قَالَتْ فُطَيْمَةُ حَلِّ شِعْرَكَ مَدْحَهُ

قَالَتْ فُطَيْمَةُ حَلِّ شِعْرَكَ مَدْحَهُ

أَفَبَعْدَ كِنْدَةَ تَمْدَحَنَّ قَبِيلا

أَفَبَعْدَ كِنْدَةَ تَمْدَحَنَّ قَبِيلا

Futayma said: Adorn your verse with praise of him.

Futaymah said, solve your poety praising him

Will you then, after Kinda, praise another tribe?

After Kindah, will you praise a tribe?

وَهَمُ الكِرَامُ بَنُو الخَضَارِمَةِ العُلا

وَهَمُ الكِرَامُ بَنُو الخَضَارِمَةِ العُلا

ِسَمَيْدَعٍ أَكْرِمْ بِذَاكَ نَجِيلا

ِسَمَيْدَعٍ أَكْرِمْ بِذَاكَ نَجِيلا

And they are the noble ones, sons of exalted, generous lords,

The generous are Bani Khadram, sublime

A noble chieftain—how noble is that offspring!

Of Sumayda', be kind with that, my friend

يَا أَيُّها السَّاعِي لِيُدْرِكَ مَجْدَنَا

يَا أَيُّها السَّاعِي لِيُدْرِكَ مَجْدَنَا

ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ هَلْ تَرُدُّ قَتِيلا

ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ هَلْ تَرُدُّ قَتِيلا

O you who strive to attain our glory,

O you who seek to attain our glory

May your mother mourn you! Can you bring back a slain man?

May your mother be bereft of you, will you return a corpse?

هَلْ تَرْقَيَنَّ إلى السَّماءِ بِسُلَّمٍ

هَلْ تَرْقَيَنَّ إلى السَّماءِ بِسُلَّمٍ

وَلَتَرْجِعَنَّ إلى العَزِيزِ ذَلِيلا

وَلَتَرْجِعَنَّ إلى العَزِيزِ ذَلِيلا

Can you really climb to the sky by a ladder?

Will you climb to the sky on a ladder?

And you will surely return to the mighty one, abased.

You will surely return humiliated to the Almighty

سَائِلْ بَنِي مَلِكِ المُلُوكِ إذا الْتَقَوا

سَائِلْ بَنِي مَلِكِ المُلُوكِ إذا الْتَقَوا

َنَّا وَعَنْكُمْ لا تَعَاشَ جَهُولا

َنَّا وَعَنْكُمْ لا تَعَاشَ جَهُولا

Ask the sons of the king of kings, when they meet,

Ask the clan of the King of Kings when they meet

[About us] and about you; do not live in ignorance.

We and you, may the ignorant not live

مِنَّا الذي مَلِكَ المَعَاشِرَ عَنْوَةً

مِنَّا الذي مَلِكَ المَعَاشِرَ عَنْوَةً

مَلَكَ الفَضَاءَ فَسَلْ بِذَاك عُقُولا

مَلَكَ الفَضَاءَ فَسَلْ بِذَاك عُقُولا

Among us is he who ruled the tribes by force.

Of us is he who ruled the people by force

He ruled the open expanse; ask discerning minds about that.

Who ruled the expanse, so ask the minds about that

وَبَنُوهُ قَدْ مَلَكُوا خِلافَةَ مُلْكِهِ

وَبَنُوهُ قَدْ مَلَكُوا خِلافَةَ مُلْكِهِ

شُبَّانَ حَرْبٍ سَادَةً وَكُهُولا

شُبَّانَ حَرْبٍ سَادَةً وَكُهُولا

And his sons indeed succeeded to his kingship,

And his sons who inherited his kingdom

Young warriors, lords, and men of mature years.

Young warriors, chiefs and elders

قالوا لَهُ : هَلْ أنتَ قَاضٍ ما تَرَى

قالوا لَهُ : هَلْ أنتَ قَاضٍ ما تَرَى

إِنَّا نَرَى لَكَ ذا المَقَامَ قَلِيلا

إِنَّا نَرَى لَكَ ذا المَقَامَ قَلِيلا

They said to him: Will you judge as you see fit?

They said to him: Are you a judge, what do you see?

Indeed, we deem this station too small for you.

We see this position unfit for you

فَقَضَى لكلِّ قَبِيلةٍ بِتِرَاتِهِمْ

فَقَضَى لكلِّ قَبِيلةٍ بِتِرَاتِهِمْ

لَمْ يَأْلُهُمْ في مُلْكِهمْ تَعْدِيلا

لَمْ يَأْلُهُمْ في مُلْكِهمْ تَعْدِيلا

So he ruled for each tribe on their blood-feud claims;

So he judged for each tribe according to their treaties

He did not stint them in setting their dominion right.

