نَزَوتُ نِزاءَ الجُندُبِ الجَونِ ضِلَّةً

نَزَوتُ نِزاءَ الجُندُبِ الجَونِ ضِلَّةً

إِلى باسِلٍ عَبلِ الذِراعَينِ أَغلَبِ

إِلى باسِلٍ عَبلِ الذِراعَينِ أَغلَبِ

In folly I leapt like a black grasshopper

I came down like a lonely partridge

toward a valiant, stout-armed, thick-necked man.

To a tender branch, arms outstretched.

وَما كُنتُ في الأَحياءِ إِلّا ضَميمَةً

وَما كُنتُ في الأَحياءِ إِلّا ضَميمَةً

تُناطُ بِهِم نَوطَ الإِباءِ المُذَبذَبِ

تُناطُ بِهِم نَوطَ الإِباءِ المُذَبذَبِ

Among the clans I was nothing but an appendage,

Among the living I was but an intimate,

hung upon them like a dangling reed,

Bound to them in ancestral ties unbreakable.

تُجاوِرُ زَلّاً أَو تُعاقِدُ قِلَّةً

تُجاوِرُ زَلّاً أَو تُعاقِدُ قِلَّةً

مِنَ الهونِ لا تُدلي بِأُمٍّ وَلا أَبِ

مِنَ الهونِ لا تُدلي بِأُمٍّ وَلا أَبِ

dwelling beside poverty or making a pact with scarcity,

I neighbor with the humble or join the few

so abased it could claim neither mother nor father.

In lowly birth of neither mother nor father.

فَحَولَ مَعَدٍّ مُنجِبونَ وَأَنتُمُ

فَحَولَ مَعَدٍّ مُنجِبونَ وَأَنتُمُ

نِزالَةُ فَحلٍ مِنهُمُ غَيرِ مُنجِبِ

نِزالَةُ فَحلٍ مِنهُمُ غَيرِ مُنجِبِ

The sires of Ma'add beget noble sons, while you are

While around Mudar warrior sons abound,

the seed of a sire among them who begot no noble son.

You remain a settler's line with no warrior stock.

تَقَنَّصَهُ صَرفُ المَقاديرِ غِرَّةً

تَقَنَّصَهُ صَرفُ المَقاديرِ غِرَّةً

وَكَم فاتَ مِن نابٍ عَلوقٍ وَمِخلَبِ

وَكَم فاتَ مِن نابٍ عَلوقٍ وَمِخلَبِ

The turns of fate hunted him down unawares,

Fate's turn struck him one day by surprise,

and how many a gripping fang and claw he had escaped!

And many a sharp fang and claw has missed its swipe.

وَلَو هيجَ لِلهيجاءِ طارَ بِسَرجِهِ

وَلَو هيجَ لِلهيجاءِ طارَ بِسَرجِهِ

جَوادٌ كَذِئبِ الرَدهَةِ المُتَأَوِبِ

جَوادٌ كَذِئبِ الرَدهَةِ المُتَأَوِبِ

And had he been roused for battle, off would have flown with his saddle

Had he just roused to show his mettle, his steed

a steed like the wolf that visits the rocky hollow by night,

Would have leaped like hungry wolves in repeated charges.

وَكُلُّ سِنانٍ طالِعٍ فَوقَ ضامِرٍ

وَكُلُّ سِنانٍ طالِعٍ فَوقَ ضامِرٍ

كَما حامَ زُنبورٌ عَلى ظَهرِ عَقرَبِ

كَما حامَ زُنبورٌ عَلى ظَهرِ عَقرَبِ

and every spearhead rising above a lean mount,

And every rising fang above the worn-out tail

as a wasp circles over a scorpion's back;

Is like a hornet hovering over the back of a scorpion.

وَفِتيانِ غاراتٍ كَأَنَّ رِماحَهُم

وَفِتيانِ غاراتٍ كَأَنَّ رِماحَهُم

بِجانِبِ ذي القُلاّمِ عيدانُ أَثأَبِ

بِجانِبِ ذي القُلاّمِ عيدانُ أَثأَبِ

and young raiders, whose spears seemed,

And the youths of raids, their lances by the ink-horn man

beside Dhu al-Qullam, like rods of wild fig.

Are like sticks of a blind man who has lost his way.

بِأَيمانِهِم بيضٌ يُضيءُ وُجوهَهُم

بِأَيمانِهِم بيضٌ يُضيءُ وُجوهَهُم

قَواضِبُ قَد جُرِّبنَ كُلَّ مُجَرَّبِ

قَواضِبُ قَد جُرِّبنَ كُلَّ مُجَرَّبِ

In their right hands are bright swords lighting their faces,

By their oath, white faces brightening their faces,

keen-cutting blades, tested in every trial.

Experienced warriors, tested thoroughly in skill.

غَرانِقُ أَزوالٌ رَعوا عازِبَ الحِمى

غَرانِقُ أَزوالٌ رَعوا عازِبَ الحِمى

بِصُمِّ العَوالي وَالصَفيحِ المُقَلَّبِ

بِصُمِّ العَوالي وَالصَفيحِ المُقَلَّبِ

Slender, nimble youths, they guarded the outlying pasture

Keepers of sanctuaries, who pastured the protected land

with solid spear-shafts and blades swung to and fro.

With decisivecompatible and well-timed weapons.

فَلا تَحسَبوها قَطرَةً مِن دِمائِنا

فَلا تَحسَبوها قَطرَةً مِن دِمائِنا

تَضيعُ وَلَو في طافِحِ النَجمِ مُطلِبِ

تَضيعُ وَلَو في طافِحِ النَجمِ مُطلِبِ

So do not suppose that a drop of our blood

Regard not our blood spilled as a lost drop

will go unavenged, even on a star-high, inaccessible peak.

Even if lost in the overflowing bowl of the seeker.

إِذا أَعشَبَ الشُقُّ اليَماني فَأَبشِروا

إِذا أَعشَبَ الشُقُّ اليَماني فَأَبشِروا

بِيَومٍ عُقامٍ يَنضَحُ الشَرَّ أَجرَبِ

بِيَومٍ عُقامٍ يَنضَحُ الشَرَّ أَجرَبِ

When the Yemeni side grows grassy, then rejoice

When the right side trenches flower, take heart

in a barren, mangy day that sprays forth evil.

For a painful day that will spill the terrible brew.

فَإِن تَرحَمونا اليَومَ نَرحَمكُمُ غَداً

فَإِن تَرحَمونا اليَومَ نَرحَمكُمُ غَداً

بِعَودٍ مِنَ الجُزمِ النَزارِيِّ مُصعَبِ

بِعَودٍ مِنَ الجُزمِ النَزارِيِّ مُصعَبِ

For if you show us mercy today, we will show you mercy tomorrow

If you pity us today, we will repay you tomorrow

with an untamed old camel from Nizar's herd.

With a staff of the firm jujube, the noble, adaptable tree.