إِذا ما الثُرَيّا أَشرَفَت في قَتامِها

إِذا ما الثُرَيّا أَشرَفَت في قَتامِها

فُوَيقَ رُؤوسِ الناسِ كَالرُفقَةِ السَفرِ

فُوَيقَ رُؤوسِ الناسِ كَالرُفقَةِ السَفرِ

When the Pleiades rise into view in their dusty haze,

When Al-Thurayya appears in her darkness,

just above people's heads, like a band of travelers,

The people’s heads sway like travelers.

وَأَردَفَتِ الجَوزاءُ يَبرُقُ نَظمُها

وَأَردَفَتِ الجَوزاءُ يَبرُقُ نَظمُها

كَلَونِ الصِوارِ في مَراتِعِهِ الزُهرُ

كَلَونِ الصِوارِ في مَراتِعِهِ الزُهرُ

and Orion follows behind, its string of stars glittering,

And Al-Jawza follows, its pearls gleaming

like the color of a bright wild-cattle herd in its grazing grounds;

Like the necklaces in their pasture of flowers.

إِذا أَمسَتِ الشِعرى اِستَقَلَّ شُعاعُها

إِذا أَمسَتِ الشِعرى اِستَقَلَّ شُعاعُها

عَلى طُلسَةٍ مِن قُرِّ أَيّامِها الغُبرِ

عَلى طُلسَةٍ مِن قُرِّ أَيّامِها الغُبرِ

when Sirius comes into the evening, its radiance rises

When Al-Shi’ra has declined, its rays weak

above a dark haze from the chill of its gray days,

On a hill from the dusty days of old,

وَبادَرَتِ الشَولُ الكَنيفَ وَفَحلُها

وَبادَرَتِ الشَولُ الكَنيفَ وَفَحلُها

قَليلُ الضِرابِ حينَ يُرسَلُ وَالهَدرُ

قَليلُ الضِرابِ حينَ يُرسَلُ وَالهَدرُ

and the dry she-camels hurry to shelter, while their stallion

And Al-Shawl has risen, she and her champion,

mates and bellows little when let loose—

Scarce to be seen when the Pleiades flare,

أَلَم تَعلَمي وَالعِلمُ يَنفَعُ أَهلَهُ

أَلَم تَعلَمي وَالعِلمُ يَنفَعُ أَهلَهُ

وَلَيسَ الَّذي يَدري كَآخَرَ لا يَدري

وَلَيسَ الَّذي يَدري كَآخَرَ لا يَدري

have you not learned—knowledge benefits its possessors,

Don’t you know, and knowledge benefits its people,

and one who knows is not like another who does not know—

That the one who knows is not like one ignorant,

بِأَنّا عَلى سَرّائِنا غَيرُ جُهَّلٍ

بِأَنّا عَلى سَرّائِنا غَيرُ جُهَّلٍ

وَأَنّا عَلى ضَرّائِنا مِن ذَوي الصَبرِ

وَأَنّا عَلى ضَرّائِنا مِن ذَوي الصَبرِ

that in our prosperity we are no fools,

That we are patient with our misfortunes

and that in our adversity we are among the patient,

And stoic through our afflictions and disasters,

وَأَنَّ سَراةَ الحَيِّ عَمروَ بنَ عامِرٍ

وَأَنَّ سَراةَ الحَيِّ عَمروَ بنَ عامِرٍ

مَقارٍ مَطاعيمٌ إِذا ضُنَّ بِالقَطرِ

مَقارٍ مَطاعيمٌ إِذا ضُنَّ بِالقَطرِ

and that the chiefs of the clan of 'Amr ibn 'Amir

That the Pleiades are like the tribe of ‘Amr ibn ‘Aamir,

are hospitable hosts and generous feeders when rain is withheld?

