أفاطمُ لَو شهدتِ ببطنِ خبتٍ

أفاطمُ لَو شهدتِ ببطنِ خبتٍ

لَهانت عندكِ الأخبارُ خبرا

لَهانت عندكِ الأخبارُ خبرا

O Fatim, had you witnessed, in the hollow of Khabt,

O Fatima, had you witnessed the belly of Khobt,

The reports would have seemed trifling to you as mere hearsay.

News would have seemed trivial to you.

وَلو أشرفتِ في جنحٍ عليهِ

وَلو أشرفتِ في جنحٍ عليهِ

وَقَد لاقى الهزبرُ أخاكِ بِشرا

وَقَد لاقى الهزبرُ أخاكِ بِشرا

And had you looked down upon him in the night's gloom,

And had you overlooked from a wing overlooking it,

When the lion had met your brother Bishr,

When the brave one met your brother cheerfully.

إِذاً لَرأيتِ لَيثاً أم ليثاً

إِذاً لَرأيتِ لَيثاً أم ليثاً

وَكلٌّ مِنهما بأخيهِ مُغرى

وَكلٌّ مِنهما بأخيهِ مُغرى

Then you would have seen a lion advance upon a lion,

You would have seen a lion or a lioness,

And each of the two intent upon his brother.

And each of them enticing their brother,

يَرى كلٌّ عَلى ثقةٍ أخاهُ

يَرى كلٌّ عَلى ثقةٍ أخاهُ

هزبراً أغلباً لاقى هِزَبرا

هزبراً أغلباً لاقى هِزَبرا

Each confidently saw his brother

Each sees their brother confidently,

As a thick-necked lion who had met a lion.

A brave one who met a coward.

تَبهنسَ إِذ تقاعسَ عنهُ مُهري

تَبهنسَ إِذ تقاعسَ عنهُ مُهري

وَأقبلَ نحوهُ أُذنيهِ ذُعرا

وَأقبلَ نحوهُ أُذنيهِ ذُعرا

He strutted when my colt shrank back from him

He was disturbed when Muheri refrained from him,

And turned his two ears toward him in fright.

And his ears leaned towards him in fear.

فَكادَ يُريبهُ فَيخالُ منّي

فَكادَ يُريبهُ فَيخالُ منّي

مُحاذرةً فَقلت عقرتَ مهرا

مُحاذرةً فَقلت عقرتَ مهرا

That almost made him suspicious, so that he might imagine in me

He almost deceived him and imagined of me,

Caution; so I said: may you be hamstrung, colt!

Avoidance, so I said you have hamstrung a stallion.

أَنِل قدميَّ ظهرَ الأرضِ إنّي

أَنِل قدميَّ ظهرَ الأرضِ إنّي

أَرى قَدميّ للإِقدامِ أَحرى

أَرى قَدميّ للإِقدامِ أَحرى

Set my feet upon the earth's back, for I

Set my foot on the back of the earth, I

Think my feet fitter for advancing.

See my foot as more deserving of audacity

وَلستَ مُزحزحي شيئاً ولكن

وَلستَ مُزحزحي شيئاً ولكن

رَأيتُ الأرضَ أثبتَ منك ظَهرا

رَأيتُ الأرضَ أثبتَ منك ظَهرا

And you cannot budge me in the least; but

And I did not deter you at all, but

I found the earth firmer-backed than you.

I saw the ground firmer than your back.

وَقلتُ له وَقد أَبدى نصالاً

وَقلتُ له وَقد أَبدى نصالاً

بأهرتَ فاغرٍ يصررنَ صرّا

بأهرتَ فاغرٍ يصررنَ صرّا

And I said to him, as he displayed blades

And I said to him when he brandished blades

In a wide, gaping mouth, grating harshly,

With sheaths, clanging, producing sparks.

وَشوساً ذاتَ ألحاظٍ تلظّى

وَشوساً ذاتَ ألحاظٍ تلظّى

مُحددةً وَوجهاً مكفهرّا

مُحددةً وَوجهاً مكفهرّا

And glaring eyes whose glances blazed,

And a spear with blazing sharp edges,

Piercing, and a scowling face.

