قلْ لحُسام الدولتينِ المَحْسُودْ

قلْ لحُسام الدولتينِ المَحْسُودْ

يا مَعدِنَ البأسِ وينبوعَ الجُودْ

يا مَعدِنَ البأسِ وينبوعَ الجُودْ

Say to Husam of the Two Realms, the envied one:

Say to Husam al-Dawlatayn, the envied:

O mine of valor and wellspring of generosity,

O source of valor and wellspring of generosity,

مَنْ لقيادِ الاعوجياتِ القودْ

مَنْ لقيادِ الاعوجياتِ القودْ

وفكِ أغلال الأَسيرِ المصفُودْ

وفكِ أغلال الأَسيرِ المصفُودْ

who will take the reins of the curved-necked, long-necked steeds

who will lead the long-necked mares of Aʿwaj’s line

and free the shackles of the captive bound in fetters,

and loose the shackles of the fettered captive,

ان طَرقَ الخَطبُ وأَنت مَفْقُودْ

ان طَرقَ الخَطبُ وأَنت مَفْقُودْ

وَمَصَّ ظمآنُ الثَّرى ماءَ العُودْ

وَمَصَّ ظمآنُ الثَّرى ماءَ العُودْ

if calamity comes knocking while you are gone,

if calamity strikes by night while you are absent,

and the thirsty earth sucks up the water of the returning rain

and the parched earth sucks the moisture from the wood,

في سنةٍ حَرّى وعامٍ جَارُودْ

في سنةٍ حَرّى وعامٍ جَارُودْ

نُوسِعُهُ الذمَّ وأَنتَ محمُودْ

نُوسِعُهُ الذمَّ وأَنتَ محمُودْ

in a parched season, a rainless year?

in a scorching season, a year that strips all bare?

We heap blame upon the year, while you are praised.

We heap blame upon it, while you are praised:

ينزِلُ في كلِّ فلاةٍ صَيخُودْ

ينزِلُ في كلِّ فلاةٍ صَيخُودْ

للركبِ عن عَيرانةٍ كالجُلْمُودْ

للركبِ عن عَيرانةٍ كالجُلْمُودْ

Who will dismount in every hard, flinty wilderness

in every sun-scorched wilderness a man dismounts,

for the caravan, from a powerful she-camel like a boulder,

yielding the riders a rocklike, sturdy she-camel,

وزادهُم عِرقُ المَطي المفصُودْ

وزادهُم عِرقُ المَطي المفصُودْ

خَذلانَ غير باخلٍ بموجُودْ

خَذلانَ غير باخلٍ بموجُودْ

when their provisions are blood from the slit veins of their mounts—

though their food is blood drained from their mounts—

giving up his own, withholding nothing he possesses?

the forsaking of one who begrudges nothing he has.

هل لكَ في حُسنِ ثناءٍ مَوْرُودْ

هل لكَ في حُسنِ ثناءٍ مَوْرُودْ

أَلذَّ من شُربِ سُلافِ العُنْقُودْ

أَلذَّ من شُربِ سُلافِ العُنْقُودْ

Would you care for fair praise, sought like a watering place,

Would you have fine praise that men seek out,

sweeter than drinking the grape-cluster’s choicest wine?

sweeter than drinking the grape cluster’s choicest wine?

يا واهبَ الخَودِ الأَناةِ الأُملُودْ

يا واهبَ الخَودِ الأَناةِ الأُملُودْ

فُؤادُها خوفَ الفراقِ مَبلُودْ

فُؤادُها خوفَ الفراقِ مَبلُودْ

O giver of the gentle, supple maiden,

O giver of the tender, languid, supple maiden—

whose heart is numbed by fear of parting;

her heart stunned by fear of parting—

وكلَ طِرفٍ كالقَناةِ مَمْسُودْ

وكلَ طِرفٍ كالقَناةِ مَمْسُودْ

سبيبُهُ مثلُ اللواء المعقودْ

سبيبُهُ مثلُ اللواء المعقودْ

and of every noble steed, taut as a lance,

and of every thoroughbred, taut and slender as a lance,

its mane like a firmly knotted banner;

its mane and tail like a knotted banner;

