أَبِنتُ صَخرٍ تِلكُما الباكِيَة

أَبِنتُ صَخرٍ تِلكُما الباكِيَة

لا باكِيَ اللَيلَةَ إِلّا هِيَه

لا باكِيَ اللَيلَةَ إِلّا هِيَه

Is that weeping woman yonder the daughter of Sakhr?

Is that weeping woman Sakhr's daughter?

There is no one weeping tonight but she.

No one weeps tonight but she.

أَودى أَبو حَسّانَ واحَسرَتا

أَودى أَبو حَسّانَ واحَسرَتا

وَكانَ صَخرٌ مَلِكُ العالِيَه

وَكانَ صَخرٌ مَلِكُ العالِيَه

Abu Hassan has perished—ah, my grief!

Abu Hassan has perished—alas, my grief!

And Sakhr was lord of al-ʿĀliya, the highlands.

And Sakhr was king of al-Aliyah.

وَيلايَ ما أُرحَمُ وَيلاً لِيَه

وَيلايَ ما أُرحَمُ وَيلاً لِيَه

إِذ رَفَعَ الصَوتَ النَدى الناعِيَه

إِذ رَفَعَ الصَوتَ النَدى الناعِيَه

Alas, how pitiable I am—woe is me!

Alas for me! I am not pitied—woe to me!

when the mourning woman raised her far-carrying voice.

When the death-announcer raised a ringing cry,

كَذَّبتُ بِالحَقِّ وَقَد رابَني

كَذَّبتُ بِالحَقِّ وَقَد رابَني

حَتّى عَلَت أَبياتُنا الواعِيَه

حَتّى عَلَت أَبياتُنا الواعِيَه

I called the truth a lie, though it had roused my fears,

I denied the truth, though it had unsettled me,

until the wailing cry rose above our tents

Until the wailing rose above our tents,

بِالسَيِّدِ الحُلوِ الأَمينِ الَّذي

بِالسَيِّدِ الحُلوِ الأَمينِ الَّذي

يَعصِمُنا في السَنَةِ العادِيَه

يَعصِمُنا في السَنَةِ العادِيَه

for the sweet-natured, trustworthy lord, in whom

For the gracious, trustworthy lord who

refuge is sought through the assailing year of drought.

Protected us in the ravaging year.

لَكِنَّ بَعضَ القَومِ هَيّابَةٌ

لَكِنَّ بَعضَ القَومِ هَيّابَةٌ

في القَومِ لا تَغبِطُهُ البادِيَه

في القَومِ لا تَغبِطُهُ البادِيَه

Yet some men are utter cowards,

Yet some man among the people is timorous;

men among their tribe whom no desert-dweller envies.

Among the people, the desert dwellers do not envy him.

لا يَنطِقُ العُرفَ وَلا يَلحَنُ

لا يَنطِقُ العُرفَ وَلا يَلحَنُ

العَزفَ وَلا يَنفُذُ بِالغازِيَه

العَزفَ وَلا يَنفُذُ بِالغازِيَه

He neither speaks of generosity nor so much as hints at it—

He speaks no good word, nor understands

that aloof man—nor does he advance with a raiding band.

Music, nor goes forth with a raiding band.

إِن تُنصَبِ القِدرُ لَدى بَيتِهِ

إِن تُنصَبِ القِدرُ لَدى بَيتِهِ

فَغَيرُها يَحتَضِرُ الجادِيَه

فَغَيرُها يَحتَضِرُ الجادِيَه

If the cooking pot is set up for him in his house,

If a cooking pot is set beside his dwelling,

the seekers of bounty gather around another's.

It is another pot that draws those seeking bounty.

لَكِن أَخي أَروَعُ ذو مِرَّةٍ

لَكِن أَخي أَروَعُ ذو مِرَّةٍ

مِن مِثلِهِ تَستَرفِدُ الباغِيَه

مِن مِثلِهِ تَستَرفِدُ الباغِيَه

But my brother was awe-inspiring, a man of mettle;

But my brother inspires awe, a man of strength;

from one like him every seeker asks support.

From one like him the seeker asks for bounty.

لا يَنطِقُ النُكرَ لَدى حُرَّةٍ

لا يَنطِقُ النُكرَ لَدى حُرَّةٍ

يَبتارُ خالي الهَمِّ في الغاوِيَه

يَبتارُ خالي الهَمِّ في الغاوِيَه

He uttered no shameful word before a freeborn woman;

He utters no indecency before a freeborn woman;

carefree, he put himself to the test amid deadly peril.

Carefree, he puts the wayward woman to the test.

إِنَّ أَخي لَيسَ بِتَرعِيَّةٍ

إِنَّ أَخي لَيسَ بِتَرعِيَّةٍ

نِكسٍ هَواءِ القَلبِ ذي ماشِيَه

نِكسٍ هَواءِ القَلبِ ذي ماشِيَه

Indeed, my brother was no mere herdsman—

Indeed, my brother is no mere herdsman,

no craven, empty-hearted owner of livestock.

A weakling, hollow-hearted keeper of livestock.

عَطّافُهُ أَبيَضُ ذو رَونَقٍ

عَطّافُهُ أَبيَضُ ذو رَونَقٍ

كَالرَجعِ في المُدجِنَةِ السارِيَه

كَالرَجعِ في المُدجِنَةِ السارِيَه

His sword was a gleaming white blade, full of luster,

His sword is white and gleaming,

like lightning flashing anew in a night-roving raincloud.

Like rain in a dark cloud passing through the night.

