بِفي الشامِتينَ الصَخرُ إِن كانَ مَسَّني

بِفي الشامِتينَ الصَخرُ إِن كانَ مَسَّني

رَزِيَّةُ شِبلي مُخدِرٍ في الضَراغِمِ

رَزِيَّةُ شِبلي مُخدِرٍ في الضَراغِمِ

May rock fill the mouths of those who gloat, if I have been struck

In the slanderers' glee should the boulder strike me,

by the loss of two cubs of a lair-dwelling lion among the mighty lions,

Though Shibl's whelp drugged me with languor in the burrows,

هِزَبرٍ إِذا أَشبالَهُ سِرنَ حَولَهُ

هِزَبرٍ إِذا أَشبالَهُ سِرنَ حَولَهُ

تَشَظَّت سِباعُ الأَرضِ مِن ذي النَحائِمِ

تَشَظَّت سِباعُ الأَرضِ مِن ذي النَحائِمِ

a mighty lion—when his cubs walk around him,

A lion, when his cubs prowl around him,

the earth's beasts of prey scatter before that roaring lion.

The beasts of earth are terrified by the formidable one.

أَرى كُلَّ حَيٍّ لا يَزالُ طَليعَةً

أَرى كُلَّ حَيٍّ لا يَزالُ طَليعَةً

عَلَيهِ المَنايا مِن فُروجِ المَخارِمِ

عَلَيهِ المَنايا مِن فُروجِ المَخارِمِ

I see every living soul forever watched

I see that every living being always remains

by death from the gaps in mountain passes.

With death overtaking it from the wombs of battles.

وَما أَحَدٌ كانَ المَنايا وَراءَهُ

وَما أَحَدٌ كانَ المَنايا وَراءَهُ

وَلَو عاشَ أَيّاماً طِوالاً بِسالِمِ

وَلَو عاشَ أَيّاماً طِوالاً بِسالِمِ

And no one with death at his heels,

And no one had death behind him,

even if he lives for many long days, is safe.

Even if he lived for very long days in peace.

فَلَستُ وَلَو شَقَّت حَيازيمَ نَفسِها

فَلَستُ وَلَو شَقَّت حَيازيمَ نَفسِها

مِنَ الوَجدِ بَعدَ اِبنَي نَوارَ بِلائِمِ

مِنَ الوَجدِ بَعدَ اِبنَي نَوارَ بِلائِمِ

So I would not—even if she tore open her own breast

So I am not, even if my soul rent itself

in grief after Nawar's two sons—blame her

With ardour after my two sons, Nawar the blameless,

عَلى حَزَنٍ بَعدَ اللَذَينِ تَتابَعا

عَلى حَزَنٍ بَعدَ اللَذَينِ تَتابَعا

لَها وَالمَنايا قاطِعاتُ التَمائِمِ

لَها وَالمَنايا قاطِعاتُ التَمائِمِ

for sorrow after the two were taken in succession

Grieving after the two who followed each other,

from her; and death severs amulets.

While death severed the talismans.

يُذَكِّرُني اِبنَيَّ السِماكانِ مَوهِناً

يُذَكِّرُني اِبنَيَّ السِماكانِ مَوهِناً

إِذا اِرتَفَعا بَينَ النُجومِ التَوائِمِ

إِذا اِرتَفَعا بَينَ النُجومِ التَوائِمِ

The two Simak stars remind me of my two sons late at night,

My two sons remind me, weakening,

when they rise among the twin stars.

When they rose between the twin stars.

فَقَد رُزِئَ الأَقوامُ قَبلِيَ بِاِبنِهِم

فَقَد رُزِئَ الأَقوامُ قَبلِيَ بِاِبنِهِم

وَإِخوانِهِم فَاِقني حَياءَ الكَرائِمِ

وَإِخوانِهِم فَاِقني حَياءَ الكَرائِمِ

For peoples before me have been bereaved of their son

So the tribes laughed at me before, with their son

and their brothers; so preserve the modesty of noble women.

And brothers, so spare me, nobility's shame.

وَمِن قَبلُ ماتَ الأَقرَعانِ وَحاجِبٌ

وَمِن قَبلُ ماتَ الأَقرَعانِ وَحاجِبٌ

وَعَمرٌ وَماتَ المَرءُ قَيسُ اِبنُ عاصِمِ

وَعَمرٌ وَماتَ المَرءُ قَيسُ اِبنُ عاصِمِ

And earlier the two Aqraʿs died, and Hajib,

Before, the two Bald Ones died, and Hajib,

and ʿAmr; and the man Qays son of ʿAsim died.

And Omar died, and the man Qais ibn Asim died.

وَماتَ أَبي وَالمُنذِرانُ كِلاهُما

وَماتَ أَبي وَالمُنذِرانُ كِلاهُما

وَعَمروُ اِبنُ كُلتومٍ شِهابُ الأَراقِمِ

وَعَمروُ اِبنُ كُلتومٍ شِهابُ الأَراقِمِ

And my father died, and the two Mundhirs, both of them,

And my father died, and the two Munazirs, both of them,

and ʿAmr son of Kulthum, the blazing meteor of the Araqim.

And Amr ibn Kolthum, the shooting star of meteors.

وَقَد ماتَ خَيراهُم فَلَم يُهلِكاهُمُ

وَقَد ماتَ خَيراهُم فَلَم يُهلِكاهُمُ

عَشِيَّةَ بانا رَهطَ كَعبٍ وَحاتِمِ

عَشِيَّةَ بانا رَهطَ كَعبٍ وَحاتِمِ

And their two best men died, yet did not destroy their people—

And their best died, yet they were not destroyed

the kin of Kaʿb and Hatim—on the evening those two departed.

One evening, the company of Ka'b and Hatim.

وَقَد ماتَ بِسطامُ اِبنُ قَيسٍ وَعامِرٌ

وَقَد ماتَ بِسطامُ اِبنُ قَيسٍ وَعامِرٌ

وَماتَ أَبو غَسّانَ شَيخُ اللَهازِمِ

وَماتَ أَبو غَسّانَ شَيخُ اللَهازِمِ

And Bistam son of Qays has died, and ʿAmir,

And Bistam ibn Qais died, and Aamir,

and Abu Ghassan died, the elder of the Lahazim.

And Abu Ghassan died, the elder of onsets.

فَما اِبناكِ إِلّا اِبنٌ مِنَ الناسِ فَاِصبِري

فَما اِبناكِ إِلّا اِبنٌ مِنَ الناسِ فَاِصبِري

فَلَن يَرجِعَ المَوتى حَنينُ المَآتِمِ

فَلَن يَرجِعَ المَوتى حَنينُ المَآتِمِ

For each of your two sons is but a son of humankind; so be patient,

So your two sons are but two of mankind, so be patient,

for the wailing of mourning gatherings will not bring back the dead.

For the dead will not return, however the bereaved weep.