أَجَدَّ الرَكبُ بعدَ غَدٍ خُفوفُ

أَجَدَّ الرَكبُ بعدَ غَدٍ خُفوفُ

وأضحَت لا تواصِلُكَ الألوفُ

وأضحَت لا تواصِلُكَ الألوفُ

The riders' departure is set for the day after tomorrow,

The caravan hastened at dawn with ease,

And the loving woman no longer keeps you company.

And thousands no longer kept you company.

وَكانَ القَلبُ جُنَّ بِها جُنوناً

وَكانَ القَلبُ جُنَّ بِها جُنوناً

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَها فيمن يَطوفُ

وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَها فيمن يَطوفُ

My heart had gone mad for her, utterly mad,

My heart was obsessed with madness over you,

And I have seen none like her among those who go about.

And I saw no one like you among those who wandered.

تَراءَت يَومَ نَخلَ بمُسبَكِرٍّ

تَراءَت يَومَ نَخلَ بمُسبَكِرٍّ

تَرَبَّبَهُ الذَريرَةُ وَالنَصيفُ

تَرَبَّبَهُ الذَريرَةُ وَالنَصيفُ

She appeared on the day of Nakhl with flowing hair,

You appeared one day, date palms in Musabkar,

Tended by powdered perfume and her veil,

The breeze softly rustling through its branches,

وَمَشمولٍ عليه الظَلمُ غُرٍّ

وَمَشمولٍ عليه الظَلمُ غُرٍّ

عِذابش لا أَكَسُّ وَلا خَلوفُ

عِذابش لا أَكَسُّ وَلا خَلوفُ

And a north-wind-cooled mouth, its white teeth moist,

Enveloped in darkness, a tender sprig,

[Sweet?], neither short-toothed nor foul-breathed.

Whose torment I cannot lessen or appease.

كأَنَّ فَضيض رُمّانٍ جَنيٍّ

كأَنَّ فَضيض رُمّانٍ جَنيٍّ

وَأُترُجٍ لأيكَتِهِ حَفيفُ

وَأُترُجٍ لأيكَتِهِ حَفيفُ

As though the juice of freshly picked pomegranates

Like the gurgling of a ripe pomegranate

And citron, whose grove rustles,

And the cooing of a dove to its mate.

عَلى فيها إِذا دَنَت الثُرَيّا

عَلى فيها إِذا دَنَت الثُرَيّا

دُنوَّ الدَلو أَسلَمَها الضَعيفُ

دُنوَّ الدَلو أَسلَمَها الضَعيفُ

Lay upon her mouth when the Pleiades sank low,

When she draws near the breast, the weakling

As low as a bucket let slip by a weak man.

Submits the bucket to her readily.

أَجادَت أُمّ عَبدَةَ يَومَ لاقوا

أَجادَت أُمّ عَبدَةَ يَومَ لاقوا

وَثارَ النَقعُ وأَختَلفَ الأُلوفُ

وَثارَ النَقعُ وأَختَلفَ الأُلوفُ

Umm ʿAbda excelled on the day they met,

Umm 'Abda did well when they met.

And dust rose and thousands clashed.

The camels roared and thousands milled about.

يُقَدِّمُ حَبتَراً بأفَلَّ عَضبٍ

يُقَدِّمُ حَبتَراً بأفَلَّ عَضبٍ

لَهُ ظُبَةٌ لما نالَت قُطوفُ

لَهُ ظُبَةٌ لما نالَت قُطوفُ

He led Ḥabtar forward with a notched, keen sword,

He brings Habtar in violent anger.

Its edge reaping whatever it reached.

He has a gazelle when the plucking is done.

فَغادَرَ خَلفَهُ يَكبو لَقيطاً

فَغادَرَ خَلفَهُ يَكبو لَقيطاً

لَهُ من حَدِّ واكِفَةٍ نَصيفُ

لَهُ من حَدِّ واكِفَةٍ نَصيفُ

So he left Laqīṭ stumbling behind him,

He left behind him a foundling crying out,

With half his head left by a blood-dripping blade's edge.

Whimpering to him from the shelter of the overhang.

كأَنَّ جَماجِمَ الأَبطالِ لَمّا

كأَنَّ جَماجِمَ الأَبطالِ لَمّا

تَلاقينا ضُحىً حَدَجٌ نَقيفُ

تَلاقينا ضُحىً حَدَجٌ نَقيفُ

As though the heroes' skulls, when

As though the skulls of heroes when

We met at midmorning, were split colocynth fruits.

We met at dawn were ominous and unlucky.

