أَلا حَيِّ الدِيارَ بِسَعدَ إِنّي

أَلا حَيِّ الدِيارَ بِسَعدَ إِنّي

أُحِبُّ لِحُبِّ فاطِمَةَ الدِيارا

أُحِبُّ لِحُبِّ فاطِمَةَ الدِيارا

Lo, greet the dwellings at Saʿd, for I

O dweller of the abodes, rejoice in Sa'd!

love the dwellings for love of Fāṭimah.

Indeed, I love the dwellings for the love of Fatimah

أَرادَ الظاعِنونَ لِيُحزِنوني

أَرادَ الظاعِنونَ لِيُحزِنوني

فَهاجوا صَدعَ قَلبي فَاِستَطارا

فَهاجوا صَدعَ قَلبي فَاِستَطارا

Those departing intended to grieve me,

The slanderers wanted to sadden me

so they stirred the rift in my heart, and it flew apart.

So they disturbed the heartache within, unleashing it

لَقَد فاضَت دُموعُكَ يَومَ قَوٍّ

لَقَد فاضَت دُموعُكَ يَومَ قَوٍّ

لَبينٍ كانَ حاجَتُهُ اِدِّكارا

لَبينٍ كانَ حاجَتُهُ اِدِّكارا

Your tears indeed overflowed on the day at Qaww,

Indeed, your tears overflowed, on a day of strength

for a parting that called for remembrance.

For an eloquent man whose need was remembrance

أَبيتُ اللَيلَ أَرقُبُ كُلَّ نَجمٍ

أَبيتُ اللَيلَ أَرقُبُ كُلَّ نَجمٍ

تَعَرَّضَ حَيثُ أَنجَدَ ثُمَّ غارا

تَعَرَّضَ حَيثُ أَنجَدَ ثُمَّ غارا

I spend the night watching every star

I stayed up the night, watching every star

that comes into view, rising high and then sinking low.

Crossing by wherever I sought help, then hiding away

يَحِنُّ فُؤادُهُ وَالعَينُ تَلقى

يَحِنُّ فُؤادُهُ وَالعَينُ تَلقى

مِنَ العَبَراتِ جَولاً وَاِنحِدارا

مِنَ العَبَراتِ جَولاً وَاِنحِدارا

His heart yearns, and the eye encounters

His heart yearns and the eye meets

the welling and streaming of tears.

From tears, rounds of descending and flowing

إِذا ما حَلَّ أَهلُكِ يا سُلَيمى

إِذا ما حَلَّ أَهلُكِ يا سُلَيمى

بِدارَةِ صُلصُلٍ شَحَطوا المَزارا

بِدارَةِ صُلصُلٍ شَحَطوا المَزارا

When your people settle, O Sulaymā,

If your family, O Sulaymah, descends

at Dārat Ṣulṣul, they make the visit a long journey.

Upon Darih Salsal, they rove the tombs

فَيَدعونا الفُؤادُ إِلى هَواها

فَيَدعونا الفُؤادُ إِلى هَواها

وَيَكرَهُ أَهلُ جَهمَةَ أَن تُزارا

وَيَكرَهُ أَهلُ جَهمَةَ أَن تُزارا

So the heart calls us toward love of her,

So the heart calls us to her love

while Jahmah's people dislike her being visited.

And the people of Jahamah dislike that she be visited

كَأَنَّ مُجاشِعاً نَخَباتُ نيبٍ

كَأَنَّ مُجاشِعاً نَخَباتُ نيبٍ

هَبَطنَ الهَرمَ أَسفَلَ مِن سَرارا

هَبَطنَ الهَرمَ أَسفَلَ مِن سَرارا

As though Mujāshiʿ were a feeble herd of old she-camels

As if the select parts of Nabih's wine

that descended to al-Harm, below Sarār.

Came down the Pyramid, lower than the shroud

إِذا حَلّوا زَرودَ بَنوا عَلَيها

إِذا حَلّوا زَرودَ بَنوا عَلَيها

بُيوتَ الذُلِّ وَالعَمَدَ القِصارا

بُيوتَ الذُلِّ وَالعَمَدَ القِصارا

When they settle at Zarūd, they build there

When they descend upon Zarood, they build upon it

houses of abasement and short tent-poles.

Houses of disgrace and short columns

تَسيلُ عَلَيهِمُ شُعَبُ المَخازي

تَسيلُ عَلَيهِمُ شُعَبُ المَخازي

وَقَد كانوا لِسَوأَتِها قَرارا

وَقَد كانوا لِسَوأَتِها قَرارا

Streams of disgrace flow over them,

The valleys of Makhzee flow down upon them

and they have been a basin for its foulness.

