لا تَقتَضي الدَينَ إِلّا بِالقَنا الذُبُلِ

لا تَقتَضي الدَينَ إِلّا بِالقَنا الذُبُلِ

وَلا تُحَكِّم سِوى الأَسيافِ في القُلَلِ

وَلا تُحَكِّم سِوى الأَسيافِ في القُلَلِ

Claim what is owed you only with slender spears.

Do not seek repayment of debts except with the slender spear,

And appoint none but swords as judges over heads.

And judge none but with swords on the hills.

وَلا تُجاوِر لِئاماً ذَلَّ جارُهُمُ

وَلا تُجاوِر لِئاماً ذَلَّ جارُهُمُ

وَخَلِّهِم في عِراصِ الدارِ وَاِرتَحِلِ

وَخَلِّهِم في عِراصِ الدارِ وَاِرتَحِلِ

And do not dwell beside base men whose neighbor has been abased.

Do not dwell near base men whose neighbors they trouble,

And leave them in the courtyards of the dwelling, and depart.

But leave them in desolate abodes and depart.

وَلا تَفِرَّ إِذا ما خُضتُ مَعرَكَةً

وَلا تَفِرَّ إِذا ما خُضتُ مَعرَكَةً

فَما يَزيدُ فِرارُ المَرءِ في الأَجَلِ

فَما يَزيدُ فِرارُ المَرءِ في الأَجَلِ

And do not flee when I plunge into battle,

Do not flee when plunged into the fray -

For a man's flight adds nothing to his allotted lifespan.

For flight avails not a man his allotted span.

يا عَبلَ أَنتِ سَوادُ القَلبِ فَاِحتَكِمي

يا عَبلَ أَنتِ سَوادُ القَلبِ فَاِحتَكِمي

في مُهجَتي وَاِعدِلي يا غايَةَ الأَمَلِ

في مُهجَتي وَاِعدِلي يا غايَةَ الأَمَلِ

O Abla, you are my heart's dark core; so rule

O Ablaq, you are the darkness of my heart, so judge

Over my lifeblood, and be just, O utmost hope.

My affections, and be equitable, O culmination of hope!

وَإِن تَرَحَّلتِ عَن عَبسٍ فَلا تَقِفي

وَإِن تَرَحَّلتِ عَن عَبسٍ فَلا تَقِفي

في دارِ ذُلٍّ وَلا تُصغي إِلى العَذَلِ

في دارِ ذُلٍّ وَلا تُصغي إِلى العَذَلِ

And if you depart from Abs, do not remain

And if you travel from frowning 'Abs, then do not stop

In a dwelling of humiliation, nor heed reproach.

In a house of disgrace, nor heed the censurers.

لِأَنَّ أَرضَهُمُ مِن بَعدِ رِحلَتِنا

لِأَنَّ أَرضَهُمُ مِن بَعدِ رِحلَتِنا

تَبقى بِلا فارِسٍ يُدعى وَلا بَطَلِ

تَبقى بِلا فارِسٍ يُدعى وَلا بَطَلِ

For their land, after our departure,

For after our departure, their land

Will be left without a horseman to call upon or a hero.

Will remain without a horseman called or hero known.

سَلي فَزارَةَ عَن فِعلي وَقَد نَفَرَت

سَلي فَزارَةَ عَن فِعلي وَقَد نَفَرَت

في جَحفَلٍ حافِلٍ كَالعارِضِ الهَطِلِ

في جَحفَلٍ حافِلٍ كَالعارِضِ الهَطِلِ

Ask Fazara about my deeds, when they marched forth

Ask Fazarah about my deeds, for she broke away

In a teeming host, like a cloud pouring rain.

In a large and violent army like pouring rain.

تَهُزُّ سُمرَ القَنا حِقداً عَلَيَّ وَقَد

تَهُزُّ سُمرَ القَنا حِقداً عَلَيَّ وَقَد

رَأَت لَهيبَ حُسامي ساطِعَ الشُعَلِ

رَأَت لَهيبَ حُسامي ساطِعَ الشُعَلِ

Brandishing brown spears in hatred of me, though they had

Her dusky spears quiver with hate against me when

Seen the blaze of my sword, its flames shining bright.

She saw the flames of my swords gleaming with fire.

