لِأَمرٍ يا بَني جُشَمِ

لِأَمرٍ يا بَني جُشَمِ

حَبَستُ الماءَ في الأَدَمِ

حَبَستُ الماءَ في الأَدَمِ

For a purpose, O sons of Jusham,

For a matter, O Sons of Jusham,

I stored water in leather skins.

I withheld the water in the water-skin,

وَقَلقَلتُ الجِيادَ دَوا

وَقَلقَلتُ الجِيادَ دَوا

مِيَ الأَشداقِ بِاللُجُمِ

مِيَ الأَشداقِ بِاللُجُمِ

And I set the steeds in motion, bleeding

And stirred the steeds all night,

at the corners of their mouths from the bridles.

Filling their muzzles with the nose-rein.

وَأَزعَجتُ القَطا الوَسنا

وَأَزعَجتُ القَطا الوَسنا

نَ بِالمَخطومَةِ الرُسُمِ

نَ بِالمَخطومَةِ الرُسُمِ

And I startled the drowsy sandgrouse

And startled the wild cats

with swift, nose-reined camels.

With the pictured and figured thong.

تَفَلَّتُ في الدَياجي عَن

تَفَلَّتُ في الدَياجي عَن

عُقالِ الأَينِ وَالسَأَمِ

عُقالِ الأَينِ وَالسَأَمِ

They break free in the black nights from

I wandered in the blackest dark,

the tether of weariness and boredom,

Caring nothing for halter or road.

وَتَقرو كُلَّ مَجهَلَةٍ

وَتَقرو كُلَّ مَجهَلَةٍ

بِلا نَضَدٍ وَلا عَلَمِ

بِلا نَضَدٍ وَلا عَلَمِ

and explore every unknown waste

And how many a night I spent

without cairn or landmark.

Empty of hand, of illness free!

وَكَم لَيلٍ رَقَدتُ بِهِ

وَكَم لَيلٍ رَقَدتُ بِهِ

خَلِيّاً مِن يَدِ السَقَمِ

خَلِيّاً مِن يَدِ السَقَمِ

And many a night I slept,

And a fire I kindled whose glowing

free from the hand of sickness.

Was as the gazing eyes of the beasts.

وَنارٍ بِتُّ أَرمُقُها

وَنارٍ بِتُّ أَرمُقُها

كَلِيَّ الريحِ بِالعَلَمِ

كَلِيَّ الريحِ بِالعَلَمِ

And many a fire I spent the night watching,

I found rest and healing in it

battered by the wind upon a height.

From the pain and ache within.

أَلِمتُ بِها وَمَوقِدُها

أَلِمتُ بِها وَمَوقِدُها

شِفاءُ الداءِ مِن أَلَمي

شِفاءُ الداءِ مِن أَلَمي

I suffered from it, though its kindler

How little its wounding matters

was the cure for my painful malady.

To the burning anguish in my heart!

وَأَينَ ضِرامُها مِمّا

وَأَينَ ضِرامُها مِمّا

بِأَحشائي مِنَ الضَرَمِ

بِأَحشائي مِنَ الضَرَمِ

And what is its blaze beside

The shining eyes of loved ones are

the burning within my entrails?

Fairer than meadows of dreams.

قَريرُ العَينِ بِالأَحبا

قَريرُ العَينِ بِالأَحبا

بِ أَرعى رَوضَةَ الحُلُمِ

بِ أَرعى رَوضَةَ الحُلُمِ

My eyes at ease among loved ones,

Either fortune allows me to see them

I graze the meadow of dreams.

Among the shifting walls of the tents,

وَإِمّا أَن يَراني العَز

وَإِمّا أَن يَراني العَز

مُ بَينَ ضَمائِرِ الخِيَمِ

مُ بَينَ ضَمائِرِ الخِيَمِ

And whether resolve should see me

Or I wander, lost in the desert,

amid the hearts of the tents,

Stuffing the darkness with moans and sighs.

وَإِمّا شارِداً في البي

وَإِمّا شارِداً في البي

دِ حَشوَ حَيازِمِ الظُلَمِ

دِ حَشوَ حَيازِمِ الظُلَمِ

or roaming through the deserts,

I ransom my purpose, my honor, all

within the breasts of darkness,

That is sworn to, accused!

فِدى عَزمي وَصِدقي كُل

فِدى عَزمي وَصِدقي كُل

لُ مُعتَزِمٍ وَمُتَّهَمِ

لُ مُعتَزِمٍ وَمُتَّهَمِ

A ransom for my resolve and truthfulness: every

And every frequenter of springs comes to drink

resolute man and accused man,

At the ruins that murmur of might-have-been.

