تُرَجّي نِساءُ الأُزدِ طَلعَةَ ثابِتٍ

تُرَجّي نِساءُ الأُزدِ طَلعَةَ ثابِتٍ

أَسيراً وَلَم يَدرينَ كَيفَ حَويلي

أَسيراً وَلَم يَدرينَ كَيفَ حَويلي

The women of the Azd hope to see Thabit appear

The women of Uzayy long for Thabit's return

as a captive, not knowing the nature of my cunning.

As a captive though they know not my stratagem

فَإِنَّ الأُلى أَوصَيتُمُ بَينَ هارِبٍ

فَإِنَّ الأُلى أَوصَيتُمُ بَينَ هارِبٍ

طَريدٍ وَمَسفوحِ الدِماءِ قَتيلِ

طَريدٍ وَمَسفوحِ الدِماءِ قَتيلِ

For those you charged are either fugitives,

For I had charged the warriors, amidst the fugitive

hounded away, or slain men, their blood spilled.

Hunted down with blood pouring from his wounds

وَخَدتُ بِهِم حَتّى إِذا طالَ وَخدُهُم

وَخَدتُ بِهِم حَتّى إِذا طالَ وَخدُهُم

وَرابَ عَلَيهِم مَضجَعي وَمَقيلي

وَرابَ عَلَيهِم مَضجَعي وَمَقيلي

I drew them onward at a swift pace, until their trotting grew long,

And I joined them until when their course was long

and my sleeping-place and noonday resting-place made them uneasy.

And my resting place grew too narrow for me

مَهَدتُ لَهُم حَتّى إِذا طالَ رَوعُهُم

مَهَدتُ لَهُم حَتّى إِذا طالَ رَوعُهُم

إِلى المَهدِ خاتَلتُ الضِيا بِخَتيلِ

إِلى المَهدِ خاتَلتُ الضِيا بِخَتيلِ

I prepared a bed for them; when their dread lingered

I prepared them rest until when their fears grew long

over the bed, I outwitted the light with a ruse.

For rest, I beguiled them with my fine scheme

فَلَمّا أَحَسّوا النَومَ جاؤوا كَأَنَّهُم

فَلَمّا أَحَسّوا النَومَ جاؤوا كَأَنَّهُم

سِباعٌ أَضافَت هَجمَةً بِسَليلِ

سِباعٌ أَضافَت هَجمَةً بِسَليلِ

Then, when they sensed my sleep, they came as though they were

When they felt drowsy, they came like

beasts of prey closing upon a camel herd at Salil.

Lions that had just made a feast of prey

فَقَلَّدتُ سَوّارَ بنَ عَمرِ بنِ مالِكٍ

فَقَلَّدتُ سَوّارَ بنَ عَمرِ بنِ مالِكٍ

بِأَسمَرَ حَشرِ القُذَّتَينِ طَميلِ

بِأَسمَرَ حَشرِ القُذَّتَينِ طَميلِ

So I gave Sawwar son of Amr son of Malik a necklace

So I collared Suwar ibn Amr ibn Malik

of a brown shaft, its two feather vanes slender, blood-smeared.

With the dark horsemen of the two armored regiments

فَخَرَّ كَأَنَّ الفيلَ أَلقى جِرانَهُ

فَخَرَّ كَأَنَّ الفيلَ أَلقى جِرانَهُ

عَلَيهِ فَتاً شَهمُ الفُؤادِ أَسيلِ

عَلَيهِ فَتاً شَهمُ الفُؤادِ أَسيلِ

He fell, as though an elephant had cast its lower neck

And he fell as if the elephant had flung its collar

upon him—a youth, brave-hearted and smooth-featured.

Upon him - a gallant man, brave of heart and decisive

وَظَلَّ دُعاعُ المَتنِ مِن وَقعِ حاجِزٍ

وَظَلَّ دُعاعُ المَتنِ مِن وَقعِ حاجِزٍ

يَخِرُّ وَلَو نَهنَهتَ سَوقَ قَليلِ

يَخِرُّ وَلَو نَهنَهتَ سَوقَ قَليلِ

And the frail-backed man kept, from Hajiz's blow,

And the echo of the blow from the barrier remained

falling; had you checked your pace a little,

Reverberating as if you had lashed a little camel

لَأُبتُ كَما آبا وَلو كُنتُ قارِناً

لَأُبتُ كَما آبا وَلو كُنتُ قارِناً

لَجِئتُ وَما مالَكتُ طولَ ذَميلي

لَجِئتُ وَما مالَكتُ طولَ ذَميلي

I would have returned as those two did; even had I been paired with another,

I will act as my fathers did even if I were a neighbor

I would have come, without restraining my long, swift trot.

I would have come and not cared for the length of my journey

فَسَرَّكَ نَدماناكَ لَمّا تَتابَعا

فَسَرَّكَ نَدماناكَ لَمّا تَتابَعا

وَأَنَّكَ لَم تَرجِع بِعَرضِ قَتيلِ

وَأَنَّكَ لَم تَرجِع بِعَرضِ قَتيلِ

So your two drinking-companions pleased you when they followed one another,

So it delighted you, your regret, when they followed in succession

as did your returning without a slain man's belongings.

That you did not return with the corpse of the slain

سَتَأتي إِلى فَحمِن غَنيمَةُ خُلسَةٍ

سَتَأتي إِلى فَحمِن غَنيمَةُ خُلسَةٍ

وَفي الأُزدِ نَوحُ خُلَّةٍ بِعَويلِ

وَفي الأُزدِ نَوحُ خُلَّةٍ بِعَويلِ

To Fahmin will come booty snatched by stealth,

There shall come to Fahm stealthily won booty

while among the Azd a beloved woman laments with loud wailing.

And in Uzayy is the wailing of bereft women