نأتكَ سُلَيمى دارَها لا تَزورُها

نأتكَ سُلَيمى دارَها لا تَزورُها

وَشَطَّ بها عَنكَ النَوى وَأَميرُها

وَشَطَّ بها عَنكَ النَوى وَأَميرُها

Sulayma has gone far from you; you do not visit her home.

You come to Salima's abode though you do not visit her,

Sulayma has distanced herself from you, her home you cannot visit, / And distance and her guardian have kept her far away.

And separation and her leader have carried her far from you.

And desire has diverted you from her and her lord.

I did not fear separation from her until I saw / Her caravan directing its course toward Al-Qurayyah.

وَما خِفتُ مِنها البَينَ حَتّى رأَيتُها

وَما خِفتُ مِنها البَينَ حَتّى رأَيتُها

مَيمِّمَةً نَحوَ القُرَيَّةِ عيرُها

مَيمِّمَةً نَحوَ القُرَيَّةِ عيرُها

And I had not feared parting from her until I saw her,

I did not fear separation from her until I saw

Upon the camels are tawny gazelles of Tabalah, / Their throats appearing from beneath the howdah curtains.

Her caravan heading toward al-Qurayya.

Her, heading towards the hamlet, with her camel train.

And among them is a tender one with fair cheeks, / Like your desire, if only she would grant what harms her not.

عليهنَّ أُدمٌ من ظِباءِ تَبالَةٍ

عليهنَّ أُدمٌ من ظِباءِ تَبالَةٍ

خَوارِجُ من تَحتِ الخُدورِ نحورُها

خَوارِجُ من تَحتِ الخُدورِ نحورُها

Upon them were dusky-white gazelles from Tabala,

Over them are russet cloaks from spotted camels,

My nature was not to love her, save that / The beginnings of my rhymes rise up for Salma.

Their necks showing from beneath the curtained litters.

Their faces peering out from beneath the litters.

So leave this be, but has news of our raid reached her / At Dhat al-Araq, when her warner arrived?

وَفيهن بَيضاءُ العَوارِضِ طَفلَةٌ

وَفيهن بَيضاءُ العَوارِضِ طَفلَةٌ

كَهَمِّكَ لَو جادَت بِما لا يَضيرُها

كَهَمِّكَ لَو جادَت بِما لا يَضيرُها

And among them was a tender woman with white teeth,

Among them is a fair-cheeked girl child,

With a gathered army, glistening gray; if they were to strike / The mountains of ‘Amaya or Damkh with it, their rocks would crumble.

Just as you desire—if she bestowed what would not harm her.

Calm as you, though it would not harm her to be angry.

They trample the sons of Ka‘b while calling upon Madhhij, / That Ka‘b might aid us, though Ka‘b is divided.

وَما كانَ طِبّي حُبُّها غير أَنَّهُ

وَما كانَ طِبّي حُبُّها غير أَنَّهُ

يَقومُ لِسَلمى في القَوافي صُدورُها

يَقومُ لِسَلمى في القَوافي صُدورُها

And love for her was not my concern, except that

My love for her was no sin, except

And when we saw that Ka‘b was truly our enemy, / And their hearts revealed the hatred buried within,

The openings of the rhymed verses are set forth for Salma.

That Salima's name keeps occurring in my poetry.

We called upon our father, the clan of Ka‘b bin Malik, / And the call returned to its great elders.

فَدَع ذا وَلكن هَل أَتاها مُغارُنا

فَدَع ذا وَلكن هَل أَتاها مُغارُنا

بِذات العَراقي إِذ أَتاها نَذيرُها

بِذات العَراقي إِذ أَتاها نَذيرُها

So leave that—but has word of our raid reached her,

But tell me, did our spy come to her

So a band from Qutaybah rushed against them, / And from Wa’il, whose mobilization protects in war.

At Dhat al-'Araqi, when her warning messenger came to her?

With the news of the Iraqi when her warner came to her?

