يا دارَ ماوِيَّةَ بِالحائِلِ

يا دارَ ماوِيَّةَ بِالحائِلِ

فَالسُهبِ فَالخَبتَينِ مِن عاقِلِ

فَالسُهبِ فَالخَبتَينِ مِن عاقِلِ

O dwelling of Mawiyya at al-Ha'il,

O house in Mawiyya, in Al-Hail,

Then al-Suhb, then al-Khabtayn, in 'Aqil:

Surrounded by plains and Khabtain hill,

صُمَّ صَداها وَعَفا رَسمُها

صُمَّ صَداها وَعَفا رَسمُها

وَاِستَعجَمَت عَن مَنطِقِ السائِلِ

وَاِستَعجَمَت عَن مَنطِقِ السائِلِ

Its echo has gone deaf, and its traces have faded,

It is silent, its traces have vanished,

And it has grown mute to the questioner's words.

And it no longer speaks to the questioner.

قولا لِدودانَ عَبيدِ العَصا

قولا لِدودانَ عَبيدِ العَصا

ما غَرَّكُم بِالأَسَدِ الباسِلِ

ما غَرَّكُم بِالأَسَدِ الباسِلِ

You two, tell Dudan, slaves of the rod:

Say to the worms, servants of the stick:

What deluded you about the fearless lion?

Why did the valiant lion enthral you?

قَد قَرَّتِ العَينانِ مِن مالِكٍ

قَد قَرَّتِ العَينانِ مِن مالِكٍ

وَمِن بَني عَمروٍ وَمِن كاهِلِ

وَمِن بَني عَمروٍ وَمِن كاهِلِ

My two eyes have indeed been gladdened by Malik,

My eyes have been soothed by Malik

And by the sons of 'Amr, and by Kahil,

And the clans of Amr, and Kahil,

وَمِن بَني غَنمِ بنِ دودانَ إِذ

وَمِن بَني غَنمِ بنِ دودانَ إِذ

نَقذِفُ أَعلاهُم عَلى السافِلِ

نَقذِفُ أَعلاهُم عَلى السافِلِ

And by the sons of Ghanm ibn Dudan, when

And the clan of Ghanam son of Dudan when

We hurled their uppermost down upon the lowermost.

We hurl their chiefs down on the lowly.

نَطعُنُهُم سُلكى وَمَخلوجَةً

نَطعُنُهُم سُلكى وَمَخلوجَةً

كَرَّكَ لَأمَينِ عَلى نابِلِ

كَرَّكَ لَأمَينِ عَلى نابِلِ

We pierced them with straight and sideways thrusts,

We stab them with thin, fine spears,

As you send two well-fletched arrows back to an archer,

As the swift she-camel stabs the roebuck.

إِذ هُنَّ أَقساطٌ كَرِجلِ الدَبى

إِذ هُنَّ أَقساطٌ كَرِجلِ الدَبى

أَو كَقَطا كاظِمَةَ الناهِلِ

أَو كَقَطا كاظِمَةَ الناهِلِ

When they were in bands like a swarm of young locusts,

They were like slices of the hyena's foot,

Or like the sandgrouse of Kazima, coming to drink,

Or a wild cat gulping its drink greedily,

حَتّى تَرَكناهُم لَدى مَعرَكِ

حَتّى تَرَكناهُم لَدى مَعرَكِ

أَرجُلِهِم كَالخَشَبِ الشائِلِ

أَرجُلِهِم كَالخَشَبِ الشائِلِ

Until we left them on a battlefield,

Until we left them in the midst of battle,

Their legs like timbers sticking up.

Their feet like shifting sand.

حَلَّت لِيَ الخَمرُ وَكُنتُ اِمرَأً

حَلَّت لِيَ الخَمرُ وَكُنتُ اِمرَأً

عَن شُربِها في شُغُلٍ شاغِلِ

عَن شُربِها في شُغُلٍ شاغِلِ

Wine has become lawful for me, though I was a man

Wine was made lawful for me, and I was a man

Kept from drinking it by all-consuming concerns.

Too busy to drink it.

فَاليَومَ أُسقى غَيرَ مُستَحقِبٍ

فَاليَومَ أُسقى غَيرَ مُستَحقِبٍ

إِثماً مِنَ اللَهِ وَلا واغِلِ

إِثماً مِنَ اللَهِ وَلا واغِلِ

So today I am served wine, neither bearing

Today I will drink without sin

Sin before God nor drinking as an uninvited guest.

From God, and without blame.