أَلا زَعَمَت عِرسي سُوَيدَةُ أَنَّها

أَلا زَعَمَت عِرسي سُوَيدَةُ أَنَّها

سَريعٌ عَلَيها حِفظَتي لِلمُعاتِبِ

سَريعٌ عَلَيها حِفظَتي لِلمُعاتِبِ

Lo, my wife Suwayda claims that she

Alas! My sweetheart claimed that my memory of reproaches was quick for her

soon incurs my wrath when she reproaches me.

And she wished, O black beauty, that she were in your place while people were suffering tribulations

وَمُكثِرَةٍ يا سَودَ وَدَّت لَوَ أَنَّها

وَمُكثِرَةٍ يا سَودَ وَدَّت لَوَ أَنَّها

مَكانَكِ وَالأَقوامُ عِندَ الضَرايِبِ

مَكانَكِ وَالأَقوامُ عِندَ الضَرايِبِ

And many a wealthy woman, O Sawd, has wished she

If my sweetheart asked about me, she would be told

were in your place when the clans face sword-blows.

When the tribe's food was scarce, the camels unfed

وَلَو سَأَلَت عَنّي سُوَيدَةُ أُنبِئَت

وَلَو سَأَلَت عَنّي سُوَيدَةُ أُنبِئَت

إِذا كانَ زادُ القَومِ عَقرَ الرَكايِبِ

إِذا كانَ زادُ القَومِ عَقرَ الرَكايِبِ

Had Suwayda asked about me, she would have been told,

By my striking with my sword every fattened camel

when the people's food was the hamstringing of riding camels,

And unloading my belongings walking without riding

بِضَربي بِسَيفي ساقَ كُلُّ سَمينَةٍ

بِضَربي بِسَيفي ساقَ كُلُّ سَمينَةٍ

وَتَعليقِ رَحلي ماشِياً غَيرَ راكِبِ

وَتَعليقِ رَحلي ماشِياً غَيرَ راكِبِ

of my striking with my sword the leg of every fat she-camel,

Were it not for those I love making it clear to her

and slinging my saddle, walking rather than riding.

She would have denied my stubbornness and distance

وَلَولا أُبَينوها الَّذينَ أُحِبُّهُم

وَلَولا أُبَينوها الَّذينَ أُحِبُّهُم

لَقَد أَنكَرَت مِنّي عُنودَ الجَنائِبِ

لَقَد أَنكَرَت مِنّي عُنودَ الجَنائِبِ

Were it not for her little sons, whom I love,

But they are the delight of my heart and mercy

she would have resented my waywardness, like that of led camels.

That the Lord of destinies has granted from Him

وَلَكِنَّهُم رَيحانُ قَلبي وَرَحمَةً

وَلَكِنَّهُم رَيحانُ قَلبي وَرَحمَةً

مِنَ اللَهِ أَعطاها مَليكُ العَواقِبِ

مِنَ اللَهِ أَعطاها مَليكُ العَواقِبِ

But they are the sweet basil of my heart, and a mercy

They lead me if death lets me live

from God, bestowed by the Sovereign of outcomes.

And forbid me from every rash transgressor

يَقودونَ بي إِن أَعمَرَتني مَنِيَّةٌ

يَقودونَ بي إِن أَعمَرَتني مَنِيَّةٌ

وَيَنهونَ عَنّي كُلَّ أَهوَجَ شاغِبِ

وَيَنهونَ عَنّي كُلَّ أَهوَجَ شاغِبِ

They will avenge me if death claims me,

After God's command they tightened her ropes

and ward off from me every reckless troublemaker.

And pegs among us with smooth white wood

هُمُ بَعدَ أَمرِ اللَهِ شَدّوا حِبالَها

هُمُ بَعدَ أَمرِ اللَهِ شَدّوا حِبالَها

وَأَوتادَها فينا بِأَبيَضَ ثاقِبِ

وَأَوتادَها فينا بِأَبيَضَ ثاقِبِ

They, after God's decree, secured her ropes

We have camels, their foreignness does not deny the rope

and her tent-pegs among us with a white, piercing blade.