Sharpened, and an angry frown,

يُكفكفُ غيلةً إِحدى يديهِ

يُكفكفُ غيلةً إِحدى يديهِ

كَباري القوسِ ينزعُ مسبطرّا

كَباري القوسِ ينزعُ مسبطرّا

He drew back one forepaw stealthily,

Brandishing one of his forearms

Like a bowyer drawing back, fully outstretched.

Like the flexed bow removing arrows set up.

وَلا يَثني براثنَ منه إلّا

وَلا يَثني براثنَ منه إلّا

وَيبسطُ لِلوثوبِ عليّ أُخرى

وَيبسطُ لِلوثوبِ عليّ أُخرى

He never drew back one clawed paw

And he only folds his deadly fingers

Without extending the other to spring upon me.

To extend another to pounce on me

نَصحتكَ فَاِلتمس يا ليثُ غيري

نَصحتكَ فَاِلتمس يا ليثُ غيري

فلي بُقيا عليكَ وَأَنت أدرى

فلي بُقيا عليكَ وَأَنت أدرى

I have counseled you: seek someone else, O lion;

I advised you, O lion, seek another than me

For I would spare you, and you know best.

For I have remaining upon you while you know best.

وَمُهري قائلٌ لكَ لا تَخلني

وَمُهري قائلٌ لكَ لا تَخلني

طَعاماً إنّ لَحمي كان مرّا

طَعاماً إنّ لَحمي كان مرّا

And my colt says to you: do not think me

And Muheri said to you, “Do not leave me

Food, for my flesh is bitter.

As food, indeed my flesh was bitter.”

أَلم يَبلُغك ما فَعَلته كفّي

أَلم يَبلُغك ما فَعَلته كفّي

أَلَستَ تَرى بها الأظفارَ حمرا

أَلَستَ تَرى بها الأظفارَ حمرا

Have you not heard what my hand has done?

Did not what my palms did reach you

Do you not see the fingernails upon it red?

Do you not see the red claws in them?

أَلَم تكُ طاعماً أشلاءَ فَتكي

أَلَم تكُ طاعماً أشلاءَ فَتكي

بِكاظمة غداةَ قتلتُ عَمرا

بِكاظمة غداةَ قتلتُ عَمرا

Were you not eating the torn remains of my slaughter

Were you not a consumer of the remnants of my killing

At Kazimah, the morning I killed Amr?

Of Kadhema the morning after I killed Amr?

فَلمّا خال أنّ النصحَ غشٌّ

فَلمّا خال أنّ النصحَ غشٌّ

وَغرّتهُ الجراءةُ فَاِستَغرّا

وَغرّتهُ الجراءةُ فَاِستَغرّا

But when he thought my counsel was deceit,

So when he thought advice was deceit

And audacity beguiled him, so he fell into delusion,

And boldness seduced him, so he was emboldened

وَلجّ عَلى التهوُّرِ في نزالي

وَلجّ عَلى التهوُّرِ في نزالي

وَخالَفني كأنّي قلتُ هَجرا

وَخالَفني كأنّي قلتُ هَجرا

And persisted rashly in fighting me,

And insisted on recklessness in my fight

And defied me as though I had spoken nonsense,

And opposed me as if I had said abandonment.

مَشى وَمشيتُ مِن أسدينِ راما

مَشى وَمشيتُ مِن أسدينِ راما

مُساورةً فلاقى البحرُ بَحرا

مُساورةً فلاقى البحرُ بَحرا

He advanced, and I advanced: two lions seeking

We walked, two lions intending

To grapple; one sea met another sea.

Accompanying, so the sea met the sea,

وَرجّا الأرضَ إِذ بَغَيا عَليها

وَرجّا الأرضَ إِذ بَغَيا عَليها

مَراماً كانَ إِذ طَلباهُ وعرا

مَراماً كانَ إِذ طَلباهُ وعرا

They shook the earth as they pursued upon it

And the ground quaked when they wronged it

A goal that, when they sought it, was hard to reach.

