للهِ دَرُّ فتىً يلذْ

للهِ دَرُّ فتىً يلذْ

اذا استضاموه حِمَامَهْ

اذا استضاموه حِمَامَهْ

How splendid the youth who relishes

Praise to the valiant youth when called upon

his death when they try to humiliate him!

To face the arrows finds his coat of mail his guard.

يلقى السنانَ له عِذَا

يلقى السنانَ له عِذَا

راً والحُسامَ له عِمَامَهْ

راً والحُسامَ له عِمَامَهْ

He meets the spearpoint as

When perils threat their sharp and cutting sword,

the down of his cheeks, and the sword as his turban.

His buckler is his targe, his helm secures from bale.

انَّ المساعي ما تزا

انَّ المساعي ما تزا

لُ بها القوافى مُستهامَهْ

لُ بها القوافى مُستهامَهْ

Truly, noble deeds never cease

Efforts however much my verse avails

to hold the rhymes enthralled.

Will not suffice, for that demands a higher art.

ماتَ الجُلاحُ ولم يمت

ماتَ الجُلاحُ ولم يمت

ما قالَ فيه أَبو أُمامَهْ

ما قالَ فيه أَبو أُمامَهْ

Al-Julah died, but there did not die

The hero died but lives within my heart.

what Abu Umamah said of him.

He'll live till Resurrection's trumpet loudly hails.

والحارثُ الجفنى قا

والحارثُ الجفنى قا

م بذكره حتى القِيامَهْ

م بذكره حتى القِيامَهْ

And al-Harith the Jafnid endures

And poets of the race of Lakhmi's kings

through his remembrance until Resurrection.

Have crowned his name and fair praise on him bestowed.

وملوكُ لخمٍ طُوِّقوا

وملوكُ لخمٍ طُوِّقوا

من مدحهِ طوق الحَمَامَهْ

من مدحهِ طوق الحَمَامَهْ

And the kings of Lakhm were collared

And I disdain ignoble ease and rest,

with his praise—the collar of a dove.

Like Qais and Sammah who their manhood showed.

وأَرى المذلةَ عافَها

وأَرى المذلةَ عافَها

من قبلنا قيسٌ وَسَامَهْ

من قبلنا قيسٌ وَسَامَهْ

And I see that humiliation was spurned

My hand and sword shall fend me from the foe,

before us by Qays and Samah,

Nor will I shrink, my steps from danger's path to go.

طَلباً بِعرضِهما النجا

طَلباً بِعرضِهما النجا

ةَ على شَرودٍ كالنَّعامَهْ

ةَ على شَرودٍ كالنَّعامَهْ

seeking deliverance for their honor

Uman o'erturned, the gathered armies broke,

upon a skittish mount like an ostrich.

The brother of Sulaym on that day their yoke,

فرمت عمانُ بحولي

فرمت عمانُ بحولي

ن تخطيا عتبَ الملامَهْ

ن تخطيا عتبَ الملامَهْ

Then Oman cast forth two resourceful men

And made his soul a ransom for the tribe,

who had crossed the threshold of reproach.

A sacrifice to save his brethren's lives.

وأَخو سليمٍ يومَ عض

وأَخو سليمٍ يومَ عض

على نواجذّه لِحَامَهْ

على نواجذّه لِحَامَهْ

And the man of Sulaym, when his battle bit

The traces of his prowess still survive,

down upon its molars,

Memorials of him tribes remote describe.

أبقى بضاحى البشرِ من

أبقى بضاحى البشرِ من

آثارِ وقعتهِ عَلامَهْ

آثارِ وقعتهِ عَلامَهْ

left in the open country of al-Bishr

The Tolga refugees his onset fled,

a mark among the traces of his battle.

The tribes of Malik trembled and with dread,

نفرَ الحُبالى من عقا

نفرَ الحُبالى من عقا

ئلِ مالكٍ وبنى أُسامَهْ

ئلِ مالكٍ وبنى أُسامَهْ

He scattered pregnant women among the noble

Kindah Tribe fled from his assault dismayed.

ladies of Malik and the sons of Usamah.

