لَنِعمَ اِبن أُختِ القَومِ يَسجُنُ مُصعَب

لَنِعمَ اِبن أُختِ القَومِ يَسجُنُ مُصعَب

لطارِقِ لَيلٍ خائِفٍ وَلنازِلِ

لطارِقِ لَيلٍ خائِفٍ وَلنازِلِ

Indeed, what a fine nephew of the tribe Muṣʿab imprisons—

How excellent is Ibn aunt of the tribe imprisoning Mus'ab

for a frightened caller by night, and for a guest!

For the knocker of a fearful night and the descenders

وَنِعمَ الفَتى يا اِبنَ الزُبَيرَ سجنتُم

وَنِعمَ الفَتى يا اِبنَ الزُبَيرَ سجنتُم

إِذا قَلِقَت يَوماً صُقورُ الرَّحائِلِ

إِذا قَلِقَت يَوماً صُقورُ الرَّحائِلِ

And what a fine young man, son of al-Zubayr, you have imprisoned,

And how excellent is the young man O Ibn Az-Zubayr you imprisoned

when, one day, the falcons of the saddles grow restless.

When the hawks of traveling are restless one day

فَلَو مِتُّ في قَومي وَلَم آتِ عَجزة

فَلَو مِتُّ في قَومي وَلَم آتِ عَجزة

يُضَعِّفُني فيها اِمرؤٌ غَيرُ عادِلِ

يُضَعِّفُني فيها اِمرؤٌ غَيرُ عادِلِ

Had I died among my people, without committing an act of weakness

If I had died among my people and had not come to old age

for which an unjust man might call me weak,

To weaken me among them, a man who is not just

لأُكرِم بِها مِن ميتَةٍ إِن لَقيتُها

لأُكرِم بِها مِن ميتَةٍ إِن لَقيتُها

أُطاعِنُ فيها كُلَّ خِرقٍ مَنازِلِ

أُطاعِنُ فيها كُلَّ خِرقٍ مَنازِلِ

how noble a death it would be, if I met it,

I would be honored by it from a death if I met it

while trading spear-thrusts with every bold opponent!

I stab in it every torn robe

وَما كُنتُ أَخشى أَن أراني مُقَيَّداً

وَما كُنتُ أَخشى أَن أراني مُقَيَّداً

عَلى غَيرِ جُرمٍ وَسطَ بَكرِ بنِ وائِلِ

عَلى غَيرِ جُرمٍ وَسطَ بَكرِ بنِ وائِلِ

And I never feared that I would see myself fettered,

And I was not afraid that I would see myself chained

for no crime, among Bakr ibn Wāʾil.

Without guilt amidst Bakr bin Wael

وَأَلفَيتَني يا اِبنَ الزُّبَيرِ كَأَنَّما

وَأَلفَيتَني يا اِبنَ الزُّبَيرِ كَأَنَّما

رُمِيتُ بِسَهمٍ مِن سِهامِكَ ناصِلِ

رُمِيتُ بِسَهمٍ مِن سِهامِكَ ناصِلِ

And you found me, son of al-Zubayr, as though

And you found me O Ibn Az-Zubayr as if

I had been struck by one of your headless arrows.

I was hit by an arrow from your piercing arrows

فَإِن أَنفَلَت لا تَجمَعِ الشَمس بَينَنا

فَإِن أَنفَلَت لا تَجمَعِ الشَمس بَينَنا

وَلا اللَّيلُ إِلا في القَنا وَالقَنابِلِ

وَلا اللَّيلُ إِلا في القَنا وَالقَنابِلِ

So if I escape, may the sun never bring us together,

So if I slip away, the sun does not gather between us

nor the night, except amid lances and cavalry bands.

Nor the night except in tents and tents

مَتى أَدَعُ فتيانَ الصَعاليكِ يَركَبوا

مَتى أَدَعُ فتيانَ الصَعاليكِ يَركَبوا

ظِماءَ الفُصوصِ نائِماتِ الأَباجِلِ

ظِماءَ الفُصوصِ نائِماتِ الأَباجِلِ

Whenever I summon the young outlaws, they mount

When will I let the young men of hooligans ride

steeds lean of joint, their leg-veins asleep.

Thirsty thoroughbreds, sleepy, slow

تُشَبِّهُها الطير السِّراعَ إِذا اِغتَدَت

تُشَبِّهُها الطير السِّراعَ إِذا اِغتَدَت

بِفُرسانِها في السَّبسَبِ المُتَماحِلِ

بِفُرسانِها في السَّبسَبِ المُتَماحِلِ

You liken them to swift birds when they set out at dawn,

Birds of prey resemble them when they are arrogant

with their riders across the far-stretching plain.

With their horsemen in intertwined ornaments

تَطيرُ مَعَ الأَيدي إِذا اِرتَفَعَت بِها

تَطيرُ مَعَ الأَيدي إِذا اِرتَفَعَت بِها

شَمائِلُها أَلحقنَها بِالمَساحِلِ

شَمائِلُها أَلحقنَها بِالمَساحِلِ

They fly with their forelegs; when these rise with them,

They fly with the hands when they rise with them

their left forelegs bring them level with the bridle-rings.

Their images followed them to the plains

يَقودُ رِعانَ الخَيلِ بي وَبِصُحبَتي

يَقودُ رِعانَ الخَيلِ بي وَبِصُحبَتي

كُمَيتُ الأَعالي بَربَرِيُّ الأَسافِلِ

كُمَيتُ الأَعالي بَربَرِيُّ الأَسافِلِ

Leading the cavalry's foremost ranks, with me and my companions,

He leads the reins of the horses with me and with my company

is a steed bay above and Barbary below.

Kumayt Al-A'la, the Berber of the Lower

عَلَينا دِلاصٌ مِن تُراث مُحَرَّقٍ

عَلَينا دِلاصٌ مِن تُراث مُحَرَّقٍ

وَتَركٍ جَلا عَنها مَداسُ الصَياقِلِ

وَتَركٍ جَلا عَنها مَداسُ الصَياقِلِ

We wear smooth mail from Muḥarraq's legacy,

Upon us are coats of mail from the inheritance of Muharraq

and helmets burnished by the polishers' stone,

And neglect which the polishers deserted from it

وَمُطَّرِداتٌ مِن رماحِ رُدَينَةٍ

وَمُطَّرِداتٌ مِن رماحِ رُدَينَةٍ

وَأَتراسِ جَونٍ عُلِّقَت بِالشَمائِلِ

وَأَتراسِ جَونٍ عُلِّقَت بِالشَمائِلِ

and straight-shafted lances of Rudayna,

And expelled from the spears of Rudaina

and dark shields hung on the left arms.

And shields of Jawn hung on the shoulders

فَلَو شِئتَ لَم تسجن صَديقاً وَلَم تُهَب

فَلَو شِئتَ لَم تسجن صَديقاً وَلَم تُهَب

إِلَيكَ بِصَقعاءِ المَناكِبِ بازِلِ

إِلَيكَ بِصَقعاءِ المَناكِبِ بازِلِ

So, had you wished, you would not have jailed a friend, nor would one have been urged

If you wished, you would not imprison a friend and would not grant

toward you—a mature she-camel, bare across the shoulders.

To you in traceability the shoulders are declining