With purpose, when they sought and knew it.

سَللتُ لَه الحسامَ فخلتُ أنّي

سَللتُ لَه الحسامَ فخلتُ أنّي

أَسلتُ مِنَ المجرّةِ فيهِ نَهرا

أَسلتُ مِنَ المجرّةِ فيهِ نَهرا

I drew the keen sword against him, and thought I

I slipped the sword to him, so I thought

Had made a river from the Milky Way flow through it.

That I drew from the galaxy in it a river.

وَلَم أمشِ الضراءَ له لأنّي

وَلَم أمشِ الضراءَ له لأنّي

شَققتُ بِه لدى الظلماءِ فَجرا

شَققتُ بِه لدى الظلماءِ فَجرا

And I did not approach him stealthily, for I

And I did not walk misfortune to him, because

Split open a dawn with it amid the darkness.

I split through it in darkness an opening.

وَأَطلقتُ المهنّدَ من يَميني

وَأَطلقتُ المهنّدَ من يَميني

فَأوثقهُ لِغيرِ المنّ أسرا

فَأوثقهُ لِغيرِ المنّ أسرا

And I loosed the Indian-forged blade from my right hand;

And I unleashed the hanging sword in my right,

So it bound him captive, with no gracious release,

So I tied him without benevolence a captive.

بإِبريقٍ هَفا هَفوان برقٍ

بإِبريقٍ هَفا هَفوان برقٍ

فقدّ لَه مِنَ الأضلاعِ عشرا

فقدّ لَه مِنَ الأضلاعِ عشرا

With a gleaming blade that darted like lightning,

With a drinking vessel, tumultuous, flashing

And cleaved through ten of his ribs.

Lightning, so I removed for him ten ribs from him.

فَخرّ مضرّجاً بدم كأنّي

فَخرّ مضرّجاً بدم كأنّي

بِمُهجتهِ أفضتُ عليهِ سِترا

بِمُهجتهِ أفضتُ عليهِ سِترا

He fell, drenched in blood, as though I

So he fell drenched in blood as if

Had poured his lifeblood over him as a veil.

I poured over him his brain as a curtain.

وَكدتُ لهولِ وَجبته أراني

وَكدتُ لهولِ وَجبته أراني

هَدمتُ بهِ بناءً مشمخرّا

هَدمتُ بهِ بناءً مشمخرّا

And at the terror of his crashing fall, I almost thought I

And I almost, due to the terror of his affliction, saw myself

Had demolished a towering structure with it.

That I destroyed with it a towering building.

بِضربةِ فيصلٍ تركتهُ شفعاً

بِضربةِ فيصلٍ تركتهُ شفعاً

وَشقّاهُ لقىً بطناً وظهرا

وَشقّاهُ لقىً بطناً وظهرا

With a stroke of a cleaving blade, I left him in two,

With a decapitating strike I left him cloven

His two halves cast down, belly and back.

And split him open, his belly and back met.

وَشيكاً ما اِنثنى منها مثنّى

وَشيكاً ما اِنثنى منها مثنّى

لَديّ وَقبلها قَد كانَ وِترا

لَديّ وَقبلها قَد كانَ وِترا

Swiftly he folded in two from that stroke

And soon he bent folded in two before me

Before me; before it, he had been one.

When just before he had been upright.

وَقلتُ له يعزُّ عليّ أنّي

وَقلتُ له يعزُّ عليّ أنّي

أراكَ معفّراً شطراً فشطرا

أراكَ معفّراً شطراً فشطرا

And I said to him: it grieves me that I

And I said to him, “It grieves me that

See you dust-covered, half after half.

I see you dusty, split in two halves.”

وَأَستحيي المروءةَ أَن تَراني

وَأَستحيي المروءةَ أَن تَراني

قَتلتُ مُناسِبي جَلداً وقهرا

قَتلتُ مُناسِبي جَلداً وقهرا

And I am ashamed before chivalry that it should see me

“And I am shy of manliness that it sees me

Having slain my peer in endurance and might.

