تَزَوَّدَ مِنها نَظرَةً لَم تَدَع لَهُ

تَزَوَّدَ مِنها نَظرَةً لَم تَدَع لَهُ

فُؤاداً وَلَم تَشعُر بِما قَد تَزَوَّدا

فُؤاداً وَلَم تَشعُر بِما قَد تَزَوَّدا

He took from her a glance as provision, which left him

She glanced at him, leaving no heart for him,

no heart; she did not know what he had taken.

Unaware of what she had taken away.

فَلَم أَرَ مَقتولاً وَلَم أَرَ قاتِلاً

فَلَم أَرَ مَقتولاً وَلَم أَرَ قاتِلاً

بِغَيرِ سِلاحٍ مِثلَها حينَ أَقصَدا

بِغَيرِ سِلاحٍ مِثلَها حينَ أَقصَدا

Never have I seen such a victim, nor a slayer

I've seen no slain, no killer,

unarmed like her, when she dealt a mortal blow.

With a weapon like hers when she intended.

فَإِلّا تُفادي أَو تَديهِ فَلا أَرى

فَإِلّا تُفادي أَو تَديهِ فَلا أَرى

لَها طالِباً إِلّا الحُسامَ المُهَنَّدا

لَها طالِباً إِلّا الحُسامَ المُهَنَّدا

So unless she offers ransom or pays his blood-price, I see no

Unless you evade her or she perishes,

avenger against her but the keen, Indian-forged sword.

I see no suitor of hers but the polished sword.

كَأَنَّ السُيوفَ المَشرِفِيَّةَ في البُرى

كَأَنَّ السُيوفَ المَشرِفِيَّةَ في البُرى

إِذا اللَيلُ عَن أَعناقِهِنَّ تَقَدَّدا

إِذا اللَيلُ عَن أَعناقِهِنَّ تَقَدَّدا

As though the Mashrafi swords set in nose-rings,

As if the lofty swords in the lands,

when night is torn away from their necks,

When night bares their necks, were her suitors.

حَراجيجُ بَينَ العَوهَجِيِّ وَداعِرٍ

حَراجيجُ بَينَ العَوهَجِيِّ وَداعِرٍ

تَجُرُّ حَوافيها السَريحَ المُقَدَّدا

تَجُرُّ حَوافيها السَريحَ المُقَدَّدا

were lean camels of al-ʿAwhajī and Dāʿir stock,

Palanquins between Al-Awja and Dair,

their footsore ones dragging hide-straps cut into strips,

Dragging their fringes, blown by the bracing wind.

طَوالِبَ حاجاتٍ بِرُكبانِ شُقَّةٍ

طَوالِبَ حاجاتٍ بِرُكبانِ شُقَّةٍ

يَخُضنَ خُدارِيّاً مِنَ اللَيلِ أَسوَدا

يَخُضنَ خُدارِيّاً مِنَ اللَيلِ أَسوَدا

seeking their goals with riders on a distant journey,

Seekers of needs in a painful caravan,

wading through a pitch-dark, black expanse of night.

Traversing ruggedly in the pitch-black night.

وَما تَرَكَ الأَيّامُ وَالسَنَةُ الَّتي

وَما تَرَكَ الأَيّامُ وَالسَنَةُ الَّتي

تَعَرَّقَ ناباها السَنامَ المُصَعَّدا

تَعَرَّقَ ناباها السَنامَ المُصَعَّدا

And nothing have the days and the famine year left—

Neither have the days nor the years left

whose two fangs gnawed away the towering hump—

What their headbands have climbed and erected.

لَنا وَالمَواشي بِاليَتامى يَقُدنَهُم

لَنا وَالمَواشي بِاليَتامى يَقُدنَهُم

إِلى ظِلِّ قِدرٍ حَشَّها حينَ أَوقَدا

إِلى ظِلِّ قِدرٍ حَشَّها حينَ أَوقَدا

for us; and he leads the walkers with the orphans

For us and the livestock, orphans lead them

to the shade of a cauldron he stoked when he lit the fire—

To the shade of a pot she lit when kindling.

أَخو شَتَواتٍ يَرفَعُ النارَ لِلقِرى

أَخو شَتَواتٍ يَرفَعُ النارَ لِلقِرى

إِذا كَعَمَ الكَلبَ اللَئيمُ وَأَخمَدا

إِذا كَعَمَ الكَلبَ اللَئيمُ وَأَخمَدا

a veteran of winters, who builds his fire high for guests

A brother of mischief who raises fire for the villages

when the miser muzzles his dog and quenches his flame.

When the wicked dog is silent and extinguishes it.

وَرِثتَ اِبنَ حَربٍ وَاِبنَ مَروانَ وَالَّذي

وَرِثتَ اِبنَ حَربٍ وَاِبنَ مَروانَ وَالَّذي

بِهِ نَصَرَ اللَهُ النَبِيَّ مُحَمَّدا

بِهِ نَصَرَ اللَهُ النَبِيَّ مُحَمَّدا

You inherited Ibn Harb, Ibn Marwan, and him

You inherited the son of Harb and the son of Marwan and the one

through whom God aided the Prophet Muhammad.

With whom Allah gave victory to the Prophet Muhammad.

تَرى الوَحشَ يَستَحيِينَهُ إِذ عَرَفنَهُ

تَرى الوَحشَ يَستَحيِينَهُ إِذ عَرَفنَهُ

لَهُ فَوقَ أَركانِ الجَراثيمِ سُجَّدا

لَهُ فَوقَ أَركانِ الجَراثيمِ سُجَّدا

You see the wild beasts seek rain from him when they recognize him,

The beasts shy away when they recognize you,

bowing to him atop the ridges of the mounds.

Bowing to you atop the dunes.

أَبى طيبُ كَفَّيكَ الكَثيرِ نَداهُما

أَبى طيبُ كَفَّيكَ الكَثيرِ نَداهُما

وَإعطاؤُكَ المَعروفَ أَن تَتَشَدَّدا

وَإعطاؤُكَ المَعروفَ أَن تَتَشَدَّدا

The goodness of your two hands, lavish in bounty, refuses,

The goodness of your palms refused their abundance,

along with your kindly giving, to let you be unyielding

And your bestowal of kindness to be firm.

لِحَقنِ دَمٍ أَو ثَروَةٍ مِن عَطِيَّةٍ

لِحَقنِ دَمٍ أَو ثَروَةٍ مِن عَطِيَّةٍ

تَكونُ حَيا مِن حَلِّ غَوراً وَأَنجَدا

تَكونُ حَيا مِن حَلِّ غَوراً وَأَنجَدا

in sparing blood or bestowing wealth through a gift

To spare blood or wealth from a gift

that becomes life-giving rain for whoever settles in lowlands and ascends the highlands.

That would revive a depression and bring victory.

وَلَو صاحَبَتهُ الأَنبِياءُ ذَوُو النُهى

وَلَو صاحَبَتهُ الأَنبِياءُ ذَوُو النُهى

رَأَوهُ مَعَ المُلكِ العَظيمِ المُسَوَّدا

رَأَوهُ مَعَ المُلكِ العَظيمِ المُسَوَّدا

And even if the prophets, men of wisdom, kept him company,

Had the prophets of restraint accompanied him,

they would see him, with his mighty kingship, as the acknowledged chief.

They would have found him with the Great King of Darkness.