وَجَدنا خُزاعِيّاً رَسِنَّةَ مازِنٍ
وَمِنها إِذا هابَ الكُماةَ جَسورُها
We found Rasinnah of Mazin to be a Khuzaʿi,
and from them comes their bold champion when armored warriors fear,
عَلى ما يَهابُ القَومُ مِن عاجِلِ القِرى
إِذا اِحمَرَّ مِن نَفحِ الصَبا زَمهَريرُها
in facing what people dread—promptly feeding guests—
when its bitter cold reddens under the east wind's breath.
وَهُم يَومَ وَلّى أَسلَمٌ ظَهرَهُ القَنا
وَفَرَّ وَشَرُّ الناسِ بَأساً فَرورُها
And they, on the day Aslam turned his back on the spears
and fled—the worst of men in valor is the one who always flees—
وَهُم يَومَ عَبّادِ بنِ أَخضَرَ بِالقَنا
وَبِالهِندَوانِيّات بيضاً ذُكورُها
and they, on the day of ʿAbbad ibn Akhdar, with spears
and with Indian swords, their hard-tempered blades gleaming white,
أَبَوا أَن يَفِرّوا يَومَ كُرَّ عَلَيهِمُ
وَلا يَقتُلَ الأَبطالَ إِلّا كَرورُها
refused to flee when a charge was made against them;
and none slay champions but their tireless chargers.
جَلَوا بِالعَوالي وَالسُيوفِ غِشاوَةً
يَكادُ مِنَ الإِظلامِ يَعشى بَصيرُها
They dispelled with long spears and swords a veil
whose darkness almost blinds the keen-sighted.
وَهُم أَنزَلوا هِنداً مَنازِلَ لَم تَكُن
لَهُم قَبلَها إِلّا مَصيراً تَصيرُها
And they lodged Hind in dwellings that had not been
theirs before then, save as a destination they would reach.
وَدارَت رَحى الأَبطالِ في حَومَةِ الوَغى
وَأَظهَرَ أَنيابَ الحُروبِ هَريرُها
And the champions' millstone turned in the thick of battle,
and the wars' snarling bared their fangs.
وَهُم رَجَعوا لِاِبنِ المُعَكبَرِ ذَودَهُ
وَقَد كانَ عَنها قَد تَوَلّى مُجيرُها
And they restored his small camel herd to Ibn al-Muʿakbar,
though its protector had already turned away from it.
وَهُم صَدَّقوا رُؤيا بُرَيقَةَ إِذ رَأَت
غَيابَةَ مَوتٍ مُستَهَلّاً مَطيرُها
And they fulfilled Burayqah's dream, when she saw
a dark pall of death, its rain-cloud pouring forth.
فَكَذَّبَها مِن قَومِها كُلُّ خائِنٍ
وَقَد جاءَهُم بِالحَقِّ عَنهُم نَذيرُها
Then every traitor among her people called her a liar,
though its herald had come to them with the truth about them.
فَما راعَهُم إِلّا أَسِنَّةُ مازِنٍ
يُديرُ قَناها بِالأَكُفِّ مُديرُها
Then nothing startled them but Mazin's spearheads,
their wielder turning their spear-shafts in his hands,
وَخَيلٌ تَنادى بِالمَنايا إِلَيهِمُ
وَآسادُ غيلٍ لا يُبَلَّ عَقيرُها
and horses crying out death to them,
and lions of the thicket, whose wounded prey never recovers.
Sol 6.1