فَوقَ حَثيثِ الشَدِّ ذو مَيعَةٍ

فَوقَ حَثيثِ الشَدِّ ذو مَيعَةٍ

يَقدُمُ أولى العُصَبِ الماضِيَه

يَقدُمُ أولى العُصَبِ الماضِيَه

Astride a swift-breasted mount, full of spirited dash,

Upon a swift-running steed full of vigor,

he led the foremost of the resolute bands.

He leads the foremost advancing bands.

لا خَيرَ في عَيشٍ وَإِن سَرَّنا

لا خَيرَ في عَيشٍ وَإِن سَرَّنا

وَالدَهرُ لا تَبقى لَهُ باقِيَه

وَالدَهرُ لا تَبقى لَهُ باقِيَه

There is no good in life, though it delights us,

There is no good in life, even if it delights us;

for Time leaves nothing in it that endures.

And nothing survives the passage of time.

كُلُّ اِمرِئٍ سُرَّ بِهِ أَهلُهُ

كُلُّ اِمرِئٍ سُرَّ بِهِ أَهلُهُ

سَوفَ يُرى يَوماً عَلى ناحِيَه

سَوفَ يُرى يَوماً عَلى ناحِيَه

Every man in whom his family rejoices

Every man whose family rejoices in him

will one day be seen lying cast aside.

Will one day be seen lying apart.

يا مَن يَرى مِن قَومِنا فارِساً

يا مَن يَرى مِن قَومِنا فارِساً

في الخَيلِ إِذ تَعدو بِهِ الضافِيَه

في الخَيلِ إِذ تَعدو بِهِ الضافِيَه

O you who see among our people a horseman,

O you who see a horseman from our people

amid the cavalry, borne at a gallop by a full-maned mare:

Among the horses, as the long-tailed mare gallops bearing him:

تَحتَكَ كَبداءٌ كُمَيتٌ كَما

تَحتَكَ كَبداءٌ كُمَيتٌ كَما

أُدرِجَ ثَوبُ اليُمنَةِ الطاوِيَه

أُدرِجَ ثَوبُ اليُمنَةِ الطاوِيَه

beneath him is a deep-chested dark bay, just as

Beneath you is a deep-bodied bay mare, as though

the robe of a slender Yemeni woman is wrapped in folds.

A Yemeni cloak had been rolled up by the one folding it.

إِذ لُحِقَت مِن خَلفِها تَدَّعي

إِذ لُحِقَت مِن خَلفِها تَدَّعي

مِثلَ سَوامِ الرَجُلِ الغادِيَه

مِثلَ سَوامِ الرَجُلِ الغادِيَه

When overtaken from behind, she cries out,

When overtaken from behind, they call out

like a man's grazing herd setting forth at dawn.

Like a man's herd going out in the morning.

يَكفَأُها بِالطَعنِ فيها كَما

يَكفَأُها بِالطَعنِ فيها كَما

ثَلَّمَ باقي جَبوَةِ الجابِيَه

ثَلَّمَ باقي جَبوَةِ الجابِيَه

He turns them back with thrusts among them, as

He topples them by thrusting into them, as

one breaches the remaining rim of a collecting cistern.

One breaks the remaining rim of a watering basin.

تَهوي إِذا أُرسِلنَ مِن مَنهَلٍ

تَهوي إِذا أُرسِلنَ مِن مَنهَلٍ

مِثلَ عُقابِ الدُجنَةِ الداجِيَه

مِثلَ عُقابِ الدُجنَةِ الداجِيَه

They swoop when released from a watering place,

They swoop when loosed from a watering place,

like an eagle emerging from the pitch-black gloom.

Like an eagle amid a pitch-dark cloud.

عارِضُ سَحماءَ رُدَينِيَّةٍ

عارِضُ سَحماءَ رُدَينِيَّةٍ

كَالنارِ فيها آلَةٌ ماضِيَه

كَالنارِ فيها آلَةٌ ماضِيَه

He meets them with a dark Rudaynian spear,

Bearing a black Rudayni spear crosswise,

fiery, with a keen and piercing head.

Like fire, with a keen spearhead.

أَشرَبَها القَينُ لَدى سَنَّها

أَشرَبَها القَينُ لَدى سَنَّها

فَصارَ فيها الحُمَةُ القاضِيَه

فَصارَ فيها الحُمَةُ القاضِيَه

The smith steeped it as he sharpened its point,

The smith made it drink as he sharpened it,

until death-dealing venom coursed within it.

And so it bore a deadly sting.

أَنّى لَنا إِذ فاتَنا مِثلُهُ

أَنّى لَنا إِذ فاتَنا مِثلُهُ

لِلخَيلِ إِذ جالَت وَلِلعادِيَه

لِلخَيلِ إِذ جالَت وَلِلعادِيَه

Where can we find his equal, now that he is lost to us—

Where can we find his like, now that we have lost him,

for the cavalry when it wheels, and for the charging host?

For the cavalry when it wheels, and for the raiders?

أُقسِمُ لا يَقعُدُ في بَلدَةٍ

أُقسِمُ لا يَقعُدُ في بَلدَةٍ

نائِيَةٍ عَن أَهلِهِ قاصِيَه

نائِيَةٍ عَن أَهلِهِ قاصِيَه

I swear he would never remain seated in a town

I swear he would not stay in a town

remote and far from his people;

Remote, far from his family.

فَأَقصَدُ السَيرِ عَلى وَجهِهِ

فَأَقصَدُ السَيرِ عَلى وَجهِهِ

لَم يَنهَهُ الناهي وَلا الناهِيَه

لَم يَنهَهُ الناهي وَلا الناهِيَه

he would set straight out upon his way,

So he took the most direct course ahead;

and neither man nor woman could restrain him.

Neither man nor woman deterred him.