حَلَّتsettled كُبَيشَةُKubayshah بَطنَthe valley of ذاتِDhat رُؤامِRu'am
حَلَّت كُبَيشَةُ بَطنَ ذاتِ رُؤامِ
وَعَفَتand faded مَنازِلُهاher dwellings بِجَوِّin the hollow of بَرامِBaram
وَعَفَت مَنازِلُها بِجَوِّ بَرامِ
Kubayshah settled in the valley of Dhat Ru'am,
The ruins passed through the belly of a scattered hill,
And her dwellings in the hollow of Baram have faded.
And its dwellings faded away in the wind of time.
أَقوَتbecame deserted مَعالِمُهاtheir landmarks وَغَيَّرَand changed رَسمَهاtheir outline
أَقوَت مَعالِمُها وَغَيَّرَ رَسمَها
هوجُfierce الرِياحِthe winds وَحِقبَةُand the long span الأَيّامِof days
هوجُ الرِياحِ وَحِقبَةُ الأَيّامِ
Their landmarks lie deserted, and their outline has been changed
Its landmarks weakened and its shape was altered,
By fierce winds and the long passage of days,
By the gales of winds and eras gone by.
حَتّىuntil أَذَعنَthey swept away بِهِwith it وَكُلُّand every مُجَلجِلٍrumbling cloud
حَتّى أَذَعنَ بِهِ وَكُلُّ مُجَلجِلٍ
حَرِقِblazing البَوارِقِthe lightning flashes دائِمِunceasing الإِرزامِthunder
حَرِقِ البَوارِقِ دائِمِ الإِرزامِ
Until they swept it away, as did every rumbling cloud,
Until it surrendered to that, as did every towering peak,
With blazing lightning and ceaseless thunder.
To the burning bolts continuously striking.
دارٌa dwelling بِهاin it عينُwide-eyed النِعاجِwild cows رَواتِعاًgrazing freely
دارٌ بِها عينُ النِعاجِ رَواتِعاً
تَعدوthey run مَسارِبَهاtheir trails مَعَwith الأَرآمِthe white gazelles
تَعدو مَسارِبَها مَعَ الأَرآمِ
A dwelling where wide-eyed wild cows graze,
A house in which the eyes of the sheep roamed,
Running along their trails with the white gazelles.
Running through its corridors with the deer.
وَلَقَدand indeed تَحُلُّshe used to dwell بِهِin it كَأَنَّas though مُجاجَهاher saliva
وَلَقَد تَحُلُّ بِهِ كَأَنَّ مُجاجَها
ثَغبٌa rock-pool يُصَفَّقُis mixed صَفوُهُits clear water بِمُدامِwith aged wine
ثَغبٌ يُصَفَّقُ صَفوُهُ بِمُدامِ
And indeed she used to dwell there, as though the moisture of her mouth
Truly it glimmers in it as if its commotion,
Were a rock-pool whose clear water was mixed with aged wine.
Is a stream whose top violently bubbles.
ياO ذاyou المُخَوِّفَناwho threatens us بِمَقتَلِover the killing of شَيخِهِhis chief
يا ذا المُخَوِّفَنا بِمَقتَلِ شَيخِهِ
حُجرٍHujr تَمَنِّيَwishful thinking صاحِبِa person of الأَحلامِdreams
حُجرٍ تَمَنِّيَ صاحِبِ الأَحلامِ
O you who threaten us over the slaying of your chief,
O you who frightened us with the murder of its sheikh,
Hujr—with a dreamer's wishful thinking:
A rock who wished for the companion of dreams.
لاdo not تَبكِناweep for us سَفَهاًfoolishly وَلاnor ساداتِناour chiefs
لا تَبكِنا سَفَهاً وَلا ساداتِنا
وَاِجعَلand make بُكاءَكَyour weeping لِاِبنِfor the son of أُمِّmother of قَطامِQatam
وَاِجعَل بُكاءَكَ لِاِبنِ أُمِّ قَطامِ
Do not foolishly weep for us, nor for our chiefs;
Do not make us cry foolishly, nor for our masters,
And reserve your weeping for the son of Umm Qatam:
But let your crying be for the son of Mother Qatam.
حُجرٍHujr غَداةَon the morning تَعاوَرَتهُassailed him in turn رِماحُناour spears
حُجرٍ غَداةَ تَعاوَرَتهُ رِماحُنا
بِالقاعِon the plain بَينَbetween صَفاصِفٍlevel stretches وَإِكامِand hillocks
بِالقاعِ بَينَ صَفاصِفٍ وَإِكامِ
Hujr, on the morning our spears struck him in turn,
A rock on the morrow whose spears skirmished over it
On the plain, between level stretches and hillocks,
In the plain between ranks and pressing crowds.
حَتّىuntil خَطَرنَthey quivered بِهِin him وَهُنَّwhile they were شَوارِعٌthrust forward
حَتّى خَطَرنَ بِهِ وَهُنَّ شَوارِعٌ
مِنfrom بَينِamong مُقتَصِدٍbroken وَآخَرَand another دامِbloodied
مِن بَينِ مُقتَصِدٍ وَآخَرَ دامِ
Until they quivered in him, still thrust forward,
Until they paraded him while the streets wavered,
Some broken, others bloodied.
From between a moderate one and another who lasted.
وَالخَيلُand the horses عاكِفَةٌclustered عَلَيهِaround him كَأَنَّهاas though they were
وَالخَيلُ عاكِفَةٌ عَلَيهِ كَأَنَّها
سُحُقُlofty النَخيلِpalm trees نَأَتstood far off عَنِfrom الجُرّامِthe date-harvesters
سُحُقُ النَخيلِ نَأَت عَنِ الجُرّامِ
And the horses gathered round him, as though they were
While the horses hovered over it as if they,
Lofty palms beyond the reach of date-harvesters,
Were the rings of palm trees brought down from the tyrant.