Though they had settled there

وَهَل كانَ الفَرَزدَقُ غَيرَ قِردٍ

وَهَل كانَ الفَرَزدَقُ غَيرَ قِردٍ

أَصابَتهُ الصَواعِقُ فَاِستَدارا

أَصابَتهُ الصَواعِقُ فَاِستَدارا

And was al-Farazdaq anything but a monkey

Wasn't Farazdaq but a monkey

struck by thunderbolts, so it spun around?

Struck down by lightning, spinning around

وَكُنتَ إِذا حَلَلتَ بِدارِ قَومٍ

وَكُنتَ إِذا حَلَلتَ بِدارِ قَومٍ

رَحَلتَ بِخِزيَةٍ وَتَرَكتَ عارا

رَحَلتَ بِخِزيَةٍ وَتَرَكتَ عارا

And whenever you settled in a people's abode,

You used to, when encamped at a people’s abode

you departed in disgrace and left shame behind.

Depart with shame and leave in disgrace

تَزَوَّجتُم نَوارَ وَلَم تُريدوا

تَزَوَّجتُم نَوارَ وَلَم تُريدوا

لِيُدرِكَ ثائِرٌ بِأَبي نَوارا

لِيُدرِكَ ثائِرٌ بِأَبي نَوارا

You married Nawār, yet did not wish

You married Nawar yet intended not

an avenger to gain redress for Nawār's father.

For a rebel against my father to attain Nawar

فَدينُكَ يا فَرَزدَقُ دينُ لَيلى

فَدينُكَ يا فَرَزدَقُ دينُ لَيلى

تَزورُ القَينَ حَجّاً وَاِعتِمارا

تَزورُ القَينَ حَجّاً وَاِعتِمارا

So your religion, Farazdaq, is Laylā's religion:

So your religion, O Farazdaq, is Layla’s religion

she visits the smith on pilgrimage and lesser pilgrimage.

Visiting Qaynu for pilgrimage and Umrah

فَظَلَّ القَينُ بَعدَ بِكاحِ لَيلى

فَظَلَّ القَينُ بَعدَ بِكاحِ لَيلى

يُطيرُ عَلى سِبالِكُمُ الشَرارا

يُطيرُ عَلى سِبالِكُمُ الشَرارا

So the smith, after coupling with Laylā, kept

So Qaynu kept flying after Layla’s wedding

sending sparks flying onto your moustaches.

Sparks upon your resting-places

مَرَيتُم حَربَنا لَكُمُ فَدَرَّت

مَرَيتُم حَربَنا لَكُمُ فَدَرَّت

بِذي عَلَقٍ فَأَبطَأَتِ الغِرارا

بِذي عَلَقٍ فَأَبطَأَتِ الغِرارا

You milked our war against you, and it flowed

You viewed our war against you, and it repelled

with clotted blood, slow to run dry.

The piercing sparks at Dhi ‘Alaq

أَلَم أَكُ قَد نَهَيتُ عَلى حَفيرٍ

أَلَم أَكُ قَد نَهَيتُ عَلى حَفيرٍ

بَني قُرطٍ وَعِلجَهُمُ شُقارا

بَني قُرطٍ وَعِلجَهُمُ شُقارا

Had I not already warned, at Ḥafīr,

Did I not forbid digging at Hafir

the sons of Qurṭ and their brute Shuqār?

The sons of Qurtah and their filthy abodes

سَأُرهِنُ يا اِبنَ حادِجَةَ الرَوايا

سَأُرهِنُ يا اِبنَ حادِجَةَ الرَوايا

لَكُم مَدَّ الأَعِنَّةِ وَالحِضارا

لَكُم مَدَّ الأَعِنَّةِ وَالحِضارا

I shall pledge the verse-carriers, O son of Ḥādijah,

I will wager, O son of Hadijah's storytellers

to you, as far as reins stretch and steeds gallop.

Against you the extending of spears and wars

يَرى المُتَعَبِّدونَ عَلَيَّ دوني

يَرى المُتَعَبِّدونَ عَلَيَّ دوني

حِياضَ المَوتِ وَاللُجَجَ الغِمارا

حِياضَ المَوتِ وَاللُجَجَ الغِمارا

Those who would enslave me see, before reaching me,

The ascetics see upon me, besides me

the pools of death and deep, engulfing seas.

