أَمِن رَسمِ أَطلالٍ بِتَوضِحَ كَالسَطرِ

أَمِن رَسمِ أَطلالٍ بِتَوضِحَ كَالسَطرِ

فَما شِنَ مِن شَعرِ فَرابِيَةَ الجَفرِ

فَما شِنَ مِن شَعرِ فَرابِيَةَ الجَفرِ

Is it because of traces of ruined dwellings at Tawdih, like a line of writing,

From the ruins' drawing as lines so clear

then what has weathered at Sha‘r, then the rise of al-Jafr,

No poetry like Al-Farazdaq’s appears

إِلى النَخلِ فَالعَرجَينِ حَولَ سُوَيقَةٍ

إِلى النَخلِ فَالعَرجَينِ حَولَ سُوَيقَةٍ

تَأنَسُ في الأُدمِ الجَوازيءِ وَالعُفرِ

تَأنَسُ في الأُدمِ الجَوازيءِ وَالعُفرِ

to al-Nakhl, then al-‘Arjayn, around Suwayqa,

To the palm trees and then the bent ones around Sawayqah

that you find solace among white gazelles needing no drink and tawny ones?

That revels in the soft sand and spotted hide

قِفارٍ وَقَد تَرعى بِها أُمُّ رافِعٍ

قِفارٍ وَقَد تَرعى بِها أُمُّ رافِعٍ

مَذانِبَها بَينَ الأَسِلَّةِ وَالصَخرِ

مَذانِبَها بَينَ الأَسِلَّةِ وَالصَخرِ

Desolate lands, where Umm Rafi‘ once pastured

Abarrens where Umm Rafi’ pastures

their valley channels, between al-Asilla and the rocks.

Her camels among the tussocks and rock

وَإِذ هِيَ خَودٌ كَالوَذيلَةِ بادِنٌ

وَإِذ هِيَ خَودٌ كَالوَذيلَةِ بادِنٌ

أَسيلَةُ ما يَبدو مِنَ الجَيبِ وَالنَحرِ

أَسيلَةُ ما يَبدو مِنَ الجَيبِ وَالنَحرِ

And when she was a full-bodied maiden, like a silver ingot,

When she’s a cheek like the trailing robe, close by

smooth in what showed at her neckline and upper chest,

Baring what shows from mantle and chest

كَمُغزِلَةٍ تَغذو بِحَومَلَ شادِناً

كَمُغزِلَةٍ تَغذو بِحَومَلَ شادِناً

ضَئيلَ البُغامِ غَيرَ طِفلٍ وَلا جَأرِ

ضَئيلَ البُغامِ غَيرَ طِفلٍ وَلا جَأرِ

like a doe at Hawmal nourishing a fawn,

Like a spinster feeding on truffles though having

faint of cry, neither newborn nor loudly bellowing.

No little camels, no lambs that bleat

طَباها مِنَ الناناتِ أَو صَهَواتِها

طَباها مِنَ الناناتِ أَو صَهَواتِها

مَدافِعُ جوفا فَالنَواصِفِ فَالحَترِ

مَدافِعُ جوفا فَالنَواصِفِ فَالحَترِ

From al-Nanat, or its heights, she was lured

Pleasures for her are mint or its berries

by the watercourses of Jawfa, then al-Nawasif, then al-Hatr.

Repulsing guts so statuesque and compact

إِذا الشَمسُ كانَت رَتوَةً مِن حِجابِها

إِذا الشَمسُ كانَت رَتوَةً مِن حِجابِها

تَقَتها بِأَطرافِ الأَراكِ وَبِالسَدرِ

تَقَتها بِأَطرافِ الأَراكِ وَبِالسَدرِ

When the sun was a bowshot from its veil,

When the sun was somewhat unveiled from its veil

she screened herself from it with arak branches and lote trees.

She’d welcome it with litter’s edge and trunks of lote

فَيا راكِبا إِمّا عَرَضتَ فَبَلِّغَن

فَيا راكِبا إِمّا عَرَضتَ فَبَلِّغَن

عَقيلا إِذا لاقَيتَها وَأَبا بَكرِ

عَقيلا إِذا لاقَيتَها وَأَبا بَكرِ

So, rider, if ever you pass that way, surely convey

Oh passerby, should you meet them, transmit

to ‘Aqil, if you meet them, and Abu Bakr,

To ‘Uqail and Abu Bakr when you occur

بِأَنَّكُمُ مِن خَيرِ قَومٍ لِقَومِكُم

بِأَنَّكُمُ مِن خَيرِ قَومٍ لِقَومِكُم

عَلى أَنَّ قَولاً في المَجالِسِ كَالهُجرِ

عَلى أَنَّ قَولاً في المَجالِسِ كَالهُجرِ

that you are among the best of people to your own people,

That you are best folk unto your folk

though some talk in the assemblies is like foul abuse.