مُتَبارِياتٍvying with one another فيin الأَعِنَّةِthe reins قُطَّباًgrim-faced
مُتَبارِياتٍ في الأَعِنَّةِ قُطَّباً
يَحمِلنَthey carry كُلَّevery مُنازِلٍwarrior in combat قَمقامِmighty
يَحمِلنَ كُلَّ مُنازِلٍ قَمقامِ
Vying with one another under the reins, grim-faced,
Racing with the hanging banners, carrying every position,
Bearing every mighty champion in combat,
A vanguard against the cunning whose fog his armor hides.
سَلَفاًas an advance guard لِأَرعَنَfor a massive army ماnot يَخِفُّthins ضَبابُهُits haze
سَلَفاً لِأَرعَنَ ما يَخِفُّ ضَبابُهُ
مُتَقَنِّسٍhelmeted باديshowing الحَديدِiron armor لُهامِdevouring
مُتَقَنِّسٍ بادي الحَديدِ لُهامِ
An advance guard for a massive host whose haze never thins,
In it is the iron and in it is every protected one,
Helmeted, its iron exposed, a devouring host.
A spring and every literary work and sword.
فيهِin it الحَديدُiron armor وَفيهِand in it كُلُّevery مَصونَةٍwell-kept bow
فيهِ الحَديدُ وَفيهِ كُلُّ مَصونَةٍ
نَبعٍnabʿ wood وَكُلُّand every مُثَقَّفٍstraightened spear وَحُسامِand a keen sword
نَبعٍ وَكُلُّ مُثَقَّفٍ وَحُسامِ
In it is iron armor, and in it every well-kept bow
And verily we killed them - and how many a lord
Of nabʿ wood, and every straightened spear and keen sword.
Whose horses and zeal hovered over him.
وَلَقَدand indeed قَتَلنَهُمُthey slew them وَكَمand how many مِنof سَيِّدٍa chief
وَلَقَد قَتَلنَهُمُ وَكَم مِن سَيِّدٍ
عَكَفَتclustered عَلَيهِaround him خُيولُناour horses وَهُمامِand a valiant man
عَكَفَت عَلَيهِ خُيولُنا وَهُمامِ
And indeed they slew them; and how many a chief
When the polished blades bite our throats,
Our horses have surrounded, and how many a valiant man!
They melt and toss, then the best outcome.
إِنّاindeed we إِذاwhen عَضَّbit الثِقافُthe straightening clamp قَناتَناour spearshaft
إِنّا إِذا عَضَّ الثِقافُ قَناتَنا
حالَتit turned aside وَرامَتand it sought ثُمَّthen خَيرَthe finest مَرامِmark
حالَت وَرامَت ثُمَّ خَيرَ مَرامِ
Indeed, when the straightening clamp bites our spearshaft,
We protect our truth and prevent our neighbor,
It turns aside and then seeks the finest mark.
And we wrap around the widows of the orphans.
نَحميwe defend حَقيقَتَناour honor وَنَمنَعُand we protect جارَناour neighbor
نَحمي حَقيقَتَنا وَنَمنَعُ جارَنا
وَنَلُفُّand we gather together بَينَamong أَرامِلِthe destitute الأَيتامِthe orphans
وَنَلُفُّ بَينَ أَرامِلِ الأَيتامِ
We defend our honor and protect our neighbor,
And we march to war as support if it appears,
And gather the destitute orphans together.
Until we wrap its forearms with forearms.
وَنَسيرُand we march لِلحَربِto war العَوانِoft-renewed إِذاwhen بَدَتit arises
وَنَسيرُ لِلحَربِ العَوانِ إِذا بَدَت
حَتّىuntil نَلُفَّwe entwine ضِرامَهاits blaze بِضِرامِwith a blaze
حَتّى نَلُفَّ ضِرامَها بِضِرامِ
And we march to renewed war whenever it arises,
When you saw the armies of Kindah withdraw,
Until we entwine its blaze with flame.
From us while Kindah is other than the essence of glory.
لَمّاwhen رَأَيتَyou saw جُموعَthe hosts of كِندَةَKinda أَحجَمَتdrew back
لَمّا رَأَيتَ جُموعَ كِندَةَ أَحجَمَت
عَنّاfrom us وَكِندَةُand Kinda غَيرُnot جِدِّtruly كِرامِnoble
عَنّا وَكِندَةُ غَيرُ جِدِّ كِرامِ
When you saw Kinda's hosts draw back
You claimed you would come as a caesar,
From us—and Kinda are not truly noble—
So you will be destroyed while you are a Shamite.
أَزَعَمتَdid you claim أَنَّكَthat you سَوفَwill تَأتيgo to قَيصَراًCaesar
أَزَعَمتَ أَنَّكَ سَوفَ تَأتي قَيصَراً
فَلَتَهلِكَنَّso you will surely perish إِذاًthen وَأَنتَwhile you are شَآميSyrian
فَلَتَهلِكَنَّ إِذاً وَأَنتَ شَآمي
Did you claim that you would go to Caesar?
We refuse to be led by all the people,
Then you shall surely perish while in Syria.
Until we lead them without a halter.
نَأبىwe refuse عَلىto الناسِthe people المَقادَةَsubmission كُلِّهِمall of them
نَأبى عَلى الناسِ المَقادَةَ كُلِّهِم
حَتّىuntil نَقودَهُمُwe lead them بِغَيرِwithout زِمامِa rein
حَتّى نَقودَهُمُ بِغَيرِ زِمامِ
We refuse submission to all mankind,
Until we lead them without a rein.
Partial English translation: 38 of 40 Arabic lines translated.