أقول لزيدٍ كفْكفِ الخيلَ عَنْوَةً

أقول لزيدٍ كفْكفِ الخيلَ عَنْوَةً

وإلّا فَلا حَمْداً كسبتَ ولا مَنّا

وإلّا فَلا حَمْداً كسبتَ ولا مَنّا

I say to Zayd: hold back the horses by force,

I say to Zaid, restrain your horses by force

Otherwise, you have earned neither praise nor favor.

Else you have earned no praise nor favor

سُقيتَ الرّدى إنْ هبتَ بادرة الرّدى

سُقيتَ الرّدى إنْ هبتَ بادرة الرّدى

وَما أَنت منّي إنْ جَنَحْتَ إلى الأدنى

وَما أَنت منّي إنْ جَنَحْتَ إلى الأدنى

May you be made to drink death if you fear death’s sudden onslaught,

You will be given foul water if you stir foul water

And you are not of me if you incline toward what is base.

You are not of me if you incline to the lowly

أَلَم تَرَني وَالمَوتُ مُلْقٍ جِرانَه

أَلَم تَرَني وَالمَوتُ مُلْقٍ جِرانَه

أقدّم نفساً ما أساءتْ به ظنّا

أقدّم نفساً ما أساءتْ به ظنّا

Have you not seen me, with death laying down its neck,

Did you not see me facing death with its shrouds

Offering a soul that never thought ill of it?

Putting forth a soul that did no evil in suspicion

وإنّا لنُعطي السِّرَّ ما شاء من حِمىً

وإنّا لنُعطي السِّرَّ ما شاء من حِمىً

وتأْبى لنا الحَوْباءُ أن نسترَ الضِّغْنا

وتأْبى لنا الحَوْباءُ أن نسترَ الضِّغْنا

And we indeed grant a secret whatever protection it desires,

Though we may give the secret what protection we choose

But the soul refuses to let us conceal rancor.

Misfortune refuses that we hide rancor

حريّون أن نُعطَى المَقادَةَ في الورى

حريّون أن نُعطَى المَقادَةَ في الورى

وقد قصّرتْ في الرَّوْع كلُّ يَدٍ عنّا

وقد قصّرتْ في الرَّوْع كلُّ يَدٍ عنّا

We are worthy to be given the reins among mankind,

It is our right to be given the wherewithal in life

And in battle’s terror every hand has fallen short of us.

While every hand falls short of providing for us

طِوالُ القنا ما بين أجفاننا قذىً

طِوالُ القنا ما بين أجفاننا قذىً

وظِلُّ المنايا الكالحاتِ لنا مَغْنى

وظِلُّ المنايا الكالحاتِ لنا مَغْنى

Long spears are but motes between our eyelids,

The beams between our eyelids are motes

And the shadow of grim-faced deaths is our abode.

And the shadow of death's coming is our shelter

تخوّفنا أبناءُ قيسٍ وعيدَهمْ

تخوّفنا أبناءُ قيسٍ وعيدَهمْ

وَلو أنّنا نخشى الوعيد لما سُدْنا

وَلو أنّنا نخشى الوعيد لما سُدْنا

The sons of Qays seek to frighten us with their threats,

We are threatened by the sons of Qais and their threats

And had we feared threats, we would never have ruled.

Though if we feared threats we would not bar the way

ولو فهموا عنّا مَقالَ سيوفنا

ولو فهموا عنّا مَقالَ سيوفنا

لعلّمَهمْ فحواه أنْ يقرعوا سِنّا

لعلّمَهمْ فحواه أنْ يقرعوا سِنّا

And had they understood from us the speech of our swords,

If they understood the discourse of our swords

Its meaning would have taught them to gnash their teeth in regret.

Its import would teach them to strike out sparks

أَحقّاً بني الإِحجامِ ما طار عنكمُ

أَحقّاً بني الإِحجامِ ما طار عنكمُ

أطرتمْ وربّي في ضلوعكمُ اللَّدْنا

أطرتمْ وربّي في ضلوعكمُ اللَّدْنا

Is it true, sons of cowardice, what has flown abroad from you?

Is it not more fitting for them to hold back

By my Lord, you have sent supple spears flying into your own ribs.

After you roused us and kindled anger in our breasts?

وقد كنتمُ أطْفَأتمُ نارَ حِقْدِكمْ

وقد كنتمُ أطْفَأتمُ نارَ حِقْدِكمْ

فإنْ عدتمُ في شبّ جمرتها عُدنا

فإنْ عدتمُ في شبّ جمرتها عُدنا

And you had already quenched the fire of your rancor;

You had quenched the fire of your hatred

So if you return to kindling its ember, we shall return.

If you rekindle its embers we will return

لَحَا اللَّهُ مَن يحنو على الضّيم جَنبَهُ

لَحَا اللَّهُ مَن يحنو على الضّيم جَنبَهُ

ولو أنّ عنقَ الرُّمحِ في جنبه يُحنى

ولو أنّ عنقَ الرُّمحِ في جنبه يُحنى

May God curse whoever bows his flank to indignity,

May Allah destroy him who inclines with sympathy

Even if the spear’s neck is bent within his flank.

Toward the victim, even if the spearhead inclines in his side

يقولون إنّ الأمنَ في هجرك الوغى

يقولون إنّ الأمنَ في هجرك الوغى

ألا قبّح اللَّهُ اِمرأً يَبتغي الأمْنا

ألا قبّح اللَّهُ اِمرأً يَبتغي الأمْنا

They say that safety lies in your forsaking battle;

They say safety lies in avoiding your turmoil

Lo, may God disgrace any man who seeks safety!

But may Allah disfigure the man who seeks safety

رعَى اللَّهُ فِتياناً خِفافاً إلى العُلا

رعَى اللَّهُ فِتياناً خِفافاً إلى العُلا

إذا عزموا أمْضَوْا ولم يرقبوا إذْنا

إذا عزموا أمْضَوْا ولم يرقبوا إذْنا

May God guard youths swift toward the heights,

May Allah guard young men, nimble and rising to the sublime

When they resolve, they carry it through and await no permission.

Who when determined, execute without awaiting permission

إذا ركبوا جُنْحاً أشابوا عِذارَه

إذا ركبوا جُنْحاً أشابوا عِذارَه

وَإنْ يمتطوا صُبْحاً أعادوا الضُّحى وهْنا

وَإنْ يمتطوا صُبْحاً أعادوا الضُّحى وهْنا

When they ride the dark of night, they turn its whiskers gray,

When they mount, they rouse its wings as it stirs

And if they mount the morning, they turn the forenoon back into deep night.

And if they ride at dawn, they bring back the day made tender

أذالوا على الأيّامِ صَوْنَ غرامهمْ

أذالوا على الأيّامِ صَوْنَ غرامهمْ

فلن يُبصروا من غير طلعتها حُسنا

فلن يُبصروا من غير طلعتها حُسنا

They have laid bare to the days their guarded passion;

They humble the days in defense of their passion

So they will see no beauty except in her face.

So they will not look upon any face but hers in its beauty

ونالتْ بأسرار القلوب ظنونُهمْ

ونالتْ بأسرار القلوب ظنونُهمْ

كأنّ لهمْ في كلِّ جارحةٍ إذْنا

كأنّ لهمْ في كلِّ جارحةٍ إذْنا

And their surmises have reached into the secrets of hearts,

And their fancies have attained the secrets of hearts

As though they had an ear in every limb.

As if they had permission for every limb