لَعَمري وَما عَمري عَلَيَّ بِهَيِّنٍ

لَعَمري وَما عَمري عَلَيَّ بِهَيِّنٍ

لَنِعمَ الفَتى أَردَيتُمُ آلِ خَشعَما

لَنِعمَ الفَتى أَردَيتُمُ آلِ خَشعَما

By my life—and my life is not cheap to me—

By my life, though my life is not easy upon me,

What a fine young man you slew, clan of Khashʿam!

What a fine young man you took, O clan of Khasham!

أُصيبَ بِهِ فَرعا سُلَيمٍ كِلاهُما

أُصيبَ بِهِ فَرعا سُلَيمٍ كِلاهُما

فَعَزَّ عَلَينا أَن يُصابَ وَنُرغَما

فَعَزَّ عَلَينا أَن يُصابَ وَنُرغَما

Both branches of Sulaym were stricken in him;

He was struck down in his prime, they both were,

So it grieved us that he was struck down and we were humbled.

And it pained us that he was struck down and we were forced to comply.

وَكانَ إِذا ما أَقدَمَ الخَيلَ بيشَةً

وَكانَ إِذا ما أَقدَمَ الخَيلَ بيشَةً

إِلى هَضبِ أَشراكٍ أَناخَ فَأَلجَما

إِلى هَضبِ أَشراكٍ أَناخَ فَأَلجَما

And whenever he drove the horses to Bisha,

Whenever he rode forth with the horses in the morning

Toward the hills of Ashrak, he halted, then bridled them.

To the ridge of Ashrak, he would rein them in and hobble them,

فَأَرسَلَها تَهوي رِعالاً كَأَنَّها

فَأَرسَلَها تَهوي رِعالاً كَأَنَّها

جَرادٌ زَفَتهُ ريحُ نَجدٍ فَأَتهَما

جَرادٌ زَفَتهُ ريحُ نَجدٍ فَأَتهَما

Then he sent them plunging in squadrons, as though they were

Then he would unleash them to race like the wind, as though they were

Locusts swept along by Najd's wind, then entering Tihama.

Locusts driven by the Najd wind to devour everything.

فَأَمسى الحَوامي قَد تَعَفَّينَ بَعدَهُ

فَأَمسى الحَوامي قَد تَعَفَّينَ بَعدَهُ

وَكانَ الحَصى يَكسو دَوابِرَها دَما

وَكانَ الحَصى يَكسو دَوابِرَها دَما

So by evening the hoof-rims had worn away in his wake,

After he was gone, the resting places were left desolate,

And the gravel would coat their hoof-heels with blood.

And the pebbles were covered with the blood of his charges.

فَآبَت عِشاءً بِالنِهابِ وَكُلُّها

فَآبَت عِشاءً بِالنِهابِ وَكُلُّها

يُرى قَلِقاً تَحتَ الرِحالَةِ أَهضَما

يُرى قَلِقاً تَحتَ الرِحالَةِ أَهضَما

Then they returned at nightfall with plunder, and each of them

In the evening they returned plundered and harrowed,

Looked restless beneath the saddle, hollow-bellied.

All seen to be restless under the saddles.

وَكانَت إِذا ما لَم تُطارِد بِعاقِلٍ

وَكانَت إِذا ما لَم تُطارِد بِعاقِلٍ

أَوِ الرَسِّ خَيلاً طارَدَتها بِعَيهَما

أَوِ الرَسِّ خَيلاً طارَدَتها بِعَيهَما

And whenever they did not pursue at ʿAqil

And when they were not chased by a wise one,

Or al-Rass any horses, they pursued them at ʿAyham.

Or by an eminent horseman, he would chase them with his blindness.

وَكانَ ثِمالَ الحَيِّ في كُلِّ أَزمَةٍ

وَكانَ ثِمالَ الحَيِّ في كُلِّ أَزمَةٍ

وَعِصمَتَهُم وَالفارِسَ المُتَغَشِّما

وَعِصمَتَهُم وَالفارِسَ المُتَغَشِّما

And he was the clan's mainstay in every crisis,

He was the shelter of the tribe in every crisis,

And their safeguard, and the fiercely daring horseman.

Their protection and the armed knight.

وَيَنهَضُ لِلعُليا إِذا الحَربُ شَمَّرَت

وَيَنهَضُ لِلعُليا إِذا الحَربُ شَمَّرَت

فَيُطفِئُها قَهراً وَإِن شاءَ أَضرَما

فَيُطفِئُها قَهراً وَإِن شاءَ أَضرَما

And he would rise to greatness when war girded itself,

He would rise to supremacy whenever war bared its fangs,

Then quench it by force, and, if he wished, set it ablaze.

Subduing it by force or setting it aflame as he wished.

فَأَقسَمتُ لا أَنفَكُّ أُحدِرُ عَبرَةً

فَأَقسَمتُ لا أَنفَكُّ أُحدِرُ عَبرَةً

تَجولُ بِها العَينانِ مِنّي لِتَسجُما

تَجولُ بِها العَينانِ مِنّي لِتَسجُما

So I swore never to cease shedding a tear

I swear I shall never cease shedding copious tears

That swirls in my two eyes, so they may pour it forth.

That wander in my eyes ceaselessly.