طالَ الثَواءُ عَلى رُسومِ المَنزِلِ

طالَ الثَواءُ عَلى رُسومِ المَنزِلِ

بَينَ اللَكيكِ وَبَينَ ذاتِ الحَرمَلِ

بَينَ اللَكيكِ وَبَينَ ذاتِ الحَرمَلِ

Long has been my stay by the traces of the dwelling,

Long has the place mourned the dwellings,

between al-Lakik and Dhat al-Harmal.

Between al-Lakik and Dhat al-Harmal.

فَوَقَفتُ في عَرَصاتِها مُتَحَيِّراً

فَوَقَفتُ في عَرَصاتِها مُتَحَيِّراً

أَسلُ الدِيارَ كَفِعلِ مَن لَم يَذهَلِ

أَسلُ الدِيارَ كَفِعلِ مَن لَم يَذهَلِ

So I stood bewildered in their open courtyards,

I stood bewildered in its grounds,

questioning the dwellings like one whose mind had not wandered.

Bidding farewell to the abodes like one undaunted.

لَعِبَت بِها الأَنواءُ بَعدَ أَنيسِها

لَعِبَت بِها الأَنواءُ بَعدَ أَنيسِها

وَالرامِساتُ وَكُلُّ جَونٍٍ مُسبَلِ

وَالرامِساتُ وَكُلُّ جَونٍٍ مُسبَلِ

The seasonal rains played havoc with them after their dwellers were gone,

The winds have toyed with it after its intimacy,

and the winds that bury traces, and every dark cloud pouring rain.

And the drawing women, and every flexuous, pliant one.

أَفَمِن بُكاءِ حَمامَةٍ في أَيكَةٍ

أَفَمِن بُكاءِ حَمامَةٍ في أَيكَةٍ

ذَرَفَت دُموعَكَ فَوقَ ظَهرِ المَحمِلِ

ذَرَفَت دُموعَكَ فَوقَ ظَهرِ المَحمِلِ

Was it, then, a dove's weeping in a thicket

Does a dove weep amidst the thickets,

that made you shed your tears upon the camel-litter's back?

its tears flowing upon the camel's back?

كَالدُرِّ أَو فَضَضِ الجُمانِ تَقَطَّعَت

كَالدُرِّ أَو فَضَضِ الجُمانِ تَقَطَّعَت

مِنهُ عَقائِدُ سِلكِهِ لَم يوصَلِ

مِنهُ عَقائِدُ سِلكِهِ لَم يوصَلِ

Like pearls, or loose pearl beads, scattered

Like a pearl it scattered,

from necklaces whose string was never rejoined.

Beads from its string broke; they were not to be joined.

لَمّا سَمِعتُ دُعاءَ مُرَّةَ إِذ دَعا

لَمّا سَمِعتُ دُعاءَ مُرَّةَ إِذ دَعا

وَدُعاءَ عَبسٍ في الوَغى وَمُحَلِّلِ

وَدُعاءَ عَبسٍ في الوَغى وَمُحَلِّلِ

When I heard Murra's call as he called out,

When I heard the call of Murra as he called,

and the call of Abs in battle, and Muhallil's,

And the call of 'Abs in the fray accusing and excusing,

نادَيتُ عَبساً فَاِستَجابوا بِالقَنا

نادَيتُ عَبساً فَاِستَجابوا بِالقَنا

وَبِكُلِّ أَبيَضَ صارِمٍ لَم يَنجَلِ

وَبِكُلِّ أَبيَضَ صارِمٍ لَم يَنجَلِ

I called to Abs, and they answered with lances,

I called to 'Abs and they responded with the spear

and with every bright, keen sword not yet bared,

And with every long sharp sword that had not been sheathed.

حَتّى اِستَباحوا آلَ عَوفٍ عَنوَةً

حَتّى اِستَباحوا آلَ عَوفٍ عَنوَةً

بِالمَشرَفِيِّ وَبِالوَشيجِ الذُبَّلِ

بِالمَشرَفِيِّ وَبِالوَشيجِ الذُبَّلِ

until they overran the clan of Awf by force,

Until they violated the clan of 'Auf unjustly

with the Mashrafi sword and seasoned spear-shafts.

With al-Musharfi, and al-Washij, the frayed.

إِنّي اِمرُؤٌ مِن خَيرِ عَبسٍ مَنصِباً

إِنّي اِمرُؤٌ مِن خَيرِ عَبسٍ مَنصِباً

شَطرِي وَأَحمي سائِري بِالمُنصُلِ

شَطرِي وَأَحمي سائِري بِالمُنصُلِ

I am a man of the noblest lineage in Abs,

I am a man of the best clan of 'Abs in lineage,

in half my ancestry; the rest I defend with the blade.

My share and my protection are all accomplished with the polished sword.

إِن يُلحَقوا أَكرُر وَإِن يُستَلحَموا

إِن يُلحَقوا أَكرُر وَإِن يُستَلحَموا

أَشدُد وَإِن يُلفَوا بِضَنكٍ أَنزِلِ

أَشدُد وَإِن يُلفَوا بِضَنكٍ أَنزِلِ

If they are overtaken, I wheel back; if they are surrounded,

If they are overtaken I return, and if they engage I strengthen

I charge; and if they are found in straits, I dismount,

And if they turn aside I descend and attack.

حينَ النُزولُ يَكونُ غايَةَ مِثلِنا

حينَ النُزولُ يَكونُ غايَةَ مِثلِنا

وَيَفِرُّ كُلَّ مُضَلَّلٍ مُستَوهِلِ

وَيَفِرُّ كُلَّ مُضَلَّلٍ مُستَوهِلِ

when dismounting is the ultimate test of men like us,

When descending to attack is our principle,

and every bewildered, panic-stricken man flees.

