حَلَّتsettled سُلَيمىSulayma بِدَوغانٍin Dawghan وَشَطَّand went far بِهاwith her
حَلَّت سُلَيمى بِدَوغانٍ وَشَطَّ بِها
غَربُthe far reach النَوىof separation وَتَرىand you see فيin خُلقِهاher character أَوَداcrookedness
غَربُ النَوى وَتَرى في خُلقِها أَوَدا
Sulayma settled in Dawghan, and was borne far away
Sulayma arrived with furnishings and the west wind blew with her.
By far-flung separation; you see crookedness in her character.
My heart yearns for her whenever she is mentioned,
خَودٌa tender maiden يَهَشُّrejoices لَهاfor her قَلبيmy heart إِذاwhen ذُكِرَتshe is mentioned
خَودٌ يَهَشُّ لَها قَلبي إِذا ذُكِرَت
يَوماًone day كَماjust as يَفرَحُrejoices الباغيthe seeker بِماin what وَجَداhe found
يَوماً كَما يَفرَحُ الباغي بِما وَجَدا
A tender maiden—my heart delights in her whenever she is mentioned
One day as a wanderer rejoices at what he found.
On any day, as a seeker rejoices in what he has found.
I praised the benevolent Jarir, he deserves my praise and gifts.
إِنّيindeed I اِمتَدَحتُhave praised جَريرَJarir الخَيرِof goodness إِنَّindeed لَهُto him
إِنّي اِمتَدَحتُ جَريرَ الخَيرِ إِنَّ لَهُ
عِنديfrom me بِنائِلِهِfor his bounty الإِحسانَkindness وَالصَفَداand gifts
عِندي بِنائِلِهِ الإِحسانَ وَالصَفَدا
I have praised Jarir the Good; indeed, he is owed
Jarir is the flaming torch of war when relied upon by his companions.
Kindness and gifts from me for his bounty.
Maymun dragged his cannons spreading them over the plains and hills.
إِنَّindeed جَريراًJarir شِهابُthe firebrand of الحَربِwar يَسعَرُهاhe kindles it
إِنَّ جَريراً شِهابُ الحَربِ يَسعَرُها
إِذاwhen تَواكَلَهاleave it to one another أَصحابُهُhis comrades وَقَداhe blazes
إِذا تَواكَلَها أَصحابُهُ وَقَدا
Indeed, Jarir is war's firebrand, kindling it;
Carried by every swift mare decorated with ornaments,
When his comrades leave it to one another, he blazes.
Galloping as if they were zebras.
جَرَّled القَنابِلَthe cavalry squadrons مَيمونٌauspicious نَقيبَتُهُhis nature
جَرَّ القَنابِلَ مَيمونٌ نَقيبَتُهُ
يَغشىhe traverses بِهِنَّwith them سُهولَthe plains of الأَرضِthe earth وَالجَدَداand hard, level ground
يَغشى بِهِنَّ سُهولَ الأَرضِ وَالجَدَدا
A man of auspicious nature led the cavalry squadrons;
Bent or docked-tailed mares whom wars bequeathed knots in their roots.
With them he sweeps across the earth's plains and hard, level ground.
You see the birds perching where they used to reach Najd.
تَحمِلُهُbears him كُلُّevery مِرداةٍrock-hard mount مُجَلَّلَةٍcaparisoned
تَحمِلُهُ كُلُّ مِرداةٍ مُجَلَّلَةٍ
تَخالُyou imagine فيهاin her إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle هَروَلَتshe trots حَرَداa limp
تَخالُ فيها إِذا ما هَروَلَت حَرَدا
Every rock-hard, caparisoned mount bears him;
On the day of Quda'a, their camel herder, though blind,
You might fancy in her, when she trots, a limp.
You see in his head gray hair.
