أبَتْ عادةٌ للفتكِ خوفَ المخاوفِ

أبَتْ عادةٌ للفتكِ خوفَ المخاوفِ

وحاجةُ رُمحي في ملوكِ الطّوائِفِ

وحاجةُ رُمحي في ملوكِ الطّوائِفِ

A habit bent on slaughter rejects all fear of perils;

A habit of deadly assault has spurned fear of dangers,

my spear’s quarry is among the kings of the principalities.

as has my spear's business among the kings of the factions.

رحلنا من الأطْوادِ أطوادِ بالِسٍ

رحلنا من الأطْوادِ أطوادِ بالِسٍ

وتِلْكَ الهوى منّا وإنْ لم تُساعِفِ

وتِلْكَ الهوى منّا وإنْ لم تُساعِفِ

We journeyed from mountains—ourselves mountains of valor—

We departed from the mountains, the mountains of Balis,

such is our passion, though fate may not favor us.

and those have our love, though they did not favor us.

بخيلٍ جعلْنا زادَهُنّ وزادَنا

بخيلٍ جعلْنا زادَهُنّ وزادَنا

من الجريِ والإقْدامِ يومَ التسايِفِ

من الجريِ والإقْدامِ يومَ التسايِفِ

On horses whose provisions—and ours—we made

On horses whose sustenance and ours we made

consist of galloping and bold advance on the day swords cross.

of galloping and charging on the day of clashing swords.

عليهنَّ وثّابونَ فوقَ ظهورِها

عليهنَّ وثّابونَ فوقَ ظهورِها

إلى الموتِ ورّادُونَ حوضَ المَتالِفِ

إلى الموتِ ورّادُونَ حوضَ المَتالِفِ

Upon them are men quick to spring, high on their backs,

On them, atop their backs, are men who leap

seeking death and frequenting destruction’s watering-pool.

toward death, frequenters of the pool of destruction.

دَعوتُهُمُ ليْلاً فقاموا لدعوتي

دَعوتُهُمُ ليْلاً فقاموا لدعوتي

قيامَ صدورِ الأخضرِ المُتقاذِفِ

قيامَ صدورِ الأخضرِ المُتقاذِفِ

I called them by night, and they rose at my summons

I called them at night, so they rose to my call,

like the rising wave-crests of the tossing sea,

like the rising breasts of the green, tossing sea,

إلى كلِّ قِرْضابٍ من الضّربِ ناحلٍ

إلى كلِّ قِرْضابٍ من الضّربِ ناحلٍ

وكلِّ سنانٍ من دمِ القلبِ راعِفِ

وكلِّ سنانٍ من دمِ القلبِ راعِفِ

against every formidable champion, made gaunt by blows,

to every keen-edged sword worn thin by striking,

and every spearhead streaming with the heart’s blood.

and every spearpoint dripping with the heart's blood.

فما شِئْتَهُ من سافعٍ غيرِ مُلجَمٍ

فما شِئْتَهُ من سافعٍ غيرِ مُلجَمٍ

ومعتنقٍ للقرنِ غير مُسايِفِ

ومعتنقٍ للقرنِ غير مُسايِفِ

Whatever you wished was there: a fierce assailant, unbridled,

Then all you could wish for: a forelock-seizer without a bridle,

and one locked chest-to-chest with his match, not fencing with swords.

and one who embraces his foe without crossing swords.

عَرَفْتَ بني حواءَ قبلَ اختبارِهم

عَرَفْتَ بني حواءَ قبلَ اختبارِهم

ومن لكَ في هَذا الزّمانِ بِعارِفِ

ومن لكَ في هَذا الزّمانِ بِعارِفِ

I knew the children of Eve before ever testing them—

You knew Eve's sons before testing them;

and who, in this age, can you find who truly knows?

yet who can find you a discerning man in this age,

تريكَ الذي قد غابَ عنكَ ظَنونُهُ

تريكَ الذي قد غابَ عنكَ ظَنونُهُ

بحزمٍ لمستورِ المُغيَّبِ كاشِفِ

بحزمٍ لمستورِ المُغيَّبِ كاشِفِ

His surmises show you what has passed from your sight,

whose conjectures show you what has been hidden from you,

with firm resolve revealing what the unseen conceals.

with sound judgment that lays bare the veiled unseen?

