قَدْ عَرَضَت أَرْوَى بِقَوْل أَفْنادْ

فَقُلْتُ هَمْساً فِي النَجِيِّ الإِرْوادْ

The most eloquent spoke to me with words that enthralled,

So I whispered gently, taking heed,

أَصْبَحَتِ نَمْراءَ كَأُمِّ الآسادْ

وَرَابَنِي تَحْرِيضُ كُلِّ وَجّادْ

She appeared in the morning like the mother of lions,

And every impassioned one goaded me on.

حَضَّ وَلا يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي أَجْلَادْ

مِنْ قُحَمِ الدَيْنِ وَزُهْد الأَرْفادْ

He pushed me and did not know what was in my skin

Of asceticism’s fervor and renouncing frivolity.

وَعَجِبَتْ مِنْ ذاك أَمُّ هَنّادْ

لَمَّا رَأَتْنِي راضِياً بِالإِهْمادْ

And from that the mother of coquetry was amazed

When she saw me content with steadfastness.

لا أَتَنَحَّى قاعِداً في القُعّادْ

كَالكُرَّزِ المَرْبُوطِ بَيْن الأَوْتادْ

I do not shy away sitting amongst the squatted,

Like a pegged partridge between the tent pegs,

ساقَطَ مِنْهُ الرِيشَ قَبْلَ الإِبْرادْ

لَفْحُ الصَلَا مِنْ وَغْرِ قَيْظٍ وَقّادْ

Its feathers had fallen off before moulting,

Scorched by the midday heat and an intense fire.

وَعاج أَحْنائِي انْحِناء الأَعْوادْ

هَرْج الأَمانِيِّ وَطُولُ التَعْوادْ

My joints creak with the bending of twigs,

Confused fancies and accustomed to long vigils,

وَلَيْلَةٌ يَحْفِزُها يَوْمٌ حادْ

إِلَى مُغَوَّاةِ الفَتَى بِالمِرْصَادْ

And a night spurred on by a scorching day

To the young man’s trysting place with hunting nets.

بَعْد الأَغَانِيِّ وَبَعْد الإِنْشادْ

لا يَبْعَدنْ عَهْدُ الشَبابِ القَيَّادْ

After songs and lyrical chant,

May the days of my youth leading the vanguard not be far removed,

وَلا مُواخاةُ الكِرامِ وَفّادْ

وَنَفْح أَطْلال اللِمام الأَجْعادْ

Nor the companionship of generous, hospitable men,

And the breath of the traces of encampments now departed,

وَرَمْيُنَا طَرْفَ الحِسان الأَخْوادْ

بِنَظَرٍ يَقْتُلُ قَبْلَ الإِصْرادْ

And our glances that kill before piercing

Were no less than the Yemeni mail-clad warrior’s roasting,

ما كان تَحْبِيرُ اليَمانِي البَرَّادْ

يَرْجُو وَإِنْ دَاخَلَ كُلَّ وَصَّادْ

Hoping, even if he enters every pass,

To weave my weaving, the active, nimble one.

نَسْجِي وَنَسْجِي مُجْرَهِدُّ الجُدَّادْ

بَلْ بَلَد أَطْرافُهُ فِي أَبْلادْ

Rather it is a land whose horizons lie in regions diverse,

With loud, ululating battle cries,

مُسْتَقْدِمِ الرَعْنِ لَمُوع الأَنْجادْ

أَخْوَقَ فِي العَيْنِ قَمُوص الأَكْتادْ

Fearful to behold, bones terrifying,

Where lively livers recoiled,

تَنَشَّطَتْ مِنْهُ عِراض الأَكْبادْ

مُنْصَبَّةُ الحَدْرِ سَوَامِي الإِصْعادْ

High-humped, towering climbs,

Interwoven fetlocks, the freed, unbroken steeds,

مَحْبُوكَةُ الجَلْزِ عِتَاق الأَجْيادْ

سَوّاقَة الأَرْجُلِ عُوج الأَعْضادْ

Pacing evenly, crooked-limbed,

When we raced them briskly in a group,

إِذَا أَجَزْنَاها لِخِمْسٍ طَرّادْ

بِآجِنِ الماءِ مُحِيل الأَعْهادْ

With the water skins that change settlements,

They shrank to the shrinking of ostriches roused.

