أَلاbehold طَرَقَتناvisited us by night أُمُّmother of أَوسٍAws وَدونَهاand before her
أَلا طَرَقَتنا أُمُّ أَوسٍ وَدونَها
حِراجٌthickets مِنَof الظُلَماءِdarkness يَعشىcannot see غُرابُهاits raven
حِراجٌ مِنَ الظُلَماءِ يَعشى غُرابُها
Behold, Umm Aws visited us by night, though between us and her lay
Oh, Umm Awes drew near us under the veil of night,
thickets of darkness whose raven could not see.
Her raven deep, we slept as if between sweet musk,
فَبِتناso we spent the night كَأَنّاas though we بَينَناbetween us لَطَميَّةٌa perfume caravan
فَبِتنا كَأَنّا بَينَنا لَطَميَّةٌ
مِنَof المِسكِmusk أَوor داريَّةٌa female Darin perfumer وَعِيابُهاand her bags
مِنَ المِسكِ أَو داريَّةٌ وَعِيابُها
So we spent the night as though between us stood a perfume caravan
Or a perfume shop, with its fragrance rife.
of musk, or a Darin perfumer with her bags.
You watch o’er unveiled damsels in fearful plight,
تَرىyou see لِمُبيناتِover clear displays of الخَراعَةِwantonness راقِباًa watcher
تَرى لِمُبيناتِ الخَراعَةِ راقِباً
حِذارَfor fear of الطَواغيtransgressors وَالعَفافُand chastity رَقيبُهاher guardian
حِذارَ الطَواغي وَالعَفافُ رَقيبُها
You see a watcher over open displays of wantonness,
Lest rakes assail, while modesty is their ward.
for fear of transgressors; chastity is her guardian.
How can you trust them when the tribe of Asad
وَكَيفَand how تُرَجّيهاyou hope for her وَقَدand already حالَintervened دونَهاbetween you and her
وَكَيفَ تُرَجّيها وَقَد حالَ دونَها
بَنوsons of أَسَدٍAsad كُهلانُهاtheir mature men وَشَبابُهاand their youths
بَنو أَسَدٍ كُهلانُها وَشَبابُها
And how can you hope for her, when between you and her stand
Surrounds on every side, old men and youths for fight?
the sons of Asad, their mature men and their youths?
When morn salutes, greet it again at night,
عَلَيهاupon her إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle الشَمسُthe sun ذَرَّتrises تَحيَّةٌa greeting
عَلَيها إِذا ما الشَمسُ ذَرَّت تَحيَّةٌ
وَأُخرىand another إِذاwhen ماالشَمسُthe sun (emphatic) حانَhas come due إِيابُهاits return
وَأُخرى إِذا ماالشَمسُ حانَ إِيابُها
A greeting upon her whenever the sun rises,
Ye sons of Asad, though you rage and despise,
and another when the sun's hour of return has come.
And Quraish afterward make peace, and smite Joheina’s spite.
بَنيO sons of أَسَدٍAsad إِنif تَغضبواyou grow angry ثُمَّthen تَغضبواyou grow angry
بَني أَسَدٍ إِن تَغضبوا ثُمَّ تَغضبوا
وَتَعدِلand turns aside قُرَيشٌQuraysh ثُمَّthen تَحمِdefend قَيساًQays غِضابُهاits angry men
وَتَعدِل قُرَيشٌ ثُمَّ تَحمِ قَيساً غِضابُها
Sons of Asad, though you rage and rage again,
Meantime your weakest clan, Temim, for you fights,
and Quraysh turn aside, then Qays's angry men defend it,
And when enraged can match your angry zoo.
وَأَحقَرُand the most contemptible مَحقورٍof the despised تَميمٌTamim أَخوكُمُyour brother
وَأَحقَرُ مَحقورٍ تَميمٌ أَخوكُمُ
وَإِنand if غَضِبَتgrew angry يَربوعُهاits Yarbuʿ وَرَبابُهاand its Rabab
وَإِن غَضِبَت يَربوعُها وَرَبابُها
and the most contemptible of the despised is Tamim, your brother,
I care not though they spread the slanderer’s lies,
even if its Yarbuʿ and its Rabab grow angry.
Nor heed the buzzing of the circling flies.
أَلاbehold لاnot أُباليI care أَنthat تُخَندِفَscurries خِندِفٌKhindif
أَلا لا أُبالي أَن تُخَندِفَ خِندِفٌ
وَلَستُand I am not أُباليconcerned أَنthat يَطِنَّbuzz ذُبابُهاits flies
وَلَستُ أُبالي أَن يَطِنَّ ذُبابُها
Behold, I care not if Khindif scurries,
Ye sons of Asad, befriend the abject train
nor do I care if its flies buzz.
That bow their necks and serve in lowly pain.
بَنيO sons of أَسَدٍAsad كونواbe لِمَنto those whom قَدalready عَلِمتُمُyou have known
بَني أَسَدٍ كونوا لِمَن قَد عَلِمتُمُ
مَواليclients ذَلَّتbowed لِلهَوانِto humiliation رِقابُهاtheir necks
مَوالي ذَلَّت لِلهَوانِ رِقابُها
Sons of Asad, be to those you already know
Were jinn in conflict we would not disdain
clients whose necks have bowed to humiliation.
To draw our sabres forth till jackals flee.
فَلَوfor if حارَبَتناwaged war on us الجِنُّthe jinn لَمnot نَرفَعِwe lift القَناthe spears
فَلَو حارَبَتنا الجِنُّ لَم نَرفَعِ القَنا
عَنِaway from الجِنِّthe jinn حتىuntil لاتَهُرَّno longer growl كِلابُهاtheir dogs
عَنِ الجِنِّ حتى لاتَهُرَّ كِلابُها
For if the jinn waged war on us, we would not withdraw our spears
And did all Qais with one accord maintain,
from the jinn until their dogs ceased to growl.