Pools of death and dark, murky swamps

أَلَسنا نَحنُ قَد عَلِمَت مَعَدٌّ

أَلَسنا نَحنُ قَد عَلِمَت مَعَدٌّ

غَداةَ الرَوعِ أَجدَرَ أَن نَغارا

غَداةَ الرَوعِ أَجدَرَ أَن نَغارا

Are we not—as Maʿadd has learned—

Are we not—did Mu'add know—more worthy

on terror's morning, the readiest to guard our honor,

The morning after fright, to envy

وَأَضرَبَ بِالسُيوفِ إِذا تَلاقَت

وَأَضرَبَ بِالسُيوفِ إِذا تَلاقَت

هَوادي الخَيلِ صادِيَةً حِرارا

هَوادي الخَيلِ صادِيَةً حِرارا

and hardest-striking with swords when there meet

And strike with swords when the horses engage

the horses' foreparts, parched and burning,

The valleys resound, kindling hot flashes

وَأَطعَنَ حينَ تَختَلِفُ العَوالي

وَأَطعَنَ حينَ تَختَلِفُ العَوالي

بِمَأزولٍ إِذا ما النَقعُ ثارا

بِمَأزولٍ إِذا ما النَقعُ ثارا

and strongest in spear-thrusts when spearheads cross,

And stab with spears when the heights vary

with a slender spear when the dust rises,

With outstretched arms when the pools seethe

وَأَحمَدَ في القِرى وَأَعَزَّ نَصراً

وَأَحمَدَ في القِرى وَأَعَزَّ نَصراً

وَأَمنَعَ جانِباً وَأَعَزَّ جارا

وَأَمنَعَ جانِباً وَأَعَزَّ جارا

and most praised for hospitality, and mightiest in aid,

And praise, in war he brings victory

and strongest in defending our flanks, most protective of a neighbor?

And defends a side and strengthens a neighbor

غَضِبنا يَومَ طِخفَةَ قَد عَلِمتُم

غَضِبنا يَومَ طِخفَةَ قَد عَلِمتُم

فَصَفَّدنا المُلوكَ بِها اِعتِسارا

فَصَفَّدنا المُلوكَ بِها اِعتِسارا

We raged on the day of Ṭikhfah, as you well know,

We were angry the day of Tikhfah, as you knew

and there we shackled kings by force.

So we bound the kings there, as a lesson

فَوارِسُنا عُتَيبَةُ وَاِبنُ سَعدٍ

فَوارِسُنا عُتَيبَةُ وَاِبنُ سَعدٍ

وَقَوّادُ المَقانِبِ حَيثُ سارا

وَقَوّادُ المَقانِبِ حَيثُ سارا

Our horsemen are ʿUtaybah and Ibn Saʿd,

Our horsemen: Utaybah and the son of Sa’d

and commanders of cavalry bands wherever they marched.

And the captains of the raids, wherever they marched

وَمِنّا المَعقِلانِ وَعَبدُ قَيسٍ

وَمِنّا المَعقِلانِ وَعَبدُ قَيسٍ

وَفارِسُنا الَّذي مَنَعَ الذِمارا

وَفارِسُنا الَّذي مَنَعَ الذِمارا

And among us are the two Maʿqils and ʿAbd Qays,

Among us: Ma’qil and Abd Qays

and our horseman who safeguarded our honor.

And our horseman who hindered adversaries

فَما تَرجو النُجومَ بَنو عِقالٍ

فَما تَرجو النُجومَ بَنو عِقالٍ

وَلا القَمَرَ المُنيرِ إِذا اِستَنارا

وَلا القَمَرَ المُنيرِ إِذا اِستَنارا

So the sons of ʿIqāl can hope for neither the stars

So expect not the stars, O Banu ‘Iqal

nor the radiant moon when it shines.

Nor the shining moon, when it lights up

وَنَحنُ الموقِدونَ بِكُلِّ ثَغرٍ

وَنَحنُ الموقِدونَ بِكُلِّ ثَغرٍ

يُخافُ بِهِ العَدوُّ عَلَيكَ نارا

يُخافُ بِهِ العَدوُّ عَلَيكَ نارا

And we are those who kindle, at every frontier

While we light up the enemies at every frontier

where the foe is feared, a fire against you.

Feared by the enemy as an inflamed fire

أَتَنسَونَ الزُبَيرَ وَرَهنَ عَوفٍ

أَتَنسَونَ الزُبَيرَ وَرَهنَ عَوفٍ

وَعَوفاً حينَ عَزَّكُمُ فَجارا

وَعَوفاً حينَ عَزَّكُمُ فَجارا

Do you forget al-Zubayr and ʿAwf's pledge,

Have you forgotten Az-Zubayr and the pledge of ‘Awf

and ʿAwf, when he overpowered you, then acted unjustly?

And ‘Awf, when he strengthened you against a rebellious neighbor?