بَكَرَ الأَميرُ لِغُربَةٍ وَتَنائي

بَكَرَ الأَميرُ لِغُربَةٍ وَتَنائي

فَلَقَد نَسيتُ بِرامَتَينِ عَزائي

فَلَقَد نَسيتُ بِرامَتَينِ عَزائي

The prince set out early for foreign lands and separation.

The prince wept for estrangement and separation

For at Ramatayn I have indeed forgotten my consolation.

I have indeed forgotten my two quivers of consolation

إِنَّ الأَميرَ بِذي طُلوحٍ لَم يُبَل

إِنَّ الأَميرَ بِذي طُلوحٍ لَم يُبَل

صَدعَ الفُؤادِ وَزَفرَةَ الصُعَداءِ

صَدعَ الفُؤادِ وَزَفرَةَ الصُعَداءِ

Indeed, the prince at Dhu Tuluh paid no heed

Verily the prince in Thuluh is unharmed

To the heart's fracture and the long, deep sigh.

It split the heart and sigh of ruggedness

قَلبي حَياتي بِالحِسانِ مُكَلَّفٌ

قَلبي حَياتي بِالحِسانِ مُكَلَّفٌ

وَيُحِبُّهُنَّ صَدايَ في الأَصداءِ

وَيُحِبُّهُنَّ صَدايَ في الأَصداءِ

All my life, my heart is enamored of beautiful women,

My heart, my life is obligated with goodness

And my shade loves them among the shades of the dead.

And it loves them, my echo in the echoes

إِنّي وَجَدتُ بِهِنَّ وَجدَ مُرَقِّشٍ

إِنّي وَجَدتُ بِهِنَّ وَجدَ مُرَقِّشٍ

ما بَعضُ حاجَتِهِنَّ غَيرُ عَناءِ

ما بَعضُ حاجَتِهِنَّ غَيرُ عَناءِ

Indeed, I have felt for them the passion of Muraqqish.

I found in them a find of embroidered

Even part of their demands is nothing but distress.

Some of their needs are nothing but toil

وَلَقَد وَجَدتُ وِصالَهُنَّ تَخَلُّباً

وَلَقَد وَجَدتُ وِصالَهُنَّ تَخَلُّباً

كَالظِلِّ حينَ يَفيءُ لِلأَفياءِ

كَالظِلِّ حينَ يَفيءُ لِلأَفياءِ

And I have indeed found their union a deceptive lure,

And I found their company a lurking

Like shade as it returns to the afternoon shadows.

Like a shadow when it returns to the burrows

بِالأَعزَلَينِ عَرَفتُ مِنها مَنزِلاً

بِالأَعزَلَينِ عَرَفتُ مِنها مَنزِلاً

وَمَنازِلاً بِقُشاوَةِ الخَرجاءِ

وَمَنازِلاً بِقُشاوَةِ الخَرجاءِ

At al-A'zalayn I recognized a dwelling of hers,

With the weaponless I knew from it a dwelling

And dwellings at Qushawat al-Kharja'.

And dwellings in the ruggedness of the wasteland

أَقري الهُمومَ إِذا سَرَت عيدِيَّةٍ

أَقري الهُمومَ إِذا سَرَت عيدِيَّةٍ

يُرحَلنَ حَيثُ مَواضِعُ الأَحناءِ

يُرحَلنَ حَيثُ مَواضِعُ الأَحناءِ

When cares come by night, I entertain them with 'Idi camels,

Settle the worries if the camel drivers traveled

Saddled where the saddle-bows rest.

They migrate where places of moaning are

وَإِذا بَدا عَلَمُ الفَلاةِ طَلَبنَهُ

وَإِذا بَدا عَلَمُ الفَلاةِ طَلَبنَهُ

عَمِقُ الفِجاجِ مُنَطَّقٌ بِعَماءِ

عَمِقُ الفِجاجِ مُنَطَّقٌ بِعَماءِ

And when a desert landmark appears, they make for it,

And if the sign of wilderness appeared they sought it

With deep ravines, girdled in cloud.

