يا يومه ما كان اشبه يومه

يا يومه ما كان اشبه يومه

صبحا بيوم كليِّب المفضال

صبحا بيوم كليِّب المفضال

Alas for his day! How similar his day was,

O day that was not like any other day

At dawn, to the day of generous Kulayb!

Morning was like the day of Khalid the Preferred

فلقد اعاد مهلهلا وقبيله

فلقد اعاد مهلهلا وقبيله

ملء الفجاج من الزمان الخالي

ملء الفجاج من الزمان الخالي

For it brought back Muhalhil and his tribe,

For he returned Mahalhal and his tribe

Filling the mountain passes, out of bygone time.

Filling the valleys from the empty time

هتف النعي بواحد فكأنما

هتف النعي بواحد فكأنما

فقدوا به جيلا من الاجيال

فقدوا به جيلا من الاجيال

The death-herald cried out for one man, yet it seemed

Proclaiming the death of one as if

They had lost, in him, an entire generation.

They lost through him a generation of generations

الباعث الخيل المغيرة شزَّباً

الباعث الخيل المغيرة شزَّباً

مدميَّة اللبات لا الاكفال

مدميَّة اللبات لا الاكفال

He who sent the raiding horses forth, lean,

The one who launched cavalry making them dusty

Their breasts bloodied, not their rumps;

With bloodied flanks, not shoulders

والقائل الاقوال لا متجمجا

والقائل الاقوال لا متجمجا

والمتبع الاقوال بالافعال

والمتبع الاقوال بالافعال

And spoke his words without stammering,

And the one who said words straightforwardly

And followed his words with deeds;

And followed words with deeds

ومقرَّا قد زلزلته صواعق ال

ومقرَّا قد زلزلته صواعق ال

أبطال حين تصادم الابطال

أبطال حين تصادم الابطال

And a steadfast warrior, rocked by the thunderbolts of the

And the sheltered one whom lightning bolts of

Heroes, when heroes clashed.

Heroes shook when heroes collided

لو ناضلوه لفاتهم متنمَّرا

لو ناضلوه لفاتهم متنمَّرا

انّ الرجال شعارها بنضال

انّ الرجال شعارها بنضال

Had they fought him, he would have outmatched them, fierce as a leopard;

Had they fought with him adorned they would have missed him

Indeed, men's badge is combat.

Verily men's motto is through struggle

ولردّهم في صدر كل مقوَّم

ولردّهم في صدر كل مقوَّم

طعنا كما اندقَّ السقا بعزال

طعنا كما اندقَّ السقا بعزال

And he would have driven them back on each straight spear's point,

And to return them in the chest of every wrongdoer

With thrusts, like a waterskin split at its spout.

A stab as spears pierced resolutely

الطاعن الطعن الدراك وتلوه

الطاعن الطعن الدراك وتلوه

ضربٌ يعثِّر اولاً بالتالي

ضربٌ يعثِّر اولاً بالتالي

He who thrust blow upon blow, followed by

The stabber stabbing quickly then

A stroke that fells the first with the next;

A blow follows that trips the next

والموصول الضرب الطلحف بمثله

والموصول الضرب الطلحف بمثله

ضرباً يلاقي الهام بالاوصال

ضرباً يلاقي الهام بالاوصال

And whose crushing blows were joined to others like them,

And the connected blow, the armor with the like

Blows that brought heads together with limbs.

A blow that meets the helmet with joints

رئبال غاب نازع من اجمة

رئبال غاب نازع من اجمة

من ذا يمرُّ باجمة الرئبال

من ذا يمرُّ باجمة الرئبال

A forest lion, emerging from a thicket—

A lion disappeared, snatched from the valley

Who would pass through the lion's thicket?

Who can pass through the valley of lions?

يتعسف الموماة ينشق ريحها

يتعسف الموماة ينشق ريحها

قوتا ويشرب من غدير الآل

قوتا ويشرب من غدير الآل

He crosses the trackless waste, breathing in its wind

Forcing the terrified, his scent splits them

As sustenance, and drinks from the mirage's pool.

With strength and he drinks from the valley's pond

قد حلَّ بعدك كور كل مطية

قد حلَّ بعدك كور كل مطية

واعيض مقودها بشد عقال

واعيض مقودها بشد عقال

With you gone, every mount's saddle has been unfastened,

After you the saddle of every mare leaned

And its rein exchanged for a firmly tied hobble.

And its reins pulled hard

يا عولة العرب التي من بعده

يا عولة العرب التي من بعده

ملأت عليه الدهر بالاعوال

ملأت عليه الدهر بالاعوال

O the Arabs' wailing, which, after him,

O pillar of the Arabs none after him

Filled all time with lamentation over him!

Filled the ages with pillars like him

يا صفقةً لقبيلة مذحولة

يا صفقةً لقبيلة مذحولة

صفقت يميناً بعده بشمال

صفقت يميناً بعده بشمال

O the handclap of a tribe with blood to avenge,

O a deal for a swindled tribe

That struck right hand against left after him!

That shook right hands after him with left hands

فتبادرت طلق الاسنة والظبي

فتبادرت طلق الاسنة والظبي

حر الصدور طوالب الاذحال

حر الصدور طوالب الاذحال

Then the unleashed spearheads and sword-blades raced

So the pure tongues and antelope-like chests hastened

Toward the hearts within breasts, seeking blood-revenge.

The brave hearts, the long, twisted necks

شرّاب اعمار العدى اكالها

شرّاب اعمار العدى اكالها

واها لشرّاب العدى الأكال

واها لشرّاب العدى الأكال

A drinker of enemies' lives, a devourer of them—

Drinker of the enemies' ages who ate them

Ah, for the drinker of foes, the devourer!

Alas for the drinker of enemies, the glutton

حسب معمّ في العشيرة مخول

حسب معمّ في العشيرة مخول

لمخلص الاعمام والاخوال

لمخلص الاعمام والاخوال

An honored line, with noble paternal and maternal uncles within the clan,

Enough glory for a tribe delegated

For one whose paternal and maternal uncles were of pure stock.

To the protector of uncles and cousins

ويداً اذا اختصرت اطالت في الورى

ويداً اذا اختصرت اطالت في الورى

اماً بطَول عمَّ او بنوال

اماً بطَول عمَّ او بنوال

And a hand that, even when shortened, reached far among mankind,

And a hand when shortened in the world

Either through bounty embracing all, or through gifts.

Lengthened for a nation through valor or grace

امخاطر الغمرات بالغمرات بل

امخاطر الغمرات بالغمرات بل

ومقابل الاهوال بالاهوال

ومقابل الاهوال بالاهوال

O you who brave perils with perils—nay,

Playing with perils through perils, and

And confront terrors with terrors!

Meeting terrors with terrors