يا أُمَّ حُورَانَ اكْتُمِي أَوْ نُمِّي

يا أُمَّ حُورَانَ اكْتُمِي أَوْ نُمِّي

أَيْهاتَ عَهْدُ العَزَبِ الصِيَمِّ

أَيْهاتَ عَهْدُ العَزَبِ الصِيَمِّ

O mother of Hawran, keep it secret—or spread the tale.

O Umm Huran, keep it secret or spread it abroad.

How distant now are the days of unalloyed bachelorhood!

Long gone are the days of the stalwart bachelor.

قَدْ كُنْتُ قَبْلَ الكِبَرِ القِلْحَمِّ

قَدْ كُنْتُ قَبْلَ الكِبَرِ القِلْحَمِّ

وَقَبْلَ نَحْضِ العَضَلِ الزِيَمِّ

وَقَبْلَ نَحْضِ العَضَلِ الزِيَمِّ

Once, before crushing old age—

Once, before decrepit old age,

and before my muscles had grown full and knotted—

And before the wasting of my thinned, scattered muscles,

رِيقِي وَتِرْيَاقِي شِفاءُ السَمِّ

رِيقِي وَتِرْيَاقِي شِفاءُ السَمِّ

فَلا تَكُونِي يا ابْنَة الأَشَمِّ

فَلا تَكُونِي يا ابْنَة الأَشَمِّ

my spittle and my antidote could cure poison.

My saliva and my antidote were a cure for poison.

So do not be, O daughter of the lofty one,

So do not be, O daughter of the high-nosed one,

وَرْقاءَ دَمَّي ذِئْبَهَا المُدَمِّي

وَرْقاءَ دَمَّي ذِئْبَهَا المُدَمِّي

حَارِثُ قَدْ فَرَّجْتَ عَنِّي غَمِّي

حَارِثُ قَدْ فَرَّجْتَ عَنِّي غَمِّي

a ringdove whom her blood-shedding wolf has wounded.

A gray she-wolf whose wolf the blood-spiller has bloodied.

Harith, you have indeed relieved me of my grief;

Harith, you have lifted my grief from me,

فَنَامَ لَيْلِي وَتَجَلَّى هَمِّي

فَنَامَ لَيْلِي وَتَجَلَّى هَمِّي

وَقَدْ تَجَلَّى كُربُ المُحْتَمِّ

وَقَدْ تَجَلَّى كُربُ المُحْتَمِّ

my night grew restful, and my care cleared away.

So my night slept, and my worry cleared away.

The sorely afflicted man’s anguish has indeed lifted.

The distressed man's anguish, too, has cleared.

نِعْمَ عَمِيدُ القَوْمِ وَابْنُ العَمِّ

نِعْمَ عَمِيدُ القَوْمِ وَابْنُ العَمِّ

يَوْماً إِذَا دارَتْ رَحَى الأُسْطُمِّ

يَوْماً إِذَا دارَتْ رَحَى الأُسْطُمِّ

What an excellent mainstay of his people—and what a kinsman!

What an excellent chief of the people and cousin you are,

On a day when the millstone of crushing battle turns,

On a day when the massed host's millstone turns.

إِنِّي عَلَى العَرِيضِ وَالتَكَمِّي

إِنِّي عَلَى العَرِيضِ وَالتَكَمِّي

أَرَى مُلِمَّ القَدَرِ المُلِمِّ

أَرَى مُلِمَّ القَدَرِ المُلِمِّ

amid the broad field and the armor-clad ranks,

Indeed, whether openly or under cover, I

I see the all-encompassing onset of fate

See the onslaught of assailing fate

يَزِلُّ وَالذَمُّ لأَهْلِ الذَمِّ

يَزِلُّ وَالذَمُّ لأَهْلِ الذَمِّ

عَنْ قَسْوَرِيِّ العِزِّ مُطْرَخِمِّ

عَنْ قَسْوَرِيِّ العِزِّ مُطْرَخِمِّ

slip away—while blame rests with those who merit blame—

Slip away—and blame is for those deserving of blame—

from a towering lion of might,

From a proudly towering man of lionlike might,

مِنْ آلِ عَمْرٍو فِي العَدِيدِ الجَمِّ

مِنْ آلِ عَمْرٍو فِي العَدِيدِ الجَمِّ

يا ابْنَ سُلَيْمٍ فِي النَوَاصِي الشُمِّ

يا ابْنَ سُلَيْمٍ فِي النَوَاصِي الشُمِّ

of the house of Amr, amid the teeming host.

Of the house of Amr, among its teeming ranks.