Nor the oft-told tales reject the rhythm of poetry

لَنا إِبِلٌ لا تُنكِرُ الحَبلَ عَجمُها

لَنا إِبِلٌ لا تُنكِرُ الحَبلَ عَجمُها

وَلا يُنكِرُ المَأثورُ ضَربَ العَراقِبِ

وَلا يُنكِرُ المَأثورُ ضَربَ العَراقِبِ

We have camels; their mute beasts know the rope well,

We fatten the lean hyenas and seek through them

nor is the patterned sword a stranger to striking hock-tendons.

Ascent though they are dim-sighted weaklings

وَقَد نُسمِنُ الشَولَ العِجافَ وَنَبتَغي

وَقَد نُسمِنُ الشَولَ العِجافَ وَنَبتَغي

بِها في المَعالي وَهيَ حُدبُ الغَوارِبِ

بِها في المَعالي وَهيَ حُدبُ الغَوارِبِ

And indeed we fatten the lean, dry she-camels, and seek

We came out with them from abundant meadows as though

through them lofty honors, though their withers are hunched.

When the herder barred them, rods of withies

خَرَجنا بِها مِن ذي أُراطى كَأَنَّها

خَرَجنا بِها مِن ذي أُراطى كَأَنَّها

إِذا صَدَّها الراعي عِصِيُّ المَشاجِبِ

إِذا صَدَّها الراعي عِصِيُّ المَشاجِبِ

We went out with them from Dhu Urata, as though

A drought Allah has made rainless

when the herdsman turned them aside, they were clothes-rack poles.

And expanded beyond any vast plain or mountain

جُفافٌ أَجَفَّ اللَهُ عَنهُ سَحابَهُ

جُفافٌ أَجَفَّ اللَهُ عَنهُ سَحابَهُ

وَأَوسَعَهُ مِن كُلِّ سافٍ وَحاصِبِ

وَأَوسَعَهُ مِن كُلِّ سافٍ وَحاصِبِ

Jufaf—God withheld His clouds from it,

So it was not wrong that it gave no light, and left behind

and filled it with every dust-blowing and pebble-hurling wind.

When barrenness arrived, the sword of the victor

فَما ظَلَمَت أَن لا تَنورَ وَخَلفَها

فَما ظَلَمَت أَن لا تَنورَ وَخَلفَها

إِذا الجَدبُ أَلقى رَحلَهُ سَيفُ غالِبِ

إِذا الجَدبُ أَلقى رَحلَهُ سَيفُ غالِبِ

They were not wrong to flee, for behind them—

The two mixtures in it destroyed its wantonness

when drought laid down its saddle—stood Ghalib's sword.

With sweat of exertion and slaying of victims

خَليطانِ فيها قَد أَبادا سَراتَها

خَليطانِ فيها قَد أَبادا سَراتَها

بِعَرقِ المَناقي وَاِجتِلاحِ الغَرائِبِ

بِعَرقِ المَناقي وَاِجتِلاحِ الغَرائِبِ

Two partners among them have destroyed their choicest,

Even if it were the date palms of the lowlands and the like

by stripping the marrow-rich camels and cutting down the stranger ones.

Along its edges from side to side

وَلَو أَنَّها نَخلُ السَوادِ وَمِثلُهُ

وَلَو أَنَّها نَخلُ السَوادِ وَمِثلُهُ

بِحافاتِها مِن جانِبٍ بَعدَ جانِبِ

بِحافاتِها مِن جانِبٍ بَعدَ جانِبِ

And even if they were the date palms of the Sawad, and as many again,

Even if it remained for the survivors, it would be forced

along their borders, on one side after another,

To a man among them of workmanship and gain

وَلَو أَنَّها تَبقى لِباقٍ لَأُلجِئَت

وَلَو أَنَّها تَبقى لِباقٍ لَأُلجِئَت

إِلى رَجُلٍ فيها صَنيعٍ وَكاسِبِ

إِلى رَجُلٍ فيها صَنيعٍ وَكاسِبِ

and even if they lasted for one who lives on, they would be driven

to a man skilled with them and an acquirer of them.