ذَكَرتُ أَخي بَعدَ نَومِ الخَلِيِّ

ذَكَرتُ أَخي بَعدَ نَومِ الخَلِيِّ

فَاِنحَدَرَ الدَمعُ مِنّي اِنحِدارا

فَاِنحَدَرَ الدَمعُ مِنّي اِنحِدارا

I remembered my brother after the carefree had fallen asleep,

I remembered my brother after the carefree one had slept,

and tears streamed down from me in torrents.

and tears streamed down from me.

وَخَيلٍ لَبِستَ لِأَبطالِها

وَخَيلٍ لَبِستَ لِأَبطالِها

شَليلاً وَدَمَّرتَ قَوماً دَمارا

شَليلاً وَدَمَّرتَ قَوماً دَمارا

Many a cavalry troop—against its champions you donned

And to face the champions of many a cavalry troop, you donned

battle-garb, and destroyed a people utterly.

a tunic beneath your mail, and utterly destroyed a host.

تَصَيَّدُ بِالرُمحِ رَيعانَها

تَصَيَّدُ بِالرُمحِ رَيعانَها

وَتَهتَصِرُ الكَبشَ مِنها اِهتِصارا

وَتَهتَصِرُ الكَبشَ مِنها اِهتِصارا

With the spear you hunted down its chiefs,

You hunt down its vanguard with your spear,

and wrenched its ram-like champion down with crushing force.

and utterly crush the ram among them.

فَأَلحَمتَها القَومَ تَحتَ الوَغى

فَأَلحَمتَها القَومَ تَحتَ الوَغى

وَأَرسَلتَ مُهرَكَ فيها فَغارا

وَأَرسَلتَ مُهرَكَ فيها فَغارا

You plunged him among the foe beneath the battle’s din,

So you hurled them against the host amid the battle's din,

and proudly loosed your young stallion among them—

and loosed your colt among them, and it charged.

يَقينَ وَتَحسَبُهُ قافِلاً

يَقينَ وَتَحسَبُهُ قافِلاً

إِذا طابَقَت وَغَشينَ الحِرارا

إِذا طابَقَت وَغَشينَ الحِرارا

unfaltering, though you might think him turning home,

They tread gingerly, while you think him homeward-bound,

when the horses closed ranks and covered the lava tracts.

when their hind hooves follow their forehooves' tracks and they cross the black stony plains.

فَذَلِكَ في الجَدِّ مَكروهُهُ

فَذَلِكَ في الجَدِّ مَكروهُهُ

وَفي السِلمِ تَلهو وَتُرخي الإِزارا

وَفي السِلمِ تَلهو وَتُرخي الإِزارا

Such was his ordeal when the matter grew earnest;

So that is his fearsome side in earnest combat;

but in peace you played and let your waistcloth hang loose.

and in peace you make merry and loosen your waistcloth.

وَهاجِرَةٍ حَرُّها صاخِدٌ

وَهاجِرَةٍ حَرُّها صاخِدٌ

جَعَلتَ رِداءَكَ فيها خِمارا

جَعَلتَ رِداءَكَ فيها خِمارا

And through a scorching, white-hot noon

And at many a noonday whose heat was scorching,

you made your cloak a veil over your head,

you made your cloak a covering for your head,

لِتُدرِكَ شَأواً عَلى قُربِهِ

لِتُدرِكَ شَأواً عَلى قُربِهِ

وَتَكسَبَ حَمداً وَتَحمي الذِمارا

وَتَكسَبَ حَمداً وَتَحمي الذِمارا

to attain an aim, though it was near at hand,

to reach a goal, near though it was,

and earn praise and guard the inviolable charge.

and win praise and defend all in your charge,

وَتُروي السِنانَ وَتُردي الكَمِيِّ

وَتُروي السِنانَ وَتُردي الكَمِيِّ

كَمِرجَلِ طَبّاخَةٍ حينَ فارا

كَمِرجَلِ طَبّاخَةٍ حينَ فارا

You slaked the spearhead and laid the armored warrior low,

and slake the spearpoint and lay the armored warrior low,

like a cookwoman’s cauldron when it boils.

like a woman cook's cauldron when it boils.

وَتُغشي الخُيولَ حِياضَ النَجيعِ

وَتُغشي الخُيولَ حِياضَ النَجيعِ

وَتُعطي الجَزيلَ وَتُردي العِشارا

وَتُعطي الجَزيلَ وَتُردي العِشارا

You brought the horses to pools of gore,

And you drive the horses into pools of gore,

gave lavishly, and slaughtered ten-month pregnant she-camels.

and give lavishly and slaughter she-camels ten months pregnant.

كَأَنَّ القُتودَ إِذا شَدَّها

كَأَنَّ القُتودَ إِذا شَدَّها

عَلى ذي وُسومٍ تُباري صِوارا

عَلى ذي وُسومٍ تُباري صِوارا

As though the saddle-frame, once you cinched it

As though the saddle-frames, when he strapped them

upon the branded mount, raced a wild ass—

onto a branded mount, were racing a herd of wild cattle.

تَمَكَّنَ في دِفءِ أَرطاتِهِ

تَمَكَّنَ في دِفءِ أَرطاتِهِ

أَهاجَ العَشِيُّ عَلَيهِ فَثارا

أَهاجَ العَشِيُّ عَلَيهِ فَثارا

one settled deep in the warm shelter of his arṭā shrubs,

He had settled in the warmth of his arta bushes;

whom evening roused, and up he sprang.

evening roused him, and he sprang up.

فَدارَ فَلَمّا رَأى سِربَها

فَدارَ فَلَمّا رَأى سِربَها

أَحَسَّ قَنيصاً قَريباً فَطارا

أَحَسَّ قَنيصاً قَريباً فَطارا

He wheeled; and when he saw the herd,

He wheeled, and when he saw their band,

he sensed a hunter nearby and flew off,

he sensed a hunter nearby and darted away,

يُشَقَّقُ سِربالَهُ هاجِراً

يُشَقَّقُ سِربالَهُ هاجِراً

مِنَ الشَدِّ لَمّا أَجَدَّ الفِرارا

مِنَ الشَدِّ لَمّا أَجَدَّ الفِرارا

rending his coat as he sped away,

his coat being rent in the midday heat

away from the hindrance, once his flight grew urgent.

from hard running, when he fled in earnest.

فَباتَ يُقَنِّصُ أَبطالَها

فَباتَ يُقَنِّصُ أَبطالَها

وَيَنعَصِرُ الماءُ مِنهُ اِنعِصارا

وَيَنعَصِرُ الماءُ مِنهُ اِنعِصارا

All night he pressed hard upon the herd’s strongest,

So he spent the night hunting their champions,

while water streamed from him as though wrung out.

and sweat was wrung from him in streams.