وحيٍّ حُلولٍ بالمَزونِ يَروقُهم

وحيٍّ حُلولٍ بالمَزونِ يَروقُهم

حنينُ المَلاهي واصطخابُ المَعازِفِ

حنينُ المَلاهي واصطخابُ المَعازِفِ

A tribe dwelling in debauchery, delighted by

And many a clan settled in Mazun takes delight in

the plaintive strains of amusements and the din of instruments.

the plaintive strains of music and the clamor of instruments.

تَرى الهولَ يومَ الرّوعِ من فتكاتهم

تَرى الهولَ يومَ الرّوعِ من فتكاتهم

إذا قَرّعوا أفراسَهُمْ بالمَجازِفِ

إذا قَرّعوا أفراسَهُمْ بالمَجازِفِ

On the day of alarm, you see horror itself in their assaults,

You see horror on the day of terror in their deadly assaults,

when they drive their mares headlong into hazards.

when they beat their horses with oars.

ألِكْني إلى حيِّ الأراقِمِ إنّني

ألِكْني إلى حيِّ الأراقِمِ إنّني

أرى فَخرَهُمْ في الناسِ إحدى الطّرائِفِ

أرى فَخرَهُمْ في الناسِ إحدى الطّرائِفِ

Bear this message of mine to the people of Iraq: indeed,

Carry my message to the clan of the Araqim, for I

I count their pride among mankind’s curiosities.

find their boasting among men one of the curiosities.

أنَخْنا فَحيّوا بالسّبابِ وحرَّشوا

أنَخْنا فَحيّوا بالسّبابِ وحرَّشوا

لنا كلَّ كلبٍ بالعَراقيبِ عارِفِ

لنا كلَّ كلبٍ بالعَراقيبِ عارِفِ

We made camp; they greeted us with abuse and incited

We made our camels kneel; they greeted us with abuse and set

against us every cur skilled at hamstringing.

on us every dog well acquainted with hocks.

وما ظَلَموا الأوْداجَ ظلمَ ضُيوفِهم

وما ظَلَموا الأوْداجَ ظلمَ ضُيوفِهم

ولا بَذَلوا الأموالَ بذلَ الرّوادِفِ

ولا بَذَلوا الأموالَ بذلَ الرّوادِفِ

Never did they slash jugulars as cruelly as they wronged their guests,

And they did not wrong jugular veins as they wronged their guests,

nor lavish wealth as freely as they offered up their backsides.

nor did they give away wealth as freely as they offered their backsides.

أبعدَ الذي أمْسى بحرّانَ قَبْرُهُ

أبعدَ الذي أمْسى بحرّانَ قَبْرُهُ

تُصافِحُه أيْدي الرياحِ العَواصِفِ

تُصافِحُه أيْدي الرياحِ العَواصِفِ

After him whose grave now lies in Harran,

After him whose grave now lies in Harran,

clasped by the hands of tempestuous winds,

clasped by the hands of raging winds?

هَوَتْ أُمُّهم يومَ استقلَّ مُودِّعاً

هَوَتْ أُمُّهم يومَ استقلَّ مُودِّعاً

على النّعشِ ماذا أدْرَجوا في اللّفائِفِ

على النّعشِ ماذا أدْرَجوا في اللّفائِفِ

their peoples fell, the day he set forth in farewell,

May their mother perish! On the day he departed, bidding farewell

borne on the bier. What was it they wrapped in the shrouds?

upon the bier—what did they enfold in the shrouds!

لقد دَفَنوا روحَ النّدى ويَدَ الرّدى

لقد دَفَنوا روحَ النّدى ويَدَ الرّدى

ومُنيةَ مأمولٍ وعِصمةَ خائِفِ

ومُنيةَ مأمولٍ وعِصمةَ خائِفِ

They buried the very soul of bounty and the hand that dealt death,

Indeed, they buried the soul of generosity and the hand of death,

the heart’s desire of those whose hopes rested in him, and the fearful one’s refuge.

and the wish of one on whom hopes rest, and the refuge of one who fears.