أَلَم تَرَ أَنّي كَرِهتُ الحُروبَ

أَلَم تَرَ أَنّي كَرِهتُ الحُروبَ

وَأَنّي نَدِمتُ عَلى ما مَضى

وَأَنّي نَدِمتُ عَلى ما مَضى

Have you not seen that I have come to hate wars,

Did you not see that I hated wars

and that I regret what has passed—

And that I regretted what had passed

نَدامَةَ زارٍ عَلى نَفسِهِ

نَدامَةَ زارٍ عَلى نَفسِهِ

لِتِلكَ الَّتي عارُها يُتَّقى

لِتِلكَ الَّتي عارُها يُتَّقى

with the remorse of one who reproaches himself

The regret of one who is miserable over himself

for that deed whose disgrace is shunned?

For that whose disgrace is to be avoided

وَأَيقَنتُ أَنّي لِما جِئتُهُ

وَأَيقَنتُ أَنّي لِما جِئتُهُ

مِنَ الأَمرِ لابِسُ ثَوبَي خَزى

مِنَ الأَمرِ لابِسُ ثَوبَي خَزى

And I knew for certain that, for what I had done

And I realized that when I came to it

in that affair, I wore two robes of disgrace,

Of the matter wearing two garments of shame

حَياءً وَمِثلي حَقيقٌ بِهِ

حَياءً وَمِثلي حَقيقٌ بِهِ

وَلَم يَلبَسِ القَومُ مِثلَ الحَيا

وَلَم يَلبَسِ القَومُ مِثلَ الحَيا

out of shame, as rightly befits one like me;

Modesty, and one like me deserves it

and men have worn no garment like a sense of shame.

And the people have not worn the like of modesty

وَكانَت سُلَيمٌ إِذا قَدَّمَت

وَكانَت سُلَيمٌ إِذا قَدَّمَت

فَتىً لِلحَوادِثِ كُنتُ الفَتى

فَتىً لِلحَوادِثِ كُنتُ الفَتى

And whenever Sulaym sent forward

And Sulaim was whenever she brought forth

a youth to face calamities, I was that youth.

A young man for adversity, I was that young man

وَكُنتُ أُفيءُ عَلَيها النِهابَ

وَكُنتُ أُفيءُ عَلَيها النِهابَ

وَأَنكي عِداها وَأَحمي الحِمى

وَأَنكي عِداها وَأَحمي الحِمى

And I would bring the plunder back to her,

And I would turn back her raids for her

and wound her foes and guard the protected lands.

And I would groan over her enemies and protect the sanctuary

فَلَم أوقِدِ الحَربَ حَتّى رَمى

فَلَم أوقِدِ الحَربَ حَتّى رَمى

خُفافٌ بِأَسهُمِهِ مَن رَمى

خُفافٌ بِأَسهُمِهِ مَن رَمى

So I did not kindle war until

So I did not ignite war until

Khufaf shot his arrows at whomever he shot.

Khufaf shot his arrows at whoever shot

فَأَلهَبَ حَرباً بِأَصبارِها

فَأَلهَبَ حَرباً بِأَصبارِها

فَلَم أَكُ فيها ضَعيفَ القُوى

فَلَم أَكُ فيها ضَعيفَ القُوى

Then he set war ablaze on every side,

So he ignited a war with her patience

and I was not feeble in it.

I was not in it weak in strength

فَإِن تَعطِفِ القَومَ أَحلامُهُم

فَإِن تَعطِفِ القَومَ أَحلامُهُم

وَيَرجِعَ مِن وُدِّهِم ما نَأى

وَيَرجِعَ مِن وُدِّهِم ما نَأى

So if their good sense turns the people back,

So if their dreams turn the people gently

and their estranged affection returns,

And what has become distant of their friendship returns

فَلَستُ فَقيراً إِلى حَربِهِم

فَلَستُ فَقيراً إِلى حَربِهِم

وَما بِيَ عَن سَلمِهِم مِن غِنى

وَما بِيَ عَن سَلمِهِم مِن غِنى

then I have no need of war with them,

Then I am not needy for their war

and I cannot do without peace with them.

And I have no wealth without their peace