Killing my peer unjustly and coercively.”

وَلكن رُمتَ أمراً لَم يَرمهُ

وَلكن رُمتَ أمراً لَم يَرمهُ

أَبيٌّ لا يبيعُ النفسَ خُسرا

أَبيٌّ لا يبيعُ النفسَ خُسرا

But you sought a thing never sought by

“But you attempted something not attempted

A proud man who does not sell his life at a loss.

By a father who does not sell himself at a loss.”

وَلَم يك سامَني بالنصحِ خسفاً

وَلَم يك سامَني بالنصحِ خسفاً

سِواك فَلم أطِق يا ليثُ صبرا

سِواك فَلم أطِق يا ليثُ صبرا

And none had ever imposed abasement on me through counsel

“And none equaled me in advising you sincerely

Except you; so, O lion, I could not endure it patiently.

Except you, so I could not tolerate patience, O lion.”

تُحاولُ أَن تعلّمني فراراً

تُحاولُ أَن تعلّمني فراراً

فَهل علّمت نفسكَ أَن تفرّا

فَهل علّمت نفسكَ أَن تفرّا

You try to teach me flight;

“You try to teach me escape

Then have you taught yourself to flee?

So did you teach yourself to flee?”

وَتنفُضُ مِذرويكَ لفلّ عَزمي

وَتنفُضُ مِذرويكَ لفلّ عَزمي

لَعمرُ أَبيكِ قَد حاولتَ نُكرا

لَعمرُ أَبيكِ قَد حاولتَ نُكرا

And you shake your haunches to blunt my resolve;

“And you shake your tail to weaken my resolve

By your father's life, you have attempted an outrage!

By your father's life you have attempted evil.”

أتيتَ ترومُ للأشبالِ قوتاً

أتيتَ ترومُ للأشبالِ قوتاً

طَللتَ بهِ الدماءَ وَرعتَ سَفرا

طَللتَ بهِ الدماءَ وَرعتَ سَفرا

You came seeking food for the cubs;

“You came desiring prey for the cubs

You shed blood with impunity for it and frightened travelers.

You sought blood and performed a journey.”

وَلكنّي أقيدُ بِها وأَحمي

وَلكنّي أقيدُ بِها وأَحمي

وَأطلبُ لاِبنة البكريِّ مَهرا

وَأطلبُ لاِبنة البكريِّ مَهرا

But I exact retribution for that blood and give protection,

“But I will tie them up and protect

And seek a bridal dower for al-Bakri's daughter.

And seek the bride price for the daughter of Bakri.”

فَلا تبعَد فَقد لاقيتَ حرّاً

فَلا تبعَد فَقد لاقيتَ حرّاً

يَرى ويقرُّ أَن أبلغتَ عُذرا

يَرى ويقرُّ أَن أبلغتَ عُذرا

So may you not be far away, for you met a noble man

“So do not go far, you have met heat

Who sees and acknowledges that you offered full justification.

That sees and acknowledges you have given excuse.”

وَعن كرمٍ بَرزتَ إلى كريمٍ

وَعن كرمٍ بَرزتَ إلى كريمٍ

يُحاذرُ أَن يعابَ فمتَّ حرّا

يُحاذرُ أَن يعابَ فمتَّ حرّا

And out of nobility you stepped forth against a noble man

“And from generosity you went out to a generous one

Who guards against reproach; so you died noble.

Who is cautious not to blame so be silent O heat.”

وَلا أسفٌ عَلى عمرٍ تقضّى

وَلا أسفٌ عَلى عمرٍ تقضّى

أَفادك منهُ حسنُ الذكرِ عُمرا

أَفادك منهُ حسنُ الذكرِ عُمرا

And there is no regret for a life that has ended,

“And no regret over a life that

From which fair remembrance has granted you another life.

Serving you with good mention gave it life.”