أسىً وسرورٌ ناصِرٌ ومُخذِّلُ

أسىً وسرورٌ ناصِرٌ ومُخذِّلُ

أتاحهما لي عنترٌ ومُهلهلُ

أتاحهما لي عنترٌ ومُهلهلُ

Grief and joy, a supporter and a forsaker,

Sorrow and joy both came from ‘Antarah, who helped me or let me down,

Antar and Muhalhil have granted them both to me.

Brought to me by ‘Antarah and Muhallahil.

فماضٍ بكت عيني لفقد كمالهِ

فماضٍ بكت عيني لفقد كمالهِ

وباقٍ لما فيه من المجد أجْذَلُ

وباقٍ لما فيه من المجد أجْذَلُ

One has departed: my eye wept for the loss of his perfection;

My eyes wept for the loss of his perfection,

and one remains: I rejoice in the glory within him.

Yet his glory remains, magnificent.

سقى عنتراً والدمع لولا حرارةٌ

سقى عنتراً والدمع لولا حرارةٌ

أحقُّ به هامٍ من المُزن مُسبل

أحقُّ به هامٍ من المُزن مُسبل

May Antar be watered—tears, but for their heat,

But for the heat of passion, ‘Antarah’s tears

would be worthier of him—by rain streaming from the clouds,

Would have befitted a lovesick, woeful camel herder.

سحوحٌ إذا ما جرَّ فضل ذيولهِ

سحوحٌ إذا ما جرَّ فضل ذيولهِ

أُذيب له وانْماع صخرٌ وجندلُ

أُذيب له وانْماع صخرٌ وجندلُ

so copious that, when it drags its skirts' trailing folds,

When Smooth-Coat dragged his robe’s train majestically,

rock and boulders melt and dissolve before it.

Even solid rock and granite melted for him.

قضى نحبهُ جمَّ الثَّناءِ كأنما

قضى نحبهُ جمَّ الثَّناءِ كأنما

يشب على النادي بذكراه منْدلُ

يشب على النادي بذكراه منْدلُ

He met his end, richly praised, as though

He fulfilled glory, gathering all praise, as though

aloeswood blazed in the assembly at his remembrance.

His name set the whole encampment ablaze.

فتىً لم يخُن عهداً ولا ملَّ صاحباً

فتىً لم يخُن عهداً ولا ملَّ صاحباً

ولا بات عن ودٍّ وإن غاب يزحلُ

ولا بات عن ودٍّ وإن غاب يزحلُ

A young man who never betrayed a pledge or wearied of a friend,

A man who never broke faith or grew weary of a friend,

nor spent a night withdrawing from affection, even when away.

Who never spent a night away from love, though he wandered far,

ولا بخلتْ كفَّاهُ يوماً بنائلٍ

ولا بخلتْ كفَّاهُ يوماً بنائلٍ

ولكن ملومٌ في النَّوال مُعَذَلُ

ولكن ملومٌ في النَّوال مُعَذَلُ

Nor did his hands ever begrudge a gift,

His palms never stinted from giving on a day of want,

yet for his largesse he was blamed and reproached.

Yet blame for stinginess was heaped on Mu’adhdhal.

غزيرُ التقى لم يألُ في الله طاعةً

غزيرُ التقى لم يألُ في الله طاعةً

ولا لاقه في غير تقواهُ منزلُ

ولا لاقه في غير تقواهُ منزلُ

Rich in piety, he never fell short in obedience to God,

Steadfast in devotion, he never failed serving God,

and no station outside reverence for Him befitted him.

Nor lodged, save in the shelter of his piety.

لِيبْك عليه معْركٌ وكتيبةٌ

لِيبْك عليه معْركٌ وكتيبةٌ

ويندبْهُ نادٍ ذو سَراةٍ ومَحْفلُ

ويندبْهُ نادٍ ذو سَراةٍ ومَحْفلُ

Let a battlefield and a battalion weep for him,

Let a tribe weep for him, and a troop,

and let a council of nobles and a gathering lament him;

As well as a clan of lofty estate.

وجُرْدٌ تمطَّى في الشكيم كأنها

وجُرْدٌ تمطَّى في الشكيم كأنها

على القاع مُعْطٌ بالمناكب عُسَّلُ

على القاع مُعْطٌ بالمناكب عُسَّلُ

and sleek steeds that strained against their bits, as though

And a regiment who wrapped themselves in dignity, as though

on the plain they were bare-shouldered, loping wolves.

Prostrating themselves on the ground, clad in fine mantles.

رعاها رماح الحظ حتى أعادها

رعاها رماح الحظ حتى أعادها

ومرتعها روض من العز مخضل

ومرتعها روض من العز مخضل

Fortune's spears tended them until they brought them back,

They were kept safe by fortune’s spears until it returned them

their pasture a lush meadow of honor;

To pasture in a meadow of honor and eminence.

وضيف شتاءٍ بات في حُجُراته

وضيف شتاءٍ بات في حُجُراته

يُطافُ عليه بالنَّعيم ويُكْفلُ

يُطافُ عليه بالنَّعيم ويُكْفلُ

and a winter guest who spent the night in his chambers,

A winter’s guest who lodged in its rooms,

waited on with comforts and provided for.

Lavished with comforts and pampered.

سرى بخفاف العيس عجلى فزادهُ

سرى بخفاف العيس عجلى فزادهُ

من الوضع على ظهر المطيَّةِ أعجلُ

من الوضع على ظهر المطيَّةِ أعجلُ

He journeyed by night on fleet, hurrying white camels; he was urged

He rode with the swift gait of a gentle steed, thereby increasing

to greater speed upon his mount's back by one swifter still.

His unsteady seat on his mount’s back.

وجارٌ تحامته العشائر فانْثنى

وجارٌ تحامته العشائر فانْثنى

يحيدُ به عن واضح السمت أفْكلُ

يحيدُ به عن واضح السمت أفْكلُ

And a neighbor whom the clans shunned, who turned away,

And a neighbor whose clan was exalted, yet he inclined

a tremor of fear steering him from the clear path—

To deviate from the clear path into crooked ways.

حمتهُ فحالت دونهُ قسوريَّةٌ

حمتهُ فحالت دونهُ قسوريَّةٌ

من العزِّ لا تُعْلى ولا تُتوقَّلُ

من العزِّ لا تُعْلى ولا تُتوقَّلُ

a lion-strong defense sheltered him and stood before him,

Valor protected him, impeding others,

of honor, neither to be overtopped nor scaled.

Insurmountable and unshakable.

ولو أنني أنصفتُ في حكم ودِّهِ

ولو أنني أنصفتُ في حكم ودِّهِ

لَبِتُّ وكُلي من مراثيهِ مِقْولُ

لَبِتُّ وكُلي من مراثيهِ مِقْولُ

And had I done justice to the claims of his affection,

If I were just in judging his love,

I would have passed the night, all of me a tongue reciting elegies for him.

I would spend my nights weeping for him.