إِنَّ بِالشَعبِ الَّذي دونَ سَلعٍ

إِنَّ بِالشَعبِ الَّذي دونَ سَلعٍ

لَقَتيلاً دَمُهُ ما يُطَلُّ

لَقَتيلاً دَمُهُ ما يُطَلُّ

Truly, in the mountain pass below Salʿ,

In the ravine that lies below Salʿ there is indeed

lies a slain man whose blood shall not go unavenged.

a slain man whose blood shall not go unavenged.

خَلَّفَ العِبءَ عَلَيَّ وَوَلّى

خَلَّفَ العِبءَ عَلَيَّ وَوَلّى

أَنا بِالعِبءِ لَهُ مُستَقِلُّ

أَنا بِالعِبءِ لَهُ مُستَقِلُّ

He left the burden upon me and departed;

He left the burden upon me and turned away;

I alone am equal to bearing that burden for him.

I can shoulder that burden on his behalf.

وَوَراءَ الثَأرِ مِنّي اِبنُ أُختٍ

وَوَراءَ الثَأرِ مِنّي اِبنُ أُختٍ

مَصِعٌ عُقدَتُهُ ما تُحَلُّ

مَصِعٌ عُقدَتُهُ ما تُحَلُّ

And I, his sister’s son, am on the trail of vengeance—

And in me a sister's son is intent on vengeance,

a stubborn man whose knot of resolve cannot be undone.

fierce in combat, his knot never to be undone.

مُطرِقٌ يَرشُحُ سُمّاً كَما أَط

مُطرِقٌ يَرشُحُ سُمّاً كَما أَط

رَقَ أَفعى يَنفُثُ السُمَّ صِلُّ

رَقَ أَفعى يَنفُثُ السُمَّ صِلُّ

Head bowed, he beads with venom, as when a viper lowers

Head bowed, he oozes venom, as when

its head—a deadly male serpent breathing poison.

a viper bows its head—a deadly serpent spitting poison.

خَبَرٌ ما نابَنا مُصمَئِلٌّ

خَبَرٌ ما نابَنا مُصمَئِلٌّ

جَلَّ حَتّى دَقَّ فيهِ الأَجَلُّ

جَلَّ حَتّى دَقَّ فيهِ الأَجَلُّ

The news of what befell us looms grimly upright;

Grievous news has befallen us,

it swelled until death itself seemed small within it.

so great that the greatest thing seems small beside it.

بَزَّني الدَهرُ وَكانَ غَشوماً

بَزَّني الدَهرُ وَكانَ غَشوماً

بِأَبي جارُهُ ما يَذِلُّ

بِأَبي جارُهُ ما يَذِلُّ

Time despoiled me, and time was tyrannous.

Time robbed me of him, and Time was ruthless.

May my father ransom him: his neighbor is never humbled.

My father be his ransom! His neighbor is never humbled.

شامِسٌ في القُرِّ حَتّى إِذا ما

شامِسٌ في القُرِّ حَتّى إِذا ما

ذَكَتِ الشَعرى فَبَردٌ وَظِلُّ

ذَكَتِ الشَعرى فَبَردٌ وَظِلُّ

A blazing sun amid bitter cold; yet when

Warm as the sun in the cold; and when

Sirius rises, he is coolness and shade.

Sirius blazes, he is coolness and shade.

يا بِسُ الجَنبَينِ مِن غَيرِ بُؤسٍ

يا بِسُ الجَنبَينِ مِن غَيرِ بُؤسٍ

وَنَدِيِّ الكَفَّينِ شَهمٌ مُدِلُّ

وَنَدِيِّ الكَفَّينِ شَهمٌ مُدِلُّ

Lean in both flanks, though not from poverty;

Lean-flanked, though not from poverty,

open-handed, lionhearted, proudly assured.

and moist of both palms, noble and self-assured.

ظاعِنٌ بِالحَزمِ حَتّى إِذا ما

ظاعِنٌ بِالحَزمِ حَتّى إِذا ما

حَلَّ الحَزمُ حَيثُ يَحِلُّ

حَلَّ الحَزمُ حَيثُ يَحِلُّ

Ever journeying with firm resolve, until

He travels with prudence; and whenever

resolve alights—wherever it alights, he does.

he alights, prudence is where he alights.