And every misguided one turns aside denuded.

وَلَقَد أَبيتُ عَلى الطَوى وَأَظَلُّهُ

وَلَقَد أَبيتُ عَلى الطَوى وَأَظَلُّهُ

حَتّى أَنالَ بِهِ كَريمَ المَأكَلِ

حَتّى أَنالَ بِهِ كَريمَ المَأكَلِ

Indeed, I pass the night hungry and remain so by day,

I refused to leave ath-Thawa and its foliage

until I thereby obtain honorable fare.

Until I gained generous sustenance through it.

وَإِذا الكَتيبَةُ أَحجَمَت وَتَلاحَظَت

وَإِذا الكَتيبَةُ أَحجَمَت وَتَلاحَظَت

أُلفيتُ خَيراً مِن مُعَمٍّ مُخوَلِ

أُلفيتُ خَيراً مِن مُعَمٍّ مُخوَلِ

And when the troop drew back and exchanged glances,

When the battalion was hesitant and watchful,

I was found better than one with noble uncles on both sides.

I got the better of a potential flood held back.

وَالخَيلُ تَعلَمُ وَالفَوارِسُ أَنَّني

وَالخَيلُ تَعلَمُ وَالفَوارِسُ أَنَّني

فَرَّقتُ جَمعَهُمُ بِطَعنَةِ فَيصَلِ

فَرَّقتُ جَمعَهُمُ بِطَعنَةِ فَيصَلِ

The horses know, and the horsemen, that I

The horses know, and the horsemen, that I

scattered their ranks with a decisive thrust,

Scattered their multitudes with the thrusts of a penetrating sword

إِذ لا أُبادِرُ في المَضيقِ فَوارِسي

إِذ لا أُبادِرُ في المَضيقِ فَوارِسي

وَلا أُوَكِّلُ بِالرَعيلِ الأَوَّلِ

وَلا أُوَكِّلُ بِالرَعيلِ الأَوَّلِ

for I do not race ahead of my horsemen in a narrow pass,

When I do not hasten ahead of my horsemen in a narrow pass

nor leave the fighting to the foremost troop.

And I do not entrust the first line.

وَلَقَد غَدَوتُ أَمامَ رايَةِ غالِبٍ

وَلَقَد غَدَوتُ أَمامَ رايَةِ غالِبٍ

يَومَ الهَياجِ وَما غَدَوتُ بِأَعزَلِ

يَومَ الهَياجِ وَما غَدَوتُ بِأَعزَلِ

And indeed, I went forth before Ghalib's banner

I charged in front of the banner of Ghalib

on the day of battle's fury, and I did not go unarmed.

On the day of commotion, and I did not charge unarmed.

بَكَرَت تُخَوِّفني الحُتوفَ كَأَنَّني

بَكَرَت تُخَوِّفني الحُتوفَ كَأَنَّني

أَصبَحتُ عَن غَرَضِ الحُتوفِ بِمَعزِلِ

أَصبَحتُ عَن غَرَضِ الحُتوفِ بِمَعزِلِ

She came early, frightening me with death, as though I

Dawn threatened me with armies as if

had come to be beyond death's aim.

I had woken deprived of the goal of the armies.

فَأَجَبتُها إِنَّ المَنِيَّةَ مَنهَلٌ

فَأَجَبتُها إِنَّ المَنِيَّةَ مَنهَلٌ

لا بُدَّ أَن أُسقى بِكَأسِ المَنهَلِ

لا بُدَّ أَن أُسقى بِكَأسِ المَنهَلِ

So I answered her: Death is a watering place;

So I answered that death is an inevitability,

I must be given drink from that watering place's cup.

There is no way I will not be made to drink of the cup of the watering place.

فَاِقِني حَياءَكِ لا أَبا لَكِ وَاِعلَمي

فَاِقِني حَياءَكِ لا أَبا لَكِ وَاِعلَمي

أَنّي اِمرُؤٌ سَأَموتُ إِن لَم أُقتَلِ

أَنّي اِمرُؤٌ سَأَموتُ إِن لَم أُقتَلِ

So keep your modesty—may you have no father!—and know

Restrain your shyness from me, I do not consent, and know

that I am a man who will die if I am not slain.

That I am a man, I will die if I am not killed.

إِنَّ المَنِيَّةَ لَو تُمَثَّلُ مُثِّلَت

إِنَّ المَنِيَّةَ لَو تُمَثَّلُ مُثِّلَت

مِثلي إِذا نَزَلوا بِضَنكِ المَنزِلِ

مِثلي إِذا نَزَلوا بِضَنكِ المَنزِلِ

Indeed, if death were embodied, it would be shaped

If death were to take form, it would take form

like me, when they camp in straitened quarters,

Of men like me when they descend staying at an abode.

وَالخَيلُ ساهِمَةُ الوُجوهِ كَأَنَّما

وَالخَيلُ ساهِمَةُ الوُجوهِ كَأَنَّما

تُسقى فَوارِسُها نَقيعَ الحَنظَلِ

تُسقى فَوارِسُها نَقيعَ الحَنظَلِ

and the horses are drawn-faced, as though

While the horses areonymous, their faces haggard,

their riders were made to drink an infusion of colocynth.

As if their horsemen are made to drink sage syrup.

إِذا حُمِلتُ عَلى الكَريهَةِ لَم أَقُل

إِذا حُمِلتُ عَلى الكَريهَةِ لَم أَقُل

بَعدَ الكَريهَةِ لَيتَني لَم أَفعَلِ

بَعدَ الكَريهَةِ لَيتَني لَم أَفعَلِ

When I am driven into battle, I do not say

When I am prevailed upon to do what is hated

after the battle: If only I had not done it.

I do not say after the hated deed, “Would that I had not done it.”