And swear by God the One, we would not be
وَلَوand if أَنَّthat قَيساًQays قَيسَQays of عَيلانِAylan أَقسَمَتswore an oath
وَلَو أَنَّ قَيساً قَيسَ عَيلانِ أَقسَمَت
عَلىupon الشَمسِthe sun لَمnot يَطلَعrise عَلَيكَover you حِجابُهاits disk
عَلى الشَمسِ لَم يَطلَع عَلَيكَ حِجابُها
And if Qays—Qays of Aylan—adjured
Bereft of empire save what Quraish claims
the sun, its disk would not rise over you.
By right of kin; else would we bring their pride full low.
لَناours المُلكُkingship إِلّاexcept أَنَّthat شَيئاًsomething تَعِدُّهُreckons it
لَنا المُلكُ إِلّا أَنَّ شَيئاً تَعِدُّهُ
قُرَيشٌQuraysh وَلَوand if شِئناwe wished لَذَلَّتwould surely bow رِقابُهاtheir necks
قُرَيشٌ وَلَو شِئنا لَذَلَّت رِقابُها
Kingship is ours, save for something reckoned
And if Quraish against us aught proclaims,
by Quraysh; if we wished, their necks would bow.
Then say to them I will not be their foe,
وَإِنand if غَضِبَتgrew angry مِنat ذاthis قُرَيشٌQuraysh فَقُلthen tell لَهاto them
وَإِن غَضِبَت مِن ذا قُرَيشٌ فَقُل لَها
مَعاذَrefuge in الإِلهِGod أَنthat أَكونَI should be أَهابَهاafraid of them
مَعاذَ الإِلهِ أَن أَكونَ أَهابَها
And if Quraysh is angered by this, tell them:
But apt at answers, and I love to blame,
God forbid that I should fear them!
And censure much that passes to and fro.
وَإِنيand indeed I لَقَوّالُindeed prolific with الجَوابِreplies وَإِنَّنيand indeed I
وَإِني لَقَوّالُ الجَوابِ وَإِنَّني
لَمُفتَجِرٌindeed an originator of أَشياءَthings يُعيِيbaffles جَوابُهاtheir answer
لَمُفتَجِرٌ أَشياءَ يُعيِي جَوابُها
And I am indeed prolific in replies, and indeed I
Shall I then fear the keeper of the fold,
bring forth matters whose answer leaves one baffled.
The ostrich with her learnt and memorized rules?
فَهَلso can يَمنَعَنّيprevent me أَنfrom أَسيرَtravelling بِبَلدَةٍthrough a town
فَهَل يَمنَعَنّي أَن أَسيرَ بِبَلدَةٍ
نَعامَةُNaʿamah مُفتاحُthe key to المَخازيdisgraces وَبابُهاand their gate
نَعامَةُ مُفتاحُ المَخازي وَبابُها
Then can I be kept from travelling through a town
For ‘gainst the hate of Qais we can enroll
by Naʿamah, the key to disgraces and their gate?
A host of Asad when the lion bares his fangs.
فَإِنَّfor indeed لِقَيسٍfor Qays مِنfrom بَغيضٍBaghid لَناصِراًsurely a champion
فَإِنَّ لِقَيسٍ مِن بَغيضٍ لَناصِراً
إِذاwhen أَسَدٌAsad كَشَّتhissed لِفَخرٍin boastfulness ضَبابِهاits lizards
إِذا أَسَدٌ كَشَّت لِفَخرٍ ضَبابِها
For Qays surely has a champion from Baghid,
Still does Qais lead on from shame to shame,
when Asad's lizards hiss in boastfulness.
Yet thrive on foul abuse in times that smile.
تُقَدَّمُis sent to the fore قَيسٌQays كُلَّevery يَومِday of كَريهَةٍbattle
تُقَدَّمُ قَيسٌ كُلَّ يَومِ كَريهَةٍ
وَيُثنيand heaps praise عَلَيهاupon it فيin الرَخاءِprosperity ذُنوبُهاits full bucket
وَيُثني عَلَيها في الرَخاءِ ذُنوبُها
Qays is sent to the fore on every day of battle,
More firmly based than tribes who trust the claim
and in prosperity its full bucket praises it.
Of brethren when the storm bursts o’er their heads.
وَأَعمَدُand I marvel مِنat قَومٍa people كَفاهُمspared them أَخوهُمtheir brother
وَأَعمَدُ مِن قَومٍ كَفاهُم أَخوهُم
صِدامَthe clash with الرَعاديthe thunderers حينَwhen فُلَّتwere blunted نُيوبُهاtheir fangs
صِدامَ الرَعادي حينَ فُلَّت نُيوبُها
And I marvel at a people whose brother spared them
When Qais turns in wrath thy hand is lame,
the clash with the thunderers, when their fangs were blunted.
While from thy feet all power of motion fled.
إِذاwhen غَضِبَتgrew angry قَيسٌQays عَلَيكَwith you تَقاصَرَتgrew shorter
إِذا غَضِبَت قَيسٌ عَلَيكَ تَقاصَرَت
يَداكَyour two hands وَفاتَand eluded الرِجلَthe foot مِنكَof yours رِكابُهاits stirrup
يَداكَ وَفاتَ الرِجلَ مِنكَ رِكابُها
When Qays grows angry with you, shorter grow
your hands, and your foot cannot reach its stirrup.
Partial English translation: 36 of 38 Arabic lines translated.