وقفت بحيث تلحظك العوالي

وقفت بحيث تلحظك العوالي

وهنّ الى مواردها هيام

وهنّ الى مواردها هيام

You stood where the lofty spears eyed you,

I stood where the highlands could see you

thirst-crazed for their watering places.

While your passions leaned towards their springs

ولم يثبت من الأشياع إلا

ولم يثبت من الأشياع إلا

شقيقك وهو صارمك الحسام

شقيقك وهو صارمك الحسام

None of your followers stood firm except

And nothing remained of the warriors

your brother—your keen, cleaving sword.

Except your brother, your sharp sword

يمان في يدي ماض يمان

يمان في يدي ماض يمان

فلا نابي الغرار ولا كهام

فلا نابي الغرار ولا كهام

A Yemeni blade in the hands of a resolute Yemeni,

My right hand holds fast the past, my right

neither failing at the edge nor blunt.

So I fear not the fickle nor the wavering

ولم يحملك طرفك بل فؤاد

ولم يحملك طرفك بل فؤاد

تعوّد أن يخاض به الحمام

تعوّد أن يخاض به الحمام

It was not your steed that bore you, but a heart

Your whim did not sway you, but a heart

accustomed to plunging into death.

Accustomed to plunging into the fray

ثبتّ به ثبات القطب لمّا

ثبتّ به ثبات القطب لمّا

أدار رحاه خطب لا يرام

أدار رحاه خطب لا يرام

With it you stood firm as the axle when

Hold fast with the steadiness of the pole when

an unassailable calamity set its millstone turning.

The turns of fate seek what cannot be turned

وعادتك الطعام فإن يخرّوا

وعادتك الطعام فإن يخرّوا

جوادك بالطعان فما يلام

جوادك بالطعان فما يلام

And food is your custom [wording unclear]; if they bring down

And your custom is food, so if they lead

your steed with spear-thrusts, it is not to blame.

Your steed astray with slander, blame it not

دعا للحرب كل سليل حرب

دعا للحرب كل سليل حرب

يخلِّفه عن الهيجا نظام

يخلِّفه عن الهيجا نظام

He summoned to war every son of war

Each veteran of war called for war

whom order kept back from the fray.

Leaving behind him the order of calm

تعرّق لحمه واخضرّ جلداً

تعرّق لحمه واخضرّ جلداً

فهبّ مع الحسام به حسام

فهبّ مع الحسام به حسام

His flesh wasted away, and his skin grew dark,

His flesh perspired and his skin turned green

so beside the sword, a sword sprang up in him.

Then he leapt up, sword in hand, as sword

وجاء بعَظْلمِ الصحراء لوناً

وجاء بعَظْلمِ الصحراء لوناً

ولكن ثبْتُ مفرقه ثغام

ولكن ثبْتُ مفرقه ثغام

He came with the hue of the desert's black dye-plant,

He came in the darkness of the desert in hue

but what was rooted at his hair-parting was white thagham.

But his separated lock remained dishevelled

فلم يثن القنا ما بيّتوه

فلم يثن القنا ما بيّتوه

وتحت النّوم بأس لا ينام

وتحت النّوم بأس لا ينام

What they plotted by night did not bend the spears,

The spear did not bend what they rammed it into

and beneath sleep lay a valor that never slept.

And beneath sleep, a relentless valor slept

مضوا في أمرهم سحراً ودارت

مضوا في أمرهم سحراً ودارت

بما عقدوا من الحلف المدام

بما عقدوا من الحلف المدام

They pursued their plan before dawn, and round went

They went resolutely to their task at dawn

the wine, over the alliance they had sworn.

And it revolved, by the pact they concluded, constantly

فردّوها على الشّفرات بيضاً

فردّوها على الشّفرات بيضاً

وحدّد في تعاطيها النّدام

وحدّد في تعاطيها النّدام

So they returned it upon the gleaming white blade-edges,

They parried it with white blades

and the drinking companions were sharpened as they passed it round.

And regret assaulted the assailant in his exchange

وما أخذتهم الأسياف لكن

وما أخذتهم الأسياف لكن

صواعق لا يبوح لها ضرام

صواعق لا يبوح لها ضرام

It was not swords that seized them, but

But it was not the swords that took them

thunderbolts whose blaze gave no sign.

Rather, lightnings that no coats of mail can withstand

إذا ما برقة برقت عليهم

إذا ما برقة برقت عليهم

فإن القطر أعضاد وهام

فإن القطر أعضاد وهام

Whenever a flash of lightning flashed upon them,

Whenever a flash flashed upon them

the rain was upper arms and heads.

The drops were bones and blood

ستسألك النّساء ولا رجال

ستسألك النّساء ولا رجال

فحدّث ما وراءك يا عصام

فحدّث ما وراءك يا عصام

Women will question you, but no men;

The women and the men will ask you

so tell what news you bring, O Isam.

So speak of what lies behind you, O determined one

وراقبها بأرضك طالعات

وراقبها بأرضك طالعات

كما يهدي صواعقها الغمام

كما يهدي صواعقها الغمام

And watch for them rising in your land,

And watch over them in your land, rising

as clouds bring forth their thunderbolts:

As its lightnings are guided by the clouds

جياد تستفيد الفتح منها

جياد تستفيد الفتح منها

ويفرق في مسارحه النّعام

ويفرق في مسارحه النّعام

noble steeds from which you gain victory,

Steeds from which triumph is reaped

while ostriches take fright in its grazing grounds.

And which scatter in their race grounds the ostriches

أقمت لدى الوغى سوقاً فخذها

أقمت لدى الوغى سوقاً فخذها

مناجزة وهوّن ما تسام

مناجزة وهوّن ما تسام

You set up a market amid battle; so take it

You pitched at the tumult a market, so take it

in an immediate exchange, and make light of what you are charged.

With rivalry, and make light of what is arduous

فإن شئت اللجين فثم سام

فإن شئت اللجين فثم سام

وإن شئت النظار فثمّ حام

وإن شئت النظار فثمّ حام

For if you want silver, there is Sam;

If you wish for the refined, then here is the lofty

and if you want gold, there is Ham.

And if you wish for the spectator, then here is the protector

سيعبد بعدها الظلماء لما

سيعبد بعدها الظلماء لما

أبيح له بجانبها اكتتام

أبيح له بجانبها اكتتام

Afterward he will worship darkness, because

After it the oppressors will worship what

he was allowed concealment at its side.

Has been made legitimate next to it in concealment

نضا أدراعه واجتاب ليلاً

نضا أدراعه واجتاب ليلاً

يودّ لو انّه في الطول عام

يودّ لو انّه في الطول عام

He shed his coats of mail and clothed himself in a night

He girded his forearms and donned the night,

he wishes were a full year long.

Wishing it were a long year

وليس لو انّ الأيم السلاح

وليس لو انّ الأيم السلاح

ولكن في ضمائره احتدام

ولكن في ضمائره احتدام

And not—if the serpent were the weapon—[wording unclear];

Not because the blades have been bared

but within his innermost thoughts, turmoil seethes.

But from the raging in his conscience