اذا افتخرتْ عليا ربيعة بالذي

اذا افتخرتْ عليا ربيعة بالذي

سَما من عُلاها بين كعبٍ وعامرِ

سَما من عُلاها بين كعبٍ وعامرِ

If the noblest of Rabīʿah boasts of what

If Rabee'ah boasts of what

rose from its glory among Kaʿb and ʿĀmir,

It attained in heights between Ka'b and Aamer

وجاءت كرملِ الأنْعُمين وعالجٍ

وجاءت كرملِ الأنْعُمين وعالجٍ

مناقبُ زُهْرٌ بين باقٍ وغابرِ

مناقبُ زُهْرٌ بين باقٍ وغابرِ

and there came, like the sands of al-Anʿumayn and ʿĀlij,

And it came like the sand dunes of Al-An'amayn and Alaj

radiant noble deeds, some enduring, some bygone,

With virtues that shine between lasting and transient

تُعيد الدجى صبحاً وتنمي فخارها

تُعيد الدجى صبحاً وتنمي فخارها

إِلى واضحٍ من قيس عيْلان باهرِ

إِلى واضحٍ من قيس عيْلان باهرِ

which turn darkness into morning and trace their glory

It repeats the darkness as morning and increases its pride

to an illustrious, dazzling man of Qays ʿAylān,

To the outstanding among Qais Iylan the prominent

وأدركها مسعى الشُّنينة فاحتوتْ

وأدركها مسعى الشُّنينة فاحتوتْ

تُراثَ المعالي كابراً بعد كابرِ

تُراثَ المعالي كابراً بعد كابرِ

and al-Shunaynah’s striving attained them, so she embraced

And it caught up with the galloping of warriors so it contained

the heritage of lofty deeds, great forebear after great forebear,

The inheritance of glories, great after great

فانَّ قديمَ المجد اُرسي فخاره

فانَّ قديمَ المجد اُرسي فخاره

بغمر الندى من آل شوقٍ عُراعر

بغمر الندى من آل شوقٍ عُراعر

then ancient glory’s pride was firmly anchored

So the old glories were established by its pride

in a mighty lord of boundless generosity, of the house of Shawq.

In the abundance of dew from the family of fiery Shaawq

فكان مكان السُّحب والغيث توبةٌ

فكان مكان السُّحب والغيث توبةٌ

وما فخر سحبٍ لا تجودُ بماطرِ

وما فخر سحبٍ لا تجودُ بماطرِ

So Tawbah stood in place of the clouds and rain;

So the place of clouds and rain became repentance

and what glory have clouds that give no rain?

And what is the pride of clouds that do not rain?

وجادوا بفيَّاض النوال وفارس ال

وجادوا بفيَّاض النوال وفارس ال

نزال ومنَّاعِ النَّزيلِ المجاورِ

نزال ومنَّاعِ النَّزيلِ المجاورِ

And they bestowed one overflowing with bounty, a knight of the

They were generous with the overflowing of gifts and a horseman who

battle, and a staunch protector of the guest seeking refuge;

Does not retreat from battle and the preventer of the neighbor lodger

بماضٍ على الهول المخوف وناكصٍ

بماضٍ على الهول المخوف وناكصٍ

عن العار طَبٍّ باكتسابِ المفاخرِ

عن العار طَبٍّ باكتسابِ المفاخرِ

one who advances into dreaded terror, yet recoils

With determination against frightening tribulations and retreating

from dishonor, skilled in acquiring glories.

From shame, good by acquiring prides

فتى الخيل تعدو بالكُماةِ كأنها

فتى الخيل تعدو بالكُماةِ كأنها

فوارطُ عِقبان الشُّريف الكواسر

فوارطُ عِقبان الشُّريف الكواسر

A cavalry champion—the horses gallop with armored warriors as though

The horseman whose horses gallop with war clubs as if

they were the foremost of al-Shurayf’s swooping eagles,

They were the hind legs of the noble stallions

خوارجُ من ليل الغُبار كأنها

خوارجُ من ليل الغُبار كأنها

سهامٌ غِلاءٌ غير غرْبٍ وعائِرِ

سهامٌ غِلاءٌ غير غرْبٍ وعائِرِ

emerging from the night of dust as though they were

Emerging from the night of dust as if they are

arrows shot for distance, neither stray nor errant,

Arrows, heroes coming and going

حراصاً على رعي النواصي وقد ثنت

حراصاً على رعي النواصي وقد ثنت

هواديها عن كل أغيدَ ناضِر

هواديها عن كل أغيدَ ناضِر

eager to graze on forelocks, having already turned

Keen to guard the frontiers, their valleys have turned

their necks away from every supple, radiant beauty.

Away from every weak hyena

تٌعلِّمُ طعن النَّحر كل مُثقَّفٍ

تٌعلِّمُ طعن النَّحر كل مُثقَّفٍ

وتهدي إِلى ضرب الطُّلي كلَّ باتر

وتهدي إِلى ضرب الطُّلي كلَّ باتر

They teach every straightened spear to pierce the upper chest,

They teach how to stab the throat of every cultivated man

and guide every cleaving blade to strike at necks.