وَلَهُ طَعمانِ أَريٌ وَشَريٌ

وَلَهُ طَعمانِ أَريٌ وَشَريٌ

وَكِلا الطَعمَينِ قَد ذاقَ كُلُّ

وَكِلا الطَعمَينِ قَد ذاقَ كُلُّ

He has two tastes: honey and bitter colocynth,

He has two flavors: honey and bitter colocynth;

and everyone has tasted both.

and everyone has tasted both.

غَيثُ مُزنٍ غامِرٌ حَيثُ يُجدي

غَيثُ مُزنٍ غامِرٌ حَيثُ يُجدي

وَإِذا يَسطو فَلَيثٌ أَبَلُّ

وَإِذا يَسطو فَلَيثٌ أَبَلُّ

Rain from the clouds, engulfing wherever bounty avails;

A cloud's abundant downpour when he gives,

but when he strikes, he is a seasoned lion.

and when he attacks, an unyielding lion.

مُسبِلٌ في الحَيِّ أَحوى رِفَلٌّ

مُسبِلٌ في الحَيِّ أَحوى رِفَلٌّ

وَإِذا يَغزو فَسِمعٌ أَزَلُّ

وَإِذا يَغزو فَسِمعٌ أَزَلُّ

Among his people, dark-lipped, he trails his ample robes;

Among the clan he trails his robes, dark-hued and stately;

when he raids, he is a lean, swift samʿ—the wolf–hyena hybrid.

and when he raids, a lean-haunched wolf-hyena.

يَركَبُ الهَولَ وَحيداً وَلا يَص

يَركَبُ الهَولَ وَحيداً وَلا يَص

حَبُهُ إِلّا اليَماني الأَفَلُّ

حَبُهُ إِلّا اليَماني الأَفَلُّ

He rides alone into mortal terror, and none

He rides into terror alone, and none

accompanies him but a battle-notched Yemeni blade.

accompanies him but his notched Yemeni blade.

وَفُتُوٍّ هَجَّروا ثُمَّ أَسرَوا

وَفُتُوٍّ هَجَّروا ثُمَّ أَسرَوا

لَيلَهُم حَتّى إِذا اِنجابَ حَلّوا

لَيلَهُم حَتّى إِذا اِنجابَ حَلّوا

Young warriors journeyed in the midday heat, then traveled by night

And young warriors marched in the noon heat, then traveled

through darkness until it rolled away, and then they encamped—

through their night, halting when it lifted.

كُلُّ ماضٍ قَد تَرَدّى بِماضٍ

كُلُّ ماضٍ قَد تَرَدّى بِماضٍ

كَسَنى البَرقِ إِذا ما يُسَلُّ

كَسَنى البَرقِ إِذا ما يُسَلُّ

each resolute man girded with a cutting blade,

Each resolute man had slung on a keen blade,

like lightning’s spearhead when it is drawn.

like lightning's gleam whenever it is drawn.

فَاِدَّرَكنا الثَأرَ مِنهُم وَلَمّا

فَاِدَّرَكنا الثَأرَ مِنهُم وَلَمّا

يَنجُ مِن لَحيانَ إِلّا الأَقَلُّ

يَنجُ مِن لَحيانَ إِلّا الأَقَلُّ

Thus we exacted the blood-vengeance from them, and none

So we took our vengeance on them, and none

of Lihyan escaped except the barest few.

of Lihyan escaped except the very few.

فَاِحتَسَوا أَنفاسَ نَومٍ فَلَمّا

فَاِحتَسَوا أَنفاسَ نَومٍ فَلَمّا

هَوَّموا رُعتَهُم فَاِشمَعَلّوا

هَوَّموا رُعتَهُم فَاِشمَعَلّوا

They drank mere snatches of sleep; and when

They sipped a few breaths of sleep; then when

they drowsed, I startled them, and they scattered.

they dozed, I startled them, and they darted away.

