وَمُردٍ على جُردٍ شَهِدتُ طِرادَها

وَمُردٍ على جُردٍ شَهِدتُ طِرادَها

قُبَيلَ طُلوعِ الشمسِ أو حينَ ذَرَّتِ

قُبَيلَ طُلوعِ الشمسِ أو حينَ ذَرَّتِ

And beardless youths on sleek steeds—I witnessed their skirmishing,

On lean camels I saw their herd before sunrise,

Just before sunrise, or as the sun rose.

Or when the clouds began to drizzle lightly,

صَبَحتُهُمُ بيضاءَ يَبرُقُ بَيضُها

صَبَحتُهُمُ بيضاءَ يَبرُقُ بَيضُها

إذا نظرت فيها العيونُ ازمَهَرَّتِ

إذا نظرت فيها العيونُ ازمَهَرَّتِ

I attacked them at dawn with a white-armored host whose helmets gleamed;

Their morning brightness shone white, dazzling to the eyes,

When eyes looked upon it, they reddened.

When gazed upon, the eyes would blink repeatedly.

ولمّا رأيت الخيلَ زُوراً كَأَنَّها

ولمّا رأيت الخيلَ زُوراً كَأَنَّها

جَداولُ زَرعٍ أُرسِلَت فاسبَطَرَّتِ

جَداولُ زَرعٍ أُرسِلَت فاسبَطَرَّتِ

And when I saw the horses veering, as though they were

And when I saw the horses, they were like streams

Streams through planted fields, let loose and stretching far,

Of crops unleashed, spreading far and wide.

فَجَاشت إِليَّ النفسُ أوَّلَ مرّةٍ

فَجَاشت إِليَّ النفسُ أوَّلَ مرّةٍ

فَرُدَّت على مَكروهها فاستَقَرَّتِ

فَرُدَّت على مَكروهها فاستَقَرَّتِ

Then my soul surged within me in fear at first;

Then for the first time, desire surged within my soul,

So it was driven back to what it dreaded, and stood firm.

And it recoiled from its disdain, now satisfied.

هَتَفتُ فجاءت من زُبَيدٍ عصابةٌ

هَتَفتُ فجاءت من زُبَيدٍ عصابةٌ

إذا طَرَدَت فاءت قريباً فَكَرَّتِ

إذا طَرَدَت فاءت قريباً فَكَرَّتِ

I shouted, and a band from Zubayd came;

I called and from Zubayd came a band of warriors,

Whenever it pursued, it soon returned and charged again.

When they attacked, they came close and turned about.

عَلامَ تقولُ الرُمحُ يُثقِلُ عاتقي

عَلامَ تقولُ الرُمحُ يُثقِلُ عاتقي

إذا أنا لم أطعُن إذا الخيلُ كَرَّتِ

إذا أنا لم أطعُن إذا الخيلُ كَرَّتِ

Why do you say the spear weighs down my shoulder,

Why does my spear weigh heavy on my shoulder,

If I do not thrust when the horses charge?

When I have not thrusted, though the horses bolted?

عَقَرتُ جوادَ ابني دُرَيدٍ كليهما

عَقَرتُ جوادَ ابني دُرَيدٍ كليهما

وما أَخَذَتني في الخُتونة عِزَّتي

وما أَخَذَتني في الخُتونة عِزَّتي

I hamstrung the steed of each of Durayd's two sons,

I hamstrung the mount of Durayd's son, both of them,

Nor did my pride take hold of me over ties of marriage.

Yet my glory humbled me not in valor's throes.

لحا اللَه جَرماً كلّما ذَرَّ شارقٌ

لحا اللَه جَرماً كلّما ذَرَّ شارقٌ

وُجوهَ كِلابٍ هارَشَت فازبأَرَّتِ

وُجوهَ كِلابٍ هارَشَت فازبأَرَّتِ

May God curse Jarm each time the sun rises—

May God avenge a sin whenever the day breaks,

Dog-faces that snapped at one another and bristled!

And the faces of dogs bristled and glared.

ظَلِلتُ كَأنّي للرماحِ دَرِيئةٌ

ظَلِلتُ كَأنّي للرماحِ دَرِيئةٌ

أُقاتِلُ عن أبناءِ جَرمٍ وفَرَّتِ

أُقاتِلُ عن أبناءِ جَرمٍ وفَرَّتِ

All day I was like a target for the spears,

I was like a shield against the spears,

Fighting to defend the sons of Jarm, while Jarm fled.

Battling for the sons of Jaram, who fled away.

فلم تُغنِ جَرمٌ نَهدَها إذ تَلاقَتا

فلم تُغنِ جَرمٌ نَهدَها إذ تَلاقَتا

ولكنَّ جَرماً في اللقاء ابذَعَرَّتِ

ولكنَّ جَرماً في اللقاء ابذَعَرَّتِ

So Jarm gave its Nahd no help when the two met;

But Jaram's cleavage did not avail when both met,

But Jarm scattered in the clash.

Rather it was Jaram, in the fray, that wavered and fret.

فلو أنَّ قومي أنطقتني رماحُهم

فلو أنَّ قومي أنطقتني رماحُهم

نَطَقتُ ولكنَّ الرماح أجَرَّتِ

نَطَقتُ ولكنَّ الرماح أجَرَّتِ

So, had my people's spears given me a voice,

Had my people's spears given me voice,

I would have spoken, but the spears tied my tongue.

I would have spoken, but the spears refrained.