يُخبِركِ بَدرُ بنُ عَمروٍ أَنَّني بَطَلٌ

يُخبِركِ بَدرُ بنُ عَمروٍ أَنَّني بَطَلٌ

أَلقى الجُيوشَ بِقَلبٍ قُدَّ مِن جَبَلِ

أَلقى الجُيوشَ بِقَلبٍ قُدَّ مِن جَبَلِ

Badr son of Amr will tell you that I am a hero;

Badr bin 'Amr will tell you that I am a hero

I meet armies with a heart hewn from a mountain.

Who casts armies with a heart hewn from a mountain.

قاتَلتُ فُرسانَهُم حَتّى مَضوا فِرَقاً

قاتَلتُ فُرسانَهُم حَتّى مَضوا فِرَقاً

وَالطَعنُ في إِثرِهِم أَمضى مِنَ الأَجَلِ

وَالطَعنُ في إِثرِهِم أَمضى مِنَ الأَجَلِ

I fought their horsemen until they went off in scattered bands,

I fought their horsemen until they scattered in rout

And the spear-thrusts in their wake were more piercing than death.

And the thrusting of spears was more lethal than fate.

وَعادَ بي فَرَسي يَمشي فَتُعثِرُهُ

وَعادَ بي فَرَسي يَمشي فَتُعثِرُهُ

جَماجِمٌ نُثِرَت بِالبيضِ وَالأَسَلِ

جَماجِمٌ نُثِرَت بِالبيضِ وَالأَسَلِ

And my horse brought me back at a walk, tripped up by

And my horse returned walking, stumbling

Skulls strewn by gleaming swords and spears.

Over skulls strewn white and broken.

وَقَد أَسَرتُ سَراةَ القَومِ مُقتَدِراً

وَقَد أَسَرتُ سَراةَ القَومِ مُقتَدِراً

وَعُدتُ مِن فَرَحي كَالشارِبِ الثَمِلِ

وَعُدتُ مِن فَرَحي كَالشارِبِ الثَمِلِ

And I had captured the people's chiefs by my might,

I have captured the elite of the tribe triumphantly

And I returned in my joy like an intoxicated drinker.

And returned drunk with joy like one made mellow with wine.

يا بَينُ رَوَّعتَ قَلبي بِالفِراقِ وَما

يا بَينُ رَوَّعتَ قَلبي بِالفِراقِ وَما

أَبكي لِفُرقَةِ أَصحابٍ وَلا طَلَلِ

أَبكي لِفُرقَةِ أَصحابٍ وَلا طَلَلِ

O separation, you have terrified my heart with parting; yet I do not

O my son, you have saddened my heart with parting, though I do not

Weep for parting from companions or for a ruined campsite.

Weep for the loss of friends or dwellings.

بَل مِن فِراقِ الَّتي في جَفنِها سَقَمٌ

بَل مِن فِراقِ الَّتي في جَفنِها سَقَمٌ

قَد زادَني عِلَلاً مِنهُ عَلى عِلَلي

قَد زادَني عِلَلاً مِنهُ عَلى عِلَلي

But for parting from her whose eyelid holds a languor

Rather, from parting with her whose eyes hold sickness

That has added ailments of its own to the ailments I bear.

Which has increased my maladies beyond my illnesses.

أُمسي عَلى وَجَلٍ خَوفَ الفِراقِ كَما

أُمسي عَلى وَجَلٍ خَوفَ الفِراقِ كَما

تُمسي الأَعادِيُّ مِن سَيفي عَلى وَجَلِ

تُمسي الأَعادِيُّ مِن سَيفي عَلى وَجَلِ

I pass the evening in dread, fearing separation, just as

I spend my evenings apprehensive of parting, as

My foes pass the evening in dread of my sword.

My enemies spend theirs fearful of my sword.

مَن لي بِرَدِّ الصِبا وَاللَهوِ وَالغَزَلِ

مَن لي بِرَدِّ الصِبا وَاللَهوِ وَالغَزَلِ

هَيهاتَ ما فاتَ مِن أَيّامِكَ الأُوَلِ

هَيهاتَ ما فاتَ مِن أَيّامِكَ الأُوَلِ

Who will restore to me youth, pleasure, and courtship?

Alas! Gone are those first days of youth, playing, and love.

Far beyond reach is what has passed of your early days.

Who will restore to me the beer, flirting, and antelope?

طَوى الجَديدانِ ما قَد كُنتُ أَنشُرُهُ

طَوى الجَديدانِ ما قَد كُنتُ أَنشُرُهُ

وَأَنكَرَتني ذَواتُ الأَعيُنِ النُجُلِ

وَأَنكَرَتني ذَواتُ الأَعيُنِ النُجُلِ

Ever-renewing night and day have folded away what I once spread out,

Gray hairs have folded what I used to unfurl

And the women with wide eyes no longer recognize me.

