أَلاhear now مَنwho مُبلِغٌa messenger عَنّيfrom me خُفافاًKhufaf
أَلا مَن مُبلِغٌ عَنّي خُفافاً
فَإِنّيfor indeed I لاdo not أُحاشيmake an exception مِنof خُفافِKhufaf
فَإِنّي لا أُحاشي مِن خُفافِ
Lo—who will carry my message to Khufāf?
Hear now: who will carry a message from me to Khufaf?
For I spare no one of Khufāf.
For I make no exception for Khufaf.
أَتُهديdo you send ليto me الوَعيدَthreats عَلىacross التَنائيthe distance
أَتُهدي لي الوَعيدَ عَلى التَنائي
وَماand not مِثليone like me يُخَوَّفُis cowed بِالقَوافيby rhymes
وَما مِثلي يُخَوَّفُ بِالقَوافي
Do you send me threats from far away,
Do you send me threats from afar?
when a man like me is not frightened by rhymed lampoons?
And one like me is not cowed by rhymes.
نَكِحتَyou married وَليدَةًa slave girl وَرَضِعتَand you suckled from أُخرىanother
نَكِحتَ وَليدَةً وَرَضِعتَ أُخرى
وَكانَand was أَبوكَyour father تَحمِلُهُshe carried him قَطافِQataf
وَكانَ أَبوكَ تَحمِلُهُ قَطافِ
You married a slave-girl and were nursed by another;
You married a slave girl and suckled at another,
and your father was carried by Qiṭāf.
And your father was borne by Qataf.
فَلَستُthen I am not لِحاصِنٍborn of a chaste woman إِنif لَمnot تَرَوهاyou all see them
فَلَستُ لِحاصِنٍ إِن لَم تَرَوها
تُثيرُstir up النَقعَthe dust مِنfrom ظَهرِthe back of النِعافِthe mountain spurs
تُثيرُ النَقعَ مِن ظَهرِ النِعافِ
May I be no son of a chaste woman if you do not see them—
Then I am no son of a chaste woman if you do not see them
stirring battle-dust from the crests of the high ridges:
Raising dust from the backs of the mountain spurs:
سَواهِمَlean كَالقِداحِlike arrow shafts مُسَوَّماتٍmarked
سَواهِمَ كَالقِداحِ مُسَوَّماتٍ
وَكُمتاًand bay horses لَونُهاtheir color كَالوَرسِlike wars dye صافِpure
وَكُمتاً لَونُها كَالوَرسِ صافِ
gaunt as arrow-shafts, marked for war,
Lean as arrow shafts, bearing their marks,
and chestnut mares, their color like pure wars-dye.
And bay horses, their color pure as wars dye.
فَسائِلso ask فيamong قَبائِلِthe tribes جَذمِthe stock of قَيسٍQays
فَسائِل في قَبائِلِ جَذمِ قَيسٍ
بِناabout us عِندَamid العَظائِمِgreat calamities وَالجُحافِand devastation
بِنا عِندَ العَظائِمِ وَالجُحافِ
Ask among the tribes descended from the stock of Qays
So ask among the tribes of Qays's stock
about us in great ordeals and sweeping assaults;
About us amid great calamities and devastation.
تُخَبَّرُyou will be told أَنَّناthat we أَولىmore deserving بِمَجدٍof glory
تُخَبَّرُ أَنَّنا أَولى بِمَجدٍ
تَوارَثَهُinherited it in succession طِرافٌnoble men عَنfrom طِرافِnoble men
تَوارَثَهُ طِرافٌ عَن طِرافِ
they will tell you that I have the foremost claim to glory,
You will be told that we are more deserving of glory,
inherited by one nobleman from another;
Inherited by noble men from noble men,
وَأَندىand more generous عِندَduring جَدبِdrought الناسِthe people راحاًpalms
وَأَندى عِندَ جَدبِ الناسِ راحاً
وَأَنفَعُand more helpful لِلأَراملِto widows وَالضِعافِand the weak
وَأَنفَعُ لِلأَراملِ وَالضِعافِ
that my palm is more bountiful when drought grips the people,
And more open-handed when the people suffer drought,
and I more helpful to widows and the weak.
And more helpful to widows and the weak.
هَزَمناwe routed إِذwhen لَقيناwe met جَيشَthe army of رَعلٍRa'l
هَزَمنا إِذ لَقينا جَيشَ رَعلٍ
وَذَكواناًand Dhakwan وَجَمعَand the host of بَنيthe sons of خُفافِKhufaf
وَذَكواناً وَجَمعَ بَني خُفافِ
We routed, when we met them, the army of Riʿl,
We routed the army of Ra'l when we met it,
Dhakwān too, and the assembled host of Banū Khufāf.
And Dhakwan and the host of Banu Khufaf.
وَماand not أَنthat طِبُّهُمtheir nature جُبنٌcowardice وَلَكِنbut
وَما أَن طِبُّهُم جُبنٌ وَلَكِن
رَمَيناهُمwe struck them بِثالِثَةِwith the third of الأَثافيthe pot-supporting hearthstones
رَمَيناهُم بِثالِثَةِ الأَثافي
Cowardice was no part of their nature; rather,
And it was not that cowardice was their nature, but
we struck them with the third hearthstone—the crowning calamity.
We struck them with the third hearthstone—a crushing calamity.
