عَجِبتُ إِلى قَيسٍ تُضاهي كِلابُها

عَجِبتُ إِلى قَيسٍ تُضاهي كِلابُها

وَهُنَّ عَلى الأَذقانِ تَحتَ لِباني

وَهُنَّ عَلى الأَذقانِ تَحتَ لِباني

I marvel at Qays, whose dogs vie with me,

I marveled at the Qays, whose dogs rivaled

while they lie on their chins beneath my breast.

As they rested their cheeks beneath pearls

لَعَمرُكَ ما أَدري أَطالِبُ سالِمٍ

لَعَمرُكَ ما أَدري أَطالِبُ سالِمٍ

إِلى اللُؤمِ أَدنى أَم أَبو اِبنِ دُخانِ

إِلى اللُؤمِ أَدنى أَم أَبو اِبنِ دُخانِ

By your life, I do not know whether Talib of Salim

By your life! I know not if the seeker of peace

is nearer to baseness, or the father of Ibn Dukhan.

Is closer to infamy or the father of smoke

لَئيمانِ كانا مَولَيَينِ كِلاهُما

لَئيمانِ كانا مَولَيَينِ كِلاهُما

ذَليلٌ غَداةَ الرَوعِ وَالحَدَثانِ

ذَليلٌ غَداةَ الرَوعِ وَالحَدَثانِ

They were two base clients, both of them

Both were despicable, subservient men

abject on the morning of terror and misfortune.

Humiliated at dawn by fear and whiteness

وَهَبتُ بَني بَدرٍ لِأَسماءَ بَعدَما

وَهَبتُ بَني بَدرٍ لِأَسماءَ بَعدَما

جَرَت فَوقَهُ رَيحانِ يَختَلِفانِ

جَرَت فَوقَهُ رَيحانِ يَختَلِفانِ

I gave Banu Badr to Asma, after

I gave the Bani Badr to Asma after

two winds had coursed over him, alternating.

The two winds had blown upon them, mingling

إِذا ما حَلَلنا حَلَّ مَن كانَ خَلفَنا

إِذا ما حَلَلنا حَلَّ مَن كانَ خَلفَنا

وَيَتبَعُنا إِن نَظعَنِ الثَقَلانِ

وَيَتبَعُنا إِن نَظعَنِ الثَقَلانِ

When we encamp, whoever was behind us encamps,

When we move on, so does whoever was behind us

and if we depart, humankind and jinn follow us.

And follows if we mount the burdens

أَنا اِبنُ بَني سَعدٍ تَكونُ إِذا اِرتَمى

أَنا اِبنُ بَني سَعدٍ تَكونُ إِذا اِرتَمى

بِقَيسٍ لِغارَي خِندِفَ الرَحَوانِ

بِقَيسٍ لِغارَي خِندِفَ الرَحَوانِ

I am a son of Banu Sa'd; when shots are exchanged,

I am the son of Bani Sa’d, whenever I

with Qays, the two millstones are there for Khindif's two armies.

Attack Qays, churning sands with spears

إِذا وَلَجَت قَيسٌ تِهامَةَ قُرِّروا

إِذا وَلَجَت قَيسٌ تِهامَةَ قُرِّروا

بِها وَبِنَجدٍ هُم عَبيدُ هَوانِ

بِها وَبِنَجدٍ هُم عَبيدُ هَوانِ

When Qays enters Tihama, they are made to settle

When Qays enters Tihama, declare

there; and in Najd they are slaves of humiliation.

It and Najd their slaves of passion