إِذا المَرءُ لَم يَحقُن دَماً لِاِبنِ عَمِّهِ

إِذا المَرءُ لَم يَحقُن دَماً لِاِبنِ عَمِّهِ

بِمَخلولَةٍ مِن مالِهِ أَو بِمُقحَمِ

بِمَخلولَةٍ مِن مالِهِ أَو بِمُقحَمِ

If a man does not spare his paternal cousin's blood,

If a man does not defend the blood of his cousin

with a gift drawn from his wealth or a plunge into danger,

With money taken from his wealth or with inserted spear

فَلَيسَ بِذي حَقٍّ يُهابُ لِحَقِّهِ

فَلَيسَ بِذي حَقٍّ يُهابُ لِحَقِّهِ

وَلا ذي حَريمٍ تَتَّقيهِ لِمَحرَمِ

وَلا ذي حَريمٍ تَتَّقيهِ لِمَحرَمِ

then he has no rightful claim that commands awe,

Then he is not a man whose right is to be feared

nor sacred standing for whose sanctity you would spare him.

Nor one whose inviolability you would avoid violating

فَخَلِّ عَنِ الحَيّاتِ إِن نَهَدَت لَهُ

فَخَلِّ عَنِ الحَيّاتِ إِن نَهَدَت لَهُ

وَلا تَدعُوَن يَوماً بِهِ عِندَ مُعظَمِ

وَلا تَدعُوَن يَوماً بِهِ عِندَ مُعظَمِ

So leave the serpents alone if they rise against him,

So leave the serpents be if they coil for him

and never call on him in a momentous crisis.

And do not call him to your presence when you are honored

أَبى حَكَمٌ مِن مالِهِ أَن يُعينَنا

أَبى حَكَمٌ مِن مالِهِ أَن يُعينَنا

عَلى حَلِّ حَبلِ الأَبيَضِيِّ بِدِرهَمِ

عَلى حَلِّ حَبلِ الأَبيَضِيِّ بِدِرهَمِ

Hakam refused to help us out of his wealth

A judge refused to give us aid

with a dirham toward untying al-Abyadi's rope.

To free the rope of Al-Abyad with a dirham

وَقُلتُ لَهُ مَولاكَ يَدعو يَقودُهُ

وَقُلتُ لَهُ مَولاكَ يَدعو يَقودُهُ

إِلَيكَ بِحَبلٍ ثائِرٌ غَيرُ مِنعِمِ

إِلَيكَ بِحَبلٍ ثائِرٌ غَيرُ مِنعِمِ

And I told him, 'Your client calls, being led

And I said to him, your master calls you

to you on a rope by an avenger who shows no mercy.'

To him with a turbulent rope, not gentle

بَكى بَينَ ظَهرَي رَهطِهِ بَعدَما دَعا

بَكى بَينَ ظَهرَي رَهطِهِ بَعدَما دَعا

ذَوي المُخِّ مِن أَحسابَهُم وَالمُطَعَّمِ

ذَوي المُخِّ مِن أَحسابَهُم وَالمُطَعَّمِ

He wept in the midst of his clan after calling

He cried amongst his companions after calling

on men with marrow in their ancestral honor and their fare.

The collectors of taxes from their accounts and assets

فَقالَ لَهُم راخوا خِناقي وَأَطلِقوا

فَقالَ لَهُم راخوا خِناقي وَأَطلِقوا

وِثاقي فَإِنّي بَينَ قَتلٍ وَمَغرَمِ

وِثاقي فَإِنّي بَينَ قَتلٍ وَمَغرَمِ

Then he said to them, 'Loosen my noose and release

So he said to them, "Loosen my noose and release

my bonds, for I am caught between death and a blood-money payment.'

My bonds, for I am between being killed and fined"

وَمِن حَولِهِ رَهطٌ أَصابَ أَخاهُمُ

وَمِن حَولِهِ رَهطٌ أَصابَ أَخاهُمُ

بِهازِمَةٍ تَحتَ الفِراشِ المُحَطَّمِ

بِهازِمَةٍ تَحتَ الفِراشِ المُحَطَّمِ

And around him stood kinsmen whose brother he had struck

And around him were companions whose brother

with a crushing blow beneath the shattered skull-bones.

Was struck down beneath the broken bed

بَنو عِلَّةٍ مُستَبسِلونَ قَدِ اِلتَوَت

بَنو عِلَّةٍ مُستَبسِلونَ قَدِ اِلتَوَت

قُواهُم بِثَأرٍ في المَريرَةِ مُسلَمِ

قُواهُم بِثَأرٍ في المَريرَةِ مُسلَمِ

Paternal half-brothers, resolute unto death, their strands had entwined

The sons of apathy persistently dressed

around a captive claimed for vengeance, handed over in a tightly twisted cord.

Their strength with vengeance in bitterness completely

وَلَم يَدعُ حَتّى مالَهُ عِندَ طارِقٍ

وَلَم يَدعُ حَتّى مالَهُ عِندَ طارِقٍ

وَلا سائِرِ الأَبناءِ مِن مُتَلَوَّمِ

وَلا سائِرِ الأَبناءِ مِن مُتَلَوَّمِ

And he did not call out until, with Tariq,

And he did not stop until his wealth ran out with Tar iq

or any of the other sons, he had no reason left to wait.

And the rest of the stricken sons

فَقالوا اِستَغِث بِالقَبرِ أَو أَسمِعِ اِبنَهُ

فَقالوا اِستَغِث بِالقَبرِ أَو أَسمِعِ اِبنَهُ

دُعاءَكَ يَرجِع ريقُ فيكَ إِلى الفَمِ

دُعاءَكَ يَرجِع ريقُ فيكَ إِلى الفَمِ

They said, 'Seek help from the grave, or let his son hear

So they said, "Call out to the grave or make your son

your plea, and saliva will return to your mouth.'

Hear your prayer so that your saliva returns to your mouth"

فَأَقسَمَ لا يَختارُ حَيّاً بِغالِبٍ

فَأَقسَمَ لا يَختارُ حَيّاً بِغالِبٍ

وَلَو كانَ في لَحدٍ مِنَ الأَرضِ مُظلِمِ

وَلَو كانَ في لَحدٍ مِنَ الأَرضِ مُظلِمِ

Then he swore he would choose no living man over Ghalib,

But he swore he would not choose life with an overcomer

even though he lay in a dark burial niche in the earth.

Even if he were in a dark grave

دَعا بَينَ آرامِ المَقَرِّ اِبنَ غالِبٍ

دَعا بَينَ آرامِ المَقَرِّ اِبنَ غالِبٍ

وَعاذَ بِقَبرٍ تَحتَهُ خَيرُ أَعظُمِ

وَعاذَ بِقَبرٍ تَحتَهُ خَيرُ أَعظُمِ

He called on Ghalib's son among the cairns of al-Maqarr,

He called between the rows of graves the son of an overcomer

and sought refuge at a grave beneath which lay the noblest bones.

And sought refuge in a grave beneath which was the best of the greatest

فَقُلتُ لَهُ أُقريكَ عَن قَبرِ غالِبٍ

فَقُلتُ لَهُ أُقريكَ عَن قَبرِ غالِبٍ

هُنَيدَةَ إِذ كانَت شِفاءً مِنَ الدَمِ

هُنَيدَةَ إِذ كانَت شِفاءً مِنَ الدَمِ

Then I said to him, 'On behalf of Ghalib's grave, I offer you hospitality:

So I said to him, "I will acquaint you with the grave of the overcomer

a hundred camels, since they are a remedy against bloodshed.'

Huneidah when it was a cure from blood"