And the big-eyed gazelles no longer recognize me.

وَما ثَنى الدَهرُ عَزمي عَن مُهاجَمَةٍ

وَما ثَنى الدَهرُ عَزمي عَن مُهاجَمَةٍ

وَخَوضِ مَعمَعَةٍ في السَهلِ وَالجَبَلِ

وَخَوضِ مَعمَعَةٍ في السَهلِ وَالجَبَلِ

Yet time has not turned my resolve away from attack

Nor has time bent my resolve from attacking

And plunging into battle's tumult, on plain and mountain.

And plunging into the fray on plain or hill,

في الخَيلِ وَالخافِقاتِ السودِ لي شُغلٌ

في الخَيلِ وَالخافِقاتِ السودِ لي شُغلٌ

لَيسَ الصَبابَةُ وَالصَهباءُ مِن شُغلي

لَيسَ الصَبابَةُ وَالصَهباءُ مِن شُغلي

Horses and fluttering black banners occupy me;

With horses and fluttering black standards - my passion

Passionate longing and tawny wine are not my concern.

Is not wantonness and riding, but warriors' arts.

لَقَد ثَناني النُهى عَنها وَأَدَّبَني

لَقَد ثَناني النُهى عَنها وَأَدَّبَني

فَلَستُ أَبكي عَلى رَسمٍ وَلا طَلَلِ

فَلَستُ أَبكي عَلى رَسمٍ وَلا طَلَلِ

Reason has indeed turned me away from it and disciplined me,

Good advice has restrained me from these and reproved me,

So I do not weep over a faded trace or a ruined campsite.

So I do not weep for a vestige or an encampment.

سَلوا جَوادِيَ عَنّي يَومَ يَحمِلُني

سَلوا جَوادِيَ عَنّي يَومَ يَحمِلُني

هَل فاتَني بَطَلٌ أَو حُلتُ عَن بَطَلِ

هَل فاتَني بَطَلٌ أَو حُلتُ عَن بَطَلِ

Ask my steed about me on the day it carries me:

Ask my steed about me the day it carries me forth -

Has any champion escaped me, or have I turned aside from a champion?

Have I lost my courage or turned from a hero?

وَكَم جُيوشٍ لَقَد فَرَّقتُها فِرَقاً

وَكَم جُيوشٍ لَقَد فَرَّقتُها فِرَقاً

وَعارِضُ الحَتفِ مِثلُ العارِضِ الهَطِلِ

وَعارِضُ الحَتفِ مِثلُ العارِضِ الهَطِلِ

And how many armies I have indeed scattered into bands,

How many armies have I scattered in disarray,

While the cloud of death was like a cloud pouring rain.

With horsemen likes raindrops pouring forth!

وَمَوكِبٍ خُضتُ أَعلاهُ وَأَسفَلَهُ

وَمَوكِبٍ خُضتُ أَعلاهُ وَأَسفَلَهُ

بِالضَربِ وَالطَعنِ بَينَ البيضِ وَالأَسَلِ

بِالضَربِ وَالطَعنِ بَينَ البيضِ وَالأَسَلِ

And many a host I plunged through, from top to bottom,

What procession have I plunged into, attacking its van

With blows and spear-thrusts, amid gleaming swords and spears.

And rear with thrust and stab amid white and dapple-gray?

ماذا أُريدُ بِقَومٍ يَهدُرونَ دَمي

ماذا أُريدُ بِقَومٍ يَهدُرونَ دَمي

أَلَستُ أَولاهُمُ بِالقَولِ وَالعَمَلِ

أَلَستُ أَولاهُمُ بِالقَولِ وَالعَمَلِ

What do I want with people who count my blood as forfeit?

Why should I care for men who shed my blood

Am I not the worthiest among them in word and deed?

When I am the first to strike them with word and deed?

لا يَشرَبُ الخَمرَ إِلّا مَن لَهُ ذِمَمٌ

لا يَشرَبُ الخَمرَ إِلّا مَن لَهُ ذِمَمٌ

وَلا يَبيتُ لَهُ جارٌ عَلى وَجَلِ

وَلا يَبيتُ لَهُ جارٌ عَلى وَجَلِ

None drinks wine but one who bears pledges of protection,

None drinks wine but he who is held in contempt,

And no neighbor of his spends the night in dread.

And none dwells without a fearful neighbor.