قَلَّصْنَ تَقْلِيصَ النَعَامِ الوَخّادْ

سَوامِدَ اللَيْلِ خِفاف الأَزْوادْ

After dusk, unencumbered, lightly-loaded,

Swooping down withdin in the crumbling darkness,

يَهْوِينَ بِالخَرْقِ انْخِراط الأَمْسادْ

وَاللَيْل أَحْوَى مَالِئٌ بِالأَسْدادْ

While the night, filled with lions, cast about,

And their hands with tent poles fending off.

وَطَرْح أَيْدِيهِنَّ بِالسَدْو السادْ

بَيْنَ الفَيَافِي عَرْضُهُ لِلأَطْرادْ

Between the hills its breadth allows galloping,

The starved beasts of the steppe split open.

يَنْشَقُّ مَوَّارُ الصَحارِي الأَجْرادْ

عَنْ مُسْنَفاتٍ كَالنَعامِ النُدّادْ

About shapely sand grouse in knots,

Nay, but the scholar and summoner knew

بَلْ عَلِمَ العالِمُ وَالداعِي النادْ

أَنِّي بِسَعْدِي وَهْيَ خَيْر الأَسْعادْ

That I in my bliss – and it is the best of fortunes –

Am friendly in the barren valley, shunning towns,

فِي صامِلِ الهَضبِ مُنِيف الأَطْرادْ

وَأَنَّنِي الطارِحُ فِي الجَمْعِ العادْ

And that I consort with the common folk,

Mingling with them immoderately I exaggerate,

غَلْواً بِه أَشْحَطُ غَلْو المُزْدادْ

وَمَعْشَرٍ لَمْ يُولَدُوا بِالأَسْعادْ

And a people not born to fortunes –

Prudence restrained me from them to avoid harm

نَهْنَهَنِي عَنْهُمْ تَوَقِّي الأَثْآدْ

حِلْماً وَأَنْ لَيْسُوا لَنَا بِأَنْدادْ

With patience, though they are not our equals,

And if they but witness my position they would acquiesce to agreement

وَلَوْ رَأَوْا وَقْعِي رَضُوا بالإِقْرادْ

وَشاعِرٍ لَمْ يُهْدَ سَمْتَ الإِرْشادْ

And a poet not guided to proper direction

Until he strayed into the thickets of reaping,

حَتَّى تَلَوَّى فِي مغارِ الإِحْصادْ

وَاعْتَزَّهُ بَعْدَ الخِناقِ الزَرّادْ

And it squeezed his throat after the quarrel

The reproach of the feeble man, interwoven with malice,

تَقْحِيمُ عاسِي الرُكْنِ مَحْبُوكِ الآد

أَتْلَعَ يَسْمُو بِتَلِيلٍ قَوّادْ

Began to try to rise with slanderers,

Travelling his caravan with a known destination,

يَمْطُو قُرانَاهُ بِهادٍ مَرَّادْ

يَزْدادُ بُعْداً مِن أَكُف المُدّادْ

Increasing his distance from the hands that would restrain,

And from the envious and hostile louts

وَحاسِدٍ مِنْ شانِئِينَ حُسّادْ

ما زالَ يَغْلُو بِالخَنَا وَالإِفْنادْ

Who never stopped exaggerating in lies and fabrications

Until we destroyed his territory with invocations.

حَتَّى هَدَمْنا حَوْضَهُ بِالأَوْرادْ

فَأيُّها السائِلُ عَن أَهْل الْوادْ

So O questioner about the people of the valley,

If you are blind take heed from witnesses

إِنْ كُنْت أَعْمَى فَالقَنَا بِالأَشْهادْ

تُنْبِيكَ ما لَمْ يُحْصِهِ ذُو أَسْبادْ

Who will tell you what an enumerator missed.

