إلامَ يَرومُ الحَاسِدونَ نِضالي

إلامَ يَرومُ الحَاسِدونَ نِضالي

وأَيمانُهُم في الرَّمْيِ دونَ شِمالي

وأَيمانُهُم في الرَّمْيِ دونَ شِمالي

How long will the envious seek to contend with me,

Why do the envious plot against my struggle?

when their right hands in shooting fall short of my left?

Their oaths in archery are all aimed at my left side.

أنا الصَّارمُ المَشهورُ كادَني العِدا

أنا الصَّارمُ المَشهورُ كادَني العِدا

بإفكٍ هَوَتْ أركانُه ومُحالِ

بإفكٍ هَوَتْ أركانُه ومُحالِ

I am the keen, unsheathed sword; my foes plotted against me

I am the renowned, fierce warrior nearly toppled

with slander whose pillars collapsed, and falsehood.

By slander whose pillars collapsed into untruth.

فما ثَلَمَ الأَعدْاءُ حَدَّ مَضاربي

فما ثَلَمَ الأَعدْاءُ حَدَّ مَضاربي

ولا شَربَ الحُسَّادُ ماءَ صِقالي

ولا شَربَ الحُسَّادُ ماءَ صِقالي

So my enemies have not nicked the edge of my blades,

Yet the foes never marred the edge of my blade,

nor have the envious drunk the water of my polish.

Nor did the envious drink the water of my whetstone.

إذا هَبَطَتْ أنسابُ قَوْمٍ فموطِني

إذا هَبَطَتْ أنسابُ قَوْمٍ فموطِني

ذُرى نَسَبٍ بينَ التَّبابعِ عالي

ذُرى نَسَبٍ بينَ التَّبابعِ عالي

When a people's lineages sink, my dwelling is

When the lineage of a people declines, my home

on the heights of a lineage lofty among the Tubbaʿ kings.

Is the summit of glorious ancestry.

ونَاهيكَ مِنْ أَيْدٍ تَصولُ وأَلسُنٍ

ونَاهيكَ مِنْ أَيْدٍ تَصولُ وأَلسُنٍ

تَقولُ وأرماحٍ تُهَزُّ طِوالِ

تَقولُ وأرماحٍ تُهَزُّ طِوالِ

And enough for you are hands that strike, and tongues

And cease telling of hands that attack and tongues that speak,

that speak, and long spears being brandished.

And spears brandished high with sharp tips.

شَقْقتُ قَذَالَ الخَالديِّ بِمَنْطِقٍ

شَقْقتُ قَذَالَ الخَالديِّ بِمَنْطِقٍ

يَشُقُّ من الأَعْداءِ كلَّ قَذالِ

يَشُقُّ من الأَعْداءِ كلَّ قَذالِ

I split the back of al-Khalidi's head with words

I split the armor of Al-Khalidi with eloquence

that split the back of every enemy's head.

That rips all enemies with shattering force.

وناضَلَني المِلحيُّ عنه فَأَصْبَحَتْ

وناضَلَني المِلحيُّ عنه فَأَصْبَحَتْ

جَوارِحُهُ مَجروحَةً بِنبالي

جَوارِحُهُ مَجروحَةً بِنبالي

And al-Milhi contended with me in his defense, so

And Al-Milhi fought me over her, so his claws

his limbs were left wounded by my arrows.

Were wounded by my arrows at dawn.

وما لِعَليِّ بائعِ المِلحِ بالنَّوى

وما لِعَليِّ بائعِ المِلحِ بالنَّوى

إذا نِلْتُ أمَّ الخالديِّ وما لي

إذا نِلْتُ أمَّ الخالديِّ وما لي

And what is it to Ali, who sells salt for date-stones,

As for Ali the salt seller in An-Nawa,

if I assail al-Khalidi's mother—and what is it to me?

When I gained the mother of Al-Khalidi, what was that to me?

وهلاَّ أتاني إذ هَفَا مُتَنَصِّلاً

وهلاَّ أتاني إذ هَفَا مُتَنَصِّلاً

وقد عايَنَتْ عَيناهُ حَدَّ نِصالي

وقد عايَنَتْ عَيناهُ حَدَّ نِصالي

Why did he not come to me when he erred, making excuses,

Why did he not approach me when he slipped away

though his own eyes had seen the edge of my arrowheads?

After his eyes saw the edge of my blade?

وقد كان يُخلي بَيتَهُ لمآربٍ

وقد كان يُخلي بَيتَهُ لمآربٍ

إذا زارَ إلفٌ أو حَبا بوِصالِ

إذا زارَ إلفٌ أو حَبا بوِصالِ

And he used to vacate his house for certain purposes,

He would vacate his house for secret plans

when a lover visited or bestowed union,

Whenever a friend or loved one came to visit.

على أنه يُكريه يَوماً بخمسَةٍ

على أنه يُكريه يَوماً بخمسَةٍ

مُوَجَّهَةٍ بيضِ الوُجوهِ ثِقالِ

مُوَجَّهَةٍ بيضِ الوُجوهِ ثِقالِ

on condition that he rented it out for a day for five

Yet he would lend it out for five dirhams

face-bearing coins, white-faced and weighty.

