أَجمَعَت عَمرَةُ صُرماً فَاِبتَكِر

أَجمَعَت عَمرَةُ صُرماً فَاِبتَكِر

إِنَّما يُدهِنُ لِلقَلبِ الحَصِر

إِنَّما يُدهِنُ لِلقَلبِ الحَصِر

Amra has resolved on separation; so set out early.

'Amrah gathered together an age, so be inventive

One cajoles only the distressed heart.

For only restrictions soften the heart

لا يَكُن حُبُّكَ هَذا ظاهِراً

لا يَكُن حُبُّكَ هَذا ظاهِراً

لَيسَ هَذا مِنكَ يا عَمرَ بِسِر

لَيسَ هَذا مِنكَ يا عَمرَ بِسِر

Do not let this love of yours be plain.

Do not let this love of yours be exposed

This is no secret of yours, O Amra.

This is not for you, O 'Amr, in secret

سَأَلَت حَسّانَ مَن أَخوالُهُ

سَأَلَت حَسّانَ مَن أَخوالُهُ

إِنَّما يُسأَلُ بِالشَيءِ اغُمُر

إِنَّما يُسأَلُ بِالشَيءِ اغُمُر

She asked Hassan who his maternal uncles were.

Hasan asked, "Who are my maternal uncles?"

Only an inexperienced man is questioned about such a thing.

One is only asked about what is obscure

قُلتُ أَخوالي بَنو كَعبٍ إِذا

قُلتُ أَخوالي بَنو كَعبٍ إِذا

أَسلَمَ الأَبطالُ عَوراتِ الدُبُر

أَسلَمَ الأَبطالُ عَوراتِ الدُبُر

I said: my maternal uncles are the sons of Ka'b, when

I said, "My uncles are the Banu Ka'b if

champions leave their vulnerable backs exposed.

The heroes submit the flaws of the backsides

رُبَّ خالٍ لِيَ لَو أَبصَرتَهُ

رُبَّ خالٍ لِيَ لَو أَبصَرتَهُ

سَبِطِ المِشيَةِ في اليَومِ الخَصِر

سَبِطِ المِشيَةِ في اليَومِ الخَصِر

Many a maternal uncle of mine, were you to see him,

Many a maternal uncle I have, if you saw him

easy of gait on a cold day,

Of supple gait in the day of warfare

عِندَ هَذا البابِ إِذ ساكِنُهُ

عِندَ هَذا البابِ إِذ ساكِنُهُ

كُلُّ وَجهٍ حَسَنِ النُقبَةِ حُرّ

كُلُّ وَجهٍ حَسَنِ النُقبَةِ حُرّ

at this gate, where dwells

By this abode, while its dweller

every fair-faced, freeborn man,

Has a face brightly complexioned and free

يوقِدُ النارَ إِذا ما أُطفِئَت

يوقِدُ النارَ إِذا ما أُطفِئَت

يُعمِلُ القِدرَ بِأَثباجِ الجُزُر

يُعمِلُ القِدرَ بِأَثباجِ الجُزُر

kindles the fire whenever it is extinguished,

He kindles the fire when it goes out

keeps the pot boiling with cuts from slaughtered camels' backs.

He readies the pot with bundles of sticks

مَن يَغُرُّ الدَهرُ أَو يَأمَنُهُ

مَن يَغُرُّ الدَهرُ أَو يَأمَنُهُ

مِن قَبيلٍ بَعدَ عَمرٍ وَحُجُر

مِن قَبيلٍ بَعدَ عَمرٍ وَحُجُر

Whom can Time deceive, or who can trust it,

Who does fate deceive or feel safe from it

of any tribe, after Amr and Hujr?

After a lifetime and becoming old?

مَلَكا مِن جَبَلِ الثَلجِ إِلى

مَلَكا مِن جَبَلِ الثَلجِ إِلى

جانِبَي أَيلَةَ مِن عَبدٍ وَحُرّ

جانِبَي أَيلَةَ مِن عَبدٍ وَحُرّ

They ruled from the Mountain of Snow to

Two kings, from the snow-covered mountain to

both sides of Ayla, over slave and free.

The two sides of a doe, of 'Abd and free

ثُمَّ كانا خَيرَ مَن نالَ النَدى

ثُمَّ كانا خَيرَ مَن نالَ النَدى

سَبَقا الناسَ بِإِقساطٍ وَبِرّ

سَبَقا الناسَ بِإِقساطٍ وَبِرّ

Then they were the best of those who attained bounty;

Then they were the best two who obtained bounty

they surpassed the people in justice and benevolence.

