لَقَد هَتَفَ اليَومَ الحَمامُ لِيُطرِبا

لَقَد هَتَفَ اليَومَ الحَمامُ لِيُطرِبا

وَعَنّى طِلابُ الغانِياتِ وَشَيِّبا

وَعَنّى طِلابُ الغانِياتِ وَشَيِّبا

Indeed, today the doves called out to stir yearning;

The dove has cooed today to give delight,

and the pursuit of fair women has wearied me and turned me gray.

And lovers of songs have found their gray hair white,

وَأَجمَعنَ مِنكَ النَفرَ مِن غَيرِ ريبَةٍ

وَأَجمَعنَ مِنكَ النَفرَ مِن غَيرِ ريبَةٍ

كَما ذَعَرَ الرامي بِفَيحانَ رَبرَبا

كَما ذَعَرَ الرامي بِفَيحانَ رَبرَبا

And they resolved to flee from you, without misgiving,

Your band has assembled, of that there is no doubt,

as the archer at Fayhan startled a herd of wild cattle.

As the archer startles the hopping Rabrāb.

عَجِبتُ لِما يَفري الهَوى يَومَ مَنعِجٍ

عَجِبتُ لِما يَفري الهَوى يَومَ مَنعِجٍ

وَيَوماً بِأَعلى عاقِلٍ كانَ أَعجَبا

وَيَوماً بِأَعلى عاقِلٍ كانَ أَعجَبا

I marveled at passion's ravages on the day at Man‘ij,

I wonder at passion’s heat on a day of coolness,

and a day in upper ‘Aqil was more astonishing still.

And at reason’s height on a day most wondrous,

وَأَحبَبتُ أَهلَ الغَورِ مِن حُبِّ ذي فَناً

وَأَحبَبتُ أَهلَ الغَورِ مِن حُبِّ ذي فَناً

وَأَحبَبتُ سُلمانَينَ مِن حُبِّ زَينَبا

وَأَحبَبتُ سُلمانَينَ مِن حُبِّ زَينَبا

And I loved the people of al-Ghawr for love of Dhu Fana,

I love the people of the vale for the love of an artful one,

and I loved Sulmanayn for love of Zaynab.

And I love two Sulaymāns for loving Zainab,

يُحَيّونَ هِنداً وَالحِجابانِ دونَها

يُحَيّونَ هِنداً وَالحِجابانِ دونَها

بِنَفسِيَ أَهلٌ أَن تُحَيّا وَتُحجَبا

بِنَفسِيَ أَهلٌ أَن تُحَيّا وَتُحجَبا

They greet Hind, with two veils between them and her;

They bid India live, though veils are before her,

my life be her ransom: she is worthy to be greeted and veiled.

With my life! A people to be greeted and veiled!

تَذَكَّرتَ وَالذِكرى تَهيجُكَ وَاِعتَرى

تَذَكَّرتَ وَالذِكرى تَهيجُكَ وَاِعتَرى

خَيالٌ بِمَوماةٍ حَراجيجَ لُغَّبا

خَيالٌ بِمَوماةٍ حَراجيجَ لُغَّبا

You remembered—remembrance stirs you—and there came

You remembered, and memory excited you, moved you,

a phantom to lean, exhausted she-camels in a desert waste.

A phantom of Maymūnah fluttered you confusedly.

لَئِن سَكَنَت تَيمٌ زَماناً بِغِرَّةٍ

لَئِن سَكَنَت تَيمٌ زَماناً بِغِرَّةٍ

لَقَد حُدِيَت تَيمٌ حُداءً عَصَبصَبا

لَقَد حُدِيَت تَيمٌ حُداءً عَصَبصَبا

Even if Taym rested heedlessly for a time,

If Taym lived tranquilly for a time in the valley,

Taym has indeed been driven by a fierce driving chant.

Taym were incited to glowing, kindled strife.

