يا عَبلُ أَينَ مِنَ المَنِيَةِ مَهرَبي

يا عَبلُ أَينَ مِنَ المَنِيَةِ مَهرَبي

إِن كانَ رَبّي في السَماءِ قَضاها

إِن كانَ رَبّي في السَماءِ قَضاها

O Abla, where is my escape from death,

O camel where can I escape from death

if my Lord in heaven has decreed it?

If it is my Lord's decree in the heavens

وَكَتيبَةٍ لَبَّستُها بِكَتيبَةٍ

وَكَتيبَةٍ لَبَّستُها بِكَتيبَةٍ

شَهباءَ باسِلَةٍ يُخافُ رَداها

شَهباءَ باسِلَةٍ يُخافُ رَداها

And many a battalion I entangled with a battalion,

And a troop I clad with a troop

ash-gray and valiant, its deadliness feared,

Fiery, courageous, whose onslaught is feared

خَرساءَ ظاهِرَةِ الأَداةِ كَأَنَّها

خَرساءَ ظاهِرَةِ الأَداةِ كَأَنَّها

نارٌ يُشَبُّ وُقودُها بِلَظاها

نارٌ يُشَبُّ وُقودُها بِلَظاها

silent, its weaponry plain to see, as though it were

Silent, their weapons bare, as though they were

a fire whose fuel is kindled by its own blaze.

A fire stoked by its violence

فيها الكُماةُ بَنو الكُماةِ كَأَنَّهُم

فيها الكُماةُ بَنو الكُماةِ كَأَنَّهُم

وَالخَيلُ تَعثُرُ في الوَغى بِقَناها

وَالخَيلُ تَعثُرُ في الوَغى بِقَناها

Within it are warriors, sons of warriors, as though they were—

Among them the veiled, sons of the veiled, as though they were

while the horses stumble in battle over its spears—

Horses stumbling in the fray from their moaning

شُهُبٌ بِأَيدي القابِسينَ إِذا بَدَتْ

شُهُبٌ بِأَيدي القابِسينَ إِذا بَدَتْ

بِأَكُفِّهِم بَهَرَ الظَلامَ سَنَاهَا

بِأَكُفِّهِم بَهَرَ الظَلامَ سَنَاهَا

blazing brands in the hands of fire-seekers; when they appear

Meteors in the hands of those who grasp when they appear

in their palms, their radiance dazzles the darkness.

With palms they dazzle the darkness with their brightness

صُبرٌ أَعَدّوا كُلَّ أَجرَدَ سابِحٍ

صُبرٌ أَعَدّوا كُلَّ أَجرَدَ سابِحٍ

وَنَجيبَةٍ ذَبَلَت وَخَفَّ حَشاها

وَنَجيبَةٍ ذَبَلَت وَخَفَّ حَشاها

Steadfast men, they readied every sleek, swimming-strided steed,

Patient men, each bare swift swimmer

and every noble-bred mount, grown lean and light of belly.

And excellent she-camel weakened and light of burden

يَعدونَ بِالمُستَلئِمينَ عَوابِساً

يَعدونَ بِالمُستَلئِمينَ عَوابِساً

قوداً تَشَكّى أَينَها وَوَجاها

قوداً تَشَكّى أَينَها وَوَجاها

They gallop with armor-clad riders, grim-faced,

They rush on mild-tempered she-camels, grim

long-necked, complaining of their weariness and sore hooves.

Fuel complaining where they were struck and their faces

يَحمِلنَ فِتياناً مَداعِسَ بِالقَنا

يَحمِلنَ فِتياناً مَداعِسَ بِالقَنا

وُقُراً إِذا ما الحَربُ خَفَّ لِواها

وُقُراً إِذا ما الحَربُ خَفَّ لِواها

They carry young men who thrust fiercely with spears,

Bearing young men, beds spread with lances

composed whenever war's banner flutters.

And mountain-like when war becomes disordered

مِن كُلِّ أَروَعَ ماجِدٍ ذي صَولَةٍ

مِن كُلِّ أَروَعَ ماجِدٍ ذي صَولَةٍ

مَرِسٍ إِذا لَحِقَت خُصىً بِكُلاها

مَرِسٍ إِذا لَحِقَت خُصىً بِكُلاها

Each is a splendid, noble man of fierce assault,

Of every glorious knight of might, seasoned,

seasoned when testicles draw up against their kidneys.

When contacting thighs with both its flanks

وَصَحابَةٍ شُمَّ الأُنوفِ بَعَثتُهُم

وَصَحابَةٍ شُمَّ الأُنوفِ بَعَثتُهُم

لَيلاً وَقَد مالَ الكَرى بِطُلاها

لَيلاً وَقَد مالَ الكَرى بِطُلاها

And companions, proud noses held high, I sent forth

And comrades who scent war, I sent them

at night, when slumber had bowed their necks.

At night and the war-bands had inclined to its aims

وَسَرَيتُ في وَعثِ الظَلامِ أَقودُهُم

وَسَرَيتُ في وَعثِ الظَلامِ أَقودُهُم

حَتّى رَأَيتُ الشَمسَ زالَ ضُحاها

حَتّى رَأَيتُ الشَمسَ زالَ ضُحاها

And I journeyed through the rough ground of darkness, leading them,

And I penetrated the gloom of darkness leading them

until I saw the sun, its forenoon brightness past.

