تَقولُ سُلَيمى لا تَعَرَّض لِتَلفَةٍ

تَقولُ سُلَيمى لا تَعَرَّض لِتَلفَةٍ

وَلَيلُكَ عَن لَيلِ الصَعاليكِ نائِمُ

وَلَيلُكَ عَن لَيلِ الصَعاليكِ نائِمُ

Sulayma says: Do not expose yourself to destruction,

Sulayma says, do not expose yourself to ruin

and your night sleeps, heedless of the outlaws' night.

While your night is sleeping unlike the nights of vagabonds

وَكَيفَ يَنامُ اللَيلَ مَن جُلُّ مالِهِ

وَكَيفَ يَنامُ اللَيلَ مَن جُلُّ مالِهِ

حُسامٌ كَلَونِ المِلحِ أَبيَضُ صارِمُ

حُسامٌ كَلَونِ المِلحِ أَبيَضُ صارِمُ

And how can a man sleep at night when most of his wealth

How can one who owns nothing but a sword sleep?

is a sword, white as salt, keen-edged?

White like salt, always unsheathed and ready

غَمُوضٌ إِذا عَضَّ الكَريهَةَ لَم يَدَع

غَمُوضٌ إِذا عَضَّ الكَريهَةَ لَم يَدَع

لَهُ طَمَعاً طَوعُ اليَمينِ مُلازِمُ

لَهُ طَمَعاً طَوعُ اليَمينِ مُلازِمُ

Deep-penetrating: when it bites into battle, it leaves

When it strikes the neck of the enemy it does not stop

him no hope—obedient to the right hand, an inseparable companion.

Until obeying the right hand, always attached

أَلَم تَعلَمي أَنَّ الصَعاليكَ نَومُهُم

أَلَم تَعلَمي أَنَّ الصَعاليكَ نَومُهُم

قَليلٌ إِذا نامَ الخَلِيُّ المُسالِمُ

قَليلٌ إِذا نامَ الخَلِيُّ المُسالِمُ

Have you not learned that the outlaws' sleep

Do you not know that vagabonds only briefly sleep

is scant when the carefree, peaceable man sleeps?

When the peaceful weak one is sleeping?

جُرازٌ إِذا مَسَّ الضَريبَةَ لَم يَدَع

جُرازٌ إِذا مَسَّ الضَريبَةَ لَم يَدَع

بِها طَمَعاً طَوعُ اليَدَينِ مُكَارِمُ

بِها طَمَعاً طَوعُ اليَدَينِ مُكَارِمُ

A cleaving blade: when it touches its target, it leaves

My sword, when it strikes the tax does not stop

no hope there—obedient to both hands, vying in generosity.

Until obeying the two hands, always generous

إِذا اللَيلُ أَدجى وَاِكفَهَرَّ ظَلامُهُ

إِذا اللَيلُ أَدجى وَاِكفَهَرَّ ظَلامُهُ

وَصاحَ مِنَ الأَفراطِ بومٌ جَواثِمُ

وَصاحَ مِنَ الأَفراطِ بومٌ جَواثِمُ

When night grows dark and its darkness turns grim,

When the night grows dark and its darkness bellows

and roosting owls cry out from the heights,

And the excess screams with unjust voices

وَمالَ بِأَصحابِ الكَرى غالِباتُهُ

وَمالَ بِأَصحابِ الكَرى غالِباتُهُ

فَإِنّي عَلى أَمرِ الغَوايَةِ حازِمُ

فَإِنّي عَلى أَمرِ الغَوايَةِ حازِمُ

and sleep's overpowering spells make its companions droop,

And defeat comes to the people of villages

then I am resolute in the business of waywardness.

I am determined to the matter of misguidance

كَذَبتُم وَبَيتِ اللَهِ لا تَأخُذونَها

كَذَبتُم وَبَيتِ اللَهِ لا تَأخُذونَها

مُراغَمَةً مادامَ لِلسَيفِ قائِمُ

مُراغَمَةً مادامَ لِلسَيفِ قائِمُ

You lie! By the House of God, you shall not take it

You lied! By God's house you will not take it

by force, as long as the sword has a hilt.

As long as the sword remains standing

تَحالَفَ أَقوامٌ عَلَيَّ لِيَسلَموا

تَحالَفَ أَقوامٌ عَلَيَّ لِيَسلَموا

وَجَروا عَلَيَّ الحَربَ إِذ أَنا سالِمُ

وَجَروا عَلَيَّ الحَربَ إِذ أَنا سالِمُ

Groups swore an alliance against me to keep themselves safe,

A group of people allied against me to make peace

and brought war upon me when I was at peace.

And they dragged war against me while I am peaceful

أَفَاليَومَ أَدعى لِلهَوادَةِ بَعدَما

أَفَاليَومَ أَدعى لِلهَوادَةِ بَعدَما

أُجيلَ عَلى الحَيِّ المَذاكي الصَلادِمُ

أُجيلَ عَلى الحَيِّ المَذاكي الصَلادِمُ

Am I then called to a truce today, after

Shall I today call for peace after

full-grown, sturdy steeds were driven against the clan?