Though saying in assemblies like neighbor-shunning

دَعوا جانِباً إِنّا سَنَنزِلُ جانِباً

دَعوا جانِباً إِنّا سَنَنزِلُ جانِباً

لَكُم واسِعاً بَينَ اليَمامَةِ وَالقَهرِ

لَكُم واسِعاً بَينَ اليَمامَةِ وَالقَهرِ

Leave a tract aside; we shall settle in a tract,

Leave aside, we will leave you a side

spacious for you, between al-Yamama and al-Qahr.

Spacious between Yamamah and Al-Qahr

أَغَرَّكُمُ مِن قَومِكُم عَدَدُ الحَصى

أَغَرَّكُمُ مِن قَومِكُم عَدَدُ الحَصى

وَأَنِ الفُضولَ في رُوَآسٍ وَفي وَبرِ

وَأَنِ الفُضولَ في رُوَآسٍ وَفي وَبرِ

Has your people's number—as many as pebbles—deceived you,

Did our number delude you, mere pebbles

and the surplus numbers in Ru'as and in Wabr?

As surplus on heads and in hair they occurred?

كَأَنَّكُم خُبِّرتُمُ أَو عَلِمتُمُ

كَأَنَّكُم خُبِّرتُمُ أَو عَلِمتُمُ

مَوالِيَ مِمَّن لا يَنامُ وَلا يَسري

مَوالِيَ مِمَّن لا يَنامُ وَلا يَسري

As though you had been told, or knew,

As though you were told or you knew

that my allies are among those who neither sleep nor travel by night.

Those loyal to us - no sleep nor movement

كَذَبتُم وَبَيتِ اللَهِ حَتّى تُعالِجوا

كَذَبتُم وَبَيتِ اللَهِ حَتّى تُعالِجوا

قَوادِمَ حَربٍ لا تَلينُ وَلا تَمري

قَوادِمَ حَربٍ لا تَلينُ وَلا تَمري

You lie, by the House of God—wait until you grapple with

You lied, by God’s house, until you take on

the first assaults of a war that neither softens nor yields;

Raids of war that relent not nor die

وَنَركَبُ خَيلاً لا هَوادَةَ بَينَها

وَنَركَبُ خَيلاً لا هَوادَةَ بَينَها

وَنَعصي الرِماحَ بِالضَياطِرَةِ الحُمرِ

وَنَعصي الرِماحَ بِالضَياطِرَةِ الحُمرِ

and we ride horses among which there is no truce,

Horses we’ll ride, no affection among them

and ply our spears against hulking, ruddy men.

We’ll raise our spears with the ferrules red

فَلَسنا بِوَقّافينَ عُصلٍ رِماحُنا

فَلَسنا بِوَقّافينَ عُصلٍ رِماحُنا

وَلَسنا بِصَدّافينَ عَن غايَةِ التَجرِ

وَلَسنا بِصَدّافينَ عَن غايَةِ التَجرِ

So we are not men who hang back; our spears are bent,

We’re no spear-planters, our lances

nor are we men who turn away from the traders' banner.

Nor deviators from the goal or limit

وَإِنّا لَمِن قَومٍ كِرامٍ أَعِزَّةٍ

وَإِنّا لَمِن قَومٍ كِرامٍ أَعِزَّةٍ

إِذا لَحِقَت خَيلٌ بِفُرسانِها تَجري

إِذا لَحِقَت خَيلٌ بِفُرسانِها تَجري

And we are indeed of a noble, mighty people,

We are of folk noble, proud

when horses come racing up with their riders.

When horses catch up with their horsemen they run

وَنَحنُ إِذا ما الخَيلُ أَدرَكَ رَكضُها

وَنَحنُ إِذا ما الخَيلُ أَدرَكَ رَكضُها

لَبِسنا لَها جِلدَ الأَساوِدِ وَالنُمرِ

لَبِسنا لَها جِلدَ الأَساوِدِ وَالنُمرِ

And we, whenever the horses' gallop catches up with us,

And we, when the racers catch up with their racing

put on for them the skin of black serpents and leopards.

