تَذَكَّرتُ وَالذّكرَى تُهيِّجُ للفَتَى

تَذَكَّرتُ وَالذّكرَى تُهيِّجُ للفَتَى

وَمِن حَاجَةِ المَحزُونِ أَن يَتَذَكَّرا

وَمِن حَاجَةِ المَحزُونِ أَن يَتَذَكَّرا

I remembered—and remembrance stirs a young man—

I remembered, and memory stirs the youth,

and a sorrowful man has need to remember—

And the grieving soul needs to remember.

نَدامايَ عِندَ المُنذِرِ بِنِ مُحَرِّقٍ

نَدامايَ عِندَ المُنذِرِ بِنِ مُحَرِّقٍ

أَرَى اليَومَ مِنهُم ظاهرَ الأَرضِ مُقفِرا

أَرَى اليَومَ مِنهُم ظاهرَ الأَرضِ مُقفِرا

my drinking companions beside al-Mundhir ibn Muharriq.

My regrets, when al-Munzir ibn Muharriq warned me,

Today I see the face of the earth deserted of them.

Today I see their land empty and barren.

تَقَضّى زَمَانُ الوَصلِ بَيني وَبَينَها

تَقَضّى زَمَانُ الوَصلِ بَيني وَبَينَها

وَلَم يَنقَصِ الشوقُ الَّذي كانَ أَكثَرا

وَلَم يَنقَصِ الشوقُ الَّذي كانَ أَكثَرا

The time of union between me and her has ended,

The time of union between her and I had passed,

and the longing, once so great, has not diminished.

And my passion, that was once so strong, did not diminish.

وَإِنِّي لأَستَشفي برُؤيةِ جارِها

وَإِنِّي لأَستَشفي برُؤيةِ جارِها

إِذا ما لِقَاؤُها عَليَّ تَعَذَّرا

إِذا ما لِقَاؤُها عَليَّ تَعَذَّرا

And I seek healing in the sight of her neighbor

Seeing her neighbor brings me solace,

when meeting her becomes impossible for me.

When seeing her became impossible.

وَأُلقي عَلى جِيرانِها مَسحةَ الهَوى

وَأُلقي عَلى جِيرانِها مَسحةَ الهَوى

وَإِن لَم يَكُونُوا لي قَبيلاً وَمَعشَرا

وَإِن لَم يَكُونُوا لي قَبيلاً وَمَعشَرا

And I cast a touch of love upon her neighbors,

I direct my love to her neighbors,

even though they are neither my kin nor my companions.

Though they are not my tribe or people.

تَرَدَّيتُ ثَوبَ الذُلِّ يَومَ لَقيتُها

تَرَدَّيتُ ثَوبَ الذُلِّ يَومَ لَقيتُها

وَكانَ رِدَائي نَخوةً وَتَجَبُّرا

وَكانَ رِدَائي نَخوةً وَتَجَبُّرا

I donned the garment of abasement the day I met her,

I cast off the garment of humility when I met her,

and my cloak had been pride and haughtiness.

Though my cloak had been dignity and arrogance.

حَسِبنا زَماناً كُلَّ بيضاءَ شَحمَةً

حَسِبنا زَماناً كُلَّ بيضاءَ شَحمَةً

لَيَالِيَ إِذ نَغزُو جُذاماً وحِميَرا

لَيَالِيَ إِذ نَغزُو جُذاماً وحِميَرا

For a time we thought every white thing a lump of fat,

For a time, every white-faced night

in the nights when we raided Judham and Himyar,

We would raid the leprous and asses.

إِلى أَن لَقِينا الحيَّ بَكرَ بِنَ وَائلٍ

إِلى أَن لَقِينا الحيَّ بَكرَ بِنَ وَائلٍ

ثَمانِينَ ألفاً دارِعِينَ وحُسَّرا

ثَمانِينَ ألفاً دارِعِينَ وحُسَّرا

until we encountered the tribe of Bakr ibn Wa'il:

Until we met the living Bakr ibn Wa’il,

eighty thousand, armored and unarmored.

Eighty thousand armored and mailed.

فَلَمّا قَرَعنا النّبعَ بِالنّبعِ بَعضَهُ

فَلَمّا قَرَعنا النّبعَ بِالنّبعِ بَعضَهُ

بِبَعضٍ أَبَت عِيدَانُهُ أَن تُكسَرا

بِبَعضٍ أَبَت عِيدَانُهُ أَن تُكسَرا

Then, when we struck nab‘ wood against nab‘ wood, some of it

When we engaged each other violently,

against the rest, its rods refused to break.