وَكُلُّ مُشَيَّعٍ يَصبو

وَكُلُّ مُشَيَّعٍ يَصبو

إِلى المَأثورَةِ الخُذُمِ

إِلى المَأثورَةِ الخُذُمِ

and every bold-hearted man who yearns

When words grow distant, to me

for patterned, keen-cutting swords.

Their utterance draws very near.

إِذا بَعُدَ الكَلامُ دَنَت

إِذا بَعُدَ الكَلامُ دَنَت

عَلَيَّ مَسافَةُ الكَلِمِ

عَلَيَّ مَسافَةُ الكَلِمِ

When words grow distant, short grows

I have two manners that are not fit

the distance to wounds for me.

Save for the sword and the pen.

وَلي خُلقانِ ما صَلُحا

وَلي خُلقانِ ما صَلُحا

لِغَيرِ السَيفِ وَالقَلَمِ

لِغَيرِ السَيفِ وَالقَلَمِ

And I have two dispositions, suited

What flowering thicket ever cast

to nothing but the sword and the pen.

A perfume on days from my brambles?

وَأَيُّ خَميلَةٍ شَرَقَت

وَأَيُّ خَميلَةٍ شَرَقَت

عَلى الأَيّامِ مِن شِيَمي

عَلى الأَيّامِ مِن شِيَمي

And what a leafy grove has shone

Blossoms too proud to accept

upon the days, sprung from my virtues!

The bounty of earth or of rain,

أَزاهيرٌ تَرَفَّعُ عَن

أَزاهيرٌ تَرَفَّعُ عَن

قَبولِ مَواهِبِ الدِيَمِ

قَبولِ مَواهِبِ الدِيَمِ

Blossoms that hold themselves above

A wind whose scent was a waft

accepting the gifts of steady rains.

Of musk drawn over gifts of the dawn.

نَسيمٌ نَشرُهُ عَبِقٌ

نَسيمٌ نَشرُهُ عَبِقٌ

يَجُرُّ سَوالِفَ النِعَمِ

يَجُرُّ سَوالِفَ النِعَمِ

A breeze with a fragrant scent,

I am the son of the lightning and wind

trailing the favors of old.

Of the gazelles, the horses, the sheep.

أَنا اِبنُ البيضِ وَالبيضِ ال

أَنا اِبنُ البيضِ وَالبيضِ ال

ظُبى وَالخَيلِ وَالنَعَمِ

ظُبى وَالخَيلِ وَالنَعَمِ

I am the son of helmets and white

My hooves paw wherever the acres

blades, of horses and herds,

Are joyous and fruitful with life.

وَكُلِّ مُطَهَّمٍ تَنبو

وَكُلِّ مُطَهَّمٍ تَنبو

حَوافِرُهُ مِنَ الأَكَمِ

حَوافِرُهُ مِنَ الأَكَمِ

and of every well-formed steed whose

My nature is one that is proud;

hooves rebound from the hillocks,

I halt where the battle waxes hot.

وَكُلِّ مُثَقَّفٍ يَحتَل

وَكُلِّ مُثَقَّفٍ يَحتَل

لُ حَيثُ مَواطِنُ الهِمَمِ

لُ حَيثُ مَواطِنُ الهِمَمِ

and of every straightened spear that lodges

My flesh takes on dust and delicious fear

where high resolves dwell,

Where the neck and the spine form a crest.

وَكُلِّ مُهَنَّدٍ يَستَن

وَكُلِّ مُهَنَّدٍ يَستَن

نُ في الأَعناقِ وَالقِمَمِ

نُ في الأَعناقِ وَالقِمَمِ

and of every Indian-forged sword that races

And every sweet meadow that casts

through necks and crowns of heads,

A fragrance of summer-my soul there lifts wings.

وَكُلِّ أَغَرَّ قَد شَرَقَت

وَكُلِّ أَغَرَّ قَد شَرَقَت

خَلائِقُهُ مِنَ الكَرَمِ

خَلائِقُهُ مِنَ الكَرَمِ

and of every illustrious man whose

A kind where the sword-edge is baffled,

character has shone with generosity:

The fangs of its men tarnished, dimmed.

ضَروبٍ حَيثُ تَعثُرُ شَف

ضَروبٍ حَيثُ تَعثُرُ شَف

رَةُ الصَمصامِ بِاللِمَمِ

رَةُ الصَمصامِ بِاللِمَمِ

a mighty striker where the edge

A stabber whom battle clothes

of the keen sword stumbles amid the locks,

With a shirt which is crimsoned and dripping.