Until I saw the sun set its brightness

وَلَقيتُ في قُبُلِ الهَجيرِ كَتيبَةً

وَلَقيتُ في قُبُلِ الهَجيرِ كَتيبَةً

فَطَعَنتُ أَوَّلَ فارِسٍ أَولاها

فَطَعَنتُ أَوَّلَ فارِسٍ أَولاها

And at the onset of the midday heat I met a battalion,

And met in the morning a troop

then speared the first horseman at its head.

So I stabbed the first horseman I made him my target

وَضَرَبتُ قَرنَي كَبشِها فَتَجَدَّلا

وَضَرَبتُ قَرنَي كَبشِها فَتَجَدَّلا

وَحَمَلتُ مُهري وَسطَها فَمَضاها

وَحَمَلتُ مُهري وَسطَها فَمَضاها

And I struck the two horns of its ram, and both fell sprawling;

And struck the tips of its two horns so it tossed about

and I drove my colt into its midst, and he passed through it,

And I launched my riding-beast into its midst and went straight through

حَتّى رَأَيتُ الخَيلَ بَعدَ سَوادِها

حَتّى رَأَيتُ الخَيلَ بَعدَ سَوادِها

حُمرَ الجُلودِ خُضِبنَ مِن جَرحاها

حُمرَ الجُلودِ خُضِبنَ مِن جَرحاها

until I saw the horses, once black,

Until I saw the horses, after their mass,

red of hide, stained with the blood of its wounded.

Red skins, dyed from their wounds,

يَعثُرنَ في نَقعِ النَجيعِ جَوافِلاً

يَعثُرنَ في نَقعِ النَجيعِ جَوافِلاً

وَيَطَأنَ مِن حَميِ الوَغى صَرعاها

وَيَطَأنَ مِن حَميِ الوَغى صَرعاها

They stumble through pools of fresh blood, bolting,

Stumbling in the pools of Najib in droves

and trample its fallen, struck down in battle's heat.

And trampling in the heat of battle its fallen

فَرَجَعتُ مَحموداً بِرَأسِ عَظيمِها

فَرَجَعتُ مَحموداً بِرَأسِ عَظيمِها

وَتَرَكتُها جَزَراً لِمَن ناواها

وَتَرَكتُها جَزَراً لِمَن ناواها

So I returned acclaimed, with its chief's head,

So I returned praised, with the head of its leader

and left it as slaughtered prey for whoever opposed it.

And left them as prey for whoever desired them

ما اِستَمتُ أُنثى نَفسَها في مَوطِنِ

ما اِستَمتُ أُنثى نَفسَها في مَوطِنِ

حَتّى أُوَفّي مَهرَها مَولاها

حَتّى أُوَفّي مَهرَها مَولاها

Never have I asked a woman to give herself anywhere,

No woman was ever denied her price in her abode

until I have paid her dower in full to her guardian.

Until I paid in full her bride-price

وَلَما رَزَأتُ أَخاً حِفاظَ سِلعَةً

وَلَما رَزَأتُ أَخاً حِفاظَ سِلعَةً

إِلّا لَهُ عِندي بِها مِثلاها

إِلّا لَهُ عِندي بِها مِثلاها

Nor have I taken a possession from a man of honor,

And I never saw a brother denied goods in his charge

without having twice its worth for him in return.

Except with me he had its like

أَغشى فَتاةَ الحَيِّ عِندَ حَليلِها

أَغشى فَتاةَ الحَيِّ عِندَ حَليلِها

وَإِذا غَزا في الجَيشِ لا أَغشاها

وَإِذا غَزا في الجَيشِ لا أَغشاها

I visit the clan's young woman in her husband's presence,

I covered the girl of the camp in her tent

and when he campaigns with the army, I do not visit her.

And when on the raid in the army I never uncovered her

وَأَغَضُّ طَرفي ما بَدَت لي جارَتي

وَأَغَضُّ طَرفي ما بَدَت لي جارَتي

حَتّى يُواري جارَتي مَأواها

حَتّى يُواري جارَتي مَأواها

And I lower my gaze whenever my neighbor comes into view,

And I turn my eyes from what of my neighbor was exposed

until her dwelling conceals my neighbor.

Until she hides from view her tent

إِنّي اِمرُؤٌ سَمحُ الخَليقَةِ ماجِدٌ

إِنّي اِمرُؤٌ سَمحُ الخَليقَةِ ماجِدٌ

لا أُتبِعُ النَفسَ اللَجوجَ هَواها

لا أُتبِعُ النَفسَ اللَجوجَ هَواها

I am a man of generous nature, noble;

I am a generous man, noble of nature

I do not let the obstinate soul follow its whims.

I do not follow the soul that strays

وَلَئِن سَأَلتَ بِذاكَ عَبلَةَ خَبَّرَت

وَلَئِن سَأَلتَ بِذاكَ عَبلَةَ خَبَّرَت

أَن لا أُريدُ مِنَ النِساءِ سِواها

أَن لا أُريدُ مِنَ النِساءِ سِواها

And if you ask Abla about that, she will tell you

And if you ask Ublah about that she would inform

that among women I desire none but her.

That I want no women but her

وَأُجيبُها إِمّا دَعَت لِعَظيمَةٍ

وَأُجيبُها إِمّا دَعَت لِعَظيمَةٍ

وَأُغيثُها وَأَعِفُّ عَمّا ساها

وَأُغيثُها وَأَعِفُّ عَمّا ساها

And I answer her if ever she calls over a grave matter,

And I answer her when she calls for something great

and I aid her and abstain from what would hurt her.

And aid her and pardon what she did wrong