Our millstone of war turned against theirs for an hour, / We chipped away at its pillars while turning it,

بِملمومَةٍ شَهباءَ لَو نَطحوا بها

بِملمومَةٍ شَهباءَ لَو نَطحوا بها

عَمايةَ أَو دَمخاً لَزالَت صخورُها

عَمايةَ أَو دَمخاً لَزالَت صخورُها

With a massed, gray host—had they rammed it against

With a fiery, gray she-camel, even were they to butt her against

With every solid, sharpened spear of Rudaynah, / And Mashrafiyah swords that are slow to dull.

'Amaya or Damkh, its rocks would have been dislodged.

A pregnant she-camel, her rocks would be shattered.

With blows that sever the skull from its resting place, / And thrusts like the gushing fluid of a birthing camel.

يخُضنَ بني كعبٍ وَيدعون مَذحِجاً

يخُضنَ بني كعبٍ وَيدعون مَذحِجاً

لتنصُرَنا كَعبٌ وَكَعبٌ شُطورها

لتنصُرَنا كَعبٌ وَكَعبٌ شُطورها

They wade through Banu Ka'b and call upon Madhhij,

They rouse the clan of Ka'b and call upon Madhij

And horses with disheveled forelocks, urged to advance, / Their stallions neighing amidst the solid spears.

So that Ka'b might aid us—Ka'b being among its divisions.

To help us - Ka'b and the ends of its plains.

If they retreated beyond the reach of the lances, / Clouds of arrows reached them, flying like locusts.

وَلمّا رَأَينا أَنَّ كَعباً عدوُّنا

وَلمّا رَأَينا أَنَّ كَعباً عدوُّنا

وَأَبدى دفينَ الداءِ منها ضَميرُها

وَأَبدى دفينَ الداءِ منها ضَميرُها

And when we saw that Ka'b was our enemy,

When we saw that Ka'b was our foe

We left nothing between Qaww and Darij, / Nor in Sahah, save that the vultures were fully sated.

And its inner heart revealed the sickness buried within it,

And the innermost disease was laid bare,

And we returned with captives like wild oryxes from among their women, / The chests of spears and Mashrafiyah swords were their dowries.

دَعونا أَبانا حَيَّ كعبِ بنِ مالِكٍ

دَعونا أَبانا حَيَّ كعبِ بنِ مالِكٍ

وَقَد آلَتِ الدعوى إِلَيها كَبيرُها

وَقَد آلَتِ الدعوى إِلَيها كَبيرُها

We called upon our father, the clan of Ka'b ibn Malik,

We called upon our father, alive Ka'b ibn Malik -

And many a gray-haired woman of Nahd or al-Harith, / Hoping for a ransom from her sons to relieve her.

And the main burden of the rallying call had fallen to it.

To him the great claim has devolved.

She watches the soldiers of the army, terrified / By the vanguard of horses whose herald bore no armor.

فَثارَت إِليهم من قُتَيبةَ عُصبَةٌ

فَثارَت إِليهم من قُتَيبةَ عُصبَةٌ

وَمن وائِلٍ في الحَربِ يَحمي نَفيرُها

وَمن وائِلٍ في الحَربِ يَحمي نَفيرُها

Then a band from Qutayba rose against them,

So there rose against them from Qutaybah a band

So she returned to Tathlith, her eyes shedding tears, / Left once more with her gum-acacia and wild berries.

And from Wa'il, whose levies defend in war.

And from Wail, fierce in war, its helpers.

فَدارَت رَحانا ساعَةً وَرَحاهُمُ

فَدارَت رَحانا ساعَةً وَرَحاهُمُ

نُثَلِّمُ من أَركانِها وَنُديرُها

نُثَلِّمُ من أَركانِها وَنُديرُها

Then our mill and theirs turned for a while,

They milled around for a time, and we made them

We chipped away at its corners and kept it turning,

Go round, ravaging its corners and circling it.