Docile, obedient, when rain is scarce,

وَكَم فيهِمِ مِن سَيِّدٍ ذي مَهابَةٍ

وَكَم فيهِمِ مِن سَيِّدٍ ذي مَهابَةٍ

وَحَمّالِ أَثقالٍ وَذي نائِلٍ غَمرِ

وَحَمّالِ أَثقالٍ وَذي نائِلٍ غَمرِ

How many among them are chiefs commanding awe,

And among them are many honorable lords

bearers of burdens, and men of abundant bounty,

And burden-bearers and those soaked with bounty,

وَمِن قائِلٍ لا يَفضُلُ الناسَ حِلمَهُ

وَمِن قائِلٍ لا يَفضُلُ الناسَ حِلمَهُ

إِذا اِجتَمَعَ الأَقوامُ كَالقَمَرِ البَدرِ

إِذا اِجتَمَعَ الأَقوامُ كَالقَمَرِ البَدرِ

and spokesmen whose wisdom no one surpasses,

And those who, when people gather, are most wise,

like the full moon when the peoples gather.

Like the full moon among the celestial bodies?

وَنَلبَسُ يَومَ الرَوعِ زَعفاً مُفاضَةً

وَنَلبَسُ يَومَ الرَوعِ زَعفاً مُفاضَةً

مُضاعَفَةً بيضاً لَها حَبَبٌ يَجري

مُضاعَفَةً بيضاً لَها حَبَبٌ يَجري

On the day of terror we wear supple, ample coats of mail,

On the day of fright we don red Yemeni robes,

double-layered and white, their bubble-like rings rippling.

Lined twice over with delicate stitching,

وَنَفري سَرابيلَ الكُماةِ عَلَيهِم

وَنَفري سَرابيلَ الكُماةِ عَلَيهِم

إِذا ما اِلتَقَينا بِالمُهَنَّدَةِ البُترِ

إِذا ما اِلتَقَينا بِالمُهَنَّدَةِ البُترِ

And we rend the champions' coats of mail upon them

And we lunge at them in baggy trousers

when we clash, with keen Indian-forged swords.

When we meet on the plain devoid of hills,

وَنَصبِرُ لِلمَكروهِ عِندَ لِقائِنا

وَنَصبِرُ لِلمَكروهِ عِندَ لِقائِنا

وَنَرجِعُ مِنهُ بِالغَنيمَةِ وَالذِكرِ

وَنَرجِعُ مِنهُ بِالغَنيمَةِ وَالذِكرِ

And we stand firm against hardship when we engage,

And we show patience in adversity when we encounter it,

and return from it with booty and renown.

Returning with booty and renown,

وَقَد عَلِمَت قَيسُ بنُ عَيلانَ أَنَّنا

وَقَد عَلِمَت قَيسُ بنُ عَيلانَ أَنَّنا

نَحُلُّ إِذا خافَ القَبائِلُ بِالثَغرِ

نَحُلُّ إِذا خافَ القَبائِلُ بِالثَغرِ

And Qays ibn 'Aylan has indeed learned that we

For Qays ibn ‘Aylan knew that we

encamp at the frontier when the tribes are afraid,

Defend when the tribes fear the frontier,

بِحَيٍّ يَراهُ الناسُ غَيرَ أُشابَةٍ

بِحَيٍّ يَراهُ الناسُ غَيرَ أُشابَةٍ

لَهُم عَرضُ ما بَينَ اليَمامَةِ وَالقَهرِ

لَهُم عَرضُ ما بَينَ اليَمامَةِ وَالقَهرِ

with a clan people regard as no motley gathering.

With a tribe the people see as unlike them,

The expanse between al-Yamamah and al-Qahr is theirs.

Whose domain lies between Yamamah and al-Qahr.

تَرى حينَ تَأتيهِم قِباباً وَمَيسِراً

تَرى حينَ تَأتيهِم قِباباً وَمَيسِراً

وَأَخبِيَةً مِن مُستَجيرٍ وَمِن تَجرِ

وَأَخبِيَةً مِن مُستَجيرٍ وَمِن تَجرِ

When you come to them, you see domed tents and games of chance,

You see them receive tents and hospitality

and tents belonging to seekers of protection and to merchants.

