حَنَنتُ إِلى الأَجبالِ أَجبالِ طَيِّئٍ

حَنَنتُ إِلى الأَجبالِ أَجبالِ طَيِّئٍ

وَحَنَّت قَلوصي أَن رَأَت سَوطَ أَحمَرا

وَحَنَّت قَلوصي أَن رَأَت سَوطَ أَحمَرا

I yearned for the mountains—the mountains of Ṭayyiʾ—

I yearned for the mountains, the mountains of Tayy,

and my young she-camel yearned when she saw a red whip.

and my young she-camel moaned at the sight of a red whip.

فَقُلتُ لَها إِنَّ الطَريقَ أَمامَنا

فَقُلتُ لَها إِنَّ الطَريقَ أَمامَنا

وَإِنّا لَمُحيُو رَبعِنا إِن تَيَسَّرا

وَإِنّا لَمُحيُو رَبعِنا إِن تَيَسَّرا

I said to her, “The road lies before us,

So I told her: 'The road lies before us,

and surely we are bound for our home ground, if the way opens.”

and we shall surely revive our encampment, if we can.'

فَيا راكِبي عُليا جَديلَةَ إِنَّما

فَيا راكِبي عُليا جَديلَةَ إِنَّما

تُسامانِ ضَيماً مُستَبيناً فَتَنظُرا

تُسامانِ ضَيماً مُستَبيناً فَتَنظُرا

O you two riders in Jadīla’s highlands, know this:

So, you two riders of Jadilah's uplands, you are only

you are being made to endure manifest wrong—so take heed.

being subjected to manifest injustice; so take heed.

فَما نَكَراهُ غَيرَ أَنَّ اِبنَ مِلقَطٍ

فَما نَكَراهُ غَيرَ أَنَّ اِبنَ مِلقَطٍ

أَراهُ وَقَد أَعطى الظُلامَةَ أَوجَرا

أَراهُ وَقَد أَعطى الظُلامَةَ أَوجَرا

We find nothing hateful except that Ibn Milqaṭ—

They found nothing objectionable except that Ibn Milqat

I see he has given Awjar to al-Ghulāma.

seems to me, having yielded to injustice, more fearful.

وَإِنّي لَمُزجٍ لِلمَطِيِّ عَلى الوَجا

وَإِنّي لَمُزجٍ لِلمَطِيِّ عَلى الوَجا

وَما أَنا مِن خُلّانِكِ اِبنَةَ عَفزَرا

وَما أَنا مِن خُلّانِكِ اِبنَةَ عَفزَرا

Yet I keep urging my mount onward despite her sore hooves;

And I surely urge the riding camels onward despite their sore feet,

I am not one of your lovers, daughter of ʿAfzar.

and I am no friend of yours, daughter of Afzar.

وَما زِلتُ أَسعى بَينَ نابٍ وَدارَةٍ

وَما زِلتُ أَسعى بَينَ نابٍ وَدارَةٍ

بِلَحيانَ حَتّى خِفتُ أَن أَتَنَصَّرا

بِلَحيانَ حَتّى خِفتُ أَن أَتَنَصَّرا

I have never ceased pressing on between Nāb and Dāra,

I kept hastening between Nab and Darah,

through Liḥyān, until I feared I might become a Christian.

in Lahyan, until I feared I would turn Christian,

وَحَتّى حَسِبتُ اللَيلَ وَالصُبحَ إِذ بَدا

وَحَتّى حَسِبتُ اللَيلَ وَالصُبحَ إِذ بَدا

حِصانَينِ سَيّالَينِ جَوناً وَأَشقَرا

حِصانَينِ سَيّالَينِ جَوناً وَأَشقَرا

Until I imagined night and dawn, when dawn appeared,

and until I thought the night and the dawn, when it appeared,

as two coursing stallions, one black and one chestnut.

two swift stallions, one black and one chestnut.