Verily Tameem was an eminent tribe of ‘Ad

إِنَّ تَمِيماً كانَ قَهْبَا مِنْ عادْ

أَرْأَسَ مِذْكاراً كَثِير الأَوْلادْ

With many noble men, beyond a counter's counting,

So people in their anger and hatred

يَعْجِزُ عَنْهُمْ عَدُّ كُلِّ عَدّادْ

فَالناسُ مِنْ تَغَضُّبٍ وَأَحْقادْ

Against Tameem and the region’s blazing heat

Fell ill and died by the malignant stars.

علَى تَمِيمٍ مِنْ تَلَظِّي الأَحْرادْ

مَرْضَى وَمَوْتَى بِالنُجُوم الأَنْكادْ

And if you blame my jesting with verse,

While Qais is merciful in mighty verse,

وَإِنْ تُلَمْلِمْ خِنْدِفِي بِالأَنْضادْ

وَقَيْسُنا تَرْحَمْ بِعِزٍّ مَيّادْ

Deviations fall short of it.

We are more lasting than mountains solid,

تَزِلُّ عَنْهُ ناطِحات الأَضْدادْ

وَنَحْن أَبْقَى مِنْ جِبال الأَوْتادْ

Rising above the leveling vicissitudes of fate,

With breasts as strong as coat of mail, supporting pillars,

عَلَى مُلِمّاتِ الزَمانِ الهَدّادْ

نَسْمُو بِصَدْرٍ جَوْزُهُ ذُو أَكْآدْ

For us and ancestors, great men of great deeds,

Saved them from the schemes of every schemer

ضَخْمِ المِلاَطَيْنِ دُعامِيِّ الهادْ

لَنَا وَأَجْدادٍ عِظام الأَجْدادْ

And unjust man, though eminent and severe,

The goring of Oud’s sons is the death of tyrants.

أَحْرَرَهُمْ مِنْ كَيْدِ كُلِّ كَيّادْ

وَظالِمٍ فِي رَأْسِ عِزٍّ ضَهّادْ

We have troops, excellent for charges,

With lances at Marw they struck the heads of rivals.

نَطْحُ بَنِي أُدٍّ رُؤُوسِ الآدادْ

عَنَّا وَجُنْدٌ فاضِلٌ لِلأَجْنادْ

So we are masters even of defiant slaves,

No present or absent escapes

بِمَرْوَ ضَرّابُوا رُؤُوس الأَنْدادْ

فَنَحْن أَرْباب العِباد العُبّادْ

Except we subdue him with dominating rule

That hurls the adversary like Iblees and the refractory

فَلَيْسَ يُلْفَى حاضِرٌ وَلا بادْ

إِلَّا قَهَرْناُهُ بِمُلْكٍ حَدّادْ

And if clashing with armor restrains

Our arms and the skulls of turbaned heads,

تَرْمِي بِنا خِنْدِفُ يَوْمَ الإِيسادْ

طَحْمَةَ إِبْلِيسَ وَمِرْدَاةَ الرَّادْ

We disobey with foreign swords every sharp cutting blade,

When drawn from their still sheathed repose.