عُوجٌbowed-limbed عَناجيحُlong-necked mounts أَوor شُهبٌgray mounts مُقَلِّصَةٌlean and long-legged
عُوجٌ عَناجيحُ أَو شُهبٌ مُقَلِّصَةٌ
قَدindeed أَورَثَhas left الغَزوُraiding فيin أَصلابِهاtheir backbones عُقَداknots
قَد أَورَثَ الغَزوُ في أَصلابِها عُقَدا
Bowed-limbed, long-necked mounts, or lean, long-legged grays—
They were loyal to the Messenger though they secured the wealth of the stranger.
Raiding has left knots in their backbones.
Who then could secure the everlasting?
ماضٍpressing onward تَرىyou see الطَيرَthe birds تَرديrunning فيin مَنازِلِهِhis encampments
ماضٍ تَرى الطَيرَ تَردي في مَنازِلِهِ
عَلىover مَزاحيفَexhausted mounts كانَتused to تَبلُغُreach النَجَداthe highlands
عَلى مَزاحيفَ كانَت تَبلُغُ النَجَدا
He presses on; you see birds running through his encampments
Whenever a neighbor settled in their homes,
Over exhausted mounts that once reached the highlands.
They returned the favor counting his wealth in full.
يَومَon the day قُضاعَةُQuda'a مَجدوعٌcut off مَعاطِسُهاher noses
يَومَ قُضاعَةُ مَجدوعٌ مَعاطِسُها
وَهوَwhile he أَشَمُّhigh-nosed تَرىyou see فيin رَأسِهِhis head صَيَداa proud tilt
وَهوَ أَشَمُّ تَرى في رَأسِهِ صَيَدا
On the day Quda'a's noses were cut off,
By the will of God they gave sanctuary to our clan,
While he holds his nose high, you see a proud tilt to his head.
As no father loves a son more.
صافىsincerely befriended الرَسولَthe Messenger وَمِنand from قَومٍa people هُمُthey ضَمِنواguaranteed
صافى الرَسولَ وَمِن قَومٍ هُمُ ضَمِنوا
مالَthe property of الغَريبِthe stranger وَمَنand who ذاthat one يَضمَنُguarantees الأَبَداforever
مالَ الغَريبِ وَمَن ذا يَضمَنُ الأَبَدا
He befriended the Messenger, and belongs to a people who guaranteed
A people bowing devoutly in their mosques,
The stranger's property—and who can guarantee it forever?
Worshipping no one but the Eternal, the Self-Sufficient.
كانواthey would إِذاwhen حَلَّsettled جارٌa protected guest فيin بُيوتِهِمِtheir homes
كانوا إِذا حَلَّ جارٌ في بُيوتِهِمِ
عادواbestowed favors عَلَيهِon him وَأَحصَواand counted مالَهُhis possessions عَدَداone by one
عادوا عَلَيهِ وَأَحصَوا مالَهُ عَدَدا
They would, whenever a protected guest settled in their homes,
Bestow favors on him and count his possessions one by one.
فَقَدfor indeed أَجارواthey sheltered بِإِذنِby permission of اللَهِGod عُصبَتَناour band
فَقَد أَجاروا بِإِذنِ اللَهِ عُصبَتَنا
إِذwhen لاnot يَكادُalmost يُحِبُّloves الوالِدُthe father الوَلَداthe child
إِذ لا يَكادُ يُحِبُّ الوالِدُ الوَلَدا
For they have sheltered our band, by God's permission,
When a father could scarcely love his child.
قَومٌa people يَظَلّونَspend the day خُشعاًhumbly reverent فيin مَساجِدِهِمtheir mosques
قَومٌ يَظَلّونَ خُشعاً في مَساجِدِهِم
وَلاand not يَدينونَworship إِلّاexcept الواحِدَthe One الصَمداthe Self-Sufficient
وَلا يَدينونَ إِلّا الواحِدَ الصَمدا
A people who spend the day in humble reverence in their mosques,
And worship none but the One, the Self-Sufficient.
Partial English translation: 20 of 26 Arabic lines translated.