لَشِعبٌ مِنَ الرَيّانِ أَملِكُ بابَهُ

لَشِعبٌ مِنَ الرَيّانِ أَملِكُ بابَهُ

أُنادي بِهِ آلَ الكَبيرِ وَجَعفَرا

أُنادي بِهِ آلَ الكَبيرِ وَجَعفَرا

Surely a pass in al-Rayyān, whose gateway is mine to command,

A ravine of al-Rayyan whose entrance I control,

where I call out to the house of al-Kabīr and Jaʿfar,

where I call to the family of al-Kabir and to Ja'far,

أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِن خَطيبٍ رَأَيتُهُ

أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِن خَطيبٍ رَأَيتُهُ

إِذا قُلتُ مَعروفاً تَبَدَّلَ مُنكَرا

إِذا قُلتُ مَعروفاً تَبَدَّلَ مُنكَرا

is dearer to me than an orator I once saw:

is dearer to me than a betrothed woman I have seen;

whenever I spoke a worthy word, it was turned into something blameworthy.

whenever I speak kindly, it turns into reproach.

تُنادي إِلى جاراتِها إِنَّ حاتِماً

تُنادي إِلى جاراتِها إِنَّ حاتِماً

أَراهُ لَعَمري بَعدَنا قَد تَغَيَّرا

أَراهُ لَعَمري بَعدَنا قَد تَغَيَّرا

She calls to her neighbor-women: “Indeed, Ḥātim—

She calls out to her neighbor women: 'Indeed, Hatim—

by my life, I see that since leaving us he has changed.”

by my life, I see that he has changed since we left.'

تَغَيَّرتُ إِنّي غَيرُ آتٍ لِريبَةٍ

تَغَيَّرتُ إِنّي غَيرُ آتٍ لِريبَةٍ

وَلا قائِلٌ يَوماً لِذي العُرفِ مُنكَرا

وَلا قائِلٌ يَوماً لِذي العُرفِ مُنكَرا

I have changed, indeed—but not for anything that warrants suspicion,

Changed, have I? I do not approach anything suspect,

nor have I ever said “no” to a man of generosity.

nor ever speak a harsh word to one who does good.

فَلا تَسأَليني وَاِسأَلي أَيُّ فارِسٍ

فَلا تَسأَليني وَاِسأَلي أَيُّ فارِسٍ

إِذا بادَرَ القَومُ الكَنيفُ المُسَتَّرا

إِذا بادَرَ القَومُ الكَنيفُ المُسَتَّرا

Do not ask me; ask instead what sort of horseman I am

So do not ask me; ask any horseman,

when the warriors race toward the screened shelter.

when the men rush to the screened shelter.

وَلا تَسأَليني وَاِسأَلي أَيُّ فارِسٍ

وَلا تَسأَليني وَاِسأَلي أَيُّ فارِسٍ

إِذا الخَيلُ جالَت في قَناً قَد تَكَسَّرا

إِذا الخَيلُ جالَت في قَناً قَد تَكَسَّرا

And do not ask me; ask what sort of horseman I am

And do not ask me; ask any horseman,

when the cavalry wheels amid lances already shattered.

when the horses wheel amid lances already shattered.

فَلا هِيَ ما تَرعى جَميعاً عِشارُه

فَلا هِيَ ما تَرعى جَميعاً عِشارُه

وَيُصبِحُ ضَيفي ساهِمَ الوَجهِ أَغبَرا

وَيُصبِحُ ضَيفي ساهِمَ الوَجهِ أَغبَرا

Never, while all his ten-month-pregnant she-camels graze together,

No—his pregnant she-camels shall not all graze together,

shall my guest wake hollow-faced and dust-covered.

while my guest wakes gaunt-faced and dust-covered.

مَتى تَرَني أَمشي بِسَيفِيَ وَسطَه

مَتى تَرَني أَمشي بِسَيفِيَ وَسطَه

تَخَفني وَتُضمِر بَينَها أَن تُجَزَّرا

تَخَفني وَتُضمِر بَينَها أَن تُجَزَّرا

Whenever you see me walking with my sword among the herd,

Whenever they see me walking with my sword in their midst,

you fear me, inwardly expecting one of them to be slaughtered.

they fear me and secretly expect to be slaughtered.

وَإِنّي لَيَغشى أَبعَدُ الحَيُّ جَفنَتي

وَإِنّي لَيَغشى أَبعَدُ الحَيُّ جَفنَتي

إِذا وَرَقُ الطَلحِ الطِوالِ تَحَسَّرا

إِذا وَرَقُ الطَلحِ الطِوالِ تَحَسَّرا

Even the farthest member of the encampment comes to my serving-bowl

And indeed, even the farthest tribesman visits my great serving-bowl,

when the tall acacias have been stripped of their leaves.

when the tall acacias have shed their leaves.