We don them the hides of lions and leopards

لَعَمري لَقَد أُخبِثتُما حينَ قُلتُما

لَعَمري لَقَد أُخبِثتُما حينَ قُلتُما

لَنا العِزُّ وَالمَولى فَأَسرَعتُما نَفري

لَنا العِزُّ وَالمَولى فَأَسرَعتُما نَفري

By my life, you two were truly debased when you said,

By my life, evil you spoke when you told us

“Ours are might and the ally,” and so you two hastened my departure.

Ours are might and friendship - you spurred estranging

أَبي فارِسُ الضَحياءِ عَمروُ اِبنِ عامِرٍ

أَبي فارِسُ الضَحياءِ عَمروُ اِبنِ عامِرٍ

أَبى الذَمَّ وَاِختارَ الوَفاءَ عَلى الغَدرِ

أَبى الذَمَّ وَاِختارَ الوَفاءَ عَلى الغَدرِ

My father is the rider of al-Dahya, ‘Amr son of ‘Amir;

My father, knight of munificence, ‘Amr

he shunned reproach and chose loyalty over treachery.

Ibn ‘Aamir who refused blame, chose loyalty over betrayal

وَإِنّي لَأَشقى الناسِ إِن كُنتَ غارِما

وَإِنّي لَأَشقى الناسِ إِن كُنتَ غارِما

لِعاقِبَةٍ قَتلى خُزَيمَةَ وَالخُضرِ

لِعاقِبَةٍ قَتلى خُزَيمَةَ وَالخُضرِ

And I am surely the most wretched of men if you must pay

Indeed I am most wretched of men, if you

for the consequences of the slain of Khuzayma and al-Khudr.

Avenge those killed - Khuzaymah and Al-Khadhr

أُكَلِّفُ قَتلى مَعشَرٍ لَستُ مِنهُمُ

أُكَلِّفُ قَتلى مَعشَرٍ لَستُ مِنهُمُ

وَلا أَنا مَولاهُم وَلا نَصرُهُم نَصري

وَلا أَنا مَولاهُم وَلا نَصرُهُم نَصري

I bear liability for the slain of a people I do not belong to,

I am tasked with avenging a group I am not from

nor am I their ally, nor is their victory mine.

Neither their patron nor aiding their aid

يَقولونَ دَع مَولاكَ نَأكُلهُ باطِلاً

يَقولونَ دَع مَولاكَ نَأكُلهُ باطِلاً

وَدَع عَنكَ ما جَرَّت بُجَيلَةُ مِن عُسرِ

وَدَع عَنكَ ما جَرَّت بُجَيلَةُ مِن عُسرِ

They say, “Leave your ally; let us devour him wrongfully,

They say: “Abandon your Master, unjustly we’ll kill Him

and put aside the hardship Bujayla has brought.”

And leave behind you what Bujaylah brought of hardship”

أُكَلِّفُ قَتلى العيصِ عيصِ شَواحِطٍ

أُكَلِّفُ قَتلى العيصِ عيصِ شَواحِطٍ

وَذَلِكَ أَمرٌ لا يُثَفّى لَكُم قِدري

وَذَلِكَ أَمرٌ لا يُثَفّى لَكُم قِدري

I bear liability for the slain of al-‘Is, the ‘Is of Shawahit,

I am tasked with the Banu ‘Eys’s slain, the ‘Eys

and in that affair my pot will not be set on hearthstones for you.

Of Shawahit - that’s something clear, my appraisal

وَقَتلى أَجَرَّتها فَوارِسُ ناشِبٍ

وَقَتلى أَجَرَّتها فَوارِسُ ناشِبٍ

بِأَزنَمَ خُرصانِ الرُدَينِيَّةِ السُمرِ

بِأَزنَمَ خُرصانِ الرُدَينِيَّةِ السُمرِ

And the slain in whom Nashib's horsemen embedded

And the slain Bajirra’s horsemen caused

at Aznam the points of brown Rudayni spears.

With the ferrules of Al-Radini’s black lance

فَيا أَخَوَينا مِن أَبينا وَأُمِّنا

فَيا أَخَوَينا مِن أَبينا وَأُمِّنا

إِلَيكُم إِلَيكُم لا سَبيلَ إِلى جَسرِ

إِلَيكُم إِلَيكُم لا سَبيلَ إِلى جَسرِ

So, our two brothers, of our father and our mother,

Oh two brothers of one father and mother

away with you, away with you! There is no way to Jasr.

Towards you, towards you - no way to bridge building