هَلّا سَأَلتِ بِنا وَأَنتِ حَفِيَّةٌ

هَلّا سَأَلتِ بِنا وَأَنتِ حَفِيَّةٌ

بِالقاعِ يَومَ تَوَرَّعَت نَهدُ

بِالقاعِ يَومَ تَوَرَّعَت نَهدُ

Why did you not ask about us, eager as you are,

Why did you not ask us when you were a bride

at al-Qāʿ, the day Nahd shrank back,

In the valley on the day your breast swelled

وَالحَيُّ مِن كَلبٍ وَجَرمٍ كُلُّها

وَالحَيُّ مِن كَلبٍ وَجَرمٍ كُلُّها

بِالقاعِ يَومَ يَحُثُّها الجَلدُ

بِالقاعِ يَومَ يَحُثُّها الجَلدُ

and all the tribesfolk of Kalb and Jarm,

With life from every cur and vile thing

at al-Qāʿ, the day the lash drove them on;

In the valley on the day your skin was whipped

بِالكَورِ يَومَ ثَوى الحُصَينُ وَقَد رَأى

بِالكَورِ يَومَ ثَوى الحُصَينُ وَقَد رَأى

عَبدُ المَدانِ خُيولَها تَعدو

عَبدُ المَدانِ خُيولَها تَعدو

at al-Kawr, the day al-Ḥuṣayn lay fallen, while

At al-Kawr on the day al-Husayn saw

ʿAbd al-Madān saw their horses galloping,

The bondsman of Ma’dan, their steeds galloping

بِالباسِلينَ مِنَ الكُماةِ عَلَيهِمُ

بِالباسِلينَ مِنَ الكُماةِ عَلَيهِمُ

حَلَقُ الحَديدِ يُزِينُها السَردُ

حَلَقُ الحَديدِ يُزِينُها السَردُ

bearing the fearless among the champions, upon whom

With the helmets of the brave protectors upon them

lay iron rings, adorned by their interlinking?

The polish of their coats adorned with plate armor

أَيُّ الفَوارِسِ كانَ أَنهَكَ في الوَغى

أَيُّ الفَوارِسِ كانَ أَنهَكَ في الوَغى

لِلقَومِ لَمّا لاحَها الجَهدُ

لِلقَومِ لَمّا لاحَها الجَهدُ

Which of the horsemen was most punishing in the fray

Which of the knights was it who toiled in the fray

to the host, when hardship wore them down?

For the people when the struggle wore him out?

لَمّا رَأَيتُ رَئيسَهُم فَتَرَكتُهُ

لَمّا رَأَيتُ رَئيسَهُم فَتَرَكتُهُ

جَزَرَ السِباعِ كَأَنَّهُ لَهدُ

جَزَرَ السِباعِ كَأَنَّهُ لَهدُ

When I saw their chief, I left him

When I saw their chief I left him as prey

a carcass for the beasts of prey, as though he were a bull.

For the beasts, as if he were a fallen antelope

وَثَوى رَبيعَةُ في المَكَرِّ مُجَدَّلاً

وَثَوى رَبيعَةُ في المَكَرِّ مُجَدَّلاً

فَعَلا النَعِيُّ بِما جَدا الجَدُّ

فَعَلا النَعِيُّ بِما جَدا الجَدُّ

And Rabīʿah lay felled in the place of charging;

And Rabī'ah returned from the raid ragged

then the death-cry rose over what fortune had bestowed.

So the funeral wail rose over what the marriage procession had been

هَذا مَقامي قَد سَأَلتِ وَمَوقِفي

هَذا مَقامي قَد سَأَلتِ وَمَوقِفي

وَعَنِ المَسيرِ فَسائِلي بَعدُ

وَعَنِ المَسيرِ فَسائِلي بَعدُ

This is my stand and my position, as you have asked;

This is my stand, you asked and this is my station

and about the march, inquire later.

About the journey you can question me later

أَسَأَلتِ قَومي عَن زِيادٍ إِذ جَنى

أَسَأَلتِ قَومي عَن زِيادٍ إِذ جَنى

فيهِ السِنانُ وَإِذ جَنى عَبدُ

فيهِ السِنانُ وَإِذ جَنى عَبدُ

Did you ask my people about Ziyād, when harm was wrought

You asked my people about Ziyād when he brought down

upon him by the spearhead, and when ʿAbd wrought harm?

Upon it the spearheads, and about ‘Abd when he brought down

وَالمَرءَ زَيداً قَد تَرَكتُ يَقودُهُ

وَالمَرءَ زَيداً قَد تَرَكتُ يَقودُهُ

نَحوَ الهِضابِ وَدونَها القَصدُ

نَحوَ الهِضابِ وَدونَها القَصدُ

And the man Zayd—I left him being driven

And about a man, Zayd, whom I left leading

toward the hills—short of them—by broken spear-shafts.

To the plateau, while behind it was our goal