أَتَنسى دارَتي هَضَباتِ غَولٍ

أَتَنسى دارَتي هَضَباتِ غَولٍ

وَإِذ وادي ضَرِيَّةَ خَيرُ وادي

وَإِذ وادي ضَرِيَّةَ خَيرُ وادي

Do you forget the two hollows among Ghawl's hills,

Do you forget my homeland, plateaus of Ghawl,

And when Dariyya's valley was the finest valley?

And when the valley of Dhariyah is the best valley,

وَعاذِلَةٍ تَلومُ فَقُلتُ مَهلاً

وَعاذِلَةٍ تَلومُ فَقُلتُ مَهلاً

فَلا جَوري عَلَيكِ وَلا اِقتِصادي

فَلا جَوري عَلَيكِ وَلا اِقتِصادي

And many a woman reproached me; I said, 'Gently!

And a blamer blames me, so I said: wait,

Neither my excess nor my moderation concerns you.'

I have no injustice upon you, nor stinginess.

فَلَيتَ العاذِلاتِ يَدَعنَ لَومي

فَلَيتَ العاذِلاتِ يَدَعنَ لَومي

وَلَيتَ الهَمَّ قَد تَرَكَ اِعتِيادي

وَلَيتَ الهَمَّ قَد تَرَكَ اِعتِيادي

If only the reproaching women would cease blaming me,

If only the blamers would stop blaming me,

And if only sorrow had ceased revisiting me.

And if only worries would stop haunting me,

نَرى شِرباً لَهُ شُرُعٌ عِذابٌ

نَرى شِرباً لَهُ شُرُعٌ عِذابٌ

فَنُمنَعُ وَالقُلوبُ لَهُ صَوادي

فَنُمنَعُ وَالقُلوبُ لَهُ صَوادي

We see water to drink, its watering-places sweet,

We see a drink that has a law, a torture,

Yet we are denied it, while our hearts thirst for it.

So we are deprived while hearts are its hunters.

قَليلٌ ما يَنالُكَ مِن سُلَيمى

قَليلٌ ما يَنالُكَ مِن سُلَيمى

عَلى طولِ التَقارُبِ وَالبِعادِ

عَلى طولِ التَقارُبِ وَالبِعادِ

Little reaches you from Sulayma,

Little of Sulayma comes your way,

Despite long closeness and separation.

Despite the closeness and distance.

خَصَيتُ مُجاشِعاً وَشَدَدتُ وَطئي

خَصَيتُ مُجاشِعاً وَشَدَدتُ وَطئي

عَلى أَعناقِ تَغلِبَ وَاِعتِمادي

عَلى أَعناقِ تَغلِبَ وَاِعتِمادي

I castrated Mujashi', and pressed my foot down hard

I was determined and steadfast,

Upon Taghlib's necks, bearing down with my weight.

Upon the necks of Taghlib and relying.

وَما رامَ الأُخَيطِلُ مِن صَفاتي

وَما رامَ الأُخَيطِلُ مِن صَفاتي

وَقَد صَدَّعتُ صَخرَةَ مَن أُرادي

وَقَد صَدَّعتُ صَخرَةَ مَن أُرادي

Al-Ukhaytil has made no headway against my rock,

Al-Ukhaydir did not intend my qualities,

While I have shattered the rock of whoever I fight.

When I shattered the rock of whoever I wanted.

أَتَحكُمُ لِلقُيونِ كَذَبتَ إِنّا

أَتَحكُمُ لِلقُيونِ كَذَبتَ إِنّا

وَرِثنا المَجدَ قَبلَ تُراثِ عادِ

وَرِثنا المَجدَ قَبلَ تُراثِ عادِ

Do you rule for the smiths? You lie! Indeed, we

Do you judge for Qays you lied, we

Inherited glory before the legacy of 'Ad.

Inherited glory before the inheritance of 'Aad.

وَيَربوعٌ فَوارِسُ غَيرُ مَيلٍ

وَيَربوعٌ فَوارِسُ غَيرُ مَيلٍ

إِذا وَقَفَ الجَبانُ عَنِ الطِرادِ

إِذا وَقَفَ الجَبانُ عَنِ الطِرادِ

And Yarbu' are horsemen who never waver,

And Yarbou' is a horseman not inclined,

When the coward hangs back from mounted combat.

When the coward refrains from the chase.

فَما شُهِدَ القُيونُ غَداةَ رُعنا

فَما شُهِدَ القُيونُ غَداةَ رُعنا

بَني ذُهلٍ وَحَيَّ بَني مَصادِ

بَني ذُهلٍ وَحَيَّ بَني مَصادِ

The smiths were not seen the morning we terrified

Qays did not witness us the morning after we startled,

Banu Dhuhl and the clan of Banu Masad.

The clan of Duhl and the alive clan of Masad.

وَقَد رُعنا فَوارِسَ آلِ بِشرٍ

وَقَد رُعنا فَوارِسَ آلِ بِشرٍ

بِذاتِ الشيحِ مِن طُرُقِ الإِيادِ

بِذاتِ الشيحِ مِن طُرُقِ الإِيادِ

And we terrified the horsemen of Bishr's house,

And we startled the horsemen of Bishr

At Dhat al-Shih, among the paths of al-Iyad.

At Dhat al-Shaykh from the roads of Eeyad.

عَنا فينا الهُذَيلُ فَما عَطَفتُم

عَنا فينا الهُذَيلُ فَما عَطَفتُم

بِحامٍ يَومَ ذاكَ وَلا مُفادِ

بِحامٍ يَومَ ذاكَ وَلا مُفادِ

Al-Hudhayl was captive among us, yet you did not rally

Hudhayl disliked us, so you did not

With a defender that day, nor anyone to ransom him.

Incline with a protector that day, nor a refuge.

يُمارِسُ غُلَّ أَسمَرَ سَمهَرِيٍّ

يُمارِسُ غُلَّ أَسمَرَ سَمهَرِيٍّ

قَصيرَ الخَطوِ مُختَضِعَ القِيادِ

قَصيرَ الخَطوِ مُختَضِعَ القِيادِ

He struggles with the shackle of a brown Samhari spear,

He rides a brown stallion, short step,

Taking short steps, submissive to the rein.

Humble lead, compact built.

وَما رَهطُ الأُخَيطِلِ إِذ دَعاهُم

وَما رَهطُ الأُخَيطِلِ إِذ دَعاهُم

بِغُرٍّ بِالعَشِيِّ وَلا جِعادِ

بِغُرٍّ بِالعَشِيِّ وَلا جِعادِ

And al-Ukhaytil's clansmen, when he called them,

And not the people of Ukhaydir when they called them

Were neither bright-browed at evening nor curly-haired.

At Ghurr in the evening, not even remains.

يَنامُ التَغلِبِيُّ وَما يُصَلّي

يَنامُ التَغلِبِيُّ وَما يُصَلّي

وَيُضحي غَيرَ مُرتَفِعِ الوِسادِ

وَيُضحي غَيرَ مُرتَفِعِ الوِسادِ

The Taghlibi sleeps and does not pray,

The Taghlibi sleeps and does not pray,

And spends the morning with his pillow unraised.

And sacrifices without raising his pillow.

أُناسٌ يَنبُتونَ بِشَرِّ بَذرٍ

أُناسٌ يَنبُتونَ بِشَرِّ بَذرٍ

وَبَذرُ السوءِ يوجَدُ في الحَصادِ

وَبَذرُ السوءِ يوجَدُ في الحَصادِ

A people sprouting from the worst seed,

They are people who grow from bad seeds,

And bad seed is found in the harvest.

And the seeds of evil are found in the harvest.