And refugees seeking protection and shelter,

وَلا يَمنَعُ الحانوتَ مِنّا زَعانِفٌ

وَلا يَمنَعُ الحانوتَ مِنّا زَعانِفٌ

مِنَ الناسِ حَتّى نَستَفيقَ مِنَ الخَمرِ

مِنَ الناسِ حَتّى نَستَفيقَ مِنَ الخَمرِ

And the tavern is not barred to us by riffraff

And none can keep us from the tavern

from among the people, until we sober up from wine.

Until we recover from our drunkenness,

أَنا اِبنُ الَّذي لاقى الهُمامَ فَرَدَّهُ

أَنا اِبنُ الَّذي لاقى الهُمامَ فَرَدَّهُ

عَلى رُغمِهِ بَينَ المَثامِنِ وَالصَخرِ

عَلى رُغمِهِ بَينَ المَثامِنِ وَالصَخرِ

I am the son of him who met the valiant warrior and drove him back,

I am the son of him who met adversities and repelled them,

against his will, between al-Mathamin and al-Sakhr.

Despite him, between al-Mathamin and al-Sakhr.

أَقَمنا بِقاعِ النَخلِ حينَ تَجَمَّعَت

أَقَمنا بِقاعِ النَخلِ حينَ تَجَمَّعَت

حَلايِبُ جُعفِيٍّ عَلى مَحبِسِ النَفرِ

حَلايِبُ جُعفِيٍّ عَلى مَحبِسِ النَفرِ

We held our ground in the plain of al-Nakhl when there gathered

We dwelled in the palm groves when

the allied bands of Ju'fi at the men's encampment.

The regiments of Ju’fiyy gathered at al-Nafir,

ضَرَبناهُمُ حَتّى شَفَينا نُفوسَنا

ضَرَبناهُمُ حَتّى شَفَينا نُفوسَنا

مِنَ السَيِّدِ العاتي الرَئيسِ وَمِن دَهرِ

مِنَ السَيِّدِ العاتي الرَئيسِ وَمِن دَهرِ

We struck them until we had healed our souls,

And we struck them until we quenched our thirst

avenging ourselves on the defiant lord and chieftain, and on Dahr.

For vengeance on the tyrant lord and on fate,

وَمِن شُعَبى يَومٌ لَنا غَيرُ وابِطٍ

وَمِن شُعَبى يَومٌ لَنا غَيرُ وابِطٍ

وَيَومُ بَني وَهيٍ وَيَومُ بَني زَحرِ

وَيَومُ بَني وَهيٍ وَيَومُ بَني زَحرِ

And at Shu'aba ours was no inglorious battle-day,

And for Shu’ba, a day for us with no fatigue,

and the day of Banu Wahy, and the day of Banu Zahr.

And the day of Bani Wahb and the day of Bani Zahr.

نُعاوِرُهُم ضَرباً بِكُلِّ مُهَنَّدٍ

نُعاوِرُهُم ضَرباً بِكُلِّ مُهَنَّدٍ

وَنَجزيهِمُ بِالوِترِ وِتراً عَلى وِترِ

وَنَجزيهِمُ بِالوِترِ وِتراً عَلى وِترِ

We strike them in turn with every Indian-forged sword,

We match them blow for blow with each sharpened sword

and repay them for blood-debt with blood-debt upon blood-debt.

And repay them measure for measure in full,

دُروعٌ وَغابٌ لا يُرى مِن وَرائِهِ

دُروعٌ وَغابٌ لا يُرى مِن وَرائِهِ

سَنا أُفُقٍ بادٍ وَلا جَبَلٍ وَعرِ

سَنا أُفُقٍ بادٍ وَلا جَبَلٍ وَعرِ

Coats of mail and a forest of spears—beyond it no one sees

Coats of mail and thickets where no

the glow of an open horizon, nor a rugged mountain.

Dawn’s horizon, open plain, hills or rocks can be seen.