أَتَنسى بَنو سَعدٍ جُدودَ الَّتي بِها
خَذَلتُم بَني سَعدٍ عَلى شَرِّ مَخذَلِ
Do Banu Saʿd forget Judud, where
Do the sons of Sa’d forget those ancestors by whom,
you abandoned Banu Saʿd in the worst of desertions,
You abandoned the sons of Sa’d to the worst abandonment
عَشِيَّةَ وَلَّيتُم كَأَنَّ سُيوفَكُم
ذَآنينُ في أَعناقِكُم لَم تُسَلَّلِ
that evening when you fled, as though your swords
At nightfall you turned away as if your swords
were broomrape stalks at your necks, never drawn?
Were scabbards around your necks, never unsheathed
وَشَيبانُ حَولَ الحَوفَزانِ بِوائِلٍ
مُنيخاً بِجَيشٍ ذي زَوائِدَ جَحفَلِ
And Shayban gathered around al-Hawfazan with Waʾil,
With grey hair wound round sheathed swords
encamped with a vast army of many contingents.
Leading an army with embroidered banners and flags
دَعَوا يا لَسَعدٍ وَاِدَّعَوا يا لَوائِلٍ
وَقَد سُلَّ مِن أَغمادِهِ كُلُّ مُنصَلِ
They cried, 'Saʿd, to our aid!' and called, 'Waʾil, to our aid!'
They called “O Sa’d!” and “O Wa’il!”
and every blade had already been drawn from its sheath.
And every sword was drawn from its scabbard
قَبيلَينِ عِندَ المُحصَناتِ تَصاوَلا
تَصاوُلَ أَعناقِ المَصاعيبِ مِن عَلِ
Two tribes charged one another beside the chaste women,
Two tribes at fortified places competed
as the necks of untamed camel-bulls clash from on high.
To take the heads of the bold warriors
عَصَوا بِالسُيوفِ المَشرِفِيَّةِ فيهِمُ
غَيارى وَأَلقَوا كُلَّ جَفنٍ وَيَحمَلِ
They struck at them with Mashrafi swords,
They disobeyed with uplifted swords among them
jealously protective, and cast aside every sheath and sword-belt.
Bravely casting down every closed eyelid
حَمَتهُنَّ أَسيافٌ حِدادٌ ظُباتُها
وَمِن آلِ سَعدٍ دَعوَةٌ لَم تُهَلَّلِ
The women were defended by swords with keen edges,
Their swords protected them, polished blades
and an unfaltering rallying cry from Saʿd's clan.
And from Sa’d’s family a call that was not weakened
دَعَونَ وَما يَدرونَ مِنهُم لِأَيِّهِم
يَكُنَّ وَما يُخفينَ ساقاً لِمُجتَلِ
The women cried out, not knowing to which of those men
They called and did not know which of them
they would belong, and hid no leg from any onlooker.
Would be for them and which would conceal the stride of the warrior
لَعَلَّكَ مِن في قاصِعائِكَ واجِدٌ
أَباً مِثلَ عَبدِ اللَهِ أَو مِثلَ نَهشَلِ
Perhaps, from the mouth of your jerboa-burrow, you will find
Perhaps among those you raid you will find
a father like ʿAbd Allah, or like Nahshal,
A father like Abdullah or like Nahshal
وَآلِ أَبي سودٍ وَعَوفِ اِبنِ مالِكٍ
إِذا جاءَ يَومٌ بَأسُهُ غَيرُ مُنجَلِ
and the house of Abu Sud, and ʿAwf ibn Malik,
Or the family of Abi Saud and Awf the son of Malik
when a day comes whose fury does not abate;
When a day comes their might is not blunted
وَمُتَّخِذٌ مِنّا أَباً مِثلَ غالِبٍ
وَكانَ أَبي يَأتي السِماكَينِ مِن عَلِ
and take from among us a father like Ghalib—
And one who takes after us like Ghalib
and my father used to approach the two Simak stars from above.
And my father used to charge uphill alone
وَأَصيَدَ ذي تاجٍ صَدَعنا جَبينَهُ
بِأَسيافِنا وَالنَقعُ لَم يَتَزَيَّلِ
And a proud, crowned king—we split his brow
And he hunted crowned game and split open their skulls
with our swords, while the battle-dust had not dispersed.
With our swords when the blood had not yet dried
تَرى خَرَزاتِ المُلكِ فَوقَ جَبينِهِ
صَأولٌ شَبا أَنيابِهِ لَم يُفَلَّلِ
You see the beads of kingship above his brow:
You see the necklaces of kings atop his brow
a fierce attacker, his fang-tips unblunted.
Fanged and grimacing never cast down
وَما كانَ مِن آرِيِّ خَيلٍ أَمامَكُم
وَلا مُحتَبىً عِندَ المُلوكِ مُبَجَّلِ
And there was no tethering-place for horses before you,
And he was not of noble horses in front of you
nor an honored seat beside kings.
Nor cherished among kings, ever glorified
Sol 6.1