They surpassed people in fairness and righteousness

فارِسَي خَيلٍ إِذا ما أَمسَكَت

فارِسَي خَيلٍ إِذا ما أَمسَكَت

رَبَّةُ الخِدرِ بِأَطرافِ السِتِر

رَبَّةُ الخِدرِ بِأَطرافِ السِتِر

Two riders of steeds, whenever

My two horsemen, when the sand-hill

the lady of the secluded chamber clutched the curtain's edges.

Doe seizes their steed's hem

أَتَيا فارِسَ في دارِهِمِ

أَتَيا فارِسَ في دارِهِمِ

فَتَناهَوا بَعدَ إِعصامٍ بِقُرّ

فَتَناهَوا بَعدَ إِعصامٍ بِقُرّ

They came upon Persia in its own land;

They came to the horsemen in their abode

then they halted after taking refuge at Qurr.

And after protecting them, they cudgeled them

ثُمَّ صاحا يالَ غَسّانَ اِصبِروا

ثُمَّ صاحا يالَ غَسّانَ اِصبِروا

إِنَّهُ يَومُ مَصاليتَ صُبُر

إِنَّهُ يَومُ مَصاليتَ صُبُر

Then they both cried: O Ghassan, stand firm!

Then they cried, "O Ghassan, be patient

It is a day for bold, steadfast warriors.

It is a day of my ordeal, so be patient"

اِجعَلوا مَعقِلَها أَيمانَكُم

اِجعَلوا مَعقِلَها أَيمانَكُم

بِالصَفيحِ المُصطَفى غَيرِ الفُطُر

بِالصَفيحِ المُصطَفى غَيرِ الفُطُر

Make your right hands its stronghold,

Make the Protected One your oath

with chosen broad blades, free of cracks,

With pure striking, not vile

بِضِرابٍ تَأذَنُ الجِنُّ لَهُ

بِضِرابٍ تَأذَنُ الجِنُّ لَهُ

وَطِعانٍ مِثلِ أَفواهِ الفُقُر

وَطِعانٍ مِثلِ أَفواهِ الفُقُر

with blows to which the jinn listen,

With blows the jinn give permission to it

and spear-thrusts like the mouths of pits.

And stabbing like the mouths of hawks

وَلَقَد يَعلَمُ مَن حارَبَنا

وَلَقَد يَعلَمُ مَن حارَبَنا

أَنَّنا نَنفَعُ قِدماً وَنَضُرّ

أَنَّنا نَنفَعُ قِدماً وَنَضُرّ

And whoever has fought us surely knows

And indeed those who fought us know

that we have long brought benefit and harm.

That we benefit a leg and make it flourish

صُبُرٌ لِلمَوتِ إِن حَلَّ بِنا

صُبُرٌ لِلمَوتِ إِن حَلَّ بِنا

صادِقو البَأسِ غَطاريفُ فُخُر

صادِقو البَأسِ غَطاريفُ فُخُر

Steadfast before death, if it comes upon us,

Patience for death if it befalls us

true in valor, proud noble chiefs.

Truthful in might, cavaliers of pride

وَأَقامَ العِزُّ فينا وَالغِنى

وَأَقامَ العِزُّ فينا وَالغِنى

فَلَنا مِنهُ عَلى الناسِ الكُبُر

فَلَنا مِنهُ عَلى الناسِ الكُبُر

And honor and wealth have made their home among us;

And glory and wealth remained with us

so through it we have preeminence over others.

So for us over people is grandeur

مِنهُمُ أَصلي فَمَن يَفخَر بِهِ

مِنهُمُ أَصلي فَمَن يَفخَر بِهِ

يَعرِفِ الناسُ لِفَخرِ المُفتَخِر

يَعرِفِ الناسُ لِفَخرِ المُفتَخِر

My lineage is from them; whoever boasts of it

Among them is my lineage, so who prides himself in it?

has his boast acknowledged by the people.

People recognize the pride of the proud

نَحنُ أَهلُ العِزِّ وَالمَجدِ مَعاً

نَحنُ أَهلُ العِزِّ وَالمَجدِ مَعاً

غَيرُ أَنكاسٍ وَلا ميلٍ عُسُر

غَيرُ أَنكاسٍ وَلا ميلٍ عُسُر

We are people of both honor and glory,

We are the people of glory and honor together

not base men, nor wavering, clumsy ones.

Without decline or difficult deviation

فَسَلوا عَنّا وَعَن أَفعالِنا

فَسَلوا عَنّا وَعَن أَفعالِنا

كُلَّ قَومٍ عِندَهُم عِلمُ الخَبَر

كُلَّ قَومٍ عِندَهُم عِلمُ الخَبَر

So ask about us and our deeds

So ask about us and our deeds

all peoples who know the account.

Every people with knowledge of news'