فَلا تَسأَليني وَاِسأَلي بِيَ صُحبَتي

فَلا تَسأَليني وَاِسأَلي بِيَ صُحبَتي

إِذا ما المَطِيُّ بِالفَلاةِ تَضَوَّرا

إِذا ما المَطِيُّ بِالفَلاةِ تَضَوَّرا

Do not ask me; ask my companions about me

So do not ask me; ask my companions about me,

when the mounts writhe with hunger in the open wilderness.

when the riding camels groan with hunger in the desert.

وَإِنّي لَوَهّابٌ قُطوعي وَناقَتي

وَإِنّي لَوَهّابٌ قُطوعي وَناقَتي

إِذا ما اِنتَشَيتُ وَالكُمَيتَ المُصَدِّرا

إِذا ما اِنتَشَيتُ وَالكُمَيتَ المُصَدِّرا

Indeed, I lavishly give away my keen-edged sword and my she-camel,

And I lavishly give away my camel herds and my she-camel,

when wine exhilarates me—and the broad-chested bay horse as well.

when I get drunk—and the chest-marked bay horse as well.

وَإِنّي كَأَشلاءِ اللِجامِ وَلَن تَرى

وَإِنّي كَأَشلاءِ اللِجامِ وَلَن تَرى

أَخا الحَربِ إِلّا ساهِمَ الوَجهِ أَغبَرا

أَخا الحَربِ إِلّا ساهِمَ الوَجهِ أَغبَرا

I am worn like the frayed straps of a bridle; and never will you see

And I am like the fragments of a bridle; you will never see

a man of war except hollow-faced and dust-covered.

a man of war except gaunt-faced and dust-covered.

أَخو الحَربِ إِن عَضَّت بِهِ الحَربُ عَضَّها

أَخو الحَربِ إِن عَضَّت بِهِ الحَربُ عَضَّها

وَإِن شَمَّرَت عَن ساقِها الحَربُ شَمَّرا

وَإِن شَمَّرَت عَن ساقِها الحَربُ شَمَّرا

A man of war—if war bites him, he bites it back;

A man of war, if war bites him, bites her back;

and if war bares its shank, he too girds himself to meet it.

and if war bares her shin, he bares his.

وَإِنّي إِذا ما المَوتُ لَم يَكُ دونَهُ

وَإِنّي إِذا ما المَوتُ لَم يَكُ دونَهُ

قَدى الشِبرِ أَحمي الأَنفَ أَن أَتَأَخَّرا

قَدى الشِبرِ أَحمي الأَنفَ أَن أَتَأَخَّرا

And I, when nothing lies between death and me

And indeed, when death is less than

but a handspan, guard my honor against retreat.

a handspan away, I preserve my pride by refusing to retreat.

مَتى تَبغِ وُدّاً مِن جَديلَةَ تَلقَهُ

مَتى تَبغِ وُدّاً مِن جَديلَةَ تَلقَهُ

مَعَ الشِنءِ مِنهُ باقِياً مُتَأَثِّرا

مَعَ الشِنءِ مِنهُ باقِياً مُتَأَثِّرا

Whenever you seek Jadīla’s friendship, you will find it—

Whenever you seek goodwill from Jadilah, you find it

and its enmity likewise remains, enduring and deep-rooted.

alongside their hatred, still lingering and bearing its traces.

فَإِلّا يُعادونا جَهاراً نُلاقِهِم

فَإِلّا يُعادونا جَهاراً نُلاقِهِم

لِأَعدائِنا رِدءً دَليلاً وَمُنذِرا

لِأَعدائِنا رِدءً دَليلاً وَمُنذِرا

If they do not oppose us openly, we find them

So if they do not openly oppose us, we find them

supporting our enemies, guiding them and warning them.

as support, a guide, and a warner for our enemies.

إِذا حالَ دوني مِن سُلامانَ رَملَةٌ

إِذا حالَ دوني مِن سُلامانَ رَملَةٌ

وَجَدتُ تَوالي الوَصلِ عِندِيَ أَبتَرا

وَجَدتُ تَوالي الوَصلِ عِندِيَ أَبتَرا

When a single dune of Salāmān stands between me and them,

When a dune of Sulaman stands in my way,

I find the continuing bond between us severed.

I find continued friendship with me cut short.