بِكُلِّ رُدَينيٍّ أَصمَّ مُذَرَّبٍ

بِكُلِّ رُدَينيٍّ أَصمَّ مُذَرَّبٍ

وَبالمَشرَفيّاتِ البطيءِ حُسورُها

وَبالمَشرَفيّاتِ البطيءِ حُسورُها

With every solid, sharpened Rudayni spear,

With every short-speared, squat warrior,

And with Mashrafi swords slow to lose their edge,

And with the slow, heavily-armed cavalry,

بضربٍ يُزيلُ الهامَ عَن مُستَقَرِّهِ

بضربٍ يُزيلُ الهامَ عَن مُستَقَرِّهِ

وَطَعنٍ كإِيزاغِ المَخاضِ يَثورُها

وَطَعنٍ كإِيزاغِ المَخاضِ يَثورُها

With blows that dislodge heads from their resting place,

With blows that remove resolve from its dwelling,

And thrusts like the urine-spurts of pregnant she-camels when roused,

And stabs like the bursting of waters in childbirth,

وَشُعثٍ نواصيهُنَّ يَزجُرنَ مُقدِماً

وَشُعثٍ نواصيهُنَّ يَزجُرنَ مُقدِماً

يُحَمحِمُ في صُمِّ العَوالي ذُكورُها

يُحَمحِمُ في صُمِّ العَوالي ذُكورُها

And steeds with tangled forelocks that check whoever advances,

With forelocks whose stallions they restrain when attacking,

Their stallions whinny amid the stout spears.

Neighing in the desolate heights amid its warriors,

إِذا انتَسؤوا فَوتَ العَوالي أَتَتهم

إِذا انتَسؤوا فَوتَ العَوالي أَتَتهم

عَوائِرُ نَبلٍ كالجَرادِ تُطيرُها

عَوائِرُ نَبلٍ كالجَرادِ تُطيرُها

When they fell back beyond spear-reach, they were met by

When they bivouac, over the desolate heights come to them

Stray arrows, like locusts sent flying.

Swarms of arrows, like locusts taking flight.

فَما إِن تَرَكنا بينَ قَوٍّ وَضارِجٍ

فَما إِن تَرَكنا بينَ قَوٍّ وَضارِجٍ

وَلا صاحَةٍ إِلّا شِباعاً نُسورُها

وَلا صاحَةٍ إِلّا شِباعاً نُسورُها

So we left no place between Qaww and Darij,

So we left not between warrior and charging horseman

Nor at Saha, without its vultures sated.

A single life, except gorged with our hawks.

وَجِئنا بأَمثالِ المَها من نِسائِهِم

وَجِئنا بأَمثالِ المَها من نِسائِهِم

صُدورُ القَنا وَالمَشرَفيّ مُهورُها

صُدورُ القَنا وَالمَشرَفيّ مُهورُها

And we came with women of theirs like oryxes,

And we came with the likes of splendid camels from their women -

Spearpoints and the Mashrafi sword were their bridal dues.

Bosoms pure as the Qana and Mashrafi camels,

ونَهديةً شَمطاءَ أَو حرثيَّةً

ونَهديةً شَمطاءَ أَو حرثيَّةً

تُؤَمِّلُ سَيباً من بَنيها يُغيرُها

تُؤَمِّلُ سَيباً من بَنيها يُغيرُها

And a gray-haired Nahdi woman, or a Harithi woman,

And a prize chestnut or dun mare

Hoping for bounty from her sons to sustain her.

Hopeful of a foal from her sons who raids her,

فتنظُر أَبناءَ الخَميسِ أَراعَها

فتنظُر أَبناءَ الخَميسِ أَراعَها

أَوائِلُ خَيلِ لَم يُدَرَّع بَشيرُها

أَوائِلُ خَيلِ لَم يُدَرَّع بَشيرُها

Then she awaited the army's men; she was alarmed by

Who looks on the sons of Khamis in awe -

The leading horsemen, whose herald wore no armor.

The vanguard of horses no armor protects its leader.

فآبَت إِلى تَثليثَ تذرِفُ عَينُها

فآبَت إِلى تَثليثَ تذرِفُ عَينُها

وَعادَ إِلَيها صَمغُها وَبَريرُها

وَعادَ إِلَيها صَمغُها وَبَريرُها

So she returned to Tathlith, her eye shedding tears,

Thus she returns to weeping copiously

And her tree gum and arak berries were hers again.

And her mucus and tears return to her.