بَني عامِرٍ ما العِزُّ إِلّا لِقادِرٍ

بَني عامِرٍ ما العِزُّ إِلّا لِقادِرٍ

عَلى السَيفِ لا تَخطو إِلَيهِ المَظالِمُ

عَلى السَيفِ لا تَخطو إِلَيهِ المَظالِمُ

Sons of ʿĀmir, honor belongs only to one skilled

O clan of Amer, glory belongs only to the mighty,

with the sword; injustices cannot approach him.

To those who wield the sword, not to the unjust.

ضَجيعُ الهُوَينا يَغلِبُ الخَصمُ رَأيَهُ

ضَجيعُ الهُوَينا يَغلِبُ الخَصمُ رَأيَهُ

وَأَكبَرُ سُلطانِ الرِجالِ الخَصائِمُ

وَأَكبَرُ سُلطانِ الرِجالِ الخَصائِمُ

The bedfellow of ease has his judgment overpowered by his foe;

The passionate lover conquers his rival's will,

and men's greatest power is contention.

And conflict makes men the greatest rulers.

أَرى إِبِلَ العَوّامِ تُحدى عَلى الطَوى

أَرى إِبِلَ العَوّامِ تُحدى عَلى الطَوى

وَتَأكُلُ حَوذانَ الطَريقِ المَناسِمُ

وَتَأكُلُ حَوذانَ الطَريقِ المَناسِمُ

I see al-ʿAwwām's camels driven by song while hungry,

I see the camels of the commoners challenging on the hills,

and their footpads devour the roadside buttercups.

Eating the shrubs along the roadsides.

وَتَظمى عَلى الإِغذاذِ أَشداقُ خَيلِهِ

وَتَظمى عَلى الإِغذاذِ أَشداقُ خَيلِهِ

وَتَشرَبُ مِن أَفواهِهِنَّ الشَكائِمُ

وَتَشرَبُ مِن أَفواهِهِنَّ الشَكائِمُ

And his horses' mouths grow thirsty in their haste,

Their horses' mouths pant with thirst,

while the bits drink from their mouths.

Drinking from their mouths the bitter drafts.

يُحاوِلُ أَمراً يَرمُقُ المَوتَ دونَهُ

يُحاوِلُ أَمراً يَرمُقُ المَوتَ دونَهُ

لَقَد زَلَّ عَنهُ ما تَرومُ المَراوِمُ

لَقَد زَلَّ عَنهُ ما تَرومُ المَراوِمُ

He pursues a goal, seeing death between himself and it;

He attempts a deed that brings him nigh to death,

what aspirations seek has indeed slipped away from him.

He has slipped far from what the virtuous intend.

أَقامَ يَرى شَمَّ النَسيمِ غَنيمَةً

أَقامَ يَرى شَمَّ النَسيمِ غَنيمَةً

وَلا بُدَّ يَوماً أَن تُرَدَّ الغَنائِمُ

وَلا بُدَّ يَوماً أَن تُرَدَّ الغَنائِمُ

He stayed, counting a breath of the breeze as booty,

He took the scent of the breeze as spoils of war,

and one day the spoils must be returned.

Though the takings of war will surely be returned one day.

وَتُعجِبُهُ غُرُّ البُروقِ يَشيمُها

وَتُعجِبُهُ غُرُّ البُروقِ يَشيمُها

سِراعاً إِذا مَرَّت عَليها الغَمائِمُ

سِراعاً إِذا مَرَّت عَليها الغَمائِمُ

And bright lightning flashes delight him; he watches them,

And he loves the rumble of lightning that he senses

swiftly, when the clouds pass over them.

Rushing forth when the clouds pass over it.

أُمَسِّحُ عِرنَينِ الظَلامِ بِعَرعَرٍ

أُمَسِّحُ عِرنَينِ الظَلامِ بِعَرعَرٍ

وَمِن دونِهِ خَدٌّ مِنَ اللَيلِ ساهِمُ

وَمِن دونِهِ خَدٌّ مِنَ اللَيلِ ساهِمُ

I stroke the bridge of darkness's nose at ʿArʿar,

I wipe the dark's eyelids with a soft touch,

and before it lies a wan cheek of night.

And beyond it lurks a blackness from the night's assault.

وَلي بَينَ أَخفافِ المَراسيلِ حاجَةٌ

وَلي بَينَ أَخفافِ المَراسيلِ حاجَةٌ

سَتُصحِبُ وَالأَيّامُ بيضٌ نَواعِمُ

سَتُصحِبُ وَالأَيّامُ بيضٌ نَواعِمُ

And I have a need amid the footpads of swift camels,

I have a need amongst the soft steps of the messengers -

which will yield when the days are white and gentle.

The days will bring gentle, pleasing maidens.

تُحارِبُني في كُلِّ شَرقٍ وَمَغرِبٍ

تُحارِبُني في كُلِّ شَرقٍ وَمَغرِبٍ

وَأَكبَرُ ظَنّي أَنَّها لا تُسالِمُ

وَأَكبَرُ ظَنّي أَنَّها لا تُسالِمُ

They wage war on me in every east and west,

They attack me in every east and west,

and my strongest surmise is that they will make no peace.

But I expect they will not make peace.

