قَعَدتُ عَلى السِعلاةِ تَنفُضُ مِسحَها

قَعَدتُ عَلى السِعلاةِ تَنفُضُ مِسحَها

وَتُجذَبُ مِثلَ الأَيمِ في بُرَةِ الصُفرِ

وَتُجذَبُ مِثلَ الأَيمِ في بُرَةِ الصُفرِ

I sat astride the she-ghoul as she shook her coarse coat,

I sat upon the horse blanket shaking out its dust

and was pulled like a serpent by a brass nose-ring.

Swaying like a hopeful woman in a barren plain

تُيَمِّمُ خَيرَ الناسِ ماءً وَحاضِراً

تُيَمِّمُ خَيرَ الناسِ ماءً وَحاضِراً

وَتَحمِلُ حاجاتٍ تَضَمَّنَها صَدري

وَتَحمِلُ حاجاتٍ تَضَمَّنَها صَدري

She headed for the finest people in watering place and settlement,

Seeking good people though lacking water present

and carried needs that my breast had harbored.

Bearing needs my chest has kept inside

فَإِنّي عَلى رَغمِ الأَعادي لَقائِلٌ

فَإِنّي عَلى رَغمِ الأَعادي لَقائِلٌ

وَجَدتُ خِيارَ الناسِ حَيَّ بَني بَدرِ

وَجَدتُ خِيارَ الناسِ حَيَّ بَني بَدرِ

For, in defiance of my enemies, I surely declare:

Yet despite the enemies, I will say

I found the finest people to be the clan of Banu Badr.

I found the best of people alive, sons of Badr

لَهُم حاضِرٌ بِالهَجمِ لَم أَرَ مِثلَهُم

لَهُم حاضِرٌ بِالهَجمِ لَم أَرَ مِثلَهُم

مِنَ الناسِ حَيّاً أَهلَ بَدوٍ وَلا حَضرِ

مِنَ الناسِ حَيّاً أَهلَ بَدوٍ وَلا حَضرِ

They have a settlement at al-Hajm; I have seen none like them

For them is a present with onslaught, none have I seen

among the tribes of men, nomadic or settled.

Among people, alive, nomad or settled, like them

وَخَيرُ مَعَدٍّ مَجلِساً مَجلِسٌ لَهُم

وَخَيرُ مَعَدٍّ مَجلِساً مَجلِسٌ لَهُم

يَفيءُ عَلَيهِ الظِلُّ مِن جانِبِ القَصرِ

يَفيءُ عَلَيهِ الظِلُّ مِن جانِبِ القَصرِ

And the finest gathering-place in Ma'add is theirs,

And the best tribe, sitting together, is theirs

over which the shade shifts from the palace's side.

Shade falls upon them from the palace side

أَخُصُّ بِها رَوقَي عُيَينَةَ إِنَّهُ

أَخُصُّ بِها رَوقَي عُيَينَةَ إِنَّهُ

كَذاكَ ضَحاحُ الماءِ يَأوي إِلى الغَمرِ

كَذاكَ ضَحاحُ الماءِ يَأوي إِلى الغَمرِ

I dedicate it especially to 'Uyaynah's two horns; indeed,

I care for it, I choose Uyaynah

so the water's shallows seek refuge in the deep.

Just as the sweetest water flows to the estuary

فَأَنتُم أَحَقُّ الناسِ أَن تَتَخَيَّروا ال

فَأَنتُم أَحَقُّ الناسِ أَن تَتَخَيَّروا ال

مِياهَ وَأَن تَرعَوا ذُرى البَلَدِ القَفرِ

مِياهَ وَأَن تَرعَوا ذُرى البَلَدِ القَفرِ

So you, of all people, are most entitled to choose the

So you are most deserving people to pick

waters, and to graze the heights of the desolate land.

Waters and pasture the land’s barren expanse

لَقَد سَبَقَت بِالمُخزِياتِ مُحارِبٌ

لَقَد سَبَقَت بِالمُخزِياتِ مُحارِبٌ

وَفازَت بِخَلّاتٍ عَلى قَومِها عَشرِ

وَفازَت بِخَلّاتٍ عَلى قَومِها عَشرِ

Muharib has indeed taken the lead in disgraceful deeds,

An enemy has surpassed in disgraces

and outdone its kinsfolk in ten traits.

And won wicked traits against her people, ten:

فَمِنهُنَّ أَن لَم تَعقِروا ذاتَ ذِروَةٍ

فَمِنهُنَّ أَن لَم تَعقِروا ذاتَ ذِروَةٍ

لِحَقٍّ إِذا ما إِحتيجَ يَوماً إِلى العَقرِ

لِحَقٍّ إِذا ما إِحتيجَ يَوماً إِلى العَقرِ

Among them: you never slaughtered a humped she-camel

Of them, that you never hamstrung a peaked

to fulfill a duty, whenever slaughter was needed.

Right, if one day hamstringing be needed

وَمِنهُنَّ أَن لَم تَمسَحوا عَرَبِيَّةً

وَمِنهُنَّ أَن لَم تَمسَحوا عَرَبِيَّةً

مِنَ الخَيلِ يَوماً تَحتَ جُلٍّ عَلى مُهرِ

مِنَ الخَيلِ يَوماً تَحتَ جُلٍّ عَلى مُهرِ

Another: you never stroked an Arabian mare

And of them, that you never marked an Arabian

among the horses, ever beneath a blanket, for a foal.