The depth of canyons girded with blindness

يَردُدنَ إِذ لَحِقَ الثَمايِلَ مَرَّةً

يَردُدنَ إِذ لَحِقَ الثَمايِلَ مَرَّةً

وَيَخِدنَ وَخدَ زَمائِمِ الحِزباءِ

وَيَخِدنَ وَخدَ زَمائِمِ الحِزباءِ

They turn back for a spell when their last reserves dwindle,

They echo when the water bags attached

And stride swiftly like the camel herds of al-Hizba'.

And they flirt with the cheek of potent she-camels

داوَيتَ بِالقَطِرانِ عَرَّ جُلودِهِم

داوَيتَ بِالقَطِرانِ عَرَّ جُلودِهِم

حَتّى بَرَأنَ وَكُنَّ غَيرَ بِراءِ

حَتّى بَرَأنَ وَكُنَّ غَيرَ بِراءِ

You treated the mange of their skins with tar,

You cured with tar the mange of their skin

Until they healed, though they had not been sound.

Until they recovered and were no longer sick

قَرَّنتُهُم فَتَقَطَّعَت أَنفاسُهُم

قَرَّنتُهُم فَتَقَطَّعَت أَنفاسُهُم

وَيُبَصبِصونَ إِذا رَفَعتُ حُدائي

وَيُبَصبِصونَ إِذا رَفَعتُ حُدائي

I yoked them together, and their breath came in gasps,

I harnessed them so their breath was cut off

And they wag their tails when I raise my camel-driving chant.

And they gawk when I raise my voice

وَالمُجرِمونَ إِذا أَرَدتَ عِقابَهُم

وَالمُجرِمونَ إِذا أَرَدتَ عِقابَهُم

بارَزتَهُم وَتَرَكتَ كُلَّ ضَراءِ

بارَزتَهُم وَتَرَكتَ كُلَّ ضَراءِ

And the guilty, when you wish to punish them,

And the criminals when you wanted to punish them

You face them openly, abandoning all concealment.

You challenged them and left behind every harm

خَزِيَ الفَرَزدَقُ وَالأُخَيطِلُ قَبلَهُ

خَزِيَ الفَرَزدَقُ وَالأُخَيطِلُ قَبلَهُ

وَالبارِقِيُّ وَراكِبُ القَصواءِ

وَالبارِقِيُّ وَراكِبُ القَصواءِ

Al-Farazdaq was disgraced, and al-Ukhaytil before him,

Khuzaymah and Al-Akhṭal before him were disgraced

And al-Bariqi, and the rider of al-Qaswa'.

And Al-Bāriqī and the rider of fleet-footed camel

وَلَأَعوَرَي نَبهانَ كَأسٌ مُرَّةٌ

وَلَأَعوَرَي نَبهانَ كَأسٌ مُرَّةٌ

وَلِتَيمِ بَرزَةَ قَد قَضَيتُ قَضائي

وَلِتَيمِ بَرزَةَ قَد قَضَيتُ قَضائي

And for the two one-eyed men of Nabhan, a bitter cup;

And for one-eyed Nabhān a bitter cup

And on Taym of Barza I have indeed pronounced my judgment.

And for Taym of Barzah I have made my judgement

وَلَقَد تَرَكتُ أَباكَ يا اِبنَ مُسَحَّبٍ

وَلَقَد تَرَكتُ أَباكَ يا اِبنَ مُسَحَّبٍ

حَطِمَ القَوائِمِ دامِيَ السيساءِ

حَطِمَ القَوائِمِ دامِيَ السيساءِ

And I have indeed left your father, O son of Musahhab,

And I left your father, O son of Mushaḥḥab

With shattered legs and a bloodied spine.

Who broke legs, lasting in travel

وَالمُستَنيرَ أَجيرَ بَرزَةَ عائِذاً

وَالمُستَنيرَ أَجيرَ بَرزَةَ عائِذاً

أَمسى بِأَلأَمِ مَنزِلِ الأَحياءِ

أَمسى بِأَلأَمِ مَنزِلِ الأَحياءِ

And al-Mustanir, Barza's hireling, seeking refuge—

And Al-Mustanīr hired Barzah for protection

By evening he was in the basest dwelling among the tribes.