وَمُهرةٍ زين الرباطِ قَيْدُودْ

وَمُهرةٍ زين الرباطِ قَيْدُودْ

خَيفانَةٍ كالسَّوذَنِيقِ المَبرُودْ

خَيفانَةٍ كالسَّوذَنِيقِ المَبرُودْ

and of a long-backed filly, adornment of the tethering ground,

and of a long-necked filly, the glory of the stables,

a slender mare, like a lofty pavilion polished smooth;

fleet and slender as a falcon clad in a patterned mantle,

أَو خاضبٍ من النعامِ مزءودْ

أَو خاضبٍ من النعامِ مزءودْ

مَرَّ على الأُدحِي وهو مَطرُودْ

مَرَّ على الأُدحِي وهو مَطرُودْ

or like a red-shanked ostrich driven from the flock,

or a startled, red-shanked ostrich

racing past its nest while pursued;

that passed its sand-nest while pursued;

والسَّابغات من دُروعِ داودْ

والسَّابغات من دُروعِ داودْ

يُبهِمْنَ حِرباءَ القَتِيرِ المَسْرُودْ

يُبهِمْنَ حِرباءَ القَتِيرِ المَسْرُودْ

and of ample, full-length coats among David’s armor,

and of ample coats of David’s mail,

whose close-woven rivets conceal their protruding heads;

concealing the lizard-like rivet-heads of closely linked mail;

وكل نَصلٍ في الفِرَنْدِ مَغْمُودْ

وكل نَصلٍ في الفِرَنْدِ مَغْمُودْ

له بهاماتِ الرجالِ أخْدُودْ

له بهاماتِ الرجالِ أخْدُودْ

and every blade hidden within its own watered pattern,

and of every blade sheathed in its watered pattern,

cutting a trench through the crowns of warriors;

cutting a furrow in the heads of men;

وذُبَّلٍ يَرِدنَ شَرَّ مَورُودْ

وذُبَّلٍ يَرِدنَ شَرَّ مَورُودْ

من الوَريدَينِ وَمِنِ اللغدُودْ

من الوَريدَينِ وَمِنِ اللغدُودْ

and slender spears that seek a well-frequented open watering place

and of slender spears that drink at the direst watering-place,

at the twin jugulars and the flesh beneath the jaw;

from the two jugular veins and the soft flesh of the throat;

والعَوذِ راعيها بجمَعِ مَجْهُودْ

والعَوذِ راعيها بجمَعِ مَجْهُودْ

كأَنما المِعصَمُ فيه سَفُّودْ

كأَنما المِعصَمُ فيه سَفُّودْ

and nursing she-camels whose herdsman is strained by their multitude,

and of new-calved she-camels, their herdsman worn out gathering them,

as though the cupping instruments in him were a roasting-spit;

as though a roasting-spit were lodged in his wrist;

وبَدرةِ النُضارِ غيرَ مَثْمُودْ

وبَدرةِ النُضارِ غيرَ مَثْمُودْ

كانها رُضْمُ الصخورِ المنضُودْ

كانها رُضْمُ الصخورِ المنضُودْ

and a purse of pure gold, full and undiminished,

and of a purse of pure gold, yourself undrained,

like a heap of rocks stacked one upon another.

as though it were a heap of stacked rocks.

قلتُ لشانيكَ الذليلِ المضهُودْ

قلتُ لشانيكَ الذليلِ المضهُودْ

اِيَّاكَ ايَّاكَ وكلَّ مسعُودْ

اِيَّاكَ ايَّاكَ وكلَّ مسعُودْ

I said to your hateful enemy, abased and hard-pressed:

I said to your abject, downtrodden hater:

“Beware, beware, of every man blessed by fortune

Beware, beware of every fortunate man

يسعى الى الرزقِ بجِدٍ مَجدُودْ

يسعى الى الرزقِ بجِدٍ مَجدُودْ

له رِواقٌ بالسَّمَاحِ مَعْمُودْ

له رِواقٌ بالسَّمَاحِ مَعْمُودْ

who strives earnestly after sustenance, favored by fortune,

who seeks his livelihood with striving blessed by fortune.

