أَهاجَكَ مِن سُعداكَ مَغنى المَعاهِدِ

أَهاجَكَ مِن سُعداكَ مَغنى المَعاهِدِ

بِرَوضَةِ نُعمِيٍّ فَذاتِ الأَساوِدِ

بِرَوضَةِ نُعمِيٍّ فَذاتِ الأَساوِدِ

Has the old campsite of your Suʿdā, among the familiar haunts, stirred you—

Has the dwelling at your Su‘da's old haunts stirred you,

at Rawḍat Nuʿmiyy, then at Dhāt al-Asāwid?

in the meadow of Nu‘miyy, then at Dhat al-Asawid?

تَعاوَرَها الأَرواحُ يَنسِفنَ تُربَها

تَعاوَرَها الأَرواحُ يَنسِفنَ تُربَها

وَكُلُّ مُلِثٍّ ذي أَهاضيبَ راعِدِ

وَكُلُّ مُلِثٍّ ذي أَهاضيبَ راعِدِ

The winds have taken turns upon it, winnowing away its soil,

The winds have assailed it in turn, scattering its soil,

as has every lingering, thundering cloud laden with torrents.

and every lingering thundercloud with torrents of rain.

بِها كُلُّ ذَيّالٍ وَخَنساءَ تَرعَوي

بِها كُلُّ ذَيّالٍ وَخَنساءَ تَرعَوي

إِلى كُلِّ رَجّافٍ مِنَ الرَملِ فارِدِ

إِلى كُلِّ رَجّافٍ مِنَ الرَملِ فارِدِ

There every long-tailed buck and snub-nosed doe turns

There, every long-tailed bull and snub-nosed cow turns

toward every solitary, quivering dune of sand.

toward each solitary, quivering dune of sand.

عَهِدتُ بِها سُعدى وَسُعدى غَريرَةٌ

عَهِدتُ بِها سُعدى وَسُعدى غَريرَةٌ

عَروبٌ تَهادى في جَوارٍ خَرائِدِ

عَروبٌ تَهادى في جَوارٍ خَرائِدِ

I knew Suʿdā there, when Suʿdā was still guileless—

I knew Su‘da there, when Su‘da was innocent,

loving and coquettish, swaying among secluded maidens.

affectionate, walking with swaying grace among shy maidens.

لَعَمري لَنِعمَ الحَيِّ صَبَّحَ سِربَنا

لَعَمري لَنِعمَ الحَيِّ صَبَّحَ سِربَنا

وَأَبياتَنا يَوماً بِذاتِ المَراوِدِ

وَأَبياتَنا يَوماً بِذاتِ المَراوِدِ

By my life, excellent were the clan whom a raiding troop attacked at dawn,

By my life, how fine the clan that raided our flock at dawn,

when our tents stood that day at Dhāt al-Marāwid—

and our tents, one day at Dhat al-Marawid!

يَقودُهُمُ النُعمانُ مِنهُ بِمُحصَفٍ

يَقودُهُمُ النُعمانُ مِنهُ بِمُحصَفٍ

وَكَيدٍ يَغُمُّ الخارِجِيَّ مُناجِدِ

وَكَيدٍ يَغُمُّ الخارِجِيَّ مُناجِدِ

a troop Nuʿmān led, with firm resolve

Al-Nu‘man leads them with firm resolve of his own,

and a stratagem that overwhelms the rebel even as he resists,

and a stratagem that lends strength and confounds the rebel,

وَشيمَةِ لا وانٍ وَلا واهِنِ القُوى

وَشيمَةِ لا وانٍ وَلا واهِنِ القُوى

وَجَدٍّ إِذا خابَ المُفيدونَ صاعِدِ

وَجَدٍّ إِذا خابَ المُفيدونَ صاعِدِ

and a nature neither flagging nor feeble in strength,

and the character of one neither slack nor feeble in strength,

and fortune rising when the seekers of fortune fail.

and fortune that rises when seekers of gain fail.

فَآبَ بِأَبكارٍ وَعونٍ عَقائِلٍ

فَآبَ بِأَبكارٍ وَعونٍ عَقائِلٍ

أَوانِسَ يَحميها اِمرُؤٌ غَيرُ زاهِدِ

أَوانِسَ يَحميها اِمرُؤٌ غَيرُ زاهِدِ

They returned with young virgins and mature noblewomen,

So he returned with noble maidens and matrons,

winsome women guarded by a man far from indifferent.

gracious women, guarded by a man not indifferent to them.

يُخَطَّطنَ بِالعيدانِ في كُلِّ مَقعَدٍ

يُخَطَّطنَ بِالعيدانِ في كُلِّ مَقعَدٍ

وَيَخبَأنَ رُمّانَ الثُدِيِّ النَواهِدِ

وَيَخبَأنَ رُمّانَ الثُدِيِّ النَواهِدِ

At every stopping place they trace lines with sticks,

They trace lines with sticks wherever they sit,

and conceal the pomegranates of their firm, swelling breasts.

and conceal the pomegranates of their swelling breasts,

وَيَضرِبنَ بِالأَيدي وَراءَ بَراغِزٍ

وَيَضرِبنَ بِالأَيدي وَراءَ بَراغِزٍ

حِسانِ الوُجوهِ كَالظِباءِ العَواقِدِ

حِسانِ الوُجوهِ كَالظِباءِ العَواقِدِ

They clap their hands behind tender young boys,

and strike with their hands behind children like wild-cow calves,

fair-faced as gazelles with arching necks—

fair of face, like gazelles with curving horns.