لَقَد مَدَّني عَمروٌ وَزَيدٌ مِنَ الثَرى

لَقَد مَدَّني عَمروٌ وَزَيدٌ مِنَ الثَرى

بِأَكثَرَ مِمّا عِندَ تَيمٍ وَأَطيَبا

بِأَكثَرَ مِمّا عِندَ تَيمٍ وَأَطيَبا

‘Amr and Zayd have indeed endowed me from the soil

‘Amr and Zaid have surpassed Taym in generosity

with more, and better, than Taym possesses.

With more wealth than Taym has, and better.

إِذا اِعتَرَكَ الأَورادُ يا تَيمُ لَم تَجِد

إِذا اِعتَرَكَ الأَورادُ يا تَيمُ لَم تَجِد

عِناجاً وَلا حَبلاً بِدَلوِكَ مُكرَبا

عِناجاً وَلا حَبلاً بِدَلوِكَ مُكرَبا

When the watering parties jostle, O Taym, you will not find

When, O Taym, the thorn-bushes clash, you will not find

a supporting rope beneath your bucket, nor a firmly secured cord.

Either rope or bucket for your well sweep.

وَأَعلَقتُ أَقراني بِتَيمٍ لَقَد لَقوا

وَأَعلَقتُ أَقراني بِتَيمٍ لَقَد لَقوا

قَطوعاً لِأَعناقِ القَرائِنِ مِجذَبا

قَطوعاً لِأَعناقِ القَرائِنِ مِجذَبا

And I fastened my rivals to Taym; they have indeed met

I have linked my peers to Taym; truly they have encountered

one who severs yokefellows' necks and pulls hard.

Beheadings of their neck-pendants brought low.

وَلَو غَضِبَت يا تَيمُ أَو زُيِّلَ الحَصا

وَلَو غَضِبَت يا تَيمُ أَو زُيِّلَ الحَصا

عَلَيكَ تَميمٌ لَم تَجِد لَكَ مَغضَبا

عَلَيكَ تَميمٌ لَم تَجِد لَكَ مَغضَبا

And even if, O Taym, there were anger—or the pebbles were scattered—

If Taym were angry, O Taym, or Taym’s power declined,

from Tamim against you, you would find none angered on your behalf.

Tamīm would not find you wrathful.

وَما تَعرِفونَ الشَمسَ إِلّا لِغَيرِكُم

وَما تَعرِفونَ الشَمسَ إِلّا لِغَيرِكُم

وَلا مِن مُنيراتِ الكَواكِبِ كَوكَبا

وَلا مِن مُنيراتِ الكَواكِبِ كَوكَبا

And you recognize the sun only as belonging to others,

You recognize the sun only for others’ sake,

and not one star among the shining stars as your own.

Nor of the shining heavenly bodies a star.

فَإِنَّ لَنا عَمراً وَسَعداً عَلَيكُمُ

فَإِنَّ لَنا عَمراً وَسَعداً عَلَيكُمُ

وَقَمقامَ زَيدٍ وَالصَريحَ المُهَذَّبا

وَقَمقامَ زَيدٍ وَالصَريحَ المُهَذَّبا

For ours are ‘Amr and Sa‘d, above you,

For we have a life and Sa‘d over you,

and Zayd's great lord, and the pure-born, unblemished one.

And Qamqam of Zaid and his burnished Serīĥ.

سَأُثني عَلى تَيمٍ بِما لا يَسُرُّها

سَأُثني عَلى تَيمٍ بِما لا يَسُرُّها

إِذا أَركُبٌ وافَوا بِنَعمانَ أَركُبا

إِذا أَركُبٌ وافَوا بِنَعمانَ أَركُبا

I shall praise Taym with what will not please her,

I will praise Taym with what will not please her

when riding parties meet riding parties at Na‘man.

If the Arkūb outstrip Nā‘mān’s riders.

