أَعددتُ للحربِ فَضفَاضَةً

أَعددتُ للحربِ فَضفَاضَةً

دِلاصاً تَثَنَّى على الرَّاهِشِ

دِلاصاً تَثَنَّى على الرَّاهِشِ

For war I prepared a roomy coat of mail,

I prepared for war a supple coat of mail

Smooth and gleaming, folding over the forearm;

that bent over the sturdy carrier.

وَأَجرَدَ مُطَّرِداً كالرِّشاءِ

وَأَجرَدَ مُطَّرِداً كالرِّشاءِ

وسَيفَ سَلامَةَ ذي فائشِ

وسَيفَ سَلامَةَ ذي فائشِ

And a smooth, straight spear like a well-rope,

And a polished sword like a pouring rain,

And the sword of Salamah, Dhu Fa'ish—

and Salama's sword with a sharp edge,

حُساماً تراهُ كَمِثلِ الغديرِ

حُساماً تراهُ كَمِثلِ الغديرِ

عليه كَنَمنَمَةِ النَّاقِشِ

عليه كَنَمنَمَةِ النَّاقِشِ

A keen blade you see as though it were a pool,

A sword that you see like a large pond

With tracery like an engraver's delicate work;

with ripples from the engraver's tool.

وذاتَ عِدادٍ لها أَزمَلٌ

وذاتَ عِدادٍ لها أَزمَلٌ

بَرَتها رُماةُ بني وَابِشِ

بَرَتها رُماةُ بني وَابِشِ

And a twanging bow with a resonant sound,

With a sheath that has a strap for it

Carved by the archers of Banu Wabish;

held by the archers of the tribe of Waabish.

وكلَّ نَحِيضٍ فَتيقِ الغِرارِ

وكلَّ نَحِيضٍ فَتيقِ الغِرارِ

عَزُوفٍ على ظُفُرِ الرائشِ

عَزُوفٍ على ظُفُرِ الرائشِ

And every slender arrowhead with a broad cutting edge,

And every brave cavalier, deft at spear-thrusts

Ringing against the fletcher's fingernail;

skilled at reaching the spine and neck.

وأَجرَدَ ساطٍ كَشَاةِ الإرا

وأَجرَدَ ساطٍ كَشَاةِ الإرا

نِ رِيعَ فَعَنَّ على النَّاجِشِ

نِ رِيعَ فَعَنَّ على النَّاجِشِ

And a sleek, long-striding horse, like a wild bull in its lair,

And a smooth lance like a long-necked she-camel,

Startled, then appearing before the game-driver.

it rose up towering over the shields.

إِذا ما جرى قلت شوذا نقا

إِذا ما جرى قلت شوذا نقا

تَنَحّضى من الوابِلِ الحافِشِ

تَنَحّضى من الوابِلِ الحافِشِ

When he runs, I say: two crests of a sand dune,

When it sped I said: look at its bending,

Scoured by the sweeping downpour.

how it swerves at the contact of the torrential rain!

وآوي إِلى فَرعِ جُرثومةٍ

وآوي إِلى فَرعِ جُرثومةٍ

وَعِزٍّ يَفوتُ يَدَ الباهِشِ

وَعِزٍّ يَفوتُ يَدَ الباهِشِ

And I shelter in the high branch of a rooted stock,

And I take refuge in the branch of a colocynth tree,

And in might that eludes the grasping hand.

and glory that eludes the aspirations of the seekers.

تَمتّعتُ ذلك وكنتُ امرأً

تَمتّعتُ ذلك وكنتُ امرأً

أَصُدُّ عن الخُلُقِ الفاحشِ

أَصُدُّ عن الخُلُقِ الفاحشِ

I enjoyed that, and I was a man

I took pleasure doing that when I was a man

Who shunned vile conduct.

who wards off ugly shameful deeds,

وسعدٌ أبو حَكَمٍ مَنصِبي

وسعدٌ أبو حَكَمٍ مَنصِبي

به كنتُ أَعلو على الطائشِ

به كنتُ أَعلو على الطائشِ

And Sa'd, Abu Hakam, is my ancestral stock;

And Sa’d Abu Hakam was my protector

Through him I rose above the reckless.

through him I would rise above the rash.