Their spears refused to break.

سَقَيناهُمُ كَأساً سَقَونا بِمِثلِها

سَقَيناهُمُ كَأساً سَقَونا بِمِثلِها

وَلَكِنَّهُم كانُوا عَلى المَوتِ أصبَرا

وَلَكِنَّهُم كانُوا عَلى المَوتِ أصبَرا

We gave them a cup to drink; they gave us its like,

We gave them a cup, and they gave us one like it,

but they were more steadfast in facing death.

But they were more patient for death.

إِذا المَرءُ لَم يَطلُب مَعاشاً يَكُفُّهُ

إِذا المَرءُ لَم يَطلُب مَعاشاً يَكُفُّهُ

شَكا الفَقرَ أَو لاَمَ الصَديقَ فأَكثَرا

شَكا الفَقرَ أَو لاَمَ الصَديقَ فأَكثَرا

If a man does not seek a livelihood that suffices him,

When a man does not seek sufficient livelihood,

he complains of poverty or blames his friend excessively.

He complains of poverty or blames his friend excessively.

وَلا خَيرَ في جَهلٍ إِذا لَم يَكُن لَهُ

وَلا خَيرَ في جَهلٍ إِذا لَم يَكُن لَهُ

حَلِيمٌ إِذا ما أَورَدَ الأَمرَ أَصدَرا

حَلِيمٌ إِذا ما أَورَدَ الأَمرَ أَصدَرا

And there is no good in rashness if it has no

Ignorance without a forbearing wise soul

forbearing man who, when he leads an affair in, leads it out.

To steer the matter rightly is no good.

أُقِيمُ عَلى التَقوَى وَأَرضَى بفِعلِهِ

أُقِيمُ عَلى التَقوَى وَأَرضَى بفِعلِهِ

وَكُنتُ مِنَ النارِ المَخُوفَةِ أَوجَرا

وَكُنتُ مِنَ النارِ المَخُوفَةِ أَوجَرا

I remain steadfast in piety and am content with His action,

I stand for piety and am content with its action,

and I was more fearful of the dreaded Fire.

And I am further from the feared Fire.

إِذا الوَحشُ ضَمَّ الوَحشَ في ظُلُلاَتِها

إِذا الوَحشُ ضَمَّ الوَحشَ في ظُلُلاَتِها

سَوَاقِطُ مِن حَرٍّ وَقَد كانَ أَظهَرا

سَوَاقِطُ مِن حَرٍّ وَقَد كانَ أَظهَرا

When wild beasts press close to wild beasts in its shaded shelters,

When the wild beasts bite each other in their lairs,

drooping from the heat, having already reached midday.

Burning embers that once were flames are expelled.

وَكَلباً وَلَخماً لَم نَزَل مُنذُ أَحمَضَت

وَكَلباً وَلَخماً لَم نَزَل مُنذُ أَحمَضَت

يُحَمِضُنا أَهلُ الجَنابِ وَخيبَرا

يُحَمِضُنا أَهلُ الجَنابِ وَخيبَرا

And Kalb and Lakhm—since the turn to salt-pasture, we have kept

Like dogs and foxes, we have not ceased since those who sour us

being fed salt-pasture by the people of al-Janab and Khaybar.

Soured, the people of impurity and Khaibar.

مُنَكِّبَ رَوقَيهِ الكِناسَ كَأَنَّهُ

مُنَكِّبَ رَوقَيهِ الكِناسَ كَأَنَّهُ

مُغَشًّى غَمىً إِلاَّ إِذا ما تَنَشَّرا

مُغَشًّى غَمىً إِلاَّ إِذا ما تَنَشَّرا

Keeping his two horns clear of the covert, as though he were

The smooth-necked camel bends his neck as if

overcome by a swoon, except when he rouses himself.

Covered, stooped with sorrow, unless he is set loose.

وَإِنَّ امرأً أَهدَى إِليكَ قَصِيدةً

وَإِنَّ امرأً أَهدَى إِليكَ قَصِيدةً

كَمُستَبضِعٍ تَمراً إِلى أَرضِ خَيبَرا

كَمُستَبضِعٍ تَمراً إِلى أَرضِ خَيبَرا

And a man who offers you a poem

When a man gifts you a poem,

is like one sending dates as merchandise to the land of Khaybar.

Like one offering dates to the land of Khaibar.