O son of Sulaym, among the proud, lofty forelocks,

O son of Sulaym, among the lofty forelocks,

أَنْتَ ابْنُ كُلِّ سَيِّدٍ خِضَمِّ

أَنْتَ ابْنُ كُلِّ سَيِّدٍ خِضَمِّ

ضَخْمِ الدَسِيعِ مِفْضَلٍ لِهَمِّ

ضَخْمِ الدَسِيعِ مِفْضَلٍ لِهَمِّ

you are heir to every chieftain, ocean-deep in generosity—

You are the son of every bountiful lord,

vast in largesse, lavish in time of grave need—

Great of gullet, lavish and boundlessly generous,

فِي حَسَبٍ تَمَّ إِلَى مَتَمِّ

فِي حَسَبٍ تَمَّ إِلَى مَتَمِّ

عَالِي الجُدُودِ مِزْحَمٍ صِلْقَمِّ

عَالِي الجُدُودِ مِزْحَمٍ صِلْقَمِّ

of a lineage perfected to the utmost,

In ancestral honor carried to full perfection,

lofty in forebears, a mighty, crowd-cleaving champion.

Lofty in forefathers, a mighty contender, fierce.

فَابْسُطْ عَلَيْنَا كَنَفَيْ مِلَمِّ

فَابْسُطْ عَلَيْنَا كَنَفَيْ مِلَمِّ

دانٍ مِخَصٍّ مِجْنَبٍ مِعَمِّ

دانٍ مِخَصٍّ مِجْنَبٍ مِعَمِّ

So spread your two sheltering wings over us against looming calamity,

So spread over us a protector's two wings,

drawing near, singling us out, shielding us, while embracing all.

Near at hand, favoring some, aiding the distant, benefiting all.

وَقُلْتُ لِلنَّامِي إِلَى التَنَمِّي

وَقُلْتُ لِلنَّامِي إِلَى التَنَمِّي

لا تَجْذُلَنِّي بِأَبِي وَأُمِّي

لا تَجْذُلَنِّي بِأَبِي وَأُمِّي

And I said to him as he rose toward full eminence:

And I said to him who rises toward still greater stature:

Do not leave me cast down—my father and mother be your ransom!

Do not cut me off; may my father and mother ransom you.

حارِثُ قَدْ عالَجْتَ إِحْدَى الصُمِّ

حارِثُ قَدْ عالَجْتَ إِحْدَى الصُمِّ

مِنْ سَنَةٍ تَرْتَمُّ كُلَّ رِمِّ

مِنْ سَنَةٍ تَرْتَمُّ كُلَّ رِمِّ

Harith, you have indeed grappled with one of the deaf, unyielding calamities:

Harith, you have grappled with one of the unyielding calamities

a famine-year that devours every last worn remnant,

Of a famine-year that devours every remnant,

تَنْتَسِفُ النابِتَ بَعْدَ القَمِّ

تَنْتَسِفُ النابِتَ بَعْدَ القَمِّ

أَحْرَقَتِ المالَ احتِراقَ الحَمِّ

أَحْرَقَتِ المالَ احتِراقَ الحَمِّ

sweeping away whatever sprouts after the mowing,

Uprooting new growth after sweeping the ground bare.

burning up wealth as glowing coals burn,

It burned up the wealth as charcoal burns,

فَأَوْرَثَتْنِي جِسْمَ مُسْلَهِمِّ

فَأَوْرَثَتْنِي جِسْمَ مُسْلَهِمِّ

نِضْوٍ كَنِضْوِ الوَصِبِ المُنْضَمِّ

نِضْوٍ كَنِضْوِ الوَصِبِ المُنْضَمِّ

and reducing me to a wasted body—

So it left me the body of a gaunt man,

an emaciated frame, like one consumed by clinging illness.

A wasted frame, like that of a shrunken invalid.

وَقَدْ أُرَى واسِع جَيْبِ الكُمِّ

وَقَدْ أُرَى واسِع جَيْبِ الكُمِّ

أَسْفِرُ مِنْ عِمامَةِ المُعْتَمِّ

أَسْفِرُ مِنْ عِمامَةِ المُعْتَمِّ

And I am seen with the opening of my sleeve gaping wide,

Yet I once appeared with a spacious sleeve-opening,

more exposed than the turban of a turbaned man,

Uncovering beneath the turban I wore

عَنْ قَصَبٍ أَسْحَمَ مُدْلَهِمِّ

عَنْ قَصَبٍ أَسْحَمَ مُدْلَهِمِّ

لا أَبْتَغِي بِالعَمَل الأَذَمِّ

لا أَبْتَغِي بِالعَمَل الأَذَمِّ

baring shanks blackened pitch-dark.

Reedlike locks, jet-black and deeply dark.

I do not seek, through ignoble deeds,

I do not seek, through the most blameworthy deeds,

عَيْباً وَلَا يُبْطِرُنِي غِطَمِّي

عَيْباً وَلَا يُبْطِرُنِي غِطَمِّي

وافِدَ قَوْمٍ ساوِيَ المَأَمِّ

وافِدَ قَوْمٍ ساوِيَ المَأَمِّ

to wreak wanton havoc, nor does my surging abundance make me arrogant.

Disgrace; nor does my abundance make me insolent,

I am the envoy of a people united in purpose.

As an envoy of a people, straight in my aim.