أَيا تَملِكُ يا تَملِ

أَيا تَملِكُ يا تَملِ

وَذاتَ الدَلَّ وَالشَكلِ

وَذاتَ الدَلَّ وَالشَكلِ

O Tamlik, O Taml,

O my hopes, O my aspirations

Oh Tamlik, O Taml,

And you of coy grace and charm,

Of beauty, grace and charm

You of coquetry and grace,

وَذاتَ الطَوقِ وَالدُملُ

وَذاتَ الطَوقِ وَالدُملُ

جِ وَالتَقصارِ وَالحِجلِ

جِ وَالتَقصارِ وَالحِجلِ

And you of the neck-ring and armlet,

Of necklaces and anklets

Possessor of the necklace and the brace-

And the choker and the anklet:

My valor, my courage, my dignity

-let, the choker, and the anklet ring,

ذَريني وَذَري عَذلي

ذَريني وَذَري عَذلي

فَإِنَّ العَذلَ كَلالقَتلِ

فَإِنَّ العَذلَ كَلالقَتلِ

Leave me, and cease reproaching me,

Leave me be, leave my arms

Leave me be, and spare your blame,

For reproach is like killing.

For being unarmed is like being killed

For truly, blame is akin to killing.

ذَريني وَسِلاحي ثُمْ

ذَريني وَسِلاحي ثُمْ

مَ شُدّي الكفَّ بِالعُزلِ

مَ شُدّي الكفَّ بِالعُزلِ

Leave me with my weapons; then

Leave me be, leave my weapons, then

Leave me and my weapons, th-

Strengthen your hand with the unarmed.

Let me grasp my palms in prayer

-en bind my hand against the unarmed.

فَبُردايَ جَديدانِ

فَبُردايَ جَديدانِ

وَأَرخي طَرَفَ النَعلِ

وَأَرخي طَرَفَ النَعلِ

For my two cloaks are new,

My spears are new

My two garments are brand new,

And loosen the sandal's strap.

And I lower my sandal strap

And loosen the strap of the sandal.

فَمِنّي نَظرَةٌ بَعدي

فَمِنّي نَظرَةٌ بَعدي

وَمِنّي نَظرَةٌ قَبلي

وَمِنّي نَظرَةٌ قَبلي

So I cast a glance behind me,

I look before and after

From me comes a glance behind,

And a glance ahead of me.

Beware the roaring lion

And from me comes a glance ahead.

حَذارِ الأَسَدَ الباسِ

حَذارِ الأَسَدَ الباسِ

لَ أَو ذي جُرأَةٍ مِثلي

لَ أَو ذي جُرأَةٍ مِثلي

Beware the dauntless lion,

Or one with courage like mine

Beware the lion, the cour-

Or one with daring like me.

I can ambush the reproachers

-ageous, or one of daring like me.

فَقَد أَشبَأُ لِلنِدما

فَقَد أَشبَأُ لِلنِدما

نِ بِالناقَةِ وَالرَحلِ

نِ بِالناقَةِ وَالرَحلِ

For often I give my drinking companions

With a camel and saddlebags

For I may satiate the drinking compani-

The she-camel and the saddle.

In tight spots I can slowly withdraw

-ons with the she-camel and the saddle.

وَقَد أَنزِعُ في الزَورا

وَقَد أَنزِعُ في الزَورا

ءِ تُعطيني عَلى مَهلِ

ءِ تُعطيني عَلى مَهلِ

And often I draw the curved bow,

As if you’re giving me time

And I may pull upon the crooked bow,

Which yields to me slowly.

In my palm a twist

That yields to me with gentle ease.

لَها وَلوَلَةٌ في الكَفِّ

لَها وَلوَلَةٌ في الكَفِّ

كَالمَعنِيِّ بِالثُكلِ

كَالمَعنِيِّ بِالثُكلِ

In the hand it has a wailing cry,

Like a mother mourning her child

It has a wailing in the hand,

Like one grieving for a child.

My arrows and their tips like

Like a mother stricken by bereavement.

وَنَبلي وَفُقاها ك

وَنَبلي وَفُقاها ك

عَراقيبِ قَطاً طُحلِ

عَراقيبِ قَطاً طُحلِ

And my arrows and their nocks are like

Wild cats' claws when attacking

And my arrows, their notches are li-

The hocks of dusky sandgrouse.

I can sneak in a stab

-ke the hocks of ash-colored sandgrouse.

وَقَد أَختَلِسُ الطَعنَ

وَقَد أَختَلِسُ الطَعنَ

ةَ تُثني سَنَنَ الرِجلِ

ةَ تُثني سَنَنَ الرِجلِ

And often I steal in a thrust

That bends the legs of my foe

And I may snatch a sudden thrust,

That turns the leg from its course.

I can unleash a blow

That twists the direction of the leg.