whose pavilion stands pillared upon generosity,

His pavilion is upheld by generosity,

كأَنه بيتُ الالهِ المقصُودْ

كأَنه بيتُ الالهِ المقصُودْ

وحوضُ مجدٍ للعُفاةِ مَورُودْ

وحوضُ مجدٍ للعُفاةِ مَورُودْ

as though it were the House of God, the sought destination,

as though it were the sought-out House of God;

and a pool of glory frequented by petitioners.

and his pool of glory is frequented by seekers of bounty.

يَنضُبُ عهدُ المزنِ وهو معهُودُ

يَنضُبُ عهدُ المزنِ وهو معهُودُ

له عنانٌ في الرهانِ مَمْدُودْ

له عنانٌ في الرهانِ مَمْدُودْ

The raincloud’s promise runs dry, while he remains trusted in his promise.

The clouds’ rainwater dries up; his pool remains a trusted resort.

He has free rein, stretched far ahead in the race,

His rein is stretched full-length in the race,

وأُسرةٌ يومَ الوَغى بيضٌ سُودْ

وأُسرةٌ يومَ الوَغى بيضٌ سُودْ

غابُوا وما بالقومِ منهم مشهُودْ

غابُوا وما بالقومِ منهم مشهُودْ

and a clan on battle-day—radiant-faced sovereign lords.

and his kin are white and black on the day of battle.

They have passed away; among the people none of them is now seen:

They are gone; none of them is seen among the people.

فوارسٌ ما طعنُها بمَسْدُودْ

فوارسٌ ما طعنُها بمَسْدُودْ

تَقْيَ مُثَنى الفتيلِ المَرْدُودْ

تَقْيَ مُثَنى الفتيلِ المَرْدُودْ

horsemen whose spear-thrust no barrier could block,

Horsemen whose thrusts leave wounds no one can seal,

though a doubled, twisted cord folded back upon itself sought to shield against it.

spewing entrails like a doubled cord folded back.

كَدُّوا وما مُطرِبهم بمكدُودْ

كَدُّوا وما مُطرِبهم بمكدُودْ

فَحِزْبُهُمْ يومَ الفَخَار مَحْدُودْ

فَحِزْبُهُمْ يومَ الفَخَار مَحْدُودْ

They strove, while their celebrant never wearied,

They have toiled, but their singer is not wearied;

and on the day of proud rivalry their lineage stood sharply defined.

so their party is ill-starred on the day of boasting.

ما المجدُ لو لم يُولدوا بِمَولُودْ

ما المجدُ لو لم يُولدوا بِمَولُودْ

ذاكَ عطاءُ اللهِ غير مَنكُودْ

ذاكَ عطاءُ اللهِ غير مَنكُودْ

Glory itself would never have been born had they not been born.

Had they not been born, glory would never have been born.

That is God’s gift, unfailing,

That is God’s unstinted gift

لخيرِ قَيْسٍ والداً ومولُودْ

لخيرِ قَيْسٍ والداً ومولُودْ

أوفاهُمُ بذمةٍ وموعُودْ

أوفاهُمُ بذمةٍ وموعُودْ

for the best of Qays, parent and offspring:

to the best of Qays, as father and as son,

the most faithful of them to covenant and promise.

the most faithful of them to pledge and promise.

لو عُبِدَ الناسُ لكانَ المَعْبُودْ

لو عُبِدَ الناسُ لكانَ المَعْبُودْ

مناقبٌ ما حدُّها بِمَحْدُودْ

مناقبٌ ما حدُّها بِمَحْدُودْ

Were human beings worshipped, he would be the worshipped one.

Were people worshipped, he would be the one adored.

His merits—their reach is bounded by no limit;

Virtues whose extent admits no bounds:

كل حساب غيرهن معدُودْ

كل حساب غيرهن معدُودْ

every reckoning other than theirs can be numbered.”

every reckoning but theirs is countable.