دعاني سيد الحيين منا — Alburaq

دَعاني سَيِّدُ الحَيَّينِ مِنّا

بَني أَسَدَ السَمَيذَعُ لِلمُغارِ

The lord of our two clans summoned me,

the noble chief of Banu Asad, to the raid.

يَقودُ إِلى الوَغى ذُهلاً وَعِجلاً

بَني شَيبانَ فُرسانَ الوَقارِ

He leads Dhuhl and 'Ijl into battle,

Banu Shayban, horsemen of stately bearing,

وَآلَ حَنيفَةٍ وَبَني ضُبَيعٍ

وَأَرقَمَها وَحَيَّ بَني ضِرارِ

and the house of Hanifa and Banu Dubay',

and its Arqam, and the clan of Banu Dirar,

وَشوساً مِن بَين جُشَمٍ تَراها

غَداةَ الرَوعِ كَالأُسدِ الضَواري

and fierce warriors from among Jusham, whom you see

on the morning of terror like ravening lions,

وَقَومَ بَني رَبيعَةَ آلَ قَومي

تَهَيّأوا لِلتَحِيَّةِ وَالمَزارِ

and the folk of Banu Rabi'a, my own kindred.

They readied themselves for greeting and a visit

إِلى أَخوالِهِم طَيٍّ فَأَهدَوا

لَهُم طَعناً مِنَ العُنوانِ واري

to their maternal uncles, Tayy, and offered

them, as a token, lung-piercing thrusts.

صَبَحناهُم عَلى جُردٍ عِتاقٍ

بِأَسيافٍ مُهَنَّدَةٍ قَواري

We attacked them at dawn on sleek, highbred steeds,

with cleaving swords of Indian steel.

وَلَولا صائِحاتٌ اَسعَفَتهُم

جَهاراً بِالصُراخِ المُستَجارِ

And had not shrieking women come to their aid,

openly, with cries appealing for protection,

لَمّا رَجَعوا وَلا عَطَفوا عَلَينا

وَخافوا ضَربَ باتِرَةِ الشِفارِ

they would neither have returned nor wheeled against us;

and they feared the blows of keen-edged blades.

فَيا لَكَ مِن صُراخٍ وَاِفتَضاحٍ

وَنَقعٍ ثائِرٍ وَسطَ الدِيارِ

Then, oh, what shrieking and disgrace,

and dust rising amid the dwellings!

عَلى قُبٍّ مُسَوَّمَةٍ عِتاقٍ

مُقَلَّدَةٍ أَعِنَّتَها كِبارِ

On lean-flanked, marked, highbred steeds,

great horses with their reins hung about their necks,

فَتَعطِفُ بِالقَنا في كُلِّ صُبحٍ

وَتَحمِلُ في العَجاجَةِ وَالغُبارِ

they wheel with lances every morning,

and charge amid dust-clouds and flying dust.

وَقَد زُرنا الضُحاةَ بَني لُهَيمٍ

فَأَحدَرناهُمُ في كُلِّ عارِ

And at midmorning we visited Banu Luhaym,

then plunged them into every kind of disgrace.

فَيَمَّمتُ السَنانَ لِصَدرِ عَمرٍو

فَطاحَ مُجَندَلاً في الصَفِّ عاري

Then I aimed the spearhead at 'Amr's breast,

and he fell prostrate in the ranks, naked.

وَقَد جادَت يَدايَ عَلى خَميسٍ

بِضَربَةِ باتِرِ الحَدَّينِ فاري

And my hands were generous to an army,

with a blow from a cleaving sword, keen on both edges.

وَأَفلَت فارِسُ الجُرّاحِ مِنّي

لَضَربَةِ مُنصُلٍ فَوقَ السُواري

And al-Jarrah's horseman escaped me

at a sword-blade's stroke above the armlet.

فَقُل لِاِبنِ الذُعَيرِ النَذلِ هَلّا

تَصَبَّرُ الوَغى مِثلَ اِصطِباري

So tell the baseborn son of al-Dhu'ayr: Why not

stand firm in battle as I do?

أَلَم أَدعوهُ في سَبقٍ فَوَلّى

كَمِثلِ الكَبشِ يَأذَنُ بِالحِذارِ

Did I not challenge him in a contest, and he turned away,

like a ram that heeds a warning?

أَنا اِبنُ الشُمِّ مِن سَلَفي نِزارٍ

كَريمِ العِرضِ مَعروفِ النِجارِ

I am a son of the proud, of Nizar, my forebear,

noble in honor, of well-known lineage.

وَحَولي كُلُّ أَروَعَ مائِلِيٍّ

سَديدِ الرَأيِ مَشدودِ الإِزارِ

And around me stands every gallant Ma'ili,

sound in judgment, his waistcloth girded tight.