كُلُّ شَيءٍ مَصيرُهُ لِلزَوالِ
غَيرَ رَبّي وَصالِحِ الأَعمالِ
All things are fated to decay
Except my Lord, and righteous deeds.
وَتَرى الناسَ يَنظُرونَ جَميعاً
لَيسَ فيهِم لِذاكَ بَعضُ اِحتِيالِ
People stare with greedy eyes
Yet no trickery will serve their needs.
قُل لِأُمِّ الأَغَرِّ تَبكي بُجَيراً
حيلَ بَينَ الرِجالِ وَالأَموالِ
Tell Abla's mother to weep for Bujayr
Whose passing sundered men from wealth untold
وَلَعَمري لَأَبكِيَنَّ بُجَيراً
ما أَتى الماءُ مِن رُؤوسِ الجِبالِ
Yes, by my life! For Bujayr I will weep
Until from mountain peaks the waters roll.
لَهفَ نَفسي عَلى بُجَيرٍ إِذا ما
جالَتِ الخَيلُ يَومَ حَربٍ عُضالِ
For Bujayr my soul burns with desire
When destriers stamp and ranks in combat close
وَتَساقى الكُماةُ سُمّاً نَفيعاً
وَبَدا البيضُ مِن قِبابِ الحِجالِ
When lances clash and white blades flash
As warriors grapple with their warrior foes
وَسَعَت كُلُّ حُرَّةِ الوَجهِ تَدعو
يا لِبَكرٍ غَرّاءَ كَالتِمثالِ
And ladies' cheeks grow flushed as they implore:
"O for Bujayr, a lofty knight of charm!"
يا بُجَيرَ الخَيراتِ لاصلحَ حَتّى
نَملَأَ البيدَ مِن رُؤوسِ الرِجالِ
O Bujayr, fount of bounty! Not until
Our blades are filled with foemen's lives shall we be calm
وَتَقَرَّ العُيونُ بَعدَ بُكاها
حينَ تَسقي الدِما صُدورَ العَوالي
When their blood drenches chests will eyes find peace
After their weeping for the loved ones slain
أَصبَحَت وائِلٌ تَعِجُّ مِنَ الحَر
بِ عَجيجَ الجِمالِ بِالأَثقالِ
Wailers cry loud at dawn, for now
With camel's tramp and loads is Wael afevered plain
لَم أَكُن مِن جُناتِها عَلِمَ اللَهُ
وَإِني لِحَرِّها اليَومَ صالِ
I knew not of their gardens, God knows best,
Yet now their heat consumes me, stack and stone
قَد تَجَنَّبتُ وائِلاً كَي يُفيقوا
فَأَبَت تَغلِبٌ عَلَيَّ اِعتِزالي
I avoided Wael, hoping they'd awake
But Taghlib's grip allowed no chance to flee my own
وَأَشابوا ذُؤابَتي ببُجَيرٍ
قَتَلوهُ ظُلماً بِغَيرِ قِتالِ
To taunt me, they drove my camel past
Bujayr slain though he no battle fought
قَتَلوهُ بِشِسعِ نَعلٍ كُلَيبٍ
إِنَّ قَتلَ الكَريمِ بِالشِسعِ غالِ
Basely with a sandal-strap they killed
A prince! Foul murder with a thong is fraught.
