابٍ

وجَعدةُ والحريشُ لُيوثُ غابٍ

لهم في كلِّ مَعرَكَةٍ صَريعُ

لهم في كلِّ مَعرَكَةٍ صَريعُ

And Ja'da and al-Harish are lions of the thickets;

Will rend their foes in every fight

in every battle they have one laid low.

My clan, Banu Ka'b, is best in fray

فنِعمَ القومُ في اللَّزَباتِ قومي

فنِعمَ القومُ في اللَّزَباتِ قومي

بنو كَعبٍ إذا جَحد الرَّبيعُ

بنو كَعبٍ إذا جَحد الرَّبيعُ

So fine a people in hardship are my people,

When fortune's winds blow foul their flight

the sons of Ka'b, when spring withholds its bounty.

كُهولٌ مَعقِلُ الطُّرَداءِ فيهم

كُهولٌ مَعقِلُ الطُّرَداءِ فيهم

وفتيانٌ غَطارفةٌ فروعُ

وفتيانٌ غَطارفةٌ فروعُ

Mature men, among whom outcasts find refuge,

Elders steadfast as mountains, youths like desert wolves

and young men—noble lords, lofty branches.

Will never from the battlefield take flight

فمهلاً يا مُهَيرُ فانتَ عبدٌ

فمهلاً يا مُهَيرُ فانتَ عبدٌ

لكعبٍ سامِعٌ لهمُ مُطيعُ

لكعبٍ سامِعٌ لهمُ مُطيعُ

So hold back, Muhayr, for you are a slave

Relent, Muheyir, you are a slave

belonging to Ka'b, heeding and obeying them.

To Ka'b - obediently comply with their might

خليلٌ وامقٌ شفق عليها

خليلٌ وامقٌ شفق عليها

له منها ابنُ أربعةٍ رضيعُ

له منها ابنُ أربعةٍ رضيعُ

A loving companion, solicitous for her;

Khalil and Wamiq cared for them

he has by her a suckling son, four [months] old.

Khalil has a suckling babe held tight

مَريعٌ منهمُ وطنٌ فشِسعيَ

مَريعٌ منهمُ وطنٌ فشِسعيَ

بعيدٌ مَن له وَطَنٌ مَرِيعُ

بعيدٌ مَن له وَطَنٌ مَرِيعُ

A homeland of theirs is fertile; and my sandal-strap

Mar'i, far from home, for that is where

is far from one who has a fertile homeland.

One's homeland ever yearns to reunite