أَلا عَجِبَ الفِتيانُ مِن أُمِّ مالِكٍ

أَلا عَجِبَ الفِتيانُ مِن أُمِّ مالِكٍ

تَقولُ لَقَد أَصبَحتَ أَشعَثَ أَغبَرا

تَقولُ لَقَد أَصبَحتَ أَشعَثَ أَغبَرا

Lo, the young men marveled at Umm Malik:

How the youths marvel at Umm Malik’s son

She says: You have become disheveled and dust-covered,

Saying, “You’ve become disheveled and dust-covered,

قَليلَ الإِتاءِ وَالحَلوبَةِ بَعدَما

قَليلَ الإِتاءِ وَالحَلوبَةِ بَعدَما

رَأَيتُكَ بَرّاقَ المَفارِقِ أَيسَرا

رَأَيتُكَ بَرّاقَ المَفارِقِ أَيسَرا

with little income and few milk-giving animals, after

Rarely visiting after we saw you

I saw you with gleaming hair-partings, well-to-do.

Radiant, with smooth cheeks!”

فَقُلتُ لَها يَومانِ يَومُ إِقامَةٍ

فَقُلتُ لَها يَومانِ يَومُ إِقامَةٍ

أَهُزُّ بِهِ غُصناً مِنَ البانِ أَخضَرا

أَهُزُّ بِهِ غُصناً مِنَ البانِ أَخضَرا

So I told her: Two kinds of day—a day of staying,

I said to her, “Two days - a day I spend

on which I sway a green branch of the bān-tree,

Shaking a green bough of acacia,

وَيَومٌ أَهُزُّ السَيفَ في جيدِ أَغيَدٍ

وَيَومٌ أَهُزُّ السَيفَ في جيدِ أَغيَدٍ

لَهُ نِسوَةٌ لَم تَلقَ مِنّي أَنكَرا

لَهُ نِسوَةٌ لَم تَلقَ مِنّي أَنكَرا

and a day when I swing the sword at a slender man's neck,

And a day I shake a sword amid the necks of foes,

whose women have known nothing more dreadful at my hands.

To which it is no stranger.

يَنُحنَ عَلَيهِ وَهوَ يَنزِعُ نَفسَهُ

يَنُحنَ عَلَيهِ وَهوَ يَنزِعُ نَفسَهُ

لَقَد كُنتَ أَبّاءَ الظُلامَةِ قَسوَرا

لَقَد كُنتَ أَبّاءَ الظُلامَةِ قَسوَرا

They lament him as he gasps out his soul:

It bends over it as it draws out his soul -

You were indeed a lion who spurned injustice.

You were resolute in the dark turmoil.

وَقَد صِحتُ فيآثارِ حَومٍ كَأَنَّها

وَقَد صِحتُ فيآثارِ حَومٍ كَأَنَّها

عَذارى عُقَيلٍ أَو بَكارَةُ حِميَرا

عَذارى عُقَيلٍ أَو بَكارَةُ حِميَرا

And I have shouted on the trail of a great herd of camels, as though it were

And I called in the tracks of Hawm as if they were

the maidens of ʿUqayl, or Himyar's young camels.

The virgins of 'Uqail or the maidens of Humayr.

أَبَعدَ النُفاثيِّنَ أَزجُرُ طائِراً

أَبَعدَ النُفاثيِّنَ أَزجُرُ طائِراً

وَآسى عَلى شَيءٍ إِذا هُوَ أَدبَرا

وَآسى عَلى شَيءٍ إِذا هُوَ أَدبَرا

After the Nufathis, should I take omens from a bird,

I frighten off the sniffers like a repelling bird

and grieve over anything once it has turned away?

And regret something when it turns away.

أُنَهنِهُ رِجلي عَنهُمُ وَإِخالُهُم

أُنَهنِهُ رِجلي عَنهُمُ وَإِخالُهُم

مِنَ الذُلِّ يَعراً بِالتَلاعَةِ أَعفَرا

مِنَ الذُلِّ يَعراً بِالتَلاعَةِ أَعفَرا

I hold my foot back from them, and deem them,

My legs forbid them while I make them

in their abasement, a dust-colored kid upon a hillock.

Retreat in humiliation, drab and sallow.

فَلَو نالَتِ الكَفّانِ أَصحابَ نَوفَلٍ

فَلَو نالَتِ الكَفّانِ أَصحابَ نَوفَلٍ

بِمَهمَهَةٍ مِن بَينِ ظَرَّ فَعَرعَرا

بِمَهمَهَةٍ مِن بَينِ ظَرَّ فَعَرعَرا

So, if only my two hands could reach Nawfal's companions

If only the hands of Nawfal's companions reached them

in a trackless wilderness between Ẓarr and ʿArʿar!

With a blow from amidst prominent knolls!

وَلَمّا أَبى اللَيثِيُّ إِلّا اِنتِهاكَنا

وَلَمّا أَبى اللَيثِيُّ إِلّا اِنتِهاكَنا

صَبَرتُ وَكانَ العِرضُ عِرضِيَ أَوفَرا

صَبَرتُ وَكانَ العِرضُ عِرضِيَ أَوفَرا

And when the Laythi insisted on dishonoring us,

And when the Laythi insisted we ravage them,

I was patient, and my own honor was the better preserved.

I was patient, though my honor was greater.

فَقُلتُ لَهُ حَقَّ الثَناءُ فَإِنَّني

فَقُلتُ لَهُ حَقَّ الثَناءُ فَإِنَّني

سَأَذهَبُ حَتّى لَم أَجِد مُتَأَخَّرا

سَأَذهَبُ حَتّى لَم أَجِد مُتَأَخَّرا

So I said to him: Praise is due, for I

So I said to him - praise is due - I will go

shall go on until I find no place left to retreat.

Until I find none remaining.

وَلَمّا رَأَيتُ الجَهلَ زادَ لَجاجَةً

وَلَمّا رَأَيتُ الجَهلَ زادَ لَجاجَةً

يَقولُ فَلا يَألوكَ أَن تَتَشَوَّرا

يَقولُ فَلا يَألوكَ أَن تَتَشَوَّرا

And when I saw folly grow more obstinate,

And when I saw ignorance grow more stubborn

as he spoke, sparing no effort to shame you,

Saying, 'May you never lack war,'

دَنَوتُ لَهُ حَتّى كَأَنَّ قَميصَهُ

دَنَوتُ لَهُ حَتّى كَأَنَّ قَميصَهُ

تَشَرَّبَ مِن نَضحِ الأَخادِعِ عُصفُرا

تَشَرَّبَ مِن نَضحِ الأَخادِعِ عُصفُرا

I drew near him, until it was as though his shirt

I approached him until his shirt seemed

had soaked up safflower dye from his spurting neck-veins.

To be soaked in the dripping of adder's venom.

فَمَن مُبلِغٌ لَيثَ بنَ بَكرٍ بِأَنَّنا

فَمَن مُبلِغٌ لَيثَ بنَ بَكرٍ بِأَنَّنا

تَرَكنا أَخاهُم يَومَ قَرنٍ مُعَفَّرا

تَرَكنا أَخاهُم يَومَ قَرنٍ مُعَفَّرا

Who, then, will tell Layth ibn Bakr that we

Who will tell Layth ibn Bakr that we

left their brother, on the day of Qarn, covered in dust?

Left their brother on the day of Qarn covered in dust?”