أَلا يا اِسلَمِي ذاتَ الدَماليجِ وَالعِقدِ

أَلا يا اِسلَمِي ذاتَ الدَماليجِ وَالعِقدِ

وَذاتَ الثَنايا الغُرِّ وَالفاحِمِ الجَعدِ

وَذاتَ الثَنايا الغُرِّ وَالفاحِمِ الجَعدِ

Ah, may you be safe, lady of the armlets and necklace,

Oh you, my beloved, with braids and necklaces

And of gleaming front teeth and coal-black curls,

And wavy, black hair and smooth cheeks

وَذاتَ اللِثاتِ الحُوِّ وَالعارِضِ الَّذي

وَذاتَ اللِثاتِ الحُوِّ وَالعارِضِ الَّذي

بِهِ أَبرَقَت عَمداً بِأَبيَضَ كَالشُهدِ

بِهِ أَبرَقَت عَمداً بِأَبيَضَ كَالشُهدِ

And of dusky gums and the row of teeth

With gleaming white teeth that flashed

With which she deliberately flashed white teeth like honey.

Like pure honey when she smiled

كَأَنَّ ثَناياها اِغتَبَقنَ مُدامَةً

كَأَنَّ ثَناياها اِغتَبَقنَ مُدامَةً

ثَوَتَ حِجَجاً في رَأسِ ذي قُنَّةٍ فَردِ

ثَوَتَ حِجَجاً في رَأسِ ذي قُنَّةٍ فَردِ

As though her front teeth had drunk wine at evening,

Her braids coiled like snakes

That had lain for years atop a lone, peak-crowned mountain.

That crawled into her bun, neatly tied

وَكَيفَ أُرَجّيها وَقَد جالَ دونَها

وَكَيفَ أُرَجّيها وَقَد جالَ دونَها

نُمَيرٌ وَأَجبالٌ تَعَرَّضنَ مِن نَجدٍ

نُمَيرٌ وَأَجبالٌ تَعَرَّضنَ مِن نَجدٍ

And how can I hope for her, when between us roams

How can I hope to reach her when between us

Numayr, and mountains from Najd stand across the way?

Lies the Numeir desert and mountains lining Najd?

كِلانا يُنادي يا نِزارُ وَبَينَنا

كِلانا يُنادي يا نِزارُ وَبَينَنا

قَناً مِن قَنا الخَطِيِّ أَو مِن قَنا الهِندِ

قَناً مِن قَنا الخَطِيِّ أَو مِن قَنا الهِندِ

Each of us cries, 'O Nizar!' and between us lie

We both call out, “Oh Nizār!” though between us

Spears of Khatti make, or spears from India.

Lie the widths of Khati or even India

قَرومٌ تَسامى مِن نِزارٍ عَلَيهِمُ

قَرومٌ تَسامى مِن نِزارٍ عَلَيهِمُ

مُضاعَفَةٌ مِن نَسجِ داوُدَ والسَغدِ

مُضاعَفَةٌ مِن نَسجِ داوُدَ والسَغدِ

Great chiefs of Nizar vie for eminence, wearing

Tribes tower over Nizār

Doubled mail of David's and Sogd's weaving.

In double folds of David’s make or Chinese silk

إِذا ما حَمَلنا حَملَةً مَثَّلوا لَنا

إِذا ما حَمَلنا حَملَةً مَثَّلوا لَنا

بِمُرهَفَةٍ تَذري السَواعِدَ مِن صُعدِ

بِمُرهَفَةٍ تَذري السَواعِدَ مِن صُعدِ

Whenever we launch a charge, they stand to face us

When we charge they counter with

With a keen blade that scatters forearms from on high.

Spears that pierce muscles and sinew

وَإِن نَحنُ نازَلناهُمُ بِصَوارِمٍ

وَإِن نَحنُ نازَلناهُمُ بِصَوارِمٍ

رَدوا سَرابيلِ الحَديدِ كَما نَردي

رَدوا سَرابيلِ الحَديدِ كَما نَردي

And if we engage them with sharp swords,

And when we attack with swords

They don iron tunics, just as we do.

They repel like sheets of iron we thrust

َفى حَزَناً أَن لا أَزالَ أَرى القَنا

َفى حَزَناً أَن لا أَزالَ أَرى القَنا

يَمُجُّ نَجيعاً مِن ذِراعي وَمِن عَضْدِي

يَمُجُّ نَجيعاً مِن ذِراعي وَمِن عَضْدِي

It is sorrow enough that I never cease to see the spears

I despair that I still see the desert

Spewing fresh blood from my forearm and my upper arm.

Stretching before me, blocking my path

لَعَمري لَئِن رُمتُ الخُروجَ عَلَيهِمُ

لَعَمري لَئِن رُمتُ الخُروجَ عَلَيهِمُ

بِقَيسٍ عَلى قَيسٍ وَعَوفٍ عَلى سَعدِ

بِقَيسٍ عَلى قَيسٍ وَعَوفٍ عَلى سَعدِ

By my life, if I sought to march against them

By my life, if I braved them

With Qays against Qays, and Awf against Sa'd,

With Qais matched by Qais and Awf by Sa’d

وَضَيَّعتُ عَمراً وَالرِبابَ وَدارِماً

وَضَيَّعتُ عَمراً وَالرِبابَ وَدارِماً

وَعَمرَو بنُ أُدٍّ كَيفَ أَصبِرُ عَن أُدِّ

وَعَمرَو بنُ أُدٍّ كَيفَ أَصبِرُ عَن أُدِّ

And forsook Amr, al-Ribab, and Darim,

And wasted my life, and Ribāb, and Dārim

And Amr ibn Udd—how could I endure being without Udd?—

And ‘Amr ibn Udd—how could I bear Udd?

لَكُنتُ كَمُهريقِ الَّذي في سِقائِهِ

لَكُنتُ كَمُهريقِ الَّذي في سِقائِهِ

لِرَقراقِ آلٍ فَوقَ رابِيَةٍ صَلدِ

لِرَقراقِ آلٍ فَوقَ رابِيَةٍ صَلدِ

I would surely be like one pouring out what is in his waterskin

I would be like the pouring ladle

For a shimmering mirage above a bare, rocky hill;

That waters foreign houses over mine

كَمُرضِعَةٍ أَولادَ أُخرى وَضَيَّعَت

كَمُرضِعَةٍ أَولادَ أُخرى وَضَيَّعَت

بَني بَطنِها هَذا الضَلالُ عَنِ القَصدِ

بَني بَطنِها هَذا الضَلالُ عَنِ القَصدِ

Like a woman nursing another's children, while neglecting

Like a wet nurse who nursed another’s young

The sons of her own womb—this is straying from the right course.

While her own were led astray, wandering far

فَأوصيكُما يا اِبنَيْ نِزارٍ فَتابِعا

فَأوصيكُما يا اِبنَيْ نِزارٍ فَتابِعا

وَصِيَّةَ مُفضي النُصحِ وَالصِدقِ وَالوُدُّ

وَصِيَّةَ مُفضي النُصحِ وَالصِدقِ وَالوُدُّ

So I counsel you both, O two sons of Nizar: follow

So I advise you, my two sons Nizār

The counsel of one offering sincere advice, truth, and affection.

Heed the counsel of one who gives sincere advice and love