I was wronged by the living, the strong and the fighters?

كَأَنَّ حَريماً إِذ رَجا أَن أَرُدَّها

كَأَنَّ حَريماً إِذ رَجا أَن أَرُدَّها

وَيَذهَبَ مالي يا اِبنَةَ القَومِ حالِمُ

وَيَذهَبَ مالي يا اِبنَةَ القَومِ حالِمُ

It is as though Harim, when he hoped that I would return it

It is as if it is an inviolable thing if I wish to return it

and my wealth would vanish, O daughter of the clan, were dreaming.

And my money disappears, O daughter of the people, dreamer

مَتى تَجمَعِ القَلبَ الذَكِيَّ وَصارِماً

مَتى تَجمَعِ القَلبَ الذَكِيَّ وَصارِماً

وَأَنفاً أَبِيّاً تَجتَنِبكَ المَظالِمُ

وَأَنفاً أَبِيّاً تَجتَنِبكَ المَظالِمُ

When you unite a keen heart and a cutting sword,

When will you gather a wise heart and a sharp sword

and a proud, unyielding nose, injustices shun you.

And avoid wrongdoings with a dignified nose?

وَمَن يَطلُبِ المَالَ المُمَنَعَّ بِالقَنا

وَمَن يَطلُبِ المَالَ المُمَنَعَّ بِالقَنا

يَعِش مُثرِيّاً أَو تَختَرِمهُ المَخارِمُ

يَعِش مُثرِيّاً أَو تَختَرِمهُ المَخارِمُ

And whoever seeks strongly guarded wealth with spears

Whoever seeks protected money with his spear

lives rich, or deadly perils cut his life short.

Will live rich or the calamities will wound him

وَكُنتُ إِذا قَومٌ غَزَوني غَزَوتُهُم

وَكُنتُ إِذا قَومٌ غَزَوني غَزَوتُهُم

فَهَل أَنا في ذا يالَ هَمدانَ ظالِمُ

فَهَل أَنا في ذا يالَ هَمدانَ ظالِمُ

And whenever a people raided me, I raided them.

Whenever a people attacked me I would attack them

Am I then unjust in this, O Hamdan?

So am I in this, O Hamdan, unjust?

فَلا صُلحَ حَتّى تُقدَعَ الخَيلُ بِالقَنا

فَلا صُلحَ حَتّى تُقدَعَ الخَيلُ بِالقَنا

وَتُضرَبَ بِالبيضِ الخِفافِ الجَماجِمُ

وَتُضرَبَ بِالبيضِ الخِفافِ الجَماجِمُ

So no peace until horses are checked by spears,

No peace until the horses are cut by the spear

and skulls are struck with light, white blades.

And the light helmets are struck against the skulls

وَلا أَمنَ حَتّى تَغشِمَ الحَربُ جَهرَةً

وَلا أَمنَ حَتّى تَغشِمَ الحَربُ جَهرَةً

عُبَيدَةَ يَوماً والحُروبُ غَواشِمُ

عُبَيدَةَ يَوماً والحُروبُ غَواشِمُ

Nor safety until war openly ravages

No safety until war openly attacks

Ubayda one day—and wars are ruthless.

Ubaydah one day when wars are ferocious

أَمُستَبطِئٌ عَمرُو بنِ نَعمانَ غارَتي

أَمُستَبطِئٌ عَمرُو بنِ نَعمانَ غارَتي

وَما يُشبِهُ اليَقظانَ مَن هُوَ نائِمُ

وَما يُشبِهُ اليَقظانَ مَن هُوَ نائِمُ

Does Amr ibn Nu'man think my raid slow in coming?

Is Amr ibn Na'man delaying my raids?

And the one asleep does not resemble the one awake.

What sleep resembles the awake?

إِذا جَرَّ مَولانا عَلَينا جَريرَةً

إِذا جَرَّ مَولانا عَلَينا جَريرَةً

صَبَرنا لَها إِنّا كِرامٌ دَعائِمُ

صَبَرنا لَها إِنّا كِرامٌ دَعائِمُ

When our ally brings an offense upon us,

If our Lord wrongs us with an injury

we bear it patiently; we are noble pillars.

We are patient with it, we are firm pillars

وَنَنصُرُ مَولانا وَنَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ

وَنَنصُرُ مَولانا وَنَعلَمُ أَنَّهُ

كَمَا النّاسُ مَجرومٌ عَلَيهِ وَجارِمُ

كَمَا النّاسُ مَجرومٌ عَلَيهِ وَجارِمُ

And we support our ally, and we know that he,

And we support our Lord, and we know

like other people, is wronged and does wrong.

He is wronged against and sinned upon like the people