صرفتَ بالاً عن سُكي

صرفتَ بالاً عن سُكي

نةَ هاجراً وسَلوْتَ هندا

نةَ هاجراً وسَلوْتَ هندا

You turned your thoughts away from Sukayna,

You have averted disaster from me

forsaking her, and ceased longing for Hind.

And migrated as an outsider to India

ولويتَ عن أمّ الرَّبا

ولويتَ عن أمّ الرَّبا

بِ سَوالفاً بدّلت صَّدا

بِ سَوالفاً بدّلت صَّدا

And you turned away from Umm al-Rabab,

And avoided the mother of disarray

twisting your neck and substituting estrangement.

With night-talk that changed reproach

أعَرَاكَ زهدٌ في الِحسا

أعَرَاكَ زهدٌ في الِحسا

نِ وِلم نَخلك ُمنحت زُهدا

نِ وِلم نَخلك ُمنحت زُهدا

Has indifference to beautiful women overtaken you,

Has asceticism made you uncaring

though we never thought you granted such detachment?

Or why does natural disposition make you ascetic?

كم مالكٍ ملكَ الرّقا

كم مالكٍ ملكَ الرّقا

ب غدا وراحَ لهنَّ عبدا

ب غدا وراحَ لهنَّ عبدا

How many a master who held necks in his power

Many a wealthy man has been mastered by gold

became, morning and evening, their slave!

And in the morning become slaves to it

يأمرنه فيطيعُهُ

يأمرنه فيطيعُهُ

نَّ ولا يحلُّ لهنَّ عِقدا

نَّ ولا يحلُّ لهنَّ عِقدا

They command him, and he obeys them,

They command him and he obeys them

and unties no knot of theirs.

And they are not allowed to tie a knot for him

لولا ذَكرت كما ذكر

لولا ذَكرت كما ذكر

تُ عشيَّةَ الجَفرينِ دّعدا

تُ عشيَّةَ الجَفرينِ دّعدا

Why did you not remember, as I remembered,

If you had not reminded me as you reminded me

Da'd that evening at al-Jafrayn?

In the evening of the two encampments, Dudd

وسُكينة تُصمي القُلو

وسُكينة تُصمي القُلو

بَ إذا جلَت وجهاً وخدَّا

بَ إذا جلَت وجهاً وخدَّا

And Sukayna strikes hearts dead

And of Sukayna whose heart

when she unveils her face and cheek.

Was silenced when she smiled softly

بيضاءٌ باكرَها النع

بيضاءٌ باكرَها النع

يمُ فأشرقَت عجزاً ونُهدا

يمُ فأشرقَت عجزاً ونُهدا

Fair-skinned, greeted early by luxury,

White in the morning, blessed with bounty

she shone in her haunches and breasts.

So she shone, unable and bosomed

كالفَرقدِ الأحوى الأغرّ إذا

كالفَرقدِ الأحوى الأغرّ إذا

لرْبرَبهِ تبدَّى

لرْبرَبهِ تبدَّى

Like the dark, white-blazed wild calf when

Like the cut Ahoo bud when

it appears before its herd.

Its dew is revealed by the starry rain

تفترُّ عن كالأقْحَوا

تفترُّ عن كالأقْحَوا

ن سقاهُ نوءُ النجم رَعدا

ن سقاهُ نوءُ النجم رَعدا

She smiles, revealing teeth like chamomile

And if kissed, it smells

watered by the star's rain amid thunder.

Of rare musk and soft scent

وتشُمُّ إن قبَّلتها

وتشُمُّ إن قبَّلتها

مسكاً وغاليةً وندَّا

مسكاً وغاليةً وندَّا

And if you kiss her, you smell

And when the noonday heat smites it

musk, ghaliya perfume, and nadd incense.

It is given spikenard and mead to drink

وإذا ترشفها الضَّجي

وإذا ترشفها الضَّجي

عُ سقته إسفنطاً وُشهدا

عُ سقته إسفنطاً وُشهدا

And when her bedfellow sips her lips,

And the son of him who enriched nobility came

she gives him spiced wine and honey to drink.

And prepared for enemies a reckoning

وأتا ابنُ مَن أغنى العُفا

وأتا ابنُ مَن أغنى العُفا

ةَ وعدَّ للأعداء عدَّا

ةَ وعدَّ للأعداء عدَّا

And there came the son of one who enriched supplicants

The most righteous of kings, most virtuous

and made full preparation against his enemies,

And their strongest foe and contender

أزكى الملوكِ أرومةً

أزكى الملوكِ أرومةً

واجلُّهم خالاً وجدا

واجلُّهم خالاً وجدا

the noblest of kings in lineage,

I have not betrayed a covenant since I grew up

and most illustrious through maternal uncle and grandfather.

Nor have I failed to keep a promise

ما خُنتُ عهداً مُذ نشأ

ما خُنتُ عهداً مُذ نشأ

تُ ولم أكن أخلفتُ وَعدا

تُ ولم أكن أخلفتُ وَعدا

I have betrayed no pledge since I grew up,

I prepared feasts for guests

nor have I ever broken a promise.

And poured forth meat and broth

أعددتُ للأضيافِ دُهم

أعددتُ للأضيافِ دُهم

اً دفَّقت لحماً وثَردا

اً دفَّقت لحماً وثَردا

I prepared dark cauldrons for the guests,

And steeds for the brave

pouring forth meat and broth-soaked bread.

