أَصادِرَةٌ حُجّاجُ كَعبٍ وَمالِكٍ

أَصادِرَةٌ حُجّاجُ كَعبٍ وَمالِكٍ

عَلى كُلِّ عَجلى ضامِرٍ البَطنِ مُحنِقِ

عَلى كُلِّ عَجلى ضامِرٍ البَطنِ مُحنِقِ

Are the pilgrims of Ka'b and Malik returning

A lament by Khuja'j and Malik

On every swift she-camel, lean-bellied and tucked-flanked,

For every emaciated camel, complaining of hunger,

بِمَرثِيَةٍ فيها ثَناءٌ مُحَبَّرٌ

بِمَرثِيَةٍ فيها ثَناءٌ مُحَبَّرٌ

لأزهَرَ مِن أَولادِ مُرَّةَ مُعرِقِ

لأزهَرَ مِن أَولادِ مُرَّةَ مُعرِقِ

With an elegy containing richly adorned praise

With an elegy in it is effusive praise

For a fair-faced man among Murrah's sons, of deep-rooted lineage?

For the most beautiful of Murra's sons, well-groomed,

كَأَنَّ أَخاهُ في النَوائِبِ مُلجَأَ

كَأَنَّ أَخاهُ في النَوائِبِ مُلجَأَ

إِلى عَلَمٍ مِن رُكنِ قُدسِ المُنَطَّقِ

إِلى عَلَمٍ مِن رُكنِ قُدسِ المُنَطَّقِ

As though his brother, amid calamities, were driven for refuge

As if his brother in adversity takes refuge

To a peak on the flank of girdled Quds.

In a banner from the pillar of the sacred sanctuary,

يَنالُ رِجالاً نَفعُهُ وَهوَ مِنهُمُ

يَنالُ رِجالاً نَفعُهُ وَهوَ مِنهُمُ

بَعيدٌ كَعَيّوقِ الثُرَيّا المُعلَّقِ

بَعيدٌ كَعَيّوقِ الثُرَيّا المُعلَّقِ

His bounty reaches men, though he is apart from them,

Benefiting men though far removed

Far away, like suspended 'Ayyuq of the Pleiades.

Like a pendant jewel suspended aloft,

تَقولُ اِبنَةُ الضَمرِيِّ ما لَكَ شاحِباً

تَقولُ اِبنَةُ الضَمرِيِّ ما لَكَ شاحِباً

وَلَونُكَ مُصفَرٌ وَإِن لَم تَخَلَّقِ

وَلَونُكَ مُصفَرٌ وَإِن لَم تَخَلَّقِ

The daughter of al-Damri says, “Why are you wan,

The daughter of Dhamra says “Why are you wan

And your complexion yellowed, though you have applied no saffron perfume?”

Your colour sallow, though you are not in disguise?”

فَقُلتُ لَها لا تَعجَبي مَن يَمُت لَهُ

فَقُلتُ لَها لا تَعجَبي مَن يَمُت لَهُ

أَخٌ كَأَبي بَدرٍ وَجَدّكِ يُشفَقِ

أَخٌ كَأَبي بَدرٍ وَجَدّكِ يُشفَقِ

So I told her, “Do not wonder: whoever loses

I said “Do not wonder that he who loses

A brother like Abu Badr—by your fortune—is to be pitied.”

A brother like Abu Badr pines for him and grieves,

وَأَمرٍ يُهِمُّ الناسَ غِبُّ نِتاجِهِ

وَأَمرٍ يُهِمُّ الناسَ غِبُّ نِتاجِهِ

كَفَيتَ وَكَربٍ بِالدَواهي مُطَرِّقِ

كَفَيتَ وَكَربٍ بِالدَواهي مُطَرِّقِ

And many a matter whose consequences trouble people

And something that concerns all people, obscure is its yield,

You handled; and many a distress arriving by night with calamities

Enough! A pressing care weighs on the summits.