وَنَحْنُ إِنْ نَهْنَهَ ضَرْبُ الذُوّادْ

سَواعِدَ القَوْمِ وَقَمْد الأَقْمادْ

They split with their edges the firmament's expanse,

We suffice Quraish whoever strove to make mischief

نَعْصَى بَغَرْبى كُلِّ نَصْلٍ قَدّادْ

إِذَا اسْتُعِيرَت مِنْ جُفُون الأَغْمادْ

Of every hated sowers of dissent,

And atheist who has mixed matters of unbelief,

فَقَأْنَ بِالصَقْعِ يَرَابِيعَ الصادْ

نَكْفِي قُرَيْشاً مَنْ سَعَى بِالإِفْسادْ

And we cure the pounding of heads and the disease of tremors

With a wave of our hands, the necklaces' threads,

مِنْ كُلِّ مَرْهُوبِ الشِقاقِ جَحّادْ

وَمُلْحِدٍ خالَط أَمْر الإِلْحادْ

We send the heads of the arrogant, aggressive ones

From each people before the coins are minted

وَقَدْ نُدَاوِي مِنْ صُدَامِ الإِغْدادْ

وَحَقْوَةِ البَطْنِ وَداء الأَلْهادْ

To the Commander of the Faithful, rightly guided,

An honor from God and praise of the praised,

بِخَفْق أَيْدِينا خُيُوط الأَقْلادْ

نُهْدِي رُؤُوسَ المُتْرِفِينَ الصُدّادْ

That one, even if the howling people are rallied,

Silences the bells of bleating flocks,

مِنْ كُلِّ قَوْمٍ قَبْلَ خَرْجِ النُقّادْ

إِلَى أَمِير المُؤمِنِين المُمْتادْ

The loud Al-Dayghamiyyat, the booming,

I am inspired despite the allurements of sport and amusement

كَرَامَةَ اللَّهِ وَحَمْدَ الحُمّادْ

ذاكَ وَإِن أَجْلَب أَهْل الأَهْدادْ

My roar and the tumult of the crashing, rumbling din,

And the echo of the brittle bowl that rebounds

أَسْكَت أَجْراس القُرُوم الأَلْوادْ

اَلْضَيْغَمِيّاتِ العِظام الأَلْدادْ

Silenced for me the bells of every babbler

Who frightened away a bustard before shooting,

عَنِّي وَأَوْعَيْنَ اللَهَى في الأَلْغاد

زَأْرِي وَقَبْقَابُ الهَدِيرِ الزَغّادْ

Spreading its wings over its chicks,

As if a torrent poured after damming

وَرَدُّ بخَبْاخِ القَصِيفِ الرَدّادْ

أَسْكَتَ عَنِّي جَرْسَ كُلِّ هَدْهادْ

Over my beloved's brow, frowning with pain,

In a shock of hair like gall, amid plaits,

يَفْرَقْنَ مِنْ نَهْدٍ كَعُرْضِ الصَلّادْ

عَلَى غُرَابَيْهِ نَفِيُّ الإِلْبادْ

Or the curling lock between curly plaits,

Unruly against the nose bands and halter ropes,

كَأَنَّ رُبّاً سالَ بَعْدَ الإِعْقادْ

عَلَى لَدِيدَىْ مُصْمَئِكٍّ صِلْخادْ

Disheveled soft hair upon soft skin,

As if it was dyed with saffron or the yellow dye,

فِي هامَةٍ كَالصَمْدِ بَيْن الأَصْمادْ

أَوْ جُمُدِ العادِيِّ بَيْن الأَجْمادْ

Pulling out locks with a sharpened incisor,

And twisted strands like a wine skin’s twist,

صَعْبٍ عَنِ الخَطْمِ وَقَيْد الأَقْيادْ

جَعْدِ الدّرَانِيكِ رِفَلِّ الأَجْلادْ

Hating the pounding of the two forehead veins,

In his head tossed hair of youth,

كَأَنَّهُ مُخْتَضِبٌ فِي أَجْسادْ

مِنْ صِبْغِ وَرْسٍ أَوْ صِباغ الفِرْصادْ

Shaking the earth with might and moaning,

So they are victims of a charging knight,

يَقْتَصِلُ القَصْلَ بِنابٍ حُدّادْ

وَلَفْتِ كَسّارِ العِظامِ خَضّادْ

Who promises or takes before appointed time,

A deadly fate that scatters the heads of rivals

كَرْهِ الحِجاجَيْنِ شَدِيد الأَرْآدْ

فِي رَأْسِهِ مُرْتَهِشات الأَحْيادْ

From bones into the innermost soul,

While peers of warriors, heavily armed, rejoice

يَسْتَرْجِف الأَرْضَ بِرِزٍّ وَأَّادْ

فَهُنَّ صَرْعَى مِنْ جُرازٍ وَرّادْ

At the thick staff of the strong, towering man,

Who casts to hands invincible in combat,

يُوعِد أَوْ يَأْخُذُ قَبْل الإِيعادْ

سَرَومطٍ يُذري رُؤوسَ الأَقصاد

And looming figures like massive mountains,

مِنَ العِظامِ في الصَميمِ الأَعراد

يَعتزُّ أَقرانُ الجِذابِ المَدَّاد

قَسْبِ العَلابِيِّ شَدِيد الأَعْلادْ

يُرْزِي إِلَى أَيْدٍ مَنِيع الأُيّادْ

وشامِخَاتٍ كَالْجِبالِ الأَطْوادْ