أَرى العيرَ تُحدى بَينَ قَوٍّ وَضارِجٍ

أَرى العيرَ تُحدى بَينَ قَوٍّ وَضارِجٍ

كَما زالَ في الصُبحِ الأَشاءُ الحَوامِلُ

كَما زالَ في الصُبحِ الأَشاءُ الحَوامِلُ

I see the caravan driven between Qaww and Darij,

I see the caravan defying between a strong and swift one

Like fruit-laden young palms swaying in the morning.

As the pregnant she-camels disappeared in the morning

نَظَرتُ عَلى فَوتٍ ضُحَيّاً وَعَبرَتي

نَظَرتُ عَلى فَوتٍ ضُحَيّاً وَعَبرَتي

لَها مِن وَكيفِ الرَأسِ رَشٌّ وَواشِلُ

لَها مِن وَكيفِ الرَأسِ رَشٌّ وَواشِلُ

I watched from afar at midmorning, and my tears

I looked upon them in the forenoon and my tears flowed

Fell from my dripping head in sprays and trickles.

For their swaying heads dripping and wet

فَتَبَّعتُهُم عَينَيَّ حَتّى تَفَرَّقَت

فَتَبَّعتُهُم عَينَيَّ حَتّى تَفَرَّقَت

مَعَ اللَيلِ عَن ساقِ الفَريدِ الحَمائِلُ

مَعَ اللَيلِ عَن ساقِ الفَريدِ الحَمائِلُ

So I followed them with my eyes until they dispersed—

I followed them with my eyes until they dispersed

At nightfall, the laden camels parting from al-Farid's foot.

In the night from the leg of the singular camel

فَلَأياً قَصَرتُ الطَرفَ عَنهُم بِجَسرَةٍ

فَلَأياً قَصَرتُ الطَرفَ عَنهُم بِجَسرَةٍ

ذَمولٍ إِذا واكَلتُها لا تُواكِلُ

ذَمولٍ إِذا واكَلتُها لا تُواكِلُ

Only with difficulty did I turn my gaze from them, on a sturdy she-camel,

Whenever I shortened my gaze from them resentfully

Brisk-trotting: when I leave her to herself, she never slackens.

With a rope when entrusted does not reciprocate trust

صَموتِ السُرى عَيرانَةٍ ذاتِ مَنسَمٍ

صَموتِ السُرى عَيرانَةٍ ذاتِ مَنسَمٍ

نَكيبِ الصُوى تَرفَضُّ عَنهُ الجَنادِلُ

نَكيبِ الصُوى تَرفَضُّ عَنهُ الجَنادِلُ

Silent on night journeys, strong as a wild ass, with a hoof

Silent she-camels of a caravan with a nose rope

Battered by the cairns, with boulders scattering from it.

Repelling the carrying litters from its hump

عُذافِرَةٌ خَرساءُ فيها تَلَفُّتٌ

عُذافِرَةٌ خَرساءُ فيها تَلَفُّتٌ

إِذا ما اِعتَراها لَيلُها المُتَطاوِلُ

إِذا ما اِعتَراها لَيلُها المُتَطاوِلُ

Massive and mute, she keeps looking about

A silent dusky one among them looking about

When her long, lingering night overtakes her.

When its night overtakes it, prolonged

كَأَنّي كَسَوتُ الرَحلَ جَوناً رَباعِياً

كَأَنّي كَسَوتُ الرَحلَ جَوناً رَباعِياً

شَنوناً تَرَبَّتهُ الرُسَيسُ فَعاقِلُ

شَنوناً تَرَبَّتهُ الرُسَيسُ فَعاقِلُ

As though I had saddled a dark, four-toothed wild ass,

As if I have clad the litter with a wide camel saddle

Neither fat nor lean, reared by al-Rusays, then Aqil.

A careful, dirt dusted one, its sire disciplined

شَنونٌ أَبوهُ أَخلَدِيٌّ وَأُمُّهُ

شَنونٌ أَبوهُ أَخلَدِيٌّ وَأُمُّهُ

مِنَ الحُقبِ فَحّاشٌ عَلى العِرسِ باسِلُ

مِنَ الحُقبِ فَحّاشٌ عَلى العِرسِ باسِلُ

His father is neither fat nor lean, an Akhladi, and his mother

A disciplined one whose father is enduring

Is of the white-bellied asses; he is brutal and fierce toward his mate.

And its mother among the epochs excellent at nuptials

إِذا ما أَرادَت صاحِباً لا يُريدُهُ

إِذا ما أَرادَت صاحِباً لا يُريدُهُ

فَمِن كُلِّ ضاحي جِلدِها هُوَ آكِلُ

فَمِن كُلِّ ضاحي جِلدِها هُوَ آكِلُ

Whenever she seeks a companion he does not want,

When it wants a companion that does not want it

He bites at every exposed part of her hide.

