شكَتcomplained صَهَواتbacks الخيلof the horses والسُّمرand the brown lances والظبىand the sword-edges
شكَت صَهَوات الخيل والسُّمر والظبى
وهُنَّthough they are المواضيthe keen-edged ones والشِّدادُand the strong ones الصَّلادِمthe sturdy ones
وهُنَّ المواضي والشِّدادُ الصَّلادِم
The horses' backs, the brown lances, and the sword-edges complained—
The horses complained of the night-journey and the ostriches,
though the weapons were keen and the steeds strong and sturdy—
And the meadows were downcast and the sharp swords.
مَغارَthe raiding الهثمامthe gallant warrior الأريحيِّthe openhanded مُقَلَّدٍMuqallad
مَغارَ الهثمام الأريحيِّ مُقَلَّدٍ
وإِقْدامَهُand his charge واليومwhile the day بالنَّقْعِwith dust قاتِمُdark
وإِقْدامَهُ واليوم بالنَّقْعِ قاتِمُ
of the raids of gallant, openhanded Muqallad,
The caves of Al-Hutham, the perfumed, were adorned
and his charge while the day was dark with dust,
With his determination, as the day was gloomily dark.
كماjust as تشتكيcomplain منهof him لدىat كلِّevery مأزِقٍperilous strait
كما تشتكي منه لدى كلِّ مأزِقٍ
رقابٌnecks إذاwhen جَدَّgrew fierce الوَغىbattle وجَماجمُand skulls
رقابٌ إذا جَدَّ الوَغى وجَماجمُ
just as, at every perilous strait, they complain of him—
Throats complain of him in every strait,
necks and skulls, when battle grows fierce.
When the battle intensifies and the skulls.
فحسرىso they are exhausted لهاfor them منfrom مُرهفkeen العزمresolve سابقٌone who outstrips
فحسرى لها من مُرهف العزم سابقٌ
وكَسْرىand broken لهاfor them بالضربwith blows والطَّعنand thrusts حاطمa shatterer
وكَسْرى لها بالضرب والطَّعن حاطم
So they are spent, outstripped by one of keen resolve,
So it is regrettable for them someone of keen determination preceding,
and broken, shattered by his blows and thrusts.
And regrettable for them one who shatters with striking and stabbing.
جريءٌbold كنصلlike a blade السيفof the sword أماas for فِرنْدُهits patterned sheen
جريءٌ كنصل السيف أما فِرنْدُه
فزيْنٌthen, adornment وأماand as for حَدُّهُits edge فهوthen it is صارِمُkeen-cutting
فزيْنٌ وأما حَدُّهُ فهو صارِمُ
Bold as a sword-blade: as for its patterned sheen,
Brave as the cutting edge of a sword, yet his face
it is adornment; as for its edge, it cuts keenly.
Is beautiful, and his limit is sharp.
إذاwhen أندياتُthe assemblies الحيof the tribe أنْثَتْpraised بجودِهِfor his generosity
إذا أندياتُ الحي أنْثَتْ بجودِهِ
وبالحلمand for forbearance أنْثَتْpraised بالنِّزالِfor combat المَلاحمthe fierce battles
وبالحلم أنْثَتْ بالنِّزالِ المَلاحم
When the tribe's assemblies praise his generosity
When the man cried out with his generosity,
and his forbearance, fierce battles praise his fighting.
And with patience the man cried out with the exemplary courage.
فهاميَةٌso pouring down فيin سَلْمِهِhis peace ونِزالِهِand his combat
فهاميَةٌ في سَلْمِهِ ونِزالِهِ
دماءُthe blood الأعاديof enemies ثَرَّةًcopiously والمَكارِمُand generous deeds
دماءُ الأعادي ثَرَّةً والمَكارِمُ
Thus, in his peace and his combat, pour down
So he is protective during peace and war,
enemies' blood in abundance, and deeds of generosity.
The blood of enemies abundant and the noble acts.
ورجراجةٍand many a surging host كالجونlike a dark cloud بالدمwith blood حافلٍbrimming
ورجراجةٍ كالجون بالدم حافلٍ
رواعِدُهاits thunderclaps ضوْضاؤهاits clamor والغَماغِمُand rumbling battle-cries
رواعِدُها ضوْضاؤها والغَماغِمُ
And many a surging host, like a dark cloud brimming with blood—
And rumbling as the torrent with blood swirling,
its thunderclaps were its clamor and rumbling battle-cries.
Its poles roaring and the warring.
غداbecame الصُّبحmorning منهاbecause of it ليلةًa night مُدْلَهمَّةًpitch-dark
غدا الصُّبح منها ليلةً مُدْلَهمَّةً
كواكبهاits stars البيضthe white ones الظُّبىthe blade-edges واللَّهاذِمُand sharp spearheads
كواكبها البيض الظُّبى واللَّهاذِمُ
Morning became, because of it, a pitch-dark night,
The dawn has become from it a darkened night,
its stars the white-edged swords and sharp spearheads.
Its shining stars the ibexes and the warriors.
وضاقتْand grew cramped بهاwith it القيعانُthe level plains حتىuntil تداوستtrampled one another
وضاقتْ بها القيعانُ حتى تداوست
سنابكhooves واصْطَكَّand clashed القَناthe lances والصَّوارمand keen swords
سنابك واصْطَكَّ القَنا والصَّوارم
The plains grew too narrow for it, till they trampled one another—
The valleys narrowed around it until they rubbed against each other
the hooves—and lances and keen swords clashed.
The horseshoes and the spears clashed.
