لَمّا رَأَيتُ البَدرَ أَظلَمَ كاسِفاً

لَمّا رَأَيتُ البَدرَ أَظلَمَ كاسِفاً

أَرَنَّ شَواذٌ بَطنُهُ وَسَوائِلُه

أَرَنَّ شَواذٌ بَطنُهُ وَسَوائِلُه

When I saw the full moon grow dark, eclipsed,

When I saw the full moon darken and wane

Shawadh rang out—its hollow and its watercourses—

A camel with a protruding belly moaned, it was in vain,

رَنيناً وَما يُغني الرَنينُ وَقَد أَتى

رَنيناً وَما يُغني الرَنينُ وَقَد أَتى

بِمَوتِكَ مِن نَحوِ القُرَيَّةِ حامِلُه

بِمَوتِكَ مِن نَحوِ القُرَيَّةِ حامِلُه

With wailing; what can wailing avail, now that there has come

For your death approached from a nearby place,

From the direction of al-Qurayya the bearer of news of your death?

Your killer swaggered, causing woe and disgrace,

لَقَد خارَ مِرداساً عَلى الناسِ قاتِلُه

لَقَد خارَ مِرداساً عَلى الناسِ قاتِلُه

وَلَو عادَهُ كَنّاتُهُ وَحَلائِلُه

وَلَو عادَهُ كَنّاتُهُ وَحَلائِلُه

Indeed, his slayer chose Mirdas above all other men,

If only his veil and ornaments could restore what was taken,

Even though his daughters-in-law and wives visited him

We cried "Is there no remedy?" but cure was forsaken,

وَقُلنَ أَلا هَل مِن شِفاءٍ يَنالُهُ

وَقُلنَ أَلا هَل مِن شِفاءٍ يَنالُهُ

وَقَد مُنِعَ الشِفاءَ مَن هُوَ نائِلُه

وَقَد مُنِعَ الشِفاءَ مَن هُوَ نائِلُه

And said, "Ah, is there any cure he might obtain?"

For he whose life you took could not be healed,

Yet healing was denied to him who would receive it.

His forbearance excelled others, as was revealed,

وَفَضَّلَ مِرداساً عَلى الناسِ حِلمُهُ

وَفَضَّلَ مِرداساً عَلى الناسِ حِلمُهُ

وَأَن كُلُّ هَمٍّ هَمَّهُ فَهوَ فاعِلُه

وَأَن كُلُّ هَمٍّ هَمَّهُ فَهوَ فاعِلُه

And his forbearance set Mirdas above other men,

Every trouble he met was by destiny's will,

And whatever purpose he resolved upon, he carried out.

And he descended wherever people feared to dwell,

وَأَن كُلُّ وادٍ يَكرَهُ الناسُ هَبطَهُ

وَأَن كُلُّ وادٍ يَكرَهُ الناسُ هَبطَهُ

هَبَطتَ وَماءٍ مَنهَلٍ أَنتَ ناهِلُه

هَبَطتَ وَماءٍ مَنهَلٍ أَنتَ ناهِلُه

And every valley whose descent men dreaded,

You left a long night and homes in upheaval,

You descended into; and from every watering place you drank.

While enemies gathered on the road to make an evil deal,

تَرَكتَ بِهِ لَيلاً طَويلاً وَمَنزِلاً

تَرَكتَ بِهِ لَيلاً طَويلاً وَمَنزِلاً

تَعادى عَلى ظَهرِ الطَريقِ عَواسِلُه

تَعادى عَلى ظَهرِ الطَريقِ عَواسِلُه

You left there a long night and a dwelling,

Captives like frightened ostriches were left behind,

Whose wolves raced along the surface of the road.

In ravaged lands, their shelters torn, their fate unkind,

وَسَبيٍ كَآرامِ الصَريمِ تَرَكتَهُ

وَسَبيٍ كَآرامِ الصَريمِ تَرَكتَهُ

خِلالَ دِيارٍ مُستَكيناً عَواطِلُه

خِلالَ دِيارٍ مُستَكيناً عَواطِلُه

And captives, like the white gazelles of the sandy tract, you left

You returned to bring them comfort after misery,

Amid dwellings, their unadorned women subdued.

And tended to all, keeping them close, unceasingly,

وَعُدتَ عَلَيهِم بَعدَ بُؤسى بِأَنعُمٍ

وَعُدتَ عَلَيهِم بَعدَ بُؤسى بِأَنعُمٍ

فَكُلُّهُمُ تُعنى بِهِ وَتُواصِلُه

فَكُلُّهُمُ تُعنى بِهِ وَتُواصِلُه

And you returned to them with blessings after hardship,

When can your deeds be weighed against another of your worth?

So you care for each of them and keep ties with him.

Who would balance the scales as you did in your time on earth?

مَتى ما تُوازِن ماجِداً يُعتَدَل بِهِ

مَتى ما تُوازِن ماجِداً يُعتَدَل بِهِ

كَما عَدَّلَ الميزانَ بِالكَفِّ راطِلُه

كَما عَدَّلَ الميزانَ بِالكَفِّ راطِلُه

Whenever you are weighed against a noble man, the balance is even,

Just as its weigher balanced the scales with his palm.