فَلَئِن فَلَّت هُذَيلٌ شَباهُ

فَلَئِن فَلَّت هُذَيلٌ شَباهُ

لَبِما كانَ هُذَيلاً يَفُلُّ

لَبِما كانَ هُذَيلاً يَفُلُّ

Though Hudhayl had blunted his blade,

Yet if Hudhayl has blunted his edge,

how often he himself had blunted Hudhayl!

how often he had blunted Hudhayl!

وَبِما أَبرَكَها في مُناخٍ

وَبِما أَبرَكَها في مُناخٍ

جَعجَعٍ يَنقَبُ فيهِ الأَظَلُّ

جَعجَعٍ يَنقَبُ فيهِ الأَظَلُّ

How often he forced her to her knees in an encampment

And how often he made them kneel at a halting-ground

so grindingly confined that the unarmed man is slain there.

so harsh that a camel's footpad wears through.

وَبِما صَبَّحَها في ذَراها

وَبِما صَبَّحَها في ذَراها

مِنهُ بَعدَ القَتلِ نَهبٌ وَشَلُّ

مِنهُ بَعدَ القَتلِ نَهبٌ وَشَلُّ

How often at dawn he fell upon her in her highlands;

And how often he assailed their heights at dawn:

from him, after slaughter, came plunder and captured herds.

after slaughter came his plunder and the driving-off of herds.

صَلِيَت مِنهُ هُذَيلٌ بِخِرقٍ

صَلِيَت مِنهُ هُذَيلٌ بِخِرقٍ

لا يَمَلُّ الشَرَّ حَتّى يَمَلّوا

لا يَمَلُّ الشَرَّ حَتّى يَمَلّوا

Hudhayl was scorched by him—a reckless champion

Hudhayl burned at the hands of that daring warrior,

who never tires of war until they tire.

who never tires of wreaking harm until they tire.

يُنهِلُ الصَعدَةَ حَتّى إِذا ما

يُنهِلُ الصَعدَةَ حَتّى إِذا ما

نَهِلَت كانَ لَها مِنهُ عَلُّ

نَهِلَت كانَ لَها مِنهُ عَلُّ

He gives the upright spear its first drink, until

He gives his straight spear its first drink; then, when

once it has drunk, it has from him a second draught.

it has drunk, he gives it a second draught.

تَضحَكُ الضَبعُ لِقَتلى هُذَيلٍ

تَضحَكُ الضَبعُ لِقَتلى هُذَيلٍ

وَتَرى الذِئبَ لَها يَستَهِلُّ

وَتَرى الذِئبَ لَها يَستَهِلُّ

The hyena laughs over Hudhayl’s slain,

The hyena laughs over Hudhayl's slain,

and you see the wolf howl exultantly over them.

and you see the wolf raising its howl to her.

وَعِتاقُ الطَيرِ تَغدو بِطاناً

وَعِتاقُ الطَيرِ تَغدو بِطاناً

تَتَخَطّاهُم فَما تَستَقِلُّ

تَتَخَطّاهُم فَما تَستَقِلُّ

Noble birds of prey set out at dawn, full-bellied,

And the noble birds go forth at morning full-bellied,

stepping over them, too laden to take wing.

stepping over them, unable to take wing.

حَلَتِ الخَمرُ وَكانَت حَراماً

حَلَتِ الخَمرُ وَكانَت حَراماً

وَبِلَأيٍ ما أَلَمَّت تَحِلُّ

وَبِلَأيٍ ما أَلَمَّت تَحِلُّ

Wine has become lawful, though it had been forbidden;

Wine has become lawful, though it was forbidden,

only through the grievous ordeal it underwent did it become lawful.

and only with hardship has it come near to being lawful.

فَاِسقِنيها يا سَوادَ بنَ عَمرٍو

فَاِسقِنيها يا سَوادَ بنَ عَمرٍو

إِنَّ جِسمي بَعدَ خالي لَخَلُّ

إِنَّ جِسمي بَعدَ خالي لَخَلُّ

So pour it for me, Sawad son of ʿAmr:

So give it to me to drink, O Sawad son of Amr,

for since my maternal uncle’s death, my body has grown gaunt.

for since my maternal uncle's death, my body is wasted.