أَظاعِنَةٌ وَلا تُوَدِّعُنا هِندُ

أَظاعِنَةٌ وَلا تُوَدِّعُنا هِندُ

لِتَحزُنَنا عَزَّ التَصَدُّفُ وَالكُندُ

لِتَحزُنَنا عَزَّ التَصَدُّفُ وَالكُندُ

Is Hind departing without bidding us farewell?

Relentless she departs, without bidding us adieu

To grieve us—aversion and ingratitude are hard to bear.

To sadden us; separation and parting ensue

وَشَطَّت لِتَنأى لي المَزارَ وَخِلتُها

وَشَطَّت لِتَنأى لي المَزارَ وَخِلتُها

مُفَقَّدَةً إِنَّ الحَبيبَ لَهُ فَقدُ

مُفَقَّدَةً إِنَّ الحَبيبَ لَهُ فَقدُ

And she went far away, putting a visit beyond my reach; I deemed her

She hastened away, keeping her dwelling from me

Sorely missed—for a beloved's absence is felt.

Now a place I sorely miss; without the beloved, loss accrues

فَلَسنا بِحَمّالي الكَشاحَةِ بَينَنا

فَلَسنا بِحَمّالي الكَشاحَةِ بَينَنا

لِيُنسِيَنا الذَحلَ الضَغائِنُ وَالحِقدُ

لِيُنسِيَنا الذَحلَ الضَغائِنُ وَالحِقدُ

For we do not nurse rancor among ourselves,

We do not bear grudges amongst us

And let grudges and hatred make us forget our blood-vengeance.

Rancor and malice are dispelled by time and the sands

فَلا فُحُشٌ في دارِنا وَصَديقِنا

فَلا فُحُشٌ في دارِنا وَصَديقِنا

وَلا وُرُعُ النُهبى إِذا اِبتُدَرَ المَجدُ

وَلا وُرُعُ النُهبى إِذا اِبتُدَرَ المَجدُ

There is no meanness in our home or toward our friend,

No shame in our house, nor in our friend

Nor men who shrink from plunder when glory is contested.

Nor the chastity of the despoiled when glory is gained

وَإِنّا سَواءٌ كَهلُنا وَوَليدُنا

وَإِنّا سَواءٌ كَهلُنا وَوَليدُنا

لَنا خُلُقٌ جَزلٌ شَمائِلُهُ جَلدُ

لَنا خُلُقٌ جَزلٌ شَمائِلُهُ جَلدُ

Our grown men and our boys are indeed alike;

Equal are our elders and our youth

We have a noble character, its qualities steadfast.

We have noble traits and steadfast, hardy habits

وَإِنّا لَيَغشى الطامِعونَ بُيوتَنا

وَإِنّا لَيَغشى الطامِعونَ بُيوتَنا

إِذا كانَ عَوصاً عِندَ ذي الحَسَبِ الرِفدُ

إِذا كانَ عَوصاً عِندَ ذي الحَسَبِ الرِفدُ

And indeed, those seeking bounty visit our houses,

Greedy men do trespass our homes

When bounty is hard to obtain from a man of noble standing.

When stingy towards the honorable man of pedigree

وَإِنّي لَمِن قَومٍ فَأَنّى جَهِلتِهِم

وَإِنّي لَمِن قَومٍ فَأَنّى جَهِلتِهِم

مَكاسيبَ في يَومِ الحَفيظَةِ لِلحَمدِ

مَكاسيبَ في يَومِ الحَفيظَةِ لِلحَمدِ

And I am indeed of a people—how could you not know them?—

I descend from a people, how could I not know them

Great earners of praise on the day honor must be defended.

On the Day of Reckoning, they shall laudably shine

أَلا هَل أَتى ذُبيانَ أَنَّ رِماحَنا

أَلا هَل أَتى ذُبيانَ أَنَّ رِماحَنا

بِكُشيَةَ عالَتها الجِراحَةُ وَالحَدُّ

بِكُشيَةَ عالَتها الجِراحَةُ وَالحَدُّ

Now, has word reached Dhubyan that our spears

Tell me, did the youth come to say our spears

At Kushya were hard pressed by wounds and cutting edges?