Thus shall the man be blest who draws his blade,

وَيْلُمِّها من غارةٍ

وَيْلُمِّها من غارةٍ

لو أنها تَشفى أوامَهْ

لو أنها تَشفى أوامَهْ

What a fearsome raid it was—

And night-like shall oppress his enemies.

if only it could quench his burning thirst!

My prince, to whom the good for aid repair,

وكذا يكون أَخو المظا

وكذا يكون أَخو المظا

لم حين تغشاه الظُّلامَهْ

لم حين تغشاه الظُّلامَهْ

Thus acts a man who suffers wrongs

O thou whose actions no reproaches dare,

when oppression overwhelms him.

Sprung from a line heroes alone could rear.

يا أَبها الملك الذي

يا أَبها الملك الذي

يده على العافي غَمامَهْ

يده على العافي غَمامَهْ

O king whose

Whose sires though slain midst battle's fury fell

hand above the seeker of bounty is a rain cloud,

Ne'er shunned the deadly charge or ceased to dare,

والفاعل الفعل الذي

والفاعل الفعل الذي

لم يستطع أَحدٌ مَرَامَهْ

لم يستطع أَحدٌ مَرَامَهْ

and you who perform the deed

No loss of fortune made their spirits quail,

that no one could attain,

Misfortune only roused them to prevail.

مِنْ معشرٍ خُلِقوا لتش

مِنْ معشرٍ خُلِقوا لتش

ييدِ العلا كَتَداً وهامَهْ

ييدِ العلا كَتَداً وهامَهْ

from a people created to build up

Noble resolve should arm us for the fight,

glory, as its shoulders and its crown.

To die with honour rather than from duty shrink.

لم يلسبوا الحَلَقَ المضا

لم يلسبوا الحَلَقَ المضا

عَفَ في الوغى طَلَب السلامَهْ

عَفَ في الوغى طَلَب السلامَهْ

They did not don doubled mail

We dreamed of glory, framed high exploits high,

in battle in pursuit of safety,

While our existence was inertness, nought beside.

الاَّ لتعطيل الصوا

الاَّ لتعطيل الصوا

رمِ أَنْ تكونَ لها صَرامَةْ

رمِ أَنْ تكونَ لها صَرامَةْ

but only to deprive the swords

A horde unused to war's alarms drew nigh,

of their power to cut.

And we like frightened women ran and cried.

انا خُدعنا بالحيا

انا خُدعنا بالحيا

ةِ وعِزُّنا حَبُّ الكَرامَهْ

ةِ وعِزُّنا حَبُّ الكَرامَهْ

Truly, we have been deceived by life,

No chief arose our manhood to excite,

and our pride is love of honor.

And raise his tribe from their degraded plight.

وَتَنَاوَلَتنا فاركٌ

وَتَنَاوَلَتنا فاركٌ

خَرقاءُ فاجرةُ العَرامَهْ

خَرقاءُ فاجرةُ العَرامَهْ

And a husband-loathing woman has laid hands on us,

Let those who life inglorious living found

foolish, wanton in her unruliness.

Sleep the last sleep wrapped in oblivious ground.

لم يَعنِ فيها الواليا

لم يَعنِ فيها الواليا

نِ ولا نكيرهما قُلامَهْ

نِ ولا نكيرهما قُلامَهْ

The two governors availed nothing against her,

The freeman whose high spirit scorns control

nor did their rebuke—not a nail clipping's worth.

Needs but his tent to shelter from the cold.

فافلل شَباها انَّها

فافلل شَباها انَّها

في وجنةِ العلياءِ شَامَهْ

في وجنةِ العلياءِ شَامَهْ

So blunt her edges, for she is

a mole upon glory's cheek.

والحُرُّ ليس له بدا

والحُرُّ ليس له بدا

رٍ يُستضامُ بها اقامَهْ

رٍ يُستضامُ بها اقامَهْ

And a free man will not remain in an abode

where he is humiliated.