Horse one day, under a wound’s scab

وَمِنهُنَّ أَن لَم تَضرِبوا بِسُيوفِكُم

وَمِنهُنَّ أَن لَم تَضرِبوا بِسُيوفِكُم

جَماجِمَ إِلّا فَيشَلَ القُرَّحِ الحُمرِ

جَماجِمَ إِلّا فَيشَلَ القُرَّحِ الحُمرِ

Another: you never struck with your swords

And of them, that you never struck with your swords

any skulls—only the penises of full-grown asses.

Skulls unless the red wounds poured forth

وَمِنهُنَّ أَن كانَت شُيوخُ مُحارِبٍ

وَمِنهُنَّ أَن كانَت شُيوخُ مُحارِبٍ

كَما قَد عَلِمتُم لا تَريشُ وَلا تَبري

كَما قَد عَلِمتُم لا تَريشُ وَلا تَبري

Another: Muharib's elders were men who,

And of them, that the elders of an enemy

as you well know, neither fletched arrows nor whittled shafts.

Were, as you knew, neither feathered nor fleeced

وَمِنهُنَّ أُخزى سَوءَةٍ لَو ذَكَرتُها

وَمِنهُنَّ أُخزى سَوءَةٍ لَو ذَكَرتُها

لَكُنتُم عَبيداً تَخدُمونَ بَني وَبرِ

لَكُنتُم عَبيداً تَخدُمونَ بَني وَبرِ

Another is the most shameful disgrace; were I to mention it,

And of them, an appalling evil, if I mentioned it

you would be slaves serving Banu Wabr.

You would be slaves, serving the sons of rats

وَمِنهُنَّ أَنَّ الضَأنَ كانَت نِساءَكُم

وَمِنهُنَّ أَنَّ الضَأنَ كانَت نِساءَكُم

إِذا إِخضَرَّ أَطرافُ الثُمامِ مِنَ القَطرِ

إِذا إِخضَرَّ أَطرافُ الثُمامِ مِنَ القَطرِ

Another: sheep were your wives,

And of them, that your women were the sheep

when the tips of thumam grass grew green from rain.

When the thumam's edges greened from the rain

وَمِنهُنَّ أَن كانَت عَجوزُ مُحارِبٍ

وَمِنهُنَّ أَن كانَت عَجوزُ مُحارِبٍ

تُريغُ الصِبا تَحتَ الصَفيحِ مِنَ القَبرِ

تُريغُ الصِبا تَحتَ الصَفيحِ مِنَ القَبرِ

Another: Muharib's old woman was

And of them, that an old crone of the enemy

seeking youth beneath the stone slabs of the grave.

Would spill semen under the burial mound

وَمِنهُنَّ أَن لَو كانَ في البَحرِ بَعضُكُم

وَمِنهُنَّ أَن لَو كانَ في البَحرِ بَعضُكُم

لَخَبَّثَ ضاحي جِلدِهِ حَومَةَ البَحرِ

لَخَبَّثَ ضاحي جِلدِهِ حَومَةَ البَحرِ

Another: were any of you in the sea,

And of them, that if one of you were in the sea

his bare skin would surely foul the heart of the sea.

His groin would dirty the ocean's foam

إِذا حَلَّ جارٌ جانِباً في مُحارِبٍ

إِذا حَلَّ جارٌ جانِباً في مُحارِبٍ

وَجَسرٍ فَلا يُبشِر بِعِزٍّ وَلا نَصرِ

وَجَسرٍ فَلا يُبشِر بِعِزٍّ وَلا نَصرِ

If a protected neighbor settles in a quarter among Muharib

When a neighbor settled alongside an enemy

and Jasr, let him expect neither honor nor aid.

And bridge, he brings no honor or victory

فَدَفعُهُما عَنهُ إِذا ما تَحَدَّبا

فَدَفعُهُما عَنهُ إِذا ما تَحَدَّبا

وَجَدّا كَدَفعِ الأَسكَتَينِ عَنِ البَظرِ

وَجَدّا كَدَفعِ الأَسكَتَينِ عَنِ البَظرِ

For their defense of him, when both show concern

Pushing them away, when they leered

and exert themselves, is like the two labia protecting the clitoris.

Finding it like pushing aside two swollen vulvae

تَمَنّى اليَماني أَن يُفارِقَ رَأسَهُ

تَمَنّى اليَماني أَن يُفارِقَ رَأسَهُ

فَفارَقَهُ في غَيرِ حَمدٍ وَلا شُكرِ

فَفارَقَهُ في غَيرِ حَمدٍ وَلا شُكرِ

The Yemeni wished to part with his head;

The Yemeni wished to part from his head

so he parted with it, without praise or thanks.

So he parted it, without thanks or praise

وَعِندَ الفَزارِيِّ العِراقِيِّ عارِضٌ

وَعِندَ الفَزارِيِّ العِراقِيِّ عارِضٌ

كَأَنَّ عُيونَ القَومِ في نَبضَةِ الجَمرِ

كَأَنَّ عُيونَ القَومِ في نَبضَةِ الجَمرِ

And the Iraqi Fazari has a host looming like a cloud,

And the Iraqi has a contender

as though the people's eyes were in the pulsing glow of embers.

As if the people's eyes were in burning embers