خليليَّ مُرَّا بالرُّسومِ الدَّوائرِ

خليليَّ مُرَّا بالرُّسومِ الدَّوائرِ

لموذيةٍ بين العَقيقِ فحاِجرِ

لموذيةٍ بين العَقيقِ فحاِجرِ

My two companions, pass by the effaced traces—

My two friends, pass by the fading traces

the traces of Muḍayya, between al-ʿAqīq and Ḥājir.

Of Mudhiyah, between al-'Aqiq and Hajir.

قِفا نبكِ بعدَ البَينِ عَلَّ بكاءَنا

قِفا نبكِ بعدَ البَينِ عَلَّ بكاءَنا

يبُرّدُ تبريحَ الغرامِ المخامر

يبُرّدُ تبريحَ الغرامِ المخامر

Halt; let us weep after parting—perhaps our tears

Stop, let us weep after parting; perhaps our weeping

will cool the searing anguish of love steeped in the heart.

Will cool the torment of all-pervading love.

وإن لم يكن إلا طُلولاً هَوَامِداً

وإن لم يكن إلا طُلولاً هَوَامِداً

صوامتَ لم تردُدْ جوابَ المحادِرِ

صوامتَ لم تردُدْ جوابَ المحادِرِ

Though nothing remains but lifeless ruins,

And though there were only lifeless ruins,

mute, returning no answer to one who speaks,

Silent, giving no answer to the speaker,

وقفنا فسلَّمنا جميعاً وإنما

وقفنا فسلَّمنا جميعاً وإنما

من العِيّ تكليمُ الَموامي القَوافر

من العِيّ تكليمُ الَموامي القَوافر

we halted and all of us offered greetings—yet

We stopped and all offered greetings; yet

to address barren dwellings is helpless speech.

Speaking to barren wastes is mere helplessness.

وعامرةٍ بالجنّ بَيداءَ صَفصفٍ

وعامرةٍ بالجنّ بَيداءَ صَفصفٍ

قطعتُ بحُرجوجٍ من البُزْل فاطر

قطعتُ بحُرجوجٍ من البُزْل فاطر

Many a wilderness peopled by jinn—a level waste—

And many a level desert, inhabited by jinn,

I crossed on a towering, broad she-camel, newly mature among the full-grown:

I crossed on a rangy she-camel, full-grown and aged,

أموِن السُّرى وهم ذَقونٍ هَطلَعٍ

أموِن السُّرى وهم ذَقونٍ هَطلَعٍ

أروفٍ زَفوفٍ من صميمِ الأباعرِ

أروفٍ زَفوفٍ من صميمِ الأباعرِ

sure-footed by night, stout-chinned and high-necked,

Trusty for night travel, massive, chin-dipping and long-necked,

supple and swift, from the purest camel stock.

Long-striding, swift-stepping, of pure camel stock.

كأني على رَبْدَاءَ من رُبد حَوْمَلٍ

كأني على رَبْدَاءَ من رُبد حَوْمَلٍ

تَرامى ببيضٍ باللّوى متحاورِ

تَرامى ببيضٍ باللّوى متحاورِ

I seemed to ride a dun-colored one from Ḥawmal’s dark herd,

As though I rode a gray ostrich from Hawmal's gray flock,

grazing with white camels at al-Liwā, calling back and forth.

Casting herself over clustered eggs at al-Liwa,

فأفزعها رِكْزُ الأنيس فأدبرت

فأفزعها رِكْزُ الأنيس فأدبرت

تجوب الفيافي جوبَ سارٍ محاذرِ

تجوب الفيافي جوبَ سارٍ محاذرِ

The low voices of men startled her, and she turned away,

A faint human sound startled her, and she turned away,

traversing the open wastes like a wary night traveler—

Crossing the wastes like a wary night traveler.

وسيجاً وإيضاعاً ووَخْداً وهَزَّةً

وسيجاً وإيضاعاً ووَخْداً وهَزَّةً

ذَميلاً وإيجافاً بفرطِ التَّعاورِ

ذَميلاً وإيجافاً بفرطِ التَّعاورِ

now smooth-running, now racing headlong, now trotting swiftly, now jolting,

In a swift gait, a racing pace, long strides and jolts,

ambling evenly and galloping, the gaits ceaselessly alternating.

A smooth trot and a gallop, with constant changes of pace.

أنا الملكُ القَرْمُ الذي تعرفونه

أنا الملكُ القَرْمُ الذي تعرفونه

هُمامٌ قديم العيصِ جَمُّ المفاخرِ

هُمامٌ قديم العيصِ جَمُّ المفاخرِ

I am the king, the champion whom you know,

I am the king, the great chief whom you know,

a resolute man of ancient sovereignty, abounding in glories.

A valiant lord of ancient stock, rich in glorious deeds.

أنا ابن الأزْدِ غَسّان أنتمي

أنا ابن الأزْدِ غَسّان أنتمي

لهودٍ إذا الأنسابُ عُدَّت لعابرِ

لهودٍ إذا الأنسابُ عُدَّت لعابرِ

I am a son of al-Azd; to Ghassān I trace my line,

I am a son of al-Azd, of Ghassan; I trace my descent

and to Hūd, when genealogies are reckoned by one who knows the past.

To Hud, when pedigrees are counted, to 'Abir.

ليَ الشرفُ الوَّضاحُ والسُّؤدد الذي

ليَ الشرفُ الوَّضاحُ والسُّؤدد الذي

علا وسما فوقَ النجومِ الزواهرِ

علا وسما فوقَ النجومِ الزواهرِ

Mine are radiant honor and manifest lordship,

Mine are radiant honor and the lordship that

rising and soaring above the shining stars.

