غَنِمنا فُقَيماً إِذ فُقَيمٌ غَنيمَةٌ

غَنِمنا فُقَيماً إِذ فُقَيمٌ غَنيمَةٌ

أَلا كُلُّ مَن عادى الفُقَيمِيَّ غانِمُه

أَلا كُلُّ مَن عادى الفُقَيمِيَّ غانِمُه

We took Fuqaym as booty, for Fuqaym is booty.

We gained booty when the booty of Fuqaim was plentiful,

Behold, whoever opposes a Fuqaymi takes him as spoil.

Indeed, every one who opposed Fuqaim, gained spoils from him,

فَجِئنا بِهِ مِن أَرضِ بَكرِ اِبنِ وائِلٍ

فَجِئنا بِهِ مِن أَرضِ بَكرِ اِبنِ وائِلٍ

نَسوقُ قَصيرَ الأَنفِ حُرداً قَوادِمُه

نَسوقُ قَصيرَ الأَنفِ حُرداً قَوادِمُه

So we brought him from the land of Bakr ibn Wa'il,

So we came to him from the land of Bakr ibn Wa’il,

driving a short-nosed fellow whose forelimbs were crippled.

Driving the short-nosed camels with slender legs,

أَنا الشاعِرُ الحامي حَقيقَةَ قَومِهِ

أَنا الشاعِرُ الحامي حَقيقَةَ قَومِهِ

وَمِثلي كَفى الشَرَّ الَّذي هُوَ جارِمُه

وَمِثلي كَفى الشَرَّ الَّذي هُوَ جارِمُه

I am the poet who guards his people's honor,

I am the poet who defends the rights of his people,

and one like me has warded off the evil he himself causes.

And the likes of me suffice to avert the wrongs that oppress them,

وَكُنتُ إِذا عادَيتُ قَوماً حَمَلتُهُم

وَكُنتُ إِذا عادَيتُ قَوماً حَمَلتُهُم

عَلى الجَمرِ حَتّى يَحسِمَ الداءَ حاسِمُه

عَلى الجَمرِ حَتّى يَحسِمَ الداءَ حاسِمُه

And whenever I made a people my enemies, I drove them

Whenever I opposed a people, I carried them,

onto burning coals, until the disease was eradicated by its cauterizer.

Upon the embers until the disease was decisively cured by the decisive one.

وَجَيشٌ رَبَعناهُ كَأَنَّ زُهاءَهُ

وَجَيشٌ رَبَعناهُ كَأَنَّ زُهاءَهُ

شَماريخُ طَودٍ مُشمَخِرٌّ مَخارِمُه

شَماريخُ طَودٍ مُشمَخِرٌّ مَخارِمُه

And an army from whose spoils we took a quarter—its mass seemed like

With an army that we assembled, looking like erect sand dunes,

the pinnacles of a mountain whose passes tower high,

Whose weapons deafen the hearing and whose zeal bewilders the minds,

كَثيرِ الحَصى جَمِّ الوَغى بالِغِ العِدى

كَثيرِ الحَصى جَمِّ الوَغى بالِغِ العِدى

يُصَمُّ السَميعَ رَزُّهُ وَهَماهِمُه

يُصَمُّ السَميعَ رَزُّهُ وَهَماهِمُه

numerous as pebbles, full of battle-clamor, reaching the foe;

Of abundant stones and intense, far-reaching clamor,

its rumble and murmuring deafen the keen-eared.

With tall, lofty standards under which birds take shade,

لُهامٍ تَظَلُّ الطَيرُ تَأخُذُ وَسطَهُ

لُهامٍ تَظَلُّ الطَيرُ تَأخُذُ وَسطَهُ

تُقادُ إِلى أَرضِ العَدُوِّ سَواهِمُه

تُقادُ إِلى أَرضِ العَدُوِّ سَواهِمُه

A vast host, through whose midst birds pass all day,

Led towards the land of the enemy with their arrows,

its lean steeds are led into the enemy's land.

Filled with them as if their horses were created knotted with plaits by foreigners,

مَطَونا بِهِ حَتّى كَأَنَّ جِيادَهُ

مَطَونا بِهِ حَتّى كَأَنَّ جِيادَهُ

نَوىً خَلَّقَتهُ بِالضُروسِ عَواجِمُه

نَوىً خَلَّقَتهُ بِالضُروسِ عَواجِمُه

We pressed on with it until its steeds seemed like

Its diverse tribes which he unites between them

date stones worn smooth by their chewers' molars.