He did not wrong them in their reign an iota

فَثَوَى وَوَرَّثَ مُلْكِ مَنْ وَطِئَ الحَصَى

فَثَوَى وَوَرَّثَ مُلْكِ مَنْ وَطِئَ الحَصَى

قَسْرًا أبوهُ عَنْوَةً وَنُحُولا

قَسْرًا أبوهُ عَنْوَةً وَنُحُولا

Then he lay at rest and bequeathed the kingdom of the one who trod the gravel—

So he rested and bequeathed the rule of those who trod the pebbles

His father—by force, conquest, and grants.

His father had taken by force and tyranny

سَائِلْ بَنِي أَسَدٍ بِمَقْتَلِ رَبِّهِمْ

سَائِلْ بَنِي أَسَدٍ بِمَقْتَلِ رَبِّهِمْ

حُجْرِ بنِ أُمِّ قَطَامِ جَلَّ قَتِيلا

حُجْرِ بنِ أُمِّ قَطَامِ جَلَّ قَتِيلا

Ask Banu Asad about the slaying of their lord,

Ask the clan of Asad about the killing of their lord

Hujr, son of Umm Qatam—great was that slain man.

Hujr son of Umm Qatam, an exalted martyr

إذا سَارَ ذو التَّاجِ الهِجَانِ بِجَحْفَلٍ

إذا سَارَ ذو التَّاجِ الهِجَانِ بِجَحْفَلٍ

لَجِبٍ يُجَاوَبُ بالفَلاةِ صَهِيلا

لَجِبٍ يُجَاوَبُ بالفَلاةِ صَهِيلا

When the wearer of the pure-white crown marched with a vast host,

When the crowned dignitary marched with armies

Clamorous, answered by neighing in the wilderness,

Whinnying in the desert responding to neighs

حتى أَبَالَ الخَيْلَ في عَرَصَاتِهِمْ

حتى أَبَالَ الخَيْلَ في عَرَصَاتِهِمْ

فَشَفَى وَزَادَ على الشِّفَاءِ غَلِيلا

فَشَفَى وَزَادَ على الشِّفَاءِ غَلِيلا

Until he made the horses urinate in their courtyards,

Until he had the horses trample their land

So he quenched a burning thirst, and went beyond quenching it.

Healing yet increasing the simmering anguish

أَحْمَى دُرُوعَهُمُ فَسَرْبَلَهُمْ بِهَا

أَحْمَى دُرُوعَهُمُ فَسَرْبَلَهُمْ بِهَا

والنَّارَ كَحَّلَهُمْ بها تَكْحِيلا

والنَّارَ كَحَّلَهُمْ بها تَكْحِيلا

He heated their armor, then clad them in it.

Their shields kindled the fire that clad them in flames

And he thoroughly lined their eyes with fire as with kohl.

A king who justified quenching it ardently

وأقامَ يَسْقِي الرَّاحِ في هَامَاتِهِمْ    

وأقامَ يَسْقِي الرَّاحِ في هَامَاتِهِمْ

مَلِكٌ يُعَلُّ بِشُرْبِها تَعْلِيلا

مَلِكٌ يُعَلُّ بِشُرْبِها تَعْلِيلا

And he stayed, serving wine in their skulls—

The whites he forced into intense heat

A king plied with draught after draught of it.

And that sufficed to punish the enemies

والبِيْضَ قَنَّعَهَا شَدِيدًا حَرُّهُا

والبِيْضَ قَنَّعَهَا شَدِيدًا حَرُّهُا

فَكَفَى بذلكَ لِلْعِدَا تَنْكِيلا

فَكَفَى بذلكَ لِلْعِدَا تَنْكِيلا

And he set the white helmets on their heads, their heat fierce;

After prohibiting them, they became permitted to him

So that was exemplary punishment enough for the foes.

Or that he contaminate them with washing

حَلَّتْ لَهُ مِنْ بَعْدِ تَحْرِيمٍ لَهَا

حَلَّتْ لَهُ مِنْ بَعْدِ تَحْرِيمٍ لَهَا

أَو أَنْ يَمَسَّ الرَّأسَ منه غُسُولا

أَو أَنْ يَمَسَّ الرَّأسَ منه غُسُولا

It became lawful for him after the ban on it,

Until he permitted ravaging their homes, so he destroyed them

Or on washing water touching his head,

And they wandered astray, unable to find a path

حتى أباحَ ديارَهمْ فَأَبَارَهُمْ

حتى أباحَ ديارَهمْ فَأَبَارَهُمْ

فَعَمُوا فهمْ لا يَهْتَدونَ سَبِيلا

فَعَمُوا فهمْ لا يَهْتَدونَ سَبِيلا

Until he opened their dwellings to pillage and annihilated them.

So they went blind, and they cannot find a path.