When the reward of poetry is retaliation

وصوِاهلاً للماجدينَ

وصوِاهلاً للماجدينَ

إذا جزاءُ الشّعر عُدا

إذا جزاءُ الشّعر عُدا

And neighing horses for noble men,

And round leather shields I furnished

whenever poetry's rewards were reckoned.

Lining them with circulated coins

وبُدورِ تِبرٍ ضمّنِت

وبُدورِ تِبرٍ ضمّنِت

اتلفُتها نقداً فنقدا

اتلفُتها نقداً فنقدا

And full moons of raw gold I pledged;

And for everyone stubborn, I readied

I lavished them, coin after coin.

A sword to suit you, excellent in metal

ولكلّ ذي رُغمٍ ألدَّ

ولكلّ ذي رُغمٍ ألدَّ

إذا أتى أمراً وإدَّا

إذا أتى أمراً وإدَّا

And for every resentful, obstinate foe,

Whether you have seen it alone

when he commits a dreadful deed,

Wrath, when you strike with it

سيفاً يروقُكَ جوهراً

سيفاً يروقُكَ جوهراً

إمَّا بُصرت به وحدَّا

إمَّا بُصرت به وحدَّا

a sword whose metal delights you,

It almost restrains your hands from striking

when you behold it, and whose edge does too.

Existing, with it I reaped the necks

عَضباً متى تضرب بهِ

عَضباً متى تضرب بهِ

فيقل ليكفُفْ قدْكَ وقدّا

فيقل ليكفُفْ قدْكَ وقدّا

A sharp blade: whenever you strike with it,

When the battle was provoked into harvest

he cries, 'Let him stop! Enough!'—and it cleaves.

And polished, lofty in making

كائن حصدتُ به الرقا

كائن حصدتُ به الرقا

بَ إذا استطارَ النَّقعُ حصدا

بَ إذا استطارَ النَّقعُ حصدا

How many necks I have reaped with it,

The breadth of chests collapse

when battle-dust flew up, reaping them down!

Seeking from us the ropes of steel

ومطهَّماً سامي التلي

ومطهَّماً سامي التلي

لِ أقبَّ رَحب الصدرِ نهدا

لِ أقبَّ رَحب الصدرِ نهدا

And a well-built steed with lofty neck,

When play turned serious

lean-bellied, broad-chested, powerfully built.

When I plunged into the surge of its billows

سائِل بنا حبلَ الحدي

سائِل بنا حبلَ الحدي

د غداة صارَ الهزلُ جدا

د غداة صارَ الهزلُ جدا

Ask Habl al-Hadid about us,

And returned the fore of horses in avoidance

on the morning when jest became earnest,

And made myself a shield before them

إذا خُضْتُ موج خِضَمّهِا

إذا خُضْتُ موج خِضَمّهِا

ورَددتُ أُولى الخيل ردا

ورَددتُ أُولى الخيل ردا

when I plunged into the waves of its vast sea,

On the day of turmoil, protection and obstruction

and drove the foremost cavalry back.

Like the lion roused by the roar

وجعلتُ نفسي دونهم

وجعلتُ نفسي دونهم

يومَ الوغى رِدْءاً وسدا

يومَ الوغى رِدْءاً وسدا

And I set myself before them,

In his den, so he snarled

a support and a barrier on the day of battle.

O Lord of a skull I made

كالليثِ هيَّجه المُهْج

كالليثِ هيَّجه المُهْج

هجُ في عرينتهِ فشدَّا

هجُ في عرينتهِ فشدَّا

Like a lion roused by a shouting goader

A sheath for the stabbing blade

within its lair, so that it charged.

And how much I gave away in gifts

يا رُب جمجُمةٍ جعل

يا رُب جمجُمةٍ جعل

تُ لصارمِ غِمدا

تُ لصارمِ غِمدا

Ah, how many a skull I have made

That I may gain glory through them

a sheath for a keen blade!

And when the weak pleads to me

ولكم بذلتُ مواهبا

ولكم بذلتُ مواهبا

كيما احوزَ بهن حمدا

كيما احوزَ بهن حمدا

And how many gifts I have bestowed,

You would see me comply and give way

that I might gain praise through them!

The Arab has sent parables

وإذا دَعاني المُستثي

وإذا دَعاني المُستثي

بُ رأيتَ لي عَنقاً وشدا

بُ رأيتَ لي عَنقاً وشدا

And when a seeker of reward calls upon me,

That speak to me, untying knots

you see me hastening and running.

Poverty that causes minds to bow down

قد أرسل العربيُّ أمثا

قد أرسل العربيُّ أمثا

لاً يحلن لديَّ عِقدا

لاً يحلن لديَّ عِقدا

The Arab has sent forth maxims

When they pass by its gifts

that untie knots for me:

Beauty lies not in garments

فِقرا تخرُّ لها العُقُو

فِقرا تخرُّ لها العُقُو

لُ إذا مَرَرْنَ بهن هدا

لُ إذا مَرَرْنَ بهن هدا

sayings before which minds fall,

So realize, even if cloaked in fur

crashing down when they encounter them.

Beauty is noble deeds

ليس الجمالُ بمئزرٍ

ليس الجمالُ بمئزرٍ

فاعلمْ وإن رُدِّيتَ بُردا

فاعلمْ وإن رُدِّيتَ بُردا

Beauty does not lie in a waistcloth;

And feats that bequeathed glory

so know this, even if draped in a striped cloak.

إن الجمال مَكارمٌ

إن الجمال مَكارمٌ

ومآثرٌ أوَرَّثْنَ مجدا

ومآثرٌ أوَرَّثْنَ مجدا

Indeed, beauty is noble virtues

and worthy deeds that have bequeathed glory.