To pale-faced ones, a heavy sum.

بَخِلْتُ بذكْرِ اللهِ من كلِّ جانبٍ

بَخِلْتُ بذكْرِ اللهِ من كلِّ جانبٍ

فهنّ بذكرِ اللهِ غيرُ خوالي

فهنّ بذكرِ اللهِ غيرُ خوالي

I was sparing with God's name on every side;

I pride myself in remembering God on all sides.

for they are not devoid of God's name.

Pride in remembering God, nothing else makes me proud.

رَوافعُ أبصارٍ خُفِضْنَ مَذَلَّةً

رَوافعُ أبصارٍ خُفِضْنَ مَذَلَّةً

وطولُ يمينٍ قَصَّرَت وشِمالِ

وطولُ يمينٍ قَصَّرَت وشِمالِ

They raise eyes lowered in humiliation,

Averting their gazes, humbled into lowness,

and give reach to a right hand that fell short, and a left.

And the length of their right hands shortened.

تَحِبُّ ولَكِنْ نَفْعُها لمُحبِّها

تَحِبُّ ولَكِنْ نَفْعُها لمُحبِّها

غَداةَ نَوىً منها وَوَشْكِ زِيالِ

غَداةَ نَوىً منها وَوَشْكِ زِيالِ

They love, yet their benefit to their lover

They love, but it benefits only their lover,

comes on a morning of separation from them and imminent parting.

The morning after, as their tryst approaches its end.

يبيح بها الملحي طورا قذاله

يبيح بها الملحي طورا قذاله

وطورا حريمي منزل وعيال

وطورا حريمي منزل وعيال

With them al-Milhi sometimes offers the back of his head,

With it Al-Milhi makes lawful his armor at times,

and sometimes the twin sanctuaries of home and family.

And at times my sacrosanct household and family.

فَإنْ شِئْتَ أن تَحْظى بِوَصْلِ غَزالَةٍ

فَإنْ شِئْتَ أن تَحْظى بِوَصْلِ غَزالَةٍ

مُهَفَهْفَةِ الكَشْحَيْنِ أو بِغَزالِ

مُهَفَهْفَةِ الكَشْحَيْنِ أو بِغَزالِ

So if you wish to enjoy union with a female gazelle,

So if you wish to gain the companionship of a delicate gazelle,

slender in both flanks—or with a male gazelle—

With tender cheeks or a gentle doe,

فَقدِّمْ له الجَدْيَ الرَّضيعَ وَثِّنه

فَقدِّمْ له الجَدْيَ الرَّضيعَ وَثِّنه

بِعَذْراءَ مِنْ ماءِ الكُرومِ زُلالِ

بِعَذْراءَ مِنْ ماءِ الكُرومِ زُلالِ

offer him the suckling kid, and follow it with

Present to him the newborn calf, and sway it

a virgin draught of the clear water of vines.

With a maiden of pure, limpid water.

ولا تَلْقَهُ إلا بِخَيْرِ وَسيلَةٍ

ولا تَلْقَهُ إلا بِخَيْرِ وَسيلَةٍ

يَلوحُ على وَجْهَيْهِ خَيْرُ مَقالِ

يَلوحُ على وَجْهَيْهِ خَيْرُ مَقالِ

And meet him only with the best means of approach,

Only meet him with the best means,

on whose two faces the finest utterance gleams:

Where goodness appears on his face.

ببازٍ إذا أرسلَتهُ صادَ كلَّ ما

ببازٍ إذا أرسلَتهُ صادَ كلَّ ما

تَرومُ بهِ أو نالَ كلَّ مَنالِ

تَرومُ بهِ أو نالَ كلَّ مَنالِ

with a hawk that, when you release it, catches all that

With a falcon, if you release it, it will hunt whatever

you seek through it, or wins every prize.

You intend, or obtain whatever is attained.

سيَحْمِلُهُ جَرْيٌ على ظَهْرِ جامحٍ

سيَحْمِلُهُ جَرْيٌ على ظَهْرِ جامحٍ

يَؤولُ بما في الظَّهْرِ شرَّ مآلِ

يَؤولُ بما في الظَّهْرِ شرَّ مآلِ

A gallop will carry him on the back of a bolting steed,

It will carry him on the back of a galloping steed

bringing what is on its back to the worst of ends.

That concludes what it bears with the worst outcome.

ويَعْلَمُ أنَّ السِّلْمَ كانَ سَلامَةً

ويَعْلَمُ أنَّ السِّلْمَ كانَ سَلامَةً

لَدَيْهِ وظِلاً آذِناً بِزَوالِ

لَدَيْهِ وظِلاً آذِناً بِزَوالِ

And he will know that peace had been safety

And it will know that peace was safety

for him, and a shade foretelling its passing.

For it, and shade that tells of departure.