لمَّا مَضَى اليومُ حَميداً فانصرَمْ

لمَّا مَضَى اليومُ حَميداً فانصرَمْ

ومَدَّ سِجْفَيْهِ الظَّلامُ المُدْلَهِمّ

ومَدَّ سِجْفَيْهِ الظَّلامُ المُدْلَهِمّ

When the day had passed, well spent, and slipped away,

When the day had passed well and drawn to a close,

and pitch-black darkness spread its two curtains,

And pitch-black darkness spread its two curtains,

مِلْنا إلى فِلْقَةِ مأثورٍ خَذِمْ

مِلْنا إلى فِلْقَةِ مأثورٍ خَذِمْ

يَلْقى بها فِلقةَ صَيْخودٍ أَصَمّ

يَلْقى بها فِلقةَ صَيْخودٍ أَصَمّ

we turned to a shard of a notched, keen-edged blade,

We turned to a shard of a keen, patterned blade;

setting against it a chip of hard, unyielding flint.

With it he strikes a piece of hard, solid rock.

فيبَسِمانِ في اللقاءِ عن ضَرَم

فيبَسِمانِ في اللقاءِ عن ضَرَم

يَطيرُ كالبرقِ خَفا ثم اكتتَمْ

يَطيرُ كالبرقِ خَفا ثم اكتتَمْ

At their meeting the two smiled, revealing a blaze

So at their meeting the two smile forth a flare

that darted like lightning in a flash, then vanished.

That flies like lightning, flashes, then vanishes.

وتارةً يَسقُطُ في بالٍ أحمّ

وتارةً يَسقُطُ في بالٍ أحمّ

فيَجتبَيهِ بقَضيبٍ كالقَلَم

فيَجتبَيهِ بقَضيبٍ كالقَلَم

At times it would fall upon something worn and blackened,

And sometimes it falls into a worn, black rag,

and he would gather it with a twig like a reed pen.

So he gathers it with a rod like a pen;

تأخُذُهُ أزرَقَ كالخَدِّ لُطِمْ

تأخُذُهُ أزرَقَ كالخَدِّ لُطِمْ

حتى إذا وَلَّدَ ناراً تَضْطَرِمْ

حتى إذا وَلَّدَ ناراً تَضْطَرِمْ

A blue-black piece of tinder, like a slapped cheek, caught it,

You take it, blue as a cheek that has been slapped,

until it gave birth to a fiercely blazing fire.

Until, when it had given birth to a blazing fire,

قُمْنا بها نَهْتِكُ أستارَ الظُّلَمْ

قُمْنا بها نَهْتِكُ أستارَ الظُّلَمْ

وبينَنا ذاتُ ضَجيجٍ تَختَصِمْ

وبينَنا ذاتُ ضَجيجٍ تَختَصِمْ

By its light we rose, rending the curtains of darkness,

We rose with it to tear the veils of darkness.

while in our midst a clamorous thing crackled in contention.

And in our midst a clamorous thing wrangles;

إنْ نامَ غِزلانُ الصَّريمِ لم تَنَمْ

إنْ نامَ غِزلانُ الصَّريمِ لم تَنَمْ

نَقرَعُها بينَ الوِهادِ والأَكَمْ

نَقرَعُها بينَ الوِهادِ والأَكَمْ

Though the gazelles of the thicket slept, it did not sleep;

If the gazelles of the sand ridge sleep, it does not sleep.

we kept stirring it among the hollows and hillocks,

We strike it amid hollows and hillocks,

قَرْعَ النَّواقيسِ إذا الصُّبحُ ابتَسَم

قَرْعَ النَّواقيسِ إذا الصُّبحُ ابتَسَم

تؤمُّ مخلوعَ العِذارِ حيثُ أَمّ

تؤمُّ مخلوعَ العِذارِ حيثُ أَمّ

as bells are struck when morning smiles.

Like the ringing of bells when dawn smiles.

It follows the unbridled hound wherever he heads—

It seeks the unbridled one wherever he goes,

أبيضَ مُسوَدَّ الخِلالِ والشَّيَم

أبيضَ مُسوَدَّ الخِلالِ والشَّيَم

له على الصَّحْبِ أَيادٍ وكَرَمْ

له على الصَّحْبِ أَيادٍ وكَرَمْ

a white hound, black-mottled in coat and markings.