And guide to striking iron every devious

هنالك يُلْفى توبةُ الخير كافلاً

هنالك يُلْفى توبةُ الخير كافلاً

بِرِيِّ المواضي من دماء المساعرِ

بِرِيِّ المواضي من دماء المساعرِ

There Tawbah the Good is found ensuring

There repentance of good is found guaranteeing

that keen blades drink their fill of the blood of war-kindlers.

The well-being of the land from the blood of flaming

فما تمنعُ الدرع الحصينةُ رُمحهُ

فما تمنعُ الدرع الحصينةُ رُمحهُ

ولا تُتَّقى أسيافهُ بالمَغافر

ولا تُتَّقى أسيافهُ بالمَغافر

So no stout coat of mail stops his spear,

So neither the strong shield prevents his spear

nor can his swords be warded off by mail hoods.

Nor are his swords feared with forgiveness

ونعمَ مُناخ الطارقين عشيَّةً

ونعمَ مُناخ الطارقين عشيَّةً

اذا حارَدتْ غبر السنين العواقر

اذا حارَدتْ غبر السنين العواقر

And what a fine stopping-place for visitors at evening,

And excellent is the settlement of the night raiders

when the dust-gray, barren years withhold their bounty!

When the dust of years mixes with the barren

يعيدُ الضحى ليلا دخان قدُورهِ

يعيدُ الضحى ليلا دخان قدُورهِ

ويهدي سَنا نيرانِه كلَّ جائرِ

ويهدي سَنا نيرانِه كلَّ جائرِ

The smoke of his cauldrons turns midmorning into night,

The dawn repeats the smoke of his cooking pots at night

and the radiance of his fires guides every straying traveler.

And presents the age of his fires to every tyrant

وتمشي بمعبوط السديف اِماؤهُ

وتمشي بمعبوط السديف اِماؤهُ

إِلى الضيف مشي المقربات الصوادر

إِلى الضيف مشي المقربات الصوادر

And his maidservants walk bearing freshly cut hump-fat

And their water goes with filled water skins

to the guest, with the gait of near-calving she-camels returning from water.

To the guest in the manner of racing she-camels

اذا شبحٌ من جوَّ أرضٍ بدا لهُ

اذا شبحٌ من جوَّ أرضٍ بدا لهُ

تناذرت الكومُ العِشارُ بعاقرِ

تناذرت الكومُ العِشارُ بعاقرِ

When a silhouette appears to him from open country,

If an apparition from the atmosphere of land appears to him

the high-humped, ten-month-pregnant camels warn one another of a slaughterer.

The heap of firewood warns with the barren

عبادةُ عينٌ في المعالي ونوْبةٌ

عبادةُ عينٌ في المعالي ونوْبةٌ

مكان البآبي من بياض المحاجرِ

مكان البآبي من بياض المحاجرِ

ʿUbādah is an eye amid high honors, and Nawbah

Worship of the eyes regarding glories and destruction

holds the pupils’ place amid the whites of the eyes.

In place of doors from the whiteness of rocks

وانَّ شهاب الدين في المحل والوغى

وانَّ شهاب الدين في المحل والوغى

لعيش فقيرٍ أو لحتفِ مُغامرِ

لعيش فقيرٍ أو لحتفِ مُغامرِ

And indeed Shihāb al-Dīn, in drought and battle,

Verily the meteors of religion in ordeal and conflict

is surely a poor man’s livelihood or a daring fighter’s death.

Is a poor living or hero's death

مدحتك عن ودٍ قديمٍ وخبرةٍ

مدحتك عن ودٍ قديمٍ وخبرةٍ

بما حُزْت قِدماً من عُلًا ومآثر

بما حُزْت قِدماً من عُلًا ومآثر

I praised you out of long-standing affection and knowledge

I praised you out of old love and experience

of the high honors and noble deeds you attained long ago,

For what you attained formerly of heights and feats

على حين هَمٍّ كالسِّنان وحالةٍ

على حين هَمٍّ كالسِّنان وحالةٍ

أعادت بُغاثاً كل أجدلَ كاسرِ

أعادت بُغاثاً كل أجدلَ كاسرِ

at a time of grief like a spear-point, and a plight

When worries were like dental pain and a condition

that made a weak bird of every swooping falcon.

That brought back every barren wasteland

فانْ نالت الأيامُ مني فلم تَنَلْ

فانْ نالت الأيامُ مني فلم تَنَلْ

شبَا هِممٍ عُلْويَّةٍ وخواطر

شبَا هِممٍ عُلْويَّةٍ وخواطر

So if the days have taken their toll on me, they have not touched

So if days got the better of me they did not get

the sharp edges of lofty resolves and thoughts.

Lofty aspirations and thoughts

واِن رحتُ كالهنديِّ من غير ساعد

واِن رحتُ كالهنديِّ من غير ساعد

فعارٌ على الأبطال جهلُ البَواترِ

فعارٌ على الأبطال جهلُ البَواترِ

And though I have become like an Indian blade without an arm,

And if I went away like the Indian without arms

it is a disgrace to heroes not to recognize keen blades.

Then shame on the heroes for ignorance of the message