وفرَّand fled لهاbefore it الوحشthe wild beasts العزيبُremote-dwelling فأقفرتso became deserted
وفرَّ لها الوحش العزيبُ فأقفرت
أداحِيُّostrich nests منof ظِلْمانهاtheir male ostriches وصَرائِمand sand tracts
أداحِيُّ من ظِلْمانها وصَرائِم
And the wild beasts of remote places fled before it, leaving deserted
The shy game fled so it emptied
ostrich nests and dunes, bereft of their male ostriches.
Its slopes, its darkness, and its precipices.
بهاwithin it كلُّevery مشبوحِlong الذراعof arm يُقِلُّهُbears him
بها كلُّ مشبوحِ الذراع يُقِلُّهُ
وينْقُلهُand carries him سَهْلُeasy القِيادِto rein ضُبارِمُa powerful steed
وينْقُلهُ سَهْلُ القِيادِ ضُبارِمُ
Within it, every long-armed warrior is borne
With it every broad-armed is humbled
and carried by a powerful steed, easy to rein.
And transferred by the easy lead, the knights.
كأنَّas though قَناهاits lances بالفَلاةِin the wilderness وَشيجَةٌan interwoven thicket
كأنَّ قَناها بالفَلاةِ وَشيجَةٌ
وفُرسانَهاand its horsemen آسادُهاits lions والضَّراغِمُand fierce lions
وفُرسانَها آسادُها والضَّراغِمُ
Its lances in the wilderness were like an interwoven thicket,
As if its steeds in the wilderness are Saiga antelopes
and its horsemen were its lions, its fierce lions.
And its horsemen lions, wolves, and snarling beasts.
أباحَتْlaid open حِماهاits protected ground حمْلةٌa charge ناصريَّةٌNasiri
أباحَتْ حِماها حمْلةٌ ناصريَّةٌ
فأخصبso found abundance ذؤبانُthe wolves الفَلاof the wilderness والقَشاعِمُand aged vultures
فأخصب ذؤبانُ الفَلا والقَشاعِمُ
A Nasiri charge laid open its defended ground,
A Nasirid army opened its sanctuary so the hyenas of the deserts prospered
so desert wolves and aged vultures found rich feeding.
A youth whose endeavor for wealth is erect and new
فتىًa young man سعْيهُhis striving للمالfor wealth بانٍa builder مُشيِّدٌone who raises high
فتىً سعْيهُ للمال بانٍ مُشيِّدٌ
ولكنَّهُbut he بالفضْلِthrough bounty والجودِand generosity هادِمُa demolisher
ولكنَّهُ بالفضْلِ والجودِ هادِمُ
A young man whose striving builds and raises wealth,
But he in nobility and generosity is a demolisher
yet who tears it down through bounty and generosity.
He turns the youth of the army violent, his might magnificent
يَفُلُّblunts شَباةَthe sharp edge الجيشof the army رائعُterrifying بأسهِhis might
يَفُلُّ شَباةَ الجيش رائعُ بأسهِ
كماjust as فلَّتِblunted المَحْلَthe drought الشَّنيعdreadful المكارِمgenerous deeds
كما فلَّتِ المَحْلَ الشَّنيع المكارِم
His fearsome might blunts the army's sharp edge,
As the new moon turned away in shame, the dishonorable nobles.
as generous deeds have blunted dreadful drought.
For the guest and ravens at dawn and nightfall
فللضيفso for the guest والعِقبانand the eagles بالصبحat dawn والدجىand in darkness
فللضيف والعِقبان بالصبح والدجى
منof الكومِhigh-humped she-camels والذِّمْرand the brave warrior الكميِّthe armored one مَطاعِمfeasts
من الكومِ والذِّمْر الكميِّ مَطاعِم
Thus, for the guest and the eagles, at dawn and in darkness,
Are ample foods from the heap and gathered pile.
are feasts of high-humped she-camels and brave armored warriors.
When the heights of ‘Ulayy boast and recount
إذاwhen افتخرتboasted عُلْياthe lofty glory عُقيلٍof Uqayl وعُدِّدتْand were recounted
إذا افتخرت عُلْيا عُقيلٍ وعُدِّدتْ
حوادثُrecent deeds منْfrom عَلْيائهاits high glory وقَدايمُand ancient deeds
حوادثُ منْ عَلْيائها وقَدايمُ
When Uqayl's lofty glory boasts, and there are recounted
Events from its loftiness and ancient times.
deeds of its high glory, recent and ancient,
Then the endeavor of ash-Shunaynah follows boasting
فأعْقبَهاthen bequeathed it مسْعىthe endeavor الشُّنينةِof al-Shunayna مفْخراًa source of pride
فأعْقبَها مسْعى الشُّنينةِ مفْخراً
يَوَدُّdesires سَناهُits radiance الأوَّلُthe earliest المُتَقادِمُage-old
يَوَدُّ سَناهُ الأوَّلُ المُتَقادِمُ
then the feat at al-Shunayna bequeathed it a source of pride
Wishing its past is the first and earliest.
whose radiance the earliest, age-old glory would covet.
Its glory eclipsed the glory of the adorned one and clamored
شَآىoutstripped مَجْدَهاits glory مجدُthe glory المُقَلَّدِof Muqallad وارْعوىand drew back
شَآى مَجْدَها مجدُ المُقَلَّدِ وارْعوى
القديمُthe ancient glory وأضحىand became مُنجِماًsubsiding وهوwhile it is ناجمُrising
القديمُ وأضحى مُنجِماً وهو ناجمُ
Muqallad's glory outstripped its glory; drawing back,
The old and it became a star while it was sleeping.
the ancient glory subsided, while his own was rising.
Partial English translation: 39 of 40 Arabic lines translated.