عَلِمَ اِبنُ جُدعانَ بِن عَمروٍ

عَلِمَ اِبنُ جُدعانَ بِن عَمروٍ

أَنَّهُ يَوماً مُدابِر

أَنَّهُ يَوماً مُدابِر

The son of Judʿān ibn ʿAmr knew

The son of Jud'an bin 'Amr knew

that one day he would depart,

That one day he would depart

وَمُسافِراً سَفَراً بَعيداً

وَمُسافِراً سَفَراً بَعيداً

لا يَأوبُ بِهِ المُسافِرُ

لا يَأوبُ بِهِ المُسافِرُ

and travel on a distant journey

And journey on a long trip

from which no traveler returns.

From which no traveller returns

فَقُدورُهُ بِفِنائِهِ

فَقُدورُهُ بِفِنائِهِ

لِلضيفِ مُترَعَةٌ زَواخِر

لِلضيفِ مُترَعَةٌ زَواخِر

So his cooking pots in his courtyard

So his cooking pots in his abode

are brimful for the guest, overflowing.

Are left for the guest overflowing

تَبدو الكُسورُ مِن إِن

تَبدو الكُسورُ مِن إِن

ضِراجِ الغَلي فيها وَالكَراكِر

ضِراجِ الغَلي فيها وَالكَراكِر

Their sides show through the bursting

The fragments appear from the

of the boiling within them and the rumbling.

Glare of boiling in them and the bubbling

فَكأَنَهُنَّ بِما حَمَينَ

فَكأَنَهُنَّ بِما حَمَينَ

وَما شُحِنَّ بِها ضَرائِر

وَما شُحِنَّ بِها ضَرائِر

So they seemed, with their heat

As if they, with what they contain

and what filled them, like rival co-wives.

And what they are laden with,

وَكَأَنَّهُنَّ بِها عُرَينَةُ

وَكَأَنَّهُنَّ بِها عُرَينَةُ

في طَوائِفِها وَهاجِر

في طَوائِفِها وَهاجِر

And with their contents they seemed like ʿUraynah

Are like a she-camel in its stages

in its reaches, and Hājir:

Roaming about with its young

زَبَدٌ وَقَرقَرةٌ كَقَرقَرَةِ

زَبَدٌ وَقَرقَرةٌ كَقَرقَرَةِ

الفُحولِ إِذا تُخاطَر

الفُحولِ إِذا تُخاطَر

foam and rumbling, like the rumbling

Foam and bubbling like the bubbling

of camel bulls when they challenge one another.

Of stallions when they compete

بَذَّ المَعاخِرَ كُلَّها

بَذَّ المَعاخِرَ كُلَّها

بِالفَضلِ قَد عَلِمَ المَعاشِر

بِالفَضلِ قَد عَلِمَ المَعاشِر

He outstripped all claims to glory

He surpassed all the vainglorious

in excellence, as the clans well know.

In merit, as the society knew

وَعَلا عَلوَّ الشَمسِ

وَعَلا عَلوَّ الشَمسِ

حَتّى ما يُفاخِرُهُ مُفاخِرُه

حَتّى ما يُفاخِرُهُ مُفاخِرُه

And he rose as high as the sun,

And rose as high as the sun

until no rival of his could vie with him in glory.

Until none could compete with him

دانَت لَهُ أَبناءُ فَهرٍ

دانَت لَهُ أَبناءُ فَهرٍ

مِن بَني كَعبٍ وَعامِر

مِن بَني كَعبٍ وَعامِر

The sons of Fihr submitted to him,

The sons of Fahr from the tribes

from the descendants of Kaʿb and ʿĀmir.

Of Ka'b and 'Amir submitted to him

أَنتَ الجَوادُ إبنُ الجَوادِ

أَنتَ الجَوادُ إبنُ الجَوادِ

بِكُم يُنافِرُ مَن يُنافِر

بِكُم يُنافِرُ مَن يُنافِر

You are the generous one, son of the generous one;

You are the generous one, son of the generous

whoever vies in glory does so through you all.

With you he competes who wishes to compete

آباؤُك الشُمُّ المَراجيحُ

آباؤُك الشُمُّ المَراجيحُ

المَسامِحُ الأَخاير

المَسامِحُ الأَخاير

Your forefathers are lofty men of weighty judgment,

Your forefathers are the piercing flames

open-handed, the very best.

The clement, the openhanded

وَإِذا تَشامُ بُروقِهم

وَإِذا تَشامُ بُروقِهم

جادَت أَكُّفَهُمُ المَواطِر

جادَت أَكُّفَهُمُ المَواطِر

And when their lightning flashes are sighted,

And when their lightning flashes

their rain-giving palms pour out bounty.

Their palms rain down heavily

لا يَحتَويهِم جانِبٌ

لا يَحتَويهِم جانِبٌ

لِلمَحلِ مِنهُ وَلا مُجاوِر

لِلمَحلِ مِنهُ وَلا مُجاوِر

No tract that holds them

No side can contain them

belongs to drought, nor even borders it.

Of an arena, neither neighbor

قومٌ حُصونُهُمُ الأَسِنَّةُ

قومٌ حُصونُهُمُ الأَسِنَّةُ

وَالأَعِنَّةُ وَالبَواتِر

وَالأَعِنَّةُ وَالبَواتِر

A people whose fortresses are spearheads,

A people whose fortresses are the tongues

and reins, and cleaving swords.

The arms, and the sharp swords

نَزَلوا البِطاحَ وَفُضِّلَت

نَزَلوا البِطاحَ وَفُضِّلَت

بِهِمُ البَواطِنُ وَالظَواهِر

بِهِمُ البَواطِنُ وَالظَواهِر

They settled the valley flats; distinction came

They descended on the open ground and were

through them to the inner lands and the outer.

Preferred in the essence and appearance