With whatever command is assigned to us, its dividends,

قَبائِلُهُ شَتّى وَيَجمَعُ بَينَها

قَبائِلُهُ شَتّى وَيَجمَعُ بَينَها

مِنَ الأَمرِ ما تُلقى إِلَينا خَزائِمُه

مِنَ الأَمرِ ما تُلقى إِلَينا خَزائِمُه

Its tribes are diverse, and they are united

When it marches from an abode, its drinking-places are eased for it,

by the authority whose nose-rings are handed to us.

The summits of which are deaf heights and scattered watering-places,

إِذا ما غَدا مِن مَنزِلٍ سَهَّلَت لَهُ

إِذا ما غَدا مِن مَنزِلٍ سَهَّلَت لَهُ

سَنابِكُهُ صُمَّ الصُوى وَمَناسِمُه

سَنابِكُهُ صُمَّ الصُوى وَمَناسِمُه

Whenever it sets out in the morning from a camp, the way is smoothed for it:

When it reaches abundant, fresh water, its vanguards drink their fill,

its hooves and camel-pads level the solid stone cairns.

Until its camels are surfeited,

إِذا وَرَدَ الماءَ الرَواءَ تَظامَأَت

إِذا وَرَدَ الماءَ الرَواءَ تَظامَأَت

أَوائِلُهُ حَتّى يُماحَ عَيالِمُه

أَوائِلُهُ حَتّى يُماحَ عَيالِمُه

When it reaches plentiful water, they choose to stay thirsty—

We attacked Bakr thereby at dawn, so their captives at morning,

its foremost ranks—until its deep wells are bailed.

Were distributed with shares among us as spoils,

دَهَمنا بِهِم بَكراً فَأَصبَحَ سَبيُهُم

دَهَمنا بِهِم بَكراً فَأَصبَحَ سَبيُهُم

تُقَسَّمُ بِالأَنهابِ فينا مَغانِمُه

تُقَسَّمُ بِالأَنهابِ فينا مَغانِمُه

We fell upon Bakr with them, and their captives became

With it we raided the land of the enemy, and our gallant horsemen,

spoils divided among us along with the plunder.

Got its booty and shared it out,

غَزَونا بِهِ أَرضَ العَدُوِّ وَمَوَّلَت

غَزَونا بِهِ أَرضَ العَدُوِّ وَمَوَّلَت

صَعاليكَنا أَنفالُهُ وَمَقاسِمُه

صَعاليكَنا أَنفالُهُ وَمَقاسِمُه

We raided the enemy's land with it, and wealth was brought

And in the presence of Allah’s Messenger, when he clenched his fist,

to our poor by its spoils and allotted shares.

And filled it with the elite captives of Tamim,

وَعِندَ رَسولِ اللَهِ إِذ شَدَّ قَبضَهُ

وَعِندَ رَسولِ اللَهِ إِذ شَدَّ قَبضَهُ

وَمُلِّئَ مِن أَسرى تَميمٍ أَداهِمُه

وَمُلِّئَ مِن أَسرى تَميمٍ أَداهِمُه

And before God's Messenger, when he tightened his grip,

We then released the elite Tamimi captives after,

and his black fetters were filled with captives of Tamim,

They tossed and turned and their complaints against them intensified,

فَرَجنا عَنِ الأَسرى الأَداهِمَ بَعدَما

فَرَجنا عَنِ الأَسرى الأَداهِمَ بَعدَما

تَخَمَّطَ وَاِشتَدَّت عَلَيهِم شَكايِمُه

تَخَمَّطَ وَاِشتَدَّت عَلَيهِم شَكايِمُه

we removed the black fetters from the captives, after

Those were our efforts long ago and our striving,

he had grown fierce and his bridle-bits had pressed hard upon them.

Was generous, and the best striving ever is that of the generous,

فَتِلكَ مَساعينا قَديماً وَسَعيُنا

فَتِلكَ مَساعينا قَديماً وَسَعيُنا

كَريمٌ وَخَيرُ السَعيِ قِدماً أَكارِمُه

كَريمٌ وَخَيرُ السَعيِ قِدماً أَكارِمُه

So those were our deeds of old, and our striving

Efforts that no Fuqaimite comprehended their virtue,

is noble; of old, the best deeds were the noblest.

Nor did Nahshal, whose rocks and sleeping-places,

مَساعِيَ لَم يُدرِك فُقَيمٌ خِيارَها

مَساعِيَ لَم يُدرِك فُقَيمٌ خِيارَها

وَلا نَهشَلٌ أَحجارُهُ وَنَوايِمُه

وَلا نَهشَلٌ أَحجارُهُ وَنَوايِمُه

Deeds whose finest Fuqaym has not attained,

nor Nahshal—its wise men and its sleepers.