إِلَيكَ اِبنَ سَيّارٍ فَتى الجودِ واعَسَت

إِلَيكَ اِبنَ سَيّارٍ فَتى الجودِ واعَسَت

بِنا البيدَ أَعضادُ المَهاري الشَعاشِعِ

بِنا البيدَ أَعضادُ المَهاري الشَعاشِعِ

Toward you, Ibn Sayyar, youth of bounty, they have journeyed—

To you, son of Sayyar, youth of generosity and splendor

the forelegs of tall, slender Mahri camels, bearing us across the deserts.

In afflicting (our enemies) with spears are the strong pillars of valor shining

كَمِ اِجتَبنَ مِن لَيلٍ يَطَأنَ خُدودَهُ

كَمِ اِجتَبنَ مِن لَيلٍ يَطَأنَ خُدودَهُ

إِلَيكَ وَنَشرٍ بِالضُحى مُتَخاشِعِ

إِلَيكَ وَنَشرٍ بِالضُحى مُتَخاشِعِ

How many a night they crossed, treading its cheeks,

How many a night whose cheeks the darkness kissed

toward you, and many a ridge bowed low in the forenoon!

Seeking you at dawn submissively supplicating

إِذا اِنقادَ بِالمَوماةِ سامَينَ خَطمَهُ

إِذا اِنقادَ بِالمَوماةِ سامَينَ خَطمَهُ

بِمائِرَةِ الآباطِ خوصِ المَدامِعِ

بِمائِرَةِ الآباطِ خوصِ المَدامِعِ

When it stretched across the wilderness, they overtopped its snout,

When his obstinate mouth is led by the bridle

with swaying armpits and deep-set eyes.

With the fountains of tears from sorrowful eyes streaming

فَلَمّا شَكَت عَضَّ الرِحالِ ظُهورُها

فَلَمّا شَكَت عَضَّ الرِحالِ ظُهورُها

إِلى خِندِفِيِّ الجودِ لِلضَيمِ دافِعِ

إِلى خِندِفِيِّ الجودِ لِلضَيمِ دافِعِ

So when their backs complained of the saddles' bite

Then when the backs of the mounts complained

to a generous man of Khindif who wards off oppression,

Of the saddlebags, to Kindafi resorting, for wrongs redressing

أَنَخنا بِها صُهبَ المَهاري فَجُرِّدَت

أَنَخنا بِها صُهبَ المَهاري فَجُرِّدَت

مِنَ المَيسِ تَجريدَ السُيوفِ القَواطِعِ

مِنَ المَيسِ تَجريدَ السُيوفِ القَواطِعِ

we made the tawny Mahri camels kneel there, and they were stripped

With them we attacked the valiant foes till they were stripped

of hackberry-wood saddles, like keen-edged swords unsheathed.

Of armor, like bared swords penetrating

وَأَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ تَحمي ذِمارَ عَشيرَةٍ

وَأَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ تَحمي ذِمارَ عَشيرَةٍ

كِرامٍ بِجَزلٍ مِن عَطائِكَ نافِعِ

كِرامٍ بِجَزلٍ مِن عَطائِكَ نافِعِ

And you are a man who guards the honor of a clan

While you, man, protect the honor of a noble clan

of noble men, with an ample, helpful share of your bounty.

With your abundant gifts benefiting the generous

جَسيمُ مَحَلِّ البَيتِ ضَمَّنَكَ القِرى

جَسيمُ مَحَلِّ البَيتِ ضَمَّنَكَ القِرى

أَبوكَ وَأَحداثُ الأُمورَ الجَوامِعِ

أَبوكَ وَأَحداثُ الأُمورَ الجَوامِعِ

Great is your house's standing; hospitality was entrusted to you

Great landmark of the house including you, the homes

by your father and the upheavals of all-embracing affairs.

Your father and events of all-uniting significance

لِبَيتِكَ مِن أَفناءِ خِندِفَ كُلِّها

لِبَيتِكَ مِن أَفناءِ خِندِفَ كُلِّها

عَرانينُ لَيسَت بَالوَشيطِ التَوابِعِ

عَرانينُ لَيسَت بَالوَشيطِ التَوابِعِ

Your house has, from all the branches of Khindif,

For your house, from all the plains of Kindaf

chieftains, not a motley rabble of followers,

Chiefs not mere followers of protectorates convening

وَكُلُّ جَسورٍ بِالمِئينَ وَمُطعِمٍ

وَكُلُّ جَسورٍ بِالمِئينَ وَمُطعِمٍ

إِذا اِغبَرَّ آفاقُ الرِياحِ الزَعازِعِ

إِذا اِغبَرَّ آفاقُ الرِياحِ الزَعازِعِ

and every bold giver of hundreds and provider of food,

And every bridge thronged with hundreds, every guest-house

when the horizons of raging winds grow dust-gray.

When horizons are obscured by gusts disrupting

فَكَم لَكَ يا نَصرَ بنَ سَيّارَ مِن أَبٍ

فَكَم لَكَ يا نَصرَ بنَ سَيّارَ مِن أَبٍ

أَغَرَّ إِذا اِلتَفَّت نَواصي المَجامِعِ

أَغَرَّ إِذا اِلتَفَّت نَواصي المَجامِعِ

So how many a forefather you have, O Nasr ibn Sayyar,

So how many a father, Nasr son of Sayyar, you have

radiant-browed when the forelocks of assemblies entwine!

Who frightens when he turns his protected head veiling

كُهولٌ وَشُبّانٌ مَساعيرُ في الوَغى

كُهولٌ وَشُبّانٌ مَساعيرُ في الوَغى

لَهُم بِالقَنا أَيدٍ طِوالُ الأَشاجِعِ

لَهُم بِالقَنا أَيدٍ طِوالُ الأَشاجِعِ

Mature men and youths, firebrands in battle,

Seniors and youths, hastening to the fray

theirs are spear-bearing hands with long finger-joints.

With spears, long-reaching hands retrieving

إِذا جَرَّدوا أَسيافَهُم لِكَتيبَةٍ

إِذا جَرَّدوا أَسيافَهُم لِكَتيبَةٍ

لَمَعنَ وَميضَ العارِضِ المُتَدافِعِ

لَمَعنَ وَميضَ العارِضِ المُتَدافِعِ

When they unsheathed their swords against a battalion,

When they bare their swords against a troop

they flashed like the lightning of a surging cloudbank.

Flashing and gleaming like lightning radiating

وَأَنتَ اِبنُ أَشياخٍ إِذا نَضَبَ الثَرى

وَأَنتَ اِبنُ أَشياخٍ إِذا نَضَبَ الثَرى

مِنَ المَحلِ كانوا كَاللُيوثِ الرَوابِعِ

مِنَ المَحلِ كانوا كَاللُيوثِ الرَوابِعِ

And you are the son of elders who, when the earth's moisture ebbed

While you, son of revered elders, when the earth

through drought, were like lions settled in their lairs.

Was depleted, were like lions undaunted roaring

هُمُ الضامِنونَ المالَ لِلجارِ وَالقِرى

هُمُ الضامِنونَ المالَ لِلجارِ وَالقِرى

مِنَ الأَرضِ إِذ خيفَت جُدوبُ المَواقِعِ

مِنَ الأَرضِ إِذ خيفَت جُدوبُ المَواقِعِ

They were guarantors of wealth for the neighbor and of hospitality

They who guaranteed wealth for neighbor and homeland

from the land, when the barrenness of its tracts was feared.

When the pits of death were dreaded yawning