White, yet black in traits and character.

Toward his companions he shows favors and generosity;

He brings the companions favors and generosity,

ونِعَمٌ هُنَّ على الوَحْشِ نِقَمْ

ونِعَمٌ هُنَّ على الوَحْشِ نِقَمْ

أسرعُ قبلَ الشَّدِّ من سَيْلِ العَرِمْ

أسرعُ قبلَ الشَّدِّ من سَيْلِ العَرِمْ

and those favors are calamities visited upon the wild beasts.

And blessings that are punishments for the wild beasts.

Ahead of the quarry he is swifter than the Flood of al-ʿArim,

Swifter, even before the dash, than the flood of al-ʿArim,

يَقدُمُنا إلى الكِناسِ المُكْتَتَمْ

يَقدُمُنا إلى الكِناسِ المُكْتَتَمْ

مُسائِلاً عنه الصَّبا وهي تَنُمّ

مُسائِلاً عنه الصَّبا وهي تَنُمّ

leading us to the well-concealed lair,

He leads us to the concealed lair,

asking the east wind about it—and she divulges the secret—

Questioning the east wind about it, while she betrays its secret.

حتى إذا الشَّربُ تراءَى من أَمَمْ

حتى إذا الشَّربُ تراءَى من أَمَمْ

حَيرانَ قد أَلبسَه الذُّعْرُ لَمَمْ

حَيرانَ قد أَلبسَه الذُّعْرُ لَمَمْ

until the herd appears close at hand,

Until, when the drinking herd appeared close at hand,

bewildered, terror having clothed it in madness.

Bewildered, terror having clothed it in a touch of madness,

صَدَّ فَوافَى ثم أَلقَى للسَّلَمْ

صَدَّ فَوافَى ثم أَلقَى للسَّلَمْ

وظَلَّ نَهباً بالأَكُفِّ مُقتَسَم

وظَلَّ نَهباً بالأَكُفِّ مُقتَسَم

It wheels away, but he overtakes it; then it yields in surrender

It turned away, then came up, then yielded in surrender,

and lies as spoil, apportioned hand to hand.

And lay as booty, portioned out by our hands.

لم يَشكُ من نابٍ ولا ظِفْرٍ أَلَمْ

لم يَشكُ من نابٍ ولا ظِفْرٍ أَلَمْ

فما اعتلى في الشَّرقِ للصُّبح عَلَمْ

فما اعتلى في الشَّرقِ للصُّبح عَلَمْ

It did not complain of any pain from fang or claw.

It complained of no pain from fang or claw;

No banner of dawn had yet risen in the east

So no banner of dawn rose in the east

حتى لَخَضَّبْنَا المِدَى منه بِدَمْ

حتى لَخَضَّبْنَا المِدَى منه بِدَمْ

وأصبحَتْ أطرافُنا مثلَ العَنَم

وأصبحَتْ أطرافُنا مثلَ العَنَم

before we had dyed the whole expanse with its blood,

Until we had dyed our knives with its blood.

and by morning our fingertips were like the crimson berries of the ʿanam tree.

And our fingertips became like the crimson ʿanam,

وارتفعَتْ قُدورُنا على اللَّقَم

وارتفعَتْ قُدورُنا على اللَّقَم

قائلةً للرَّكْبِ بالغَلْيِ هَلُمّ

قائلةً للرَّكْبِ بالغَلْيِ هَلُمّ

Our cauldrons rose upon their hearthstones,

And our cooking pots were raised upon the open road,

calling to riders still beyond sight: “Come!”

Calling to the riders through their bubbling: 'Come!'

فنحنُ في خَفْضٍ وفي ظِل نِعَمْ

فنحنُ في خَفْضٍ وفي ظِل نِعَمْ

لنا من البِيضِ حُصُونٌ وعِصَمْ

لنا من البِيضِ حُصُونٌ وعِصَمْ

For we live in abundance, beneath the sheltering shade of bounty;

So we are at ease and in the shade of blessings;

in our white blades we have fortresses and refuges.

In bright swords we have fortresses and safeguards;

لا خوفَ ما عُذْنا بها ولا عَدَمْ

لا خوفَ ما عُذْنا بها ولا عَدَمْ

There is no fear while we seek shelter in them, nor any want.

No fear, so long as we seek refuge in them, nor want.