كَشَفتَ أَبا بَدرٍ إِذا القَومُ أَحجَموا

كَشَفتَ أَبا بَدرٍ إِذا القَومُ أَحجَموا

وَغَضَّت مَلاقي مَرهِم بِالمُخَنَّقِ

وَغَضَّت مَلاقي مَرهِم بِالمُخَنَّقِ

You dispelled, Abu Badr, when the men held back,

You exposed Abu Badr when the people held back

And the junctions of their gullets narrowed at the throat (reading uncertain).

And the chiefs of glory frowned with vexation,

وَخَصمٍ أَبا بَدرٍ أَلَدَّ أَبَتَّهُ

وَخَصمٍ أَبا بَدرٍ أَلَدَّ أَبَتَّهُ

عَلى مِثلِ طَعمِ الحَنظَلِ المُتَفَلِّقِ

عَلى مِثلِ طَعمِ الحَنظَلِ المُتَفَلِّقِ

And many a stubborn foe, Abu Badr, you made spend the night

And an adversary more tenacious than Abu Badr

With a taste like that of a split-open colocynth.

In clinging to his purpose, like crumbling cinder.

جَزى اللَهُ خَيراً خِندِقاً مِن مَكافِئ

جَزى اللَهُ خَيراً خِندِقاً مِن مَكافِئ

وَصاحِبِ صِدقٍ ذي حِفاظٍ وَمِصدَقِ

وَصاحِبِ صِدقٍ ذي حِفاظٍ وَمِصدَقِ

May God reward Khindiq well, a requiter of kindness

May God reward with good a trench against a like foe

And a true companion, possessed of loyalty and proven valor.

And a friend of probity, protective and trusted,

أَقامَ قَناةَ الوُدِّ بَيني وَبَينَهُ

أَقامَ قَناةَ الوُدِّ بَيني وَبَينَهُ

وَفارِقَني عَن شيمَةٍ لَم تُرَنَّقِ

وَفارِقَني عَن شيمَةٍ لَم تُرَنَّقِ

He set affection's spear-shaft upright between me and him,

Who established the channel of love between me and him

And parted from me with his character unclouded.

And left me true to a pact I never betrayed.

حَلَفتُ عَلى أَن قَد أَجَنَّتكَ حُفرَةٌ

حَلَفتُ عَلى أَن قَد أَجَنَّتكَ حُفرَةٌ

بِبَطنِ قَنَونا لَو نَعيشُ فَنَلتَقي

بِبَطنِ قَنَونا لَو نَعيشُ فَنَلتَقي

I swore, though a grave has already hidden you,

I swore that a pit in Kanun's belly would hide you

In the hollow of Qanuna: were we to live and meet,

If we lived, that we might meet again,

لَأَلفَيتَني بِالوُدِّ بَعدَكَ دائِماً

لَأَلفَيتَني بِالوُدِّ بَعدَكَ دائِماً

عَلى عَهدِنا إِذا نَحنُ لَم نَتَفَرَّقِ

عَلى عَهدِنا إِذا نَحنُ لَم نَتَفَرَّقِ

You would find me ever constant in affection after you,

I would find you loving me still, as of old

True to our covenant, as when we had not parted.

If we kept our vow, and did not part.

إِذا ما غَدا يَهتَزُّ لِلمَجدِ وَالنَدى

إِذا ما غَدا يَهتَزُّ لِلمَجدِ وَالنَدى

أَشَمُّ كَغُصنِ البانَةِ المُتَوَرِّقِ

أَشَمُّ كَغُصنِ البانَةِ المُتَوَرِّقِ

Whenever he went forth at dawn, swaying toward glory and generosity,

When glory and fame stir at dawn

High-nosed and noble, like a leafy branch of the ban-tree.

I scent it like a sprig of baban, crisp and fresh,

وَإِنّي لِجازٍ بِالَّذي كانَ بَينَنا

وَإِنّي لِجازٍ بِالَّذي كانَ بَينَنا

بَني أَسَدٍ رَهطَ اِبنِ مُرَّةَ خِندِقِ

بَني أَسَدٍ رَهطَ اِبنِ مُرَّةَ خِندِقِ

And I shall surely repay, for what lay between us,

And I boast of that which was between us,

The sons of Asad, the clan of Khindiq son of Murrah.

O Bani Asad, Murra's clan and Khandiq.