أَقولُ إِذا سالَت مَعَ اللَيلِ رِفقَةٌ

أَقولُ إِذا سالَت مَعَ اللَيلِ رِفقَةٌ

تَقاذَفَها حَتّى الصَباحِ المَخارِمُ

تَقاذَفَها حَتّى الصَباحِ المَخارِمُ

I say, when a band of travelers streams along with the night,

I say, when a company passes by night,

which the mountain passes toss about until dawn:

It eludes me until the combative dawn.

دَعي جَنَباتِ الوادِيَينِ فَدونَها

دَعي جَنَباتِ الوادِيَينِ فَدونَها

أَشَمُّ طَويلُ الساعِدَينِ ضُبارِمُ

أَشَمُّ طَويلُ الساعِدَينِ ضُبارِمُ

Leave the flanks of the two valleys, for before them

Leave the valley's sides - beyond them

is a lofty-nosed, long-forearmed, massive lion.

I smell the long-armed apes, wild and unruly.

إِذا هَمَّ لَم تَقعُد بِهِ عَزَماتُهُ

إِذا هَمَّ لَم تَقعُد بِهِ عَزَماتُهُ

وَإِن ثارَ لا تَعيا عَلَيهِ المَطاعِمُ

وَإِن ثارَ لا تَعيا عَلَيهِ المَطاعِمُ

When he means to act, his resolves do not fail him,

When he is determined, his resolves do not fail him,

and if he springs up, his meals prove no difficulty.

And if he rages, the food does not turn against him.

كَأَنَّ عَلى شَدقَيهِ ثَغراً وَراءَهُ

كَأَنَّ عَلى شَدقَيهِ ثَغراً وَراءَهُ

ذَوابِلُ مِن أَنيابِهِ وَصَوارِمُ

ذَوابِلُ مِن أَنيابِهِ وَصَوارِمُ

As though his jaws bore a frontier stronghold, behind which

As if behind his cheeks, a gaping maw,

were slender spears and keen swords made of his fangs.

With tusk-like projections from his fangs and incisors.

فَما جَذَبَ الأَقرانُ مِنهُ فَريسَةً

فَما جَذَبَ الأَقرانُ مِنهُ فَريسَةً

وَلا عادَ يَوماً أَنفُهُ وَهوَ راغِمُ

وَلا عادَ يَوماً أَنفُهُ وَهوَ راغِمُ

So rivals have never wrested prey from him,

Never has an equal seized prey from him,

nor has his nose ever returned abased.

Nor has his nose returned while he was forced to submit.

يَرى راكِبَ الظَلماءِ في مُستَقَرِّهِ

يَرى راكِبَ الظَلماءِ في مُستَقَرِّهِ

وَتَستَنُّ مِنهُ في العَرينِ الغَماغِمُ

وَتَستَنُّ مِنهُ في العَرينِ الغَماغِمُ

He sees the rider of darkness from his resting place,

He sees the rider of darkness in his lair,

and muffled growls stream from him in the lair.

And from him the cave dragons recoil in their dens.

نَمُرُّ وَراءَ اللَيلِ نَكتُمُهُ السُرى

نَمُرُّ وَراءَ اللَيلِ نَكتُمُهُ السُرى

وَقَد فَضَحَتنا بِالبُغامِ الرَواسِمُ

وَقَد فَضَحَتنا بِالبُغامِ الرَواسِمُ

We pass behind the night, hiding our night-journey from him,

We sneak behind the night, keeping our secrets,

yet the trotting camels have exposed us with their lowing.

Though the floodwaters have exposed us at dawn.

لَهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ غارَةٌ في عَدُوِّهِ

لَهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ غارَةٌ في عَدُوِّهِ

تُشارِكُهُ فيها النُسورُ القَشاعِمُ

تُشارِكُهُ فيها النُسورُ القَشاعِمُ

Each day he makes a raid upon his enemy,

Each day he raids his enemies,

in which the great old vultures share with him.

And the fierce eagles join him in the foray.

كَأَنَّ المَنايا إِن تَوَسَّدَ باعَهُ

كَأَنَّ المَنايا إِن تَوَسَّدَ باعَهُ

تَيَقَّظُ في أَنيابِهِ وَهوَ نائِمُ

تَيَقَّظُ في أَنيابِهِ وَهوَ نائِمُ

As though deadly fates, if he pillows his head on his foreleg,

As if death itself, should it approach,

lie awake in his fangs while he sleeps.

Would wake to his fangs while he yet slumbers.

وَما اللَيثُ إِلّا مَن يَدُلُّ بِنَفسِهِ

وَما اللَيثُ إِلّا مَن يَدُلُّ بِنَفسِهِ

وَيَمضي إِذا ما بادَهَتهُ العَظائِمُ

وَيَمضي إِذا ما بادَهَتهُ العَظائِمُ

And a lion is only one who is sure of himself,

The lion is none but he who risks himself,

and presses onward when great perils confront him.

And proceeds when the greatest perils confront him.

وَما كُلُّ لَيثٍ يَغنَمُ القَومُ زادَهُ

وَما كُلُّ لَيثٍ يَغنَمُ القَومُ زادَهُ

إِذا خَفَقَت تَحتَ الظَلامِ الضَراغِمُ

إِذا خَفَقَت تَحتَ الظَلامِ الضَراغِمُ

And not every lion has his food plundered by men,

Not every lion profits his clan if they take his provisions,

when mighty lions stir beneath the darkness.

When the flags flutter in the darkness.