فَمَن يَكُ لَم يَثأَر بِأَعراضِ قَومِهِ

فَمَن يَكُ لَم يَثأَر بِأَعراضِ قَومِهِ

فَإِنِّي وَرَبِّ الرَاقِصاتِ لأَثأَرا

فَإِنِّي وَرَبِّ الرَاقِصاتِ لأَثأَرا

So, if anyone has not avenged his people's honor,

Who can fail to avenge the honor of his people?

then I, by the Lord of the swaying camels, shall surely avenge it.

I, by the Lord of the dancing girls, will have vengeance!

فَقَرَّبتُ مِبراةً تَخالُ ضُلُوعَها

فَقَرَّبتُ مِبراةً تَخالُ ضُلُوعَها

مِن الماسِخِيَّاتِ القِسيَّ المُوَتَّرا

مِن الماسِخِيَّاتِ القِسيَّ المُوَتَّرا

So I brought forward a nose-ringed she-camel; you would take her ribs

I offered a seasoned she-camel whose ribs

for strung bows of the Masikhiyya kind.

Were like the rough-threaded spears made in Maasikhya.

بِنَفسِي وَأَهلِي عُصبَةً سَلَمِيَّةً

بِنَفسِي وَأَهلِي عُصبَةً سَلَمِيَّةً

يُعِدُّون للهَيجا عَناجِيج ضُمَّرا

يُعِدُّون للهَيجا عَناجِيج ضُمَّرا

Myself and my family be ransom for a Salami band,

With my soul and family, a Suleimite group

who prepare lean, swift steeds for battle.

Preparing for war, making armor ring.

وَقالُوا لَنا أَحيُوا لَنا مَن قَتَلتُمُ

وَقالُوا لَنا أَحيُوا لَنا مَن قَتَلتُمُ

لَقَد جِئتُمُ إِدًّا مِن الأَمرِ مُنكَرا

لَقَد جِئتُمُ إِدًّا مِن الأَمرِ مُنكَرا

And they said to us, “Revive for us those you killed!

And they said to us, “Revive for us those you killed!

You have indeed done a monstrous, abhorrent thing.”

You have come with something abhorrent.”

وَلَسنا نَرُدُّ الرَوحَ في جِسمِ مَيّتٍ

وَلَسنا نَرُدُّ الرَوحَ في جِسمِ مَيّتٍ

وَكُنّا نُسِيلُ الرَوحَ مِمَّن تَنشَّرا

وَكُنّا نُسِيلُ الرَوحَ مِمَّن تَنشَّرا

And we do not restore the spirit to a dead person's body,

We do not restore the soul to a dead body,

and we used to pour the spirit out of those who stirred with life.

It was our custom to shed the soul of him who opposed us.

نُميتُ وَلا نُحيِي كَذَلِكَ صُنعُنا

نُميتُ وَلا نُحيِي كَذَلِكَ صُنعُنا

إِذا البَطَلُ الحَامِي إِلى الموتِ أَهجَرا

إِذا البَطَلُ الحَامِي إِلى الموتِ أَهجَرا

We kill and do not revive; such is our doing,

We kill but do not bring to life, such is our way,

when the defending champion rushes to death.

When the valiant hero is bent on death.

مَلَكنا فَلَم نَكشِف قِناعاً لِحرَّةٍ

مَلَكنا فَلَم نَكشِف قِناعاً لِحرَّةٍ

ولَم نَستَلِب إِلاَّ القِنَاعَ المسمَّرا

ولَم نَستَلِب إِلاَّ القِنَاعَ المسمَّرا

We gained mastery, yet unveiled no freeborn woman,

We ruled but did not unveil a free woman’s veil,

and took as spoil only the riveted helmet.

We seized nothing but the mailed veil.

وَلَو أَنَّنا شِئنا سِوى ذاكَ أَصبَحَت

وَلَو أَنَّنا شِئنا سِوى ذاكَ أَصبَحَت

كَرائِمُهُم فِينَا تُباعُ وَتُشتَرى

كَرائِمُهُم فِينَا تُباعُ وَتُشتَرى

And had we wanted anything other than that,

Had we wanted otherwise, their honors

their noble women would have been bought and sold among us.

Would be sold and bought among us.

وَلكنَّ أَحساباً نَمَتنا إِلى العُلى

وَلكنَّ أَحساباً نَمَتنا إِلى العُلى

وَآباءَ صِدقٍ أَن نَرُومَ المحقَّرا

وَآباءَ صِدقٍ أَن نَرُومَ المحقَّرا

But noble lineages that raised us to the heights,

But we were raised to high moral accounts

and honorable forefathers, kept us from seeking what is base.

And righteous fathers, and so we scorned the despicable.