وَقَد أَشبَقُ بِالضَربَ

وَقَد أَشبَقُ بِالضَربَ

ةِ لا يَدمى لها نَصلي

ةِ لا يَدمى لها نَصلي

And often I hunger to deal a blow

That needs no sharpening of my blade

And I may precede with the stri-

That leaves my blade unbloodied,

Like the jerboa's burrow

-ke, my blade is not bloodied by it.

كَجَيبِ الدَفنِسِ الوَرها

كَجَيبِ الدَفنِسِ الوَرها

ءِ ريعَت وَهيَ تَستَفلي

ءِ ريعَت وَهيَ تَستَفلي

Like the neckline of a stout, witless woman

Collapsing while it digs down

Like the collar of a foolish, clumsy girl,

Startled while picking out her lice.

I protect my mouth that fears

Startled while searching for lice.

وَأَحمي الثَغرَ لا يُخشى

وَأَحمي الثَغرَ لا يُخشى

بِغَيرِ زَمَنُ البَقلِ

بِغَيرِ زَمَنُ البَقلِ

And I guard the frontier; no danger is feared

No time but the time of youth

And I protect the frontier when it is safe,

Outside the season of green growth.

I scratch the earth with lines

Except in the time of the spring grazing.

أَخُطُّ الأَرضَ خَطّاً مِث

أَخُطُّ الأَرضَ خَطّاً مِث

لَ خَطِّ الجَمَلِ الفَحلِ

لَ خَطِّ الجَمَلِ الفَحلِ

I score the earth with a line, like

Like scratch marks of the stud camel

I mark the earth with a line li-

The line of a stud camel.

I can withstand people in disputes

-ke the track of a stallion camel.

وَأَكفي القَومَ في الكَبَّ

وَأَكفي القَومَ في الكَبَّ

ةِ هَولَ الخَيلِ وَالرَجلِ

ةِ هَولَ الخَيلِ وَالرَجلِ

And I spare the people, in the melee,

The horror of horses and men

And I suffice the tribe in the cru-

The terror of cavalry and infantry.

I can tear apart the garment

-sh, against the terror of horse and foot.

وَقَد أَجتَزِعُ الخَرقَ

وَقَد أَجتَزِعُ الخَرقَ

عَلى خَراقاءَ كَالفَحلِ

عَلى خَراقاءَ كَالفَحلِ

And often I cross the vast wilderness

Like a stud camel in heat

And I traverse the vast, empty void,

On a headlong she-camel like a stud camel.

She has a body of dreams

Upon a wild mount, strong as a stallion.

لَها جِسمٌ مِنَ الحَلمِ

لَها جِسمٌ مِنَ الحَلمِ

عَلى روحٍ مِنَ الجَهلِ

عَلى روحٍ مِنَ الجَهلِ

She has a body made of composure,

And a spirit of ignorance

She has a body built of bulk,

Set over a spirit made of recklessness.

Is there anyone among people like me

Upon a spirit of feisty ignorance.

فَهَل في الناسِ مَن مِثلي

فَهَل في الناسِ مَن مِثلي

إِذا عَدّوا وَلا مِثلي

إِذا عَدّوا وَلا مِثلي

Is there, then, among people anyone like me

When they count, and no one like me?

So is there anyone among men like me?

When they are counted? No one is like me.

So if I die, O my hopes

When they count the brave, none like me.

فَإِن أَهلِكُ يا تَملي

فَإِن أَهلِكُ يا تَملي

فَما مِن أَحَدٍ مُخلِ

فَما مِن أَحَدٍ مُخلِ

So if I perish, O Tamli,

There will be no one to replace me

So if I perish, O my Taml,

No one, indeed, escapes death.

I shall not drink bitter water

Then there is no one who is immortal.

وَلا أشرَبُ وَغلاً لا

وَلا أشرَبُ وَغلاً لا

وَلا أَستَصحِبُ الوَغلِ

وَلا أَستَصحِبُ الوَغلِ

And I do not drink uninvited—no,

Or take bitterness as company

I do not drink the dregs of wine, no,

Nor take an uninvited drinker as a companion.

Either I die, O my aspirations

Nor do I accompany the parasite.

فَإِمّا مُت يا أَملي

فَإِمّا مُت يا أَملي

فَموتي حُرَّةً مِثلي

فَموتي حُرَّةً مِثلي

So if I die, O my hope,

And my death will be free like me

So if you die, O hope of mine,

Then die a free woman, like me.

I saw the noble youths

Then die a free soul, just like me.

رَأَيتُ الفِتيَةَ الأَعزا

رَأَيتُ الفِتيَةَ الأَعزا

لَ مِثلَ الأَينُقِ الرُعلِ

لَ مِثلَ الأَينُقِ الرُعلِ

I have seen the unarmed young men

Like graceful, splendid colts

I have seen the unarmed youths,

Like slit-eared she-camels.

Resembling young, scattered camels.