وَحامى كُلّ قَومٍ عَن أَبيهم

وَحامى كُلّ قَومٍ عَن أَبيهم

وَصارَت كالمَخاريقِ السُيوفُ

وَصارَت كالمَخاريقِ السُيوفُ

And every clan defended its forefather,

Each tribe's protector defended their father,

And swords became like twisted-rag whips.

And the swords became like piercing pickaxes.

تَرى يُمنى الكَتيبةِ مَن يَليها

تَرى يُمنى الكَتيبةِ مَن يَليها

يَخِرُّ عَلى مرافِقَها الكُثوفُ

يَخِرُّ عَلى مرافِقَها الكُثوفُ

You see, at the army's right wing, whoever comes near it

You see the right side of the brigade, whoever faces it,

Fall upon its flanks—the stout warrior.

Stumbling over their shoulders, the bumpy ground.

لَنا شَهباءُ تَنفي من يَلينا

لَنا شَهباءُ تَنفي من يَلينا

مُضَرَّجَةٌ لَها لَونٌ خَصيفُ

مُضَرَّجَةٌ لَها لَونٌ خَصيفُ

We have a gray battalion that drives off those near us,

We have a gray she-camel who wards off those facing us,

Blood-stained, its colors mingled.

Bloodstained, whose color is autumnal.

وَذُبيانيَّةٍ أَوصَت بَنيها

وَذُبيانيَّةٍ أَوصَت بَنيها

بأن كذَبَ القَراطِفُ وَالقُروفُ

بأن كذَبَ القَراطِفُ وَالقُروفُ

And a woman of Dhubyān urged her sons

And a Doe, who instructed her sons,

To go after the blankets and leather sacks.

"The belts and saddles have lied."

تُجَهِّزُهم بما وَجدَت وَقالَت

تُجَهِّزُهم بما وَجدَت وَقالَت

بَنيَّ فَكُلُّكُم بَطَلٌ مُسيفُ

بَنيَّ فَكُلُّكُم بَطَلٌ مُسيفُ

She equipped them with whatever she found, and said,

She equipped them as she could and said,

'My sons, you are all sword-bearing champions!'

"My sons, each of you is a polished sword."

فأخلَفنا مودَّتَها فَقاظَت

فأخلَفنا مودَّتَها فَقاظَت

وَماقيءُ عينَها حَذِلٌ نَطوفُ

وَماقيءُ عينَها حَذِلٌ نَطوفُ

We dashed her loving hopes, and she spent the summer

But we betrayed her affection, so she stayed awake

With the corner of her eye sore and streaming.

And the overflow of her eyes was ceaseless circling.

إِذا ما أَبصَرت نَوحاً أَتَتهُ

إِذا ما أَبصَرت نَوحاً أَتَتهُ

تُرِنُّ وَرضجعُ كَفَّيها خَنوفُ

تُرِنُّ وَرضجعُ كَفَّيها خَنوفُ

Whenever she saw mourners, she went to them,

Whenever she saw lament, she came to him,

She keened, her hands' motion [reading uncertain] slanting sideways.

Moaning, while her palms slapped her thighs.

لِيَبكِ أَبا رَواحَةَ جَملُ خَيلٍ

لِيَبكِ أَبا رَواحَةَ جَملُ خَيلٍ

وَقَومٌ قَد أَعزَّهمُ المُضيفُ

وَقَومٌ قَد أَعزَّهمُ المُضيفُ

Let a troop of horsemen mourn Abū Rawāḥa,

To mourn Abu Rawaha, a band of horses

And a people whom their host had made mighty.

And people the guest had honored.

يُنادي الجانِبانِ بأن أَنيخوا

يُنادي الجانِبانِ بأن أَنيخوا

وَقَد عَرَسَ الإِناخَةُ وَالوقوفُ

وَقَد عَرَسَ الإِناخَةُ وَالوقوفُ

Both sides called out, 'Make the camels kneel!'

Both sides cry to dismount and stand still,

And kneeling and standing had already brought a halt.

As settling down and halting has become virtuous.

وَكانَ الأيمنونَ بَني نُمَيرٍ

وَكانَ الأيمنونَ بَني نُمَيرٍ

يَسيرُ بِنا أَمامَهُمُ الخَليفُ

يَسيرُ بِنا أَمامَهُمُ الخَليفُ

Those on the right were the sons of Numayr,

The right-hand helpers were the Banu Numayr,

The mountain pass leading us onward ahead of them.

Walking before them was the Caliph.

فَلا جُبنٌ فَيَنكَلُ إِن لَقينا

فَلا جُبنٌ فَيَنكَلُ إِن لَقينا

وَلا هَزمُ الجيوش لَنا طَريفُ

وَلا هَزمُ الجيوش لَنا طَريفُ

No cowardice makes us recoil if we meet,

No cowardice to make us shrink if we meet,

Nor is routing armies anything new to us.