غَرائِرُ لَم يَلقَينَ بَأساءَ قَبلَها

غَرائِرُ لَم يَلقَينَ بَأساءَ قَبلَها

لَدى اِبنِ الجُلاحِ ما يَثِقنَ بِوافِدِ

لَدى اِبنِ الجُلاحِ ما يَثِقنَ بِوافِدِ

guileless women who had never met such violence before,

Innocent girls who had known no hardship before this,

in Ibn al-Julāḥ’s power, hoping in no arriving rescuer.

with Ibn al-Julah, they trust no envoy.

أَصابَ بَني غَيظٍ فَأَضحَوا عِبادَهُ

أَصابَ بَني غَيظٍ فَأَضحَوا عِبادَهُ

وَجَلَّلَها نُعمى عَلى غَيرِ واحِدِ

وَجَلَّلَها نُعمى عَلى غَيرِ واحِدِ

He defeated Banū Ghayẓ, and they became his subjects,

He struck the Banu Ghayz, and they became his slaves,

and clothed more than one of them in bounty.

and cloaked them in bounty, bestowed on more than one.

فَلا بُدَّ مِن عَوجاءَ تَهوي بِراكِبٍ

فَلا بُدَّ مِن عَوجاءَ تَهوي بِراكِبٍ

إِلى اِبنِ الجُلاحِ سَيرُها اللَيلَ قاصِدِ

إِلى اِبنِ الجُلاحِ سَيرُها اللَيلَ قاصِدِ

So there is no avoiding a lean, crook-backed she-camel racing with her rider,

So there must be a lean she-camel speeding with a rider

toward Ibn al-Julāḥ, her journey through the night straight and sure,

to Ibn al-Julah, traveling purposefully through the night.

تَخُبُّ إِلى النُعمانِ حَتّى تَنالَهُ

تَخُبُّ إِلى النُعمانِ حَتّى تَنالَهُ

فِدىً لَكَ مِن رَبٍّ طَريفي وَتالِدي

فِدىً لَكَ مِن رَبٍّ طَريفي وَتالِدي

trotting swiftly toward al-Nuʿmān until she reaches him.

She trots toward al-Nu‘man until she reaches him;

Among all lords, may my new-won and inherited wealth be your ransom.

may my new-won and inherited wealth ransom you, my lord!

فَسَكَّنتَ نَفسي بَعدَما طارَ روحُها

فَسَكَّنتَ نَفسي بَعدَما طارَ روحُها

وَأَلبَستَني نُعمى وَلَستُ بِشاهِدِ

وَأَلبَستَني نُعمى وَلَستُ بِشاهِدِ

Then I calmed my soul after terror had sent its heart flying,

So you calmed my soul after its spirit had flown,

for you clothed me in favor while I was absent.

and clothed me in bounty though I was not present.

وَكُنتُ اِمرَأً لا أَمدَحُ الدَهرَ سوقَةٍ

وَكُنتُ اِمرَأً لا أَمدَحُ الدَهرَ سوقَةٍ

فَلَستُ عَلى خَيرٍ أَتاكَ بِحاسِدِ

فَلَستُ عَلى خَيرٍ أَتاكَ بِحاسِدِ

I have ever been a man who praised no commoner,

And I was a man who never praised mere subjects,

so no good that has come to you will find me envious.

so I do not envy the good that has come to you.

سَبَقتَ الرِجالَ الباهِشينَ إِلى العُلى

سَبَقتَ الرِجالَ الباهِشينَ إِلى العُلى

كَسَبقِ الجَوادِ اِصطادَ قَبلَ الطَوارِدِ

كَسَبقِ الجَوادِ اِصطادَ قَبلَ الطَوارِدِ

You outstripped the men laboring under the hard ascent to glory,

You outstripped the men stretching their hands toward glory,

as a swift steed catches the quarry before the other pursuers.

like a swift steed winning the quarry ahead of the pursuing horses.

عَلَوتَ مَعَدّاً نائِلاً وَنِكايَةً

عَلَوتَ مَعَدّاً نائِلاً وَنِكايَةً

فَأَنتَ لِغَيثِ الحَمدِ أَوَّلُ رائِدِ

فَأَنتَ لِغَيثِ الحَمدِ أَوَّلُ رائِدِ

You surpassed Maʿadd in bounty and in havoc dealt to foes;

You surpassed Ma‘add in bounty and in blows dealt to foes,

thus you are the foremost scout for the rain-cloud of praise.

so you are the first scout for the rain of praise.