حَيِّ المَنازِلَ بِالأَجزاعِ غَيَّرَها
مَرُّ السِنينَ وَآبادٌ وَآبادُ
Greet the dwellings at al-Ajza‘, changed by
The dwellings with strong pillars time has changed,
the passing years, and ages upon ages.
Passing years made ruins and ruins.
إِذِ النَقيعَةُ مُخضَرٌّ مَذانِبُها
وَإِذ لَنا بِشِباكِ البَطنِ رُوّادُ
When al-Naqi‘ah’s watercourses were green,
Where al-Naqi'a was once verdant in its slopes
and we had pasture-scouts at Shibak al-Batn.
And our young warriors guarded its valleys.
رَأَت أُمامَةُ أَنقاضاً عَلى عَجَلٍ
وَهاجِعاً عِندَهُ عَنسٌ وَأَقتادُ
Umamah saw, in haste, travel-worn camels,
Umma saw rubble in haste,
and a sleeper with a sturdy she-camel and saddle-frames beside him,
A loved one beside it grieving and lamenting.
في ضُمُّرٍ مِن مَهارى قَد أَضَرَّ بِها
سَيرُ النَهارِ وَإِسآدٌ وَإِسآدُ
among lean Mahri camels, already worn down by
In the ruins of dwellings which the passing days
daytime travel and nightlong march upon nightlong march.
And darkest gloom damaged and damaged.
إِذا تَغَيَّظَ حاديهُنَّ ظَلَّ لَهُ
مِنهُنَّ يَومٌ إِذا اِعصَوصَبنَ عُصوادُ
When their driver grows angry, he has
When their guide gets angry, he becomes
a trying day with them, when they bunch together.
A day for them, if they disobey, severe punishment.
إِذا تَذارَعنَ يَوماً بُعدَ مُنخَرَقٍ
مالَت بِهِنَّ بَنو مُلطٍ وَأَعضادُ
When, for a day, they stride an open waste’s vast length,
If they contend a day after being defeated,
their bare shanks and upper forelimbs sway with them.
The Bani Mulat and the strong warriors attack them.
يَضرَحنَ كُلَّ حَصى مَعزاءَ هاجِرَةٍ
كَأَنَّهُنَّ نَعامٌ راحَ نُدّادُ
They scatter every pebble of the hard ground in the midday heat,
They stir up trouble at every dangerous pass
as though they were ostriches setting off at evening, running wild.
As if they were ostriches led by a bellowing camel.
ما زالَ مِن مازِنٍ في كُلِّ مُعتَرَكٍ
تَحتَ الخَوافِقِ يَومَ الرَوعِ ذُوّادُ
Mazin has always had, on every battlefield,
The warriors of Mazin never ceased to be
defenders beneath fluttering banners on the day of terror.
Under the banners, on the day of alarm, defenders.
لِمازِنٍ صَخرَةٌ صَمّاءُ راسِيَةٌ
تُنبي الصَفا حينَ تَرديهِنَّ صَيخادُ
Mazin has a solid, firmly rooted rock
Mazin has a silent, firm rock
that repels smooth stones when a hard boulder strikes them.
It warns Sufa when the warriors roar at them.
هُمُ الحُماةُ إِذا ما الخَيلُ شَمَّصَها
وَقعُ القَنا وَنَضَت عَنهُنَّ أَلبادُ
They are the protectors whenever the horses are set rearing by
They are the protectors when the horses sniff
the impact of spears, and their felt saddle-pads slip off;
The clanging of spears and the coats of mail ring.
وَاِنسَلَّتِ الهُندُوانِيّاتُ لَيسَ لَها
إِلّا جَماجِمَ هامِ القَومِ أَغمادُ
and the Indian blades slip free, having nothing
The Indians attack and they have nothing
for sheaths but the skulls of the men’s heads.
But the skulls of the people as scabbards.
وَكُلُّ أَسمَرَ خَطِّيٍّ يُقَحِّمُهُ
في حَومَةِ المَوتِ إِصدارٌ وَإيرادُ
And every brown Khatti spear is driven headlong
And every dark-skinned Ethiopian who attacks
into the heart of death by withdrawal and thrust.
Is thrown by the defenders into the heat of death.
Sol 6.1