وَطَعّانٍ إِذا ما النَق

وَطَعّانٍ إِذا ما النَق

عُ عُصفِرَ ثَوبُهُ بِدَمِ

عُ عُصفِرَ ثَوبُهُ بِدَمِ

and a mighty spear-thruster when the dust

My people are those who give surety,

has its robe dyed safflower-red with blood.

Security, when challenges threaten a tribe.

وَقَومي الضامِنونَ الأَم

وَقَومي الضامِنونَ الأَم

نَ إِن هَجَموا عَلى حُرَمِ

نَ إِن هَجَموا عَلى حُرَمِ

And my people guarantee safety

When terror dismays the dissenter

if they descend upon sanctuaries.

And quivers through all that he is,

إِذا ما خائِفٌ غَلَبَت

إِذا ما خائِفٌ غَلَبَت

عَلَيهِ سَطوَةُ العَدَمِ

عَلَيهِ سَطوَةُ العَدَمِ

If a fearful man is overcome

They show him a havoc that darkens

by the tyranny of destitution,

The blaze and the edge of the sun

قَرَوهُ بَعدَما عَقَدوا

قَرَوهُ بَعدَما عَقَدوا

عَلَيهِ تَمائِمَ الذِمَمِ

عَلَيهِ تَمائِمَ الذِمَمِ

they give him hospitality, after binding

Until truth can unveil for the dreamer

upon him the amulets of their pledges,

The falsehood and lie of suspicion.

إِلى أَن تَكشِفَ المَكتو

إِلى أَن تَكشِفَ المَكتو

مَ عَن خَدّاعَةِ التُهَمِ

مَ عَن خَدّاعَةِ التُهَمِ

until you lay bare what is hidden

Until he who spread terror

behind deceitful accusations,

Comes to them, in his error, with shame.

وَأَصبَحَ مَن أَسَرَّ الغَي

وَأَصبَحَ مَن أَسَرَّ الغَي

يَ مُعتَذِراً مِنَ الجَرَمِ

يَ مُعتَذِراً مِنَ الجَرَمِ

and whoever concealed his wrongdoing

Until the most reckless of slanderers

came to apologize for the offense,

Changes and sinks to regret.

وَصارَت غايَةُ المُغتَر

وَصارَت غايَةُ المُغتَر

رِ جانِحَةً إِلى النَدَمِ

رِ جانِحَةً إِلى النَدَمِ

and the deluded man's outcome

Until every rash judge swears again

turned toward regret,

That he never will question or doubt.

وَصَرَّحَ كُلُّ قَولٍ عَن

وَصَرَّحَ كُلُّ قَولٍ عَن

غُرورِ الحِلفِ وَالقَسَمِ

غُرورِ الحِلفِ وَالقَسَمِ

and every utterance spoke plainly of

Each shrouded in silence, withdrawn,

the deceit of alliances and oaths:

Enduring the furnace of pain.

أَمانِيُّ اِستَرَكَّت كُل

أَمانِيُّ اِستَرَكَّت كُل

لَ صَبّارٍ عَلى الأَلَمِ

لَ صَبّارٍ عَلى الأَلَمِ

hopes that weakened every

Your name in protection by me

steadfast bearer of pain.

Is enclosed as by utmost endeavor.

كَفاكَ بِأَنَّ عِرضَكَ مِن

كَفاكَ بِأَنَّ عِرضَكَ مِن

طُروقِ العارِ في ذِمَمي

طُروقِ العارِ في ذِمَمي

Let it suffice you: your honor is shielded

And that is preserved by my care

from shame's night visits by my pledges.

Against the rude spears that assail.

وَذَلِكَ عِصمَةٌ مِنّي

وَذَلِكَ عِصمَةٌ مِنّي

بِحَبلٍ غَيرِ مُنجَذِمِ

بِحَبلٍ غَيرِ مُنجَذِمِ

And that is protection from me,

And enough that the rashness of youth

by a rope never severed.

Should slacken in insulting your fame!

وَحَسبُكَ أَن يَفُلَّ شَبا

وَحَسبُكَ أَن يَفُلَّ شَبا

ةَ هَجوِكَ أَشعَرُ الأُمَمِ

ةَ هَجوِكَ أَشعَرُ الأُمَمِ

And let it suffice you that the edge

My hope folded wings and crouched low

of your satire is blunted by the nations' finest poet.

In the powerful sweep of misfortune.