خليلٌ لم أَهَبهُ من قِلاهُ

خليلٌ لم أَهَبهُ من قِلاهُ

ولكنَّ المواهبَ للكرامِ

ولكنَّ المواهبَ للكرامِ

A companion I did not give away out of dislike for it,

A friend to whom I gave no gifts

but gifts are for the noble.

Yet gifts are for the noble ones

خَليلٌ لم أَخُنهُ ولم يَخُنّي

خَليلٌ لم أَخُنهُ ولم يَخُنّي

كذلك ما خِلالي أَو نِدامي

كذلك ما خِلالي أَو نِدامي

A companion I never betrayed, nor did it betray me;

A friend who never betrayed me, nor I him

so it is with my friends or drinking companions.

That's how we are, without regrets or blame

حَبَوتُ به كريماً من قريشٍ

حَبَوتُ به كريماً من قريشٍ

فَسُرَّ به وَصِينَ عن اللئامِ

فَسُرَّ به وَصِينَ عن اللئامِ

I bestowed it upon a nobleman of Quraysh,

I held him dear, a noble of Quraysh

so he rejoiced in it, and it was kept from the ignoble.

So he rejoiced, shunning the vile ones

وكنتُ إذا نهضتُ به لقومٍ

وكنتُ إذا نهضتُ به لقومٍ

تَجَاوَبَ صوتُ نَوحٍ بالتدامِ

تَجَاوَبَ صوتُ نَوحٍ بالتدامِ

And whenever I rose with it against a people,

When with him I approached a tribe

the sound of lamentation echoed with the beating of cheeks,

His voice joined the wailers' in grief

بِعُفروسٍ تُبادِرُهُ يَدَاهُ

بِعُفروسٍ تُبادِرُهُ يَدَاهُ

وَصَمصامٍ يُصَمِّمُ في العِظامِ

وَصَمصامٍ يُصَمِّمُ في العِظامِ

with a lionlike warrior whose two hands race ahead of him,

With a swift horse that met his hands

and a keen-cutting sword that cleaves through bones,

And a sword that cut deep in the bones

وَمُهر كَريمةٍ في صَفحَتَيهِ

وَمُهر كَريمةٍ في صَفحَتَيهِ

نَوَافذُ بالأَسنَّةِ وَالسِّهامِ

نَوَافذُ بالأَسنَّةِ وَالسِّهامِ

and a noble mare's colt, in whose two flanks

And the generous gift of a noble mare

are piercing wounds from spearheads and arrows,

Her saddle adorned with arrows and spears

وَوَقعُ المشرَفيّ بِحاجِبَيهِ

وَوَقعُ المشرَفيّ بِحاجِبَيهِ

وَجَبهَتِهِ وما تحتَ الحِزامِ

وَجَبهَتِهِ وما تحتَ الحِزامِ

and the Mashrafi blade's blows upon its two brows,

And the posture of one sitting tall in the saddle

and its forehead, and what lies beneath the girth.

His brow, his waist, all under his belt

أُقَدّمُهُ وَيَحميهِ عَبوسٌ

أُقَدّمُهُ وَيَحميهِ عَبوسٌ

على أَكتادِهِ كُرهُ اللِّمامِ

على أَكتادِهِ كُرهُ اللِّمامِ

I urge it forward, and a grim-faced warrior protects it,

I sent him forth, guarded by a frown

upon its withers, dreaded in his approach.

On his shoulders, hating the vile ones

هنالكَ لو لَقِيتَ قِرناً

هنالكَ لو لَقِيتَ قِرناً

وبُهمَةَ مَعشرٍ غَيرَ الكَهَامِ

وبُهمَةَ مَعشرٍ غَيرَ الكَهَامِ

There, had you met an equal opponent,

There you'd have seen many a foe

and a host's mighty champion, no weakling,

And the onslaught of hosts, not weaklings

لقد أَحمَيتَ ذاتَ الرَّوض حتى

لقد أَحمَيتَ ذاتَ الرَّوض حتى

تَرَبَّعَها أَدَاحِيُّ النَّعامِ

تَرَبَّعَها أَدَاحِيُّ النَّعامِ

you would surely have made Dhat al-Rawd inviolate, until

Truly you protected the fragrant abode

ostrich nests made it their spring abode.

Until it was ruled by the long-necked ostrich

يُسَيِّرُ بينَ خَطمِ اللَّوذِ عمرو

يُسَيِّرُ بينَ خَطمِ اللَّوذِ عمرو

فَلَوذِ القارَتَينِ إِلى بَرَامِ

فَلَوذِ القارَتَينِ إِلى بَرَامِ

Amr drives onward between the spur of al-Lawdh,

Amr leads the mares of Luza

and the flank of al-Qaratayn, onward to Baram,

To the sacred enclave, to Baram

فَصَفحِ حَبونَنٍ فَخَليفِ صُبحٍ

فَصَفحِ حَبونَنٍ فَخَليفِ صُبحٍ

فَنَحلَ إِلى رَنينَ إِلى بَشَامِ

فَنَحلَ إِلى رَنينَ إِلى بَشَامِ

then the slope of Habunan, then the pass of Subh,

So dawn's first light, pardon and forgive

then Nahl, to Ranin, to Basham.

And bestow your melodies and delight