هَلّا سَأَلتِ وَأَنتِ غَيرُ عَيِيَّةٍ

هَلّا سَأَلتِ وَأَنتِ غَيرُ عَيِيَّةٍ

وَشِفاءُ ذي العِيِّ السُؤالُ عَنِ العَمى

وَشِفاءُ ذي العِيِّ السُؤالُ عَنِ العَمى

Why did you not ask, though you are not tongue-tied—

Why didn't you ask while you were not helpless,

And the cure for the tongue-tied is asking about what one cannot see—

And asking heals the blindness of the blind?

عَن مَشهَدي بِبُعاثَ إِذ دَلَفَت لَهُ

عَن مَشهَدي بِبُعاثَ إِذ دَلَفَت لَهُ

غَسّانُ بِالبيضِ القَواطِعِ وَالقَنا

غَسّانُ بِالبيضِ القَواطِعِ وَالقَنا

About my stand at Bu'ath, when toward it advanced

About my stance when Ghassan charged it

Ghassan, with white, keen-edged swords and spears;

With steeds as white as hail or flowing water,

وَعَنِ اِعتِناقي ثابِتاً في مَشهَدِ

وَعَنِ اِعتِناقي ثابِتاً في مَشهَدِ

مُتَنافِسٍ فيهِ الشَجاعَةُ لِلفَتى

مُتَنافِسٍ فيهِ الشَجاعَةُ لِلفَتى

And about my grappling with Thabit in an encounter

And my embrace, standing firm in the battle

Where young men vie in courage?

Where valor was contested by the youths,

فَشَرَيتُهُ بِأَجَمَّ أَسوَدَ حالِكٍ

فَشَرَيتُهُ بِأَجَمَّ أَسوَدَ حالِكٍ

بِعُكاظَ مَوقوفاً بِمَجمَعِها ضُحا

بِعُكاظَ مَوقوفاً بِمَجمَعِها ضُحا

So I ransomed him with a thick-haired, pitch-black man,

So I bought him with the blackest doom of death

At Ukaz, kept standing at its gathering place at midmorning.

In Ukaz, halted at the meet’s pavilion,

ما إِن وَجَدتُ لَهُ فِداءً غَيرُهُ

ما إِن وَجَدتُ لَهُ فِداءً غَيرُهُ

وَكَذاكَ كانَ فِداؤُهم فيما مَضى

وَكَذاكَ كانَ فِداؤُهم فيما مَضى

I found no ransom for him other than that man,

I found no ransom for him but my sword,

And such was their ransom in days gone by.

And so was their redemption in days gone by.

إِنّي اِمرُؤٌ أَقني الحَياءَ وَشيمَتي

إِنّي اِمرُؤٌ أَقني الحَياءَ وَشيمَتي

كَرمُ الطَبيعَةِ وَالتَجَنُّبُ لِلخَنا

كَرمُ الطَبيعَةِ وَالتَجَنُّبُ لِلخَنا

I am a man who cherishes modesty, and my disposition is

I am a man of dignity and noble traits,

Nobility of nature and avoidance of foul speech.

Nature’s bounty and shunning wickedness,

مِن مَعشَرٍ فيهِم قُرومٌ سادَةٌ

مِن مَعشَرٍ فيهِم قُرومٌ سادَةٌ

وَلِيوثُ غابٍ حينَ تَضطَرِمُ الوَغى

وَلِيوثُ غابٍ حينَ تَضطَرِمُ الوَغى

From a people among whom are mighty chiefs and lords,

Of a tribe with glorious chiefs,

And lions of the thickets when battle blazes;

And lions absent when fight fires flare,

وَيَصولُ بِالأَبدانِ كُلُّ مُسَفَّرٍ

وَيَصولُ بِالأَبدانِ كُلُّ مُسَفَّرٍ

مِثلَ الشِهابِ إِذا تَوَقَّدَ بِالغَضا

مِثلَ الشِهابِ إِذا تَوَقَّدَ بِالغَضا

And every polished blade assails coats of mail,

Each bared warrior raging like

Like a firebrand when it blazes with ghada wood.

A blazing meteor when ignited in the dark.