Rose and soared above the shining stars.

ملكت رقابَ الناسِ بالبأس والنَّدى

ملكت رقابَ الناسِ بالبأس والنَّدى

وسُدت ملوكاً بالعُلى والمفاخر

وسُدت ملوكاً بالعُلى والمفاخر

Through courage and generosity I mastered the necks of men

I held men's necks in my power through might and generosity,

and rose above kings in eminence and glory.

And mastered kings through eminence and glorious deeds.

فجدّيَ نبهانُ الهُماُم ووالدي

فجدّيَ نبهانُ الهُماُم ووالدي

سليمانُ موْلى كلِّ بادِ وحاضرِ

سليمانُ موْلى كلِّ بادِ وحاضرِ

My grandfather is Nabhān, the valiant leader, and my father

For my grandfather is Nabhan the valiant, and my father

Sulaymān, lord of every nomad and settled man.

Sulayman, lord of every nomad and settled dweller.

وكم قُدْت من جيشٍ أزَبَّ لمثله

وكم قُدْت من جيشٍ أزَبَّ لمثله

وكم قُدت من طِرفَ جَواَدٍ لشاعرِ

وكم قُدت من طِرفَ جَواَدٍ لشاعرِ

How many a vast, bristling army have I led, with none its equal—

And how many a bristling army have I led against its equal,

and how many a noble, fine-bred horse have I led for a poet.

And how many a noble, fleet steed have I led to a poet!

وكم خُضت بحراً موجه البيضُ والقَنا

وكم خُضت بحراً موجه البيضُ والقَنا

وكلُّ ربيطِ الجأش كالليل ثائرِ

وكلُّ ربيطِ الجأش كالليل ثائرِ

How many a sea have I plunged into, its waves flashing swords and lances,

And how many a sea I have plunged into, its waves gleaming swords and spears,

while every stout-hearted warrior surged, night-like, in fury.

And every steadfast-hearted warrior, surging like the night.

وأكرمُ من مَعْنٍ وفضلٍ وحاتمٍ

وأكرمُ من مَعْنٍ وفضلٍ وحاتمٍ

وأشجعُ من عَمْرٍ وعمرو وعامرِ

وأشجعُ من عَمْرٍ وعمرو وعامرِ

More generous am I than Maʿn, Faḍl, and Ḥātim,

And I am more generous than Ma'n, Fadl and Hatim,

and braver than ʿAmr, ʿUmar, and ʿĀmir;

And braver than 'Amr, 'Amr and 'Amir,

وأكبرُ عقلاً من ثَبيرٍ وباسلٍ

وأكبرُ عقلاً من ثَبيرٍ وباسلٍ

وأقْطَعُ من ماضي الغِرارين بِاترِ

وأقْطَعُ من ماضي الغِرارين بِاترِ

greater in judgment than Thabīr, and more valiant,

And greater in wisdom than Thabir and Basil,

more decisive than a keen, double-edged, severing sword.

And sharper than a cleaving sword, keen on both edges.

وحسبي من الأموال شقَّاءُ سابحٌ

وحسبي من الأموال شقَّاءُ سابحٌ

ووَجناء حرفٌ من بناتِ العصاِفرِ

ووَجناء حرفٌ من بناتِ العصاِفرِ

Of wealth, enough for me is a fleet chestnut steed,

And wealth enough for me is a long-bodied steed, swimming in its gallop,

and a big-cheeked, lean she-camel of the stock of al-ʿAḍāfir;

And a hardy, large-cheeked she-camel, a daughter of al-'Asafir,

وموضونة سَرْد وعَضْب مُهَنَّد

وموضونة سَرْد وعَضْب مُهَنَّد

وأسمرُ فيه لَهْذم غير قاصر

وأسمرُ فيه لَهْذم غير قاصر

a close-woven coat of mail and a sharp Indian blade,

And tightly woven mail and a sharp sword of Indian steel,

and a brown spear with a full-length point;

And a brown-shafted spear, its keen head never falling short,

وصفراء مِرنانٌ وزرقا مخيفة

وصفراء مِرنانٌ وزرقا مخيفة

محددَّة مبعوثُها غير حائرِ

محددَّة مبعوثُها غير حائرِ

a ringing yellow bow and a fearsome blue-tipped arrow,

And a yellow, twanging bow and fearsome blue arrows,

keen-pointed—when loosed, its missile never strays.

Sharpened, each launched shaft unerring.

أبى الله إلا أننا آلَ تُبَّعٍ

أبى الله إلا أننا آلَ تُبَّعٍ

ملوكُ ملوكِ الأرضِ من عهدِ عابرِ

ملوكُ ملوكِ الأرضِ من عهدِ عابرِ

God has willed only that we are the house of Tubbaʿ,

God would have us be none other than the house of Tubba',

kings over the kings of the earth since a bygone age.

Kings over earth's kings since the age of 'Abir.

لنا العِزُّ والتيجانُ والمجدُ والعُلى

لنا العِزُّ والتيجانُ والمجدُ والعُلى

وسَائلْ بنا حَيِّيْ مَعَدّ ٍوعامِرِ

وسَائلْ بنا حَيِّيْ مَعَدّ ٍوعامِرِ

Ours are might, crowns, glory, and eminence—

Ours are might and crowns, glory and high rank;

ask the two peoples, Maʿadd and ʿĀmir, about us.

And ask about us the two tribes of Ma'add and 'Amir.