With lethal blades dealt injuries and gashes?

فَأَثنوا عَلَينا لا أَبا لِأَبيكُمُ

فَأَثنوا عَلَينا لا أَبا لِأَبيكُمُ

بِإِحسانِنا إِنَّ الثَناءَ هُوَ الخُلدُ

بِإِحسانِنا إِنَّ الثَناءَ هُوَ الخُلدُ

So praise us—may your father have no father—

Sing our praises – no shame to your fathers

For our good deeds; indeed, praise is immortality.

For our kindness – praise is everlasting

بِمَحبَسِنا يَومَ الكُفافَةِ خَيلَنا

بِمَحبَسِنا يَومَ الكُفافَةِ خَيلَنا

لِنَمنَعَ سَبيَ الحَيِّ إِذ كُرِهَ الرَدُّ

لِنَمنَعَ سَبيَ الحَيِّ إِذ كُرِهَ الرَدُّ

For holding our horses firm on the day of al-Kufafa,

Our steeds, on the day of scarcity, stood confined

To prevent the clan's capture, when turning back was dreaded;

To defend the living’s capture, though release was preferred

بِمَحبِسِ ضَنكِ وَالرِماحُ كَأَنَّها

بِمَحبِسِ ضَنكِ وَالرِماحُ كَأَنَّها

دَوالي جَرورٍ بَينَها سَلَبٌ جُردُ

دَوالي جَرورٍ بَينَها سَلَبٌ جُردُ

In a cramped holding-ground, while the spears seemed

Confined by narrow straits, while spears appear

Water-lifting poles of a deep well, with bare trunks among them.

As warring tribes amidst, devoid of cloaks or robes

إِلى اللَيلِ حَتّى أُشرِقَت بِنُفوسِها

إِلى اللَيلِ حَتّى أُشرِقَت بِنُفوسِها

وَزَيَّنَ مَظلومٌ دَوابِرَها وَردُ

وَزَيَّنَ مَظلومٌ دَوابِرَها وَردُ

Until night, till they choked on their own lifeblood,

Until night shone upon their souls

And wrongfully shed, rose-red blood adorned their heels.

And the wronged adorned their acts with flowers

تُصَبُّ سِراعاً بِالمَضيقِ عَلَيهِمُ

تُصَبُّ سِراعاً بِالمَضيقِ عَلَيهِمُ

وَتُثنى بِطاءً لا تُحَشُّ وَلا تَعدو

وَتُثنى بِطاءً لا تُحَشُّ وَلا تَعدو

They are poured swiftly upon them through the narrow pass,

Pouring relentlessly down the narrow path

And turned back slowly, neither spurred on nor galloping.

Neither congregating, accelerating, nor ambling to and fro

إِذا هِيَ شَكَّ السَمهَرِيُّ نُحورَها

إِذا هِيَ شَكَّ السَمهَرِيُّ نُحورَها

وَخامَت عَنِ الأَبطالِ أَقحَمَها القِدُّ

وَخامَت عَنِ الأَبطالِ أَقحَمَها القِدُّ

When the Samhari spear pierces their breasts,

When the armor shakes and the stalwart heroes tire

And they shrink from champions, the leather lash drives them in.

And old age overtakes the valiant, thrusting them aside

سَوالِفُها عوجٌ إِذا هِيَ أَدبَرَت

سَوالِفُها عوجٌ إِذا هِيَ أَدبَرَت

لِكَرٍّ سَريعٍ فَهيَ قابِعَةٌ حُردُ

لِكَرٍّ سَريعٍ فَهيَ قابِعَةٌ حُردُ

Their necks are bent whenever they turn away,

Their movements zigzagged; when backward they strode

For a swift charge back; they crouch, stiff-legged.

To a nimble, swift retreat – settled they remain still