فَإِنَّكَ لَو ضَمَّتكَ ياتَيمُ ضَمَّةً

فَإِنَّكَ لَو ضَمَّتكَ ياتَيمُ ضَمَّةً

مَناكِبُ زَيدٍ لَم تُرِد أَن تَوَثَّبا

مَناكِبُ زَيدٍ لَم تُرِد أَن تَوَثَّبا

For if you were clasped, O Taym, in a single embrace

For were you, O Taym, to be embraced by Zaid’s shoulders,

by Zayd's shoulders, you would not wish to spring up.

You would not wish to bound up.

فَوَدَّت نِساءُ الدارِمِيِّنَ لَو تَرى

فَوَدَّت نِساءُ الدارِمِيِّنَ لَو تَرى

عُتَيبَةَ أَو عايَنَّ في الخَيلِ قَعنَبا

عُتَيبَةَ أَو عايَنَّ في الخَيلِ قَعنَبا

Then the Darimi women wished they could see

The women of the Dārim desired, would you but see,

‘Utayba, or behold Qa‘nab among the cavalry.

‘Utbah or spy him among the horses snorting.

أَزَيدَ بنَ عَبدِ اللَهِ هَلّا مَنَعتُمُ

أَزَيدَ بنَ عَبدِ اللَهِ هَلّا مَنَعتُمُ

أُمامَةَ يَومَ الحارِثِيِّ وَزَينَبا

أُمامَةَ يَومَ الحارِثِيِّ وَزَينَبا

O Zayd son of ‘Abd Allah, why did you not protect

Tell Ziyād ibn ‘Abdullāh, why did you not forbid

Umama and Zaynab on the day of al-Harithi?

Ummāmah on the day of the Hārithī and Zainab?

أَخَيلُكَ أَم خَيلي تَدارَكنَ هانِئً

أَخَيلُكَ أَم خَيلي تَدارَكنَ هانِئً

يُثِرنَ عَجاجاً بِالغَبيطَينِ أَصهَبا

يُثِرنَ عَجاجاً بِالغَبيطَينِ أَصهَبا

Was it your horses or mine that overtook Hani’,

Was it your horses or mine that came to the aid of Hāni’,

raising tawny dust at al-Ghabitayn?

Stirring up dust clouds with the two Ghabītān?

فَهَل جَدعُ تَيمٍ لا أَبالَكَ زاجِرٌ

فَهَل جَدعُ تَيمٍ لا أَبالَكَ زاجِرٌ

كَنانَةَ أَو ناهٍ زُهَيراً وَتَولَبا

كَنانَةَ أَو ناهٍ زُهَيراً وَتَولَبا

So will the cutting off of Taym's nose—may you have no father!—deter

Is there no valorous Jinn of Taym to check

Kinana, or restrain Zuhayr and Tawlab?

Kunānah or Nāhih, Zuheir and Taulab?

فَلا يَضغَمَنَّ اللَيثُ عُكلاً بِغِرَّةٍ

فَلا يَضغَمَنَّ اللَيثُ عُكلاً بِغِرَّةٍ

وَعُكلٌ يَشِمّونَ الفَريسَ المُنَيَّبا

وَعُكلٌ يَشِمّونَ الفَريسَ المُنَيَّبا

So let not the lion seize ‘Ukl in its jaws unawares,

Let not the lion fret ‘Ukl, inexperienced,

while ‘Ukl sniff at the fanged prey.

While ‘Ukl scent the prey with twitching nostrils.

وَأُخبِرتُ تَيماً نادِمينَ فَسَرَّني

وَأُخبِرتُ تَيماً نادِمينَ فَسَرَّني

مَلامَةُ تَيمٍ أَمرَها المُتَعَقَّبا

مَلامَةُ تَيمٍ أَمرَها المُتَعَقَّبا

And I was told that Taym were regretful, so I was pleased by

I was told that the people of Taym were sorry, and it delighted me -

Taym's self-reproach over her conduct, reconsidered afterward.

Taym’s being blamed by those who emulate her.