He spent the night in the pain of the living's dwelling

وَبَنو البَعيثِ ذَكَرتُ حُمرَةَ أُمِّهِم

وَبَنو البَعيثِ ذَكَرتُ حُمرَةَ أُمِّهِم

فَشَفَيتُ نَفسي مِن بَني الحَمراءِ

فَشَفَيتُ نَفسي مِن بَني الحَمراءِ

As for al-Ba'ith's sons, I mentioned their mother's red complexion,

And Banū Al-Ba‘īth I mentioned the redness of their mother

And so healed my soul at the red woman's sons' expense.

I quenched myself from the children of the red woman

فَسَلِ الَّذينَ قَذَفتُ كَيفَ وَجَدتُمُ

فَسَلِ الَّذينَ قَذَفتُ كَيفَ وَجَدتُمُ

بُعدَ المَدى وَتَقاذُفَ الأَرجاءِ

بُعدَ المَدى وَتَقاذُفَ الأَرجاءِ

So ask those I hurled away: 'How did you find

So ask those whom I pelted, how did you find

The far distance and the far-flung reaches?'

The distance of range and exchange of plains

فَاِركُض قُفَيرَةَ يا فَرَزدَقُ جاهِداً

فَاِركُض قُفَيرَةَ يا فَرَزدَقُ جاهِداً

وَاِسأَل قُفَيرَةَ كَيفَ كانَ جِرائي

وَاِسأَل قُفَيرَةَ كَيفَ كانَ جِرائي

So spur Qufayra, Farazdaq, with all your might,

So sprint, O Farazdaq, striving

And ask Qufayra what my racing was like.

And ask Qufayrah how my assault was

وُجِدَت قُفَيرَةَ لا تَجوزُ سِهامُها

وُجِدَت قُفَيرَةَ لا تَجوزُ سِهامُها

في المُسلِمينَ لَئيمَةَ الآباءِ

في المُسلِمينَ لَئيمَةَ الآباءِ

Qufayra was found to have no valid shares

Qufayrah was found whose arrows do not exceed

Among the Muslims, being base in ancestry.

Among the Muslims, evil of manners

عَبدُ العَزيزِ هُوَ الأَغَرُّ نَما بِهِ

عَبدُ العَزيزِ هُوَ الأَغَرُّ نَما بِهِ

عيصٌ تَفَرَّعَ مُعظَمَ البَطحاءِ

عيصٌ تَفَرَّعَ مُعظَمَ البَطحاءِ

Abd al-Aziz is the radiant one, borne upward by

Abdul Aziz, it is the most courageous it contained

A stock whose branches spread across the heart of al-Batha'.

A twisting viper that dominated the plain

فَلَكَ البَلاطُ مِنَ المَدينَةِ كُلِّها

فَلَكَ البَلاطُ مِنَ المَدينَةِ كُلِّها

وَالأَبطَحُ الغَربِيُّ عِندَ حِراءِ

وَالأَبطَحُ الغَربِيُّ عِندَ حِراءِ

Of all Medina, al-Balat is yours,

So for you is the palace from all of Medina

And western al-Abtah, beside Hira'.

And the west yard at Ḥirā’

أَنجَحتَ حاجَتَنا الَّتي جِئنا لَها

أَنجَحتَ حاجَتَنا الَّتي جِئنا لَها

وَكَفَيتَ حاجَةَ مَن تَرَكتُ وَرائي

وَكَفَيتَ حاجَةَ مَن تَرَكتُ وَرائي

You fulfilled our need, for which we came,

You fulfilled our purpose for which we came

And met the need of those I left behind.

And sufficed the purpose of those I left behind

لَحَفَ الدَخيلُ قَطائِفاً وَمَطارِفاً

لَحَفَ الدَخيلُ قَطائِفاً وَمَطارِفاً

وَقَرى السَديفَ عَشِيَّةَ العُرواءِ

وَقَرى السَديفَ عَشِيَّةَ العُرواءِ

The guest was clothed in plush blankets and bordered cloaks,

Al-Dakhīl circled shields and lances

And served camel-hump fat on an evening of shivering cold.

And the abodes of Sadīf at dusk of bareness