Nor does the rout of armies touch us.

تَرَكنا الشِعبَ لَم نَعقِل إِلَيهِ

تَرَكنا الشِعبَ لَم نَعقِل إِلَيهِ

وَأَسهَلنا كَما عَلِمَ الحَليفُ

وَأَسهَلنا كَما عَلِمَ الحَليفُ

We left the ravine, not seeking refuge in it,

We left the valley, not heeding it,

And went down to the plain, as our ally knew.

And descended as our confidante knew.

نَسوقُ به النِساءَ مشَمِّراتٍ

نَسوقُ به النِساءَ مشَمِّراتٍ

يُخالِطُها مَع العَرَقِ الخَشيفُ

يُخالِطُها مَع العَرَقِ الخَشيفُ

We drove the women along it, their hems tucked up,

We drive the girdled women ahead of us,

Snow mingled with their sweat.

Mingled with the dripping sweat.

إِذا أَستَرخَت حِبالُ القَوم شُدَّت

إِذا أَستَرخَت حِبالُ القَوم شُدَّت

وَلا يَثني لقائِمَةٍ وَظيفُ

وَلا يَثني لقائِمَةٍ وَظيفُ

When the people's ropes slackened, they were tightened,

When the tribe's ropes are slackened, they are pulled tight,

And no leg's cannon bone buckled.

And no towering woman can withstand them.

تَركنَ بطونَ صاراتٍ بِلَيلٍ

تَركنَ بطونَ صاراتٍ بِلَيلٍ

مطافيلُ الرَباعِ بِها خُلوفُ

مطافيلُ الرَباعِ بِها خُلوفُ

They left the valley bottoms of Ṣārāt by night—

They left the bellies of maidens by night,

Mothers with young, the homesteads there bereft of men.

The coolness of shelter caressing them.

فَظَلَّ بِذي معاركَ كلّ مُرباً

فَظَلَّ بِذي معاركَ كلّ مُرباً

وَنجّى ربَّهُ الهَزمُ الخَفيفُ

وَنجّى ربَّهُ الهَزمُ الخَفيفُ

So everyone remained encamped at Dhū Maʿārik,

So he who has battlefields remains with each

And the light, swift steed saved its master,

Skirmish, and his Lord saved him from defeat.

من اللائي سنابِكُهنَّ شُمٌ

من اللائي سنابِكُهنَّ شُمٌ

أضخَفَّ مُشاشَهُ لَبَنٌ وَريفُ

أضخَفَّ مُشاشَهُ لَبَنٌ وَريفُ

One of those whose hooves stand high,

Of those whose teats are poison, milk mingled

Its joints made stout by abundant milk.

With curdled milk and licorice root.

يؤيَّهُ وَاللَهيفَ بوارداتٍ

يؤيَّهُ وَاللَهيفَ بوارداتٍ

كَما يَتغاوثُ الحِسي النَزيفُ

كَما يَتغاوثُ الحِسي النَزيفُ

He cries out, as does the distressed man at Wāridāt,

It sucks and is perfumed with aromatics,

Like a drained sand-well crying for help.

As blood gushes forth from the wound.

فَلمّا أَن هزَمنا الناسَ جاءَت

فَلمّا أَن هزَمنا الناسَ جاءَت

وفودٌ من رَبيعَتِنا تَزيفُ

وفودٌ من رَبيعَتِنا تَزيفُ

So when we had routed the people, there came

When we routed the people, delegations came

Delegations from our Rabīʿa, strutting along,

From our league, presenting gifts.

وَشِقٌّ ساقِطٌ بضلوعِ جَنبٍ

وَشِقٌّ ساقِطٌ بضلوعِ جَنبٍ

رَجوفُ الرِجلِ منطِقُهُ نَسيفُ

رَجوفُ الرِجلِ منطِقُهُ نَسيفُ

And Shiqq, slumped upon his side's ribs,

And a chief fallen, his ribs alongside his flank,

His leg trembling, his speech faint,

Hollow-legged, his logic forgotten and abandoned.

أَغَرُّ كأَنَّ جبهَتَهُ هِلالٌ

أَغَرُّ كأَنَّ جبهَتَهُ هِلالٌ

لِظُلمِ الجارِ وَالمَولى عَيوفُ

لِظُلمِ الجارِ وَالمَولى عَيوفُ

Bright-faced, his brow like a crescent moon,

Delirious, as though his forehead were a crescent

Averse to wronging neighbor or protected ally.

In the darkness of a neighbor and protector.