يا بَني تَغلِبَ خُذوا الحِذرَ إِنّا
قَد شَرِبنا بِكَأسِ مَوتٍ زُلالِ
Taghlib's sons, take care! For we
Have drained death's bitter cup without recall
يا بَني تَغلِبٍ قَتَلتُم قَتيلاً
ما سَمِعنا بِمِثلِهِ في الخَوالي
You slew a man, O Taghlib's youths
Whose like for nobility we never saw at all
قَرِّبا مَربَطَ النَعامَةِ مِنّي
لَقِحَت حَربُ وائِلٍ عَن حِيالِ
Bring my ostrich steed to me
Wael's war has left me strengthless, limp and frail
قَرِّبا مَربَطَ النَعامَةِ مِنّي
لَيسَ قَولي يرادُ لَكِن فعالي
Bring it closer! Not mere words
But deeds of mine shall soon reveal the tale
قَرِّبا مَربَطَ النَعامَةِ مِنّي
جَدَّ نَوحُ النِساءِ بِالإِعوالِ
Bring it closer! Women Noah blamed
When men took second wives in days of old
قَرِّبا مَربَطَ النَعامَةِ مِنّي
شابَ رَأسي وَأَنكَرَتني القَوالي
Bring it closer! Grey has grown my hair
And the young girls no longer speak my name, I'm told
قَرِّبا مَربَطَ النَعامَةِ مِنّي
لِلسُرى وَالغُدُوِّ وَالآصالِ
Bring it closer! For night rounds
And climbing hills at dawn, my joints are too stiff-set
قَرِّبا مَربَطَ النَعامَةِ مِنّي
طالَ لَيلي عَلى اللَيالي الطِوالِ
Bring it closer! So heros can embrace
And stalwarts greet their equals without let
قَرِّبا مَربَطَ النَعامَةِ مِنّي
لِاِعتِناقِ الأَبطالِ بِالأَبطالِ
Turn from ignorant men's loose talk Bring it closer!
Bring it closer! My heart quails not
قَرِّبا مَربَطَ النَعامَةِ مِنّي
وَاِعدِلا عَن مَقالَةِ الجُهّالِ
From battle, and my soul disdains retreat
Bring it closer! When North winds blast
قَرِّبا مَربَطَ النَعامَةِ مِنّي
لَيسَ قَلبي عَنِ القِتالِ بِسالِ
Their coldest chill, and branches lash and beat
Bring it closer! For Bujayr who undid
قَرِّبا مَربَطَ النَعامَةِ مِنّي
كُلَّما هَبَّ ريحُ ذَيلِ الشَمالِ
Our chains and freed us from captivity
Bring it closer! For this noble soul
قَرِّبا مَربَطَ النَعامَةِ مِنّي
لِبَجَيرٍ مُفَكِّكِ الأَغلالِ
Crowned with glory and unmatched nobility
Bring it closer! We do not sell men
قَرِّبا مَربَطَ النَعامَةِ مِنّي
لِكَريمٍ مُتَوَّجٍ بِالجَمالِ
Like shoes! This market-haggling we deny
Bring it closer! Bujayr, for whom my uncle
قَرِّبا مَربَطَ النَعامَةِ مِنّي
لا نَبيعُ الرِجالَ بَيعَ النِعالِ
And aunt would sacrifice themselves, for whom would I
Draw it nearer, as a dread mount for Taghlib's horsemen
قَرِّبا مَربَطَ النَعامَةِ مِنّي
لِبُجَيرٍ فداهُ عَمّي وَخالي
When champions grapple on the field of fight
Lead it forth, a stout spearshaft of seasoned elmwood
قَرِّباها لِحَيِّ تَغلِبَ شوساً
لِاِعتِناقِ الكُماةِ يَومَ القِتالِ
To repel the archer's shafts in towering flight
With smooth lances of Yemen, bring it closer!
قَرِّباها وَقَرِّبا لَأمَتي دِر
عاً دِلاصاً تَرُدُّ حَدَّ النِبالِ
When heroes close in clashing ranks outright
Full many a horde I've seen, pelted by death
قَرِّباها بِمُرهَفاتٍ حِدادٍ
لِقِراعِ الأَبطالِ يَومَ النِزالِ
Though panoplied knights stood haughty in their might
Ask Kindah's warriors, and Bekr's horsemen too
رُبَّ جَيشٍ لَقيتُهُ يَمطُرُ المَو
تَ عَلى هَيكَلٍ خَفيفِ الجِلالِ
Inquire of Mudhij's riders, and Hayy's band
When we face a potent force mailed for war
سائِلوا كِندَةَ الكِرامَ وَبَكراً
وَاِسأَلوا مَذحِجاً وَحَيِّ هِلالِ
Grim, staunch, and stern, and skilled hand against hand
We drive them off when they seek to trade glance for glance
إِذا أَتَونا بِعَسكَرٍ ذي زُهاءٍ
مُكفَهِرِّ الأَذى شَديدِ المَصالِ
Like hornets routed by stones swiftly sped
فَقَرَيناهُ حينَ رامَ قِرانا
كُلَّ ماضي الذُبابِ عَضبِ الصِقالِ