Then from all its hide it is chewing on him

تَرى رَأسَهُ مُستَحمِلاً قَبلَ رِدفِها

تَرى رَأسَهُ مُستَحمِلاً قَبلَ رِدفِها

كَما حَمَلَ العِبءَ الثَقيلَ المُعادِلُ

كَما حَمَلَ العِبءَ الثَقيلَ المُعادِلُ

You see his head borne heavily before her rump,

You see its head upholding before its croup

As a bearer of balanced loads carries a heavy burden.

As the equalizing load carried the heavy burden

وَإِن جاهَدَتهُ جاهَدَت ذا كَريهَةٍ

وَإِن جاهَدَتهُ جاهَدَت ذا كَريهَةٍ

وَإِن تَعدُ عَدواً يَعدُ عادٍ مُناقِلُ

وَإِن تَعدُ عَدواً يَعدُ عادٍ مُناقِلُ

And if she struggles with him, she struggles with a fearsome foe;

And if it struggled, it struggled with abhorrence

And if she runs at speed, a nimble-footed runner runs too.

And if reckoned an enemy, it reckoned a transferring foe

يُثيرانِ جَوناً ذا ظِلالٍ كَأَنَّهُ

يُثيرانِ جَوناً ذا ظِلالٍ كَأَنَّهُ

جَديدُ البِقاعِ هَيَّجَتهُ المَعاوِلُ

جَديدُ البِقاعِ هَيَّجَتهُ المَعاوِلُ

The two stir up dark, shadow-casting dust, as though it were

They rouse a camel saddle with shades as if

The bare surface of the land, stirred up by pickaxes.

The pickaxes have stirred up its fresh resting place

إِلى القائِلِ الفَعّالِ عَلقَمَةَ النَدى

إِلى القائِلِ الفَعّالِ عَلقَمَةَ النَدى

رَحَلتُ قَلوصي تَجتَويها المَناهِلُ

رَحَلتُ قَلوصي تَجتَويها المَناهِلُ

To Alqama of bounty, a man of word and deed,

To the saying rain-pourer I moved my carrying camel

I saddled my young she-camel, whom the watering places spurn.

My water-skin to collect it from the water springs

كَأَنّي كَسَوتُ الرَحلَ جَوناً يَمانِياً

كَأَنّي كَسَوتُ الرَحلَ جَوناً يَمانِياً

شَنوناً يُرَبّيهِ الرَسيسُ وَعاقِلُ

شَنوناً يُرَبّيهِ الرَسيسُ وَعاقِلُ

As though I had saddled a dark Yemeni wild ass,

As if I have clad the litter with a Yemeni camel saddle

Neither fat nor lean, nurtured by al-Rasis and Aqil.

A careful one nurtured by the chief disciplined

إِلى ماجِدِ الآباءِ قَرمٍ عَثَمثَمٍ

إِلى ماجِدِ الآباءِ قَرمٍ عَثَمثَمٍ

لَهُ عَطَنٌ يَومَ التَفاضُلِ آهِلُ

لَهُ عَطَنٌ يَومَ التَفاضُلِ آهِلُ

To a lord of noble forebears, a mighty, imposing chief,

To the glorious fathers, spotted Qaram

Whose camel-yard is thronged on the day men vie in excellence.

For him on the day of superiority tents pitched

فَما كانَ بَيني لَو لَقيتُكَ سالِماً

فَما كانَ بَيني لَو لَقيتُكَ سالِماً

وَبَينَ الغِنى إِلّا لَيالٍ قَلائِلُ

وَبَينَ الغِنى إِلّا لَيالٍ قَلائِلُ

For, had I met you safe and sound, nothing would have stood between me

So what was between me, had I met you safe

And wealth but a few brief nights.

And wealth, except for few nights

لَعَمرِي لَنِعمَ المَرءُ مِن آلِ جَعفَرٍ

لَعَمرِي لَنِعمَ المَرءُ مِن آلِ جَعفَرٍ

بِحَورانَ أَمسى أَعلَقَتهُ الحَبائِلُ

بِحَورانَ أَمسى أَعلَقَتهُ الحَبائِلُ

By my life, how fine a man from the house of Jafar,

By my life, excellent is the man from the family of Ja'far

Who, in Hawran, was caught in the snares at evening.

In Hawran, whom at nightfall ropes tie down

لَقَد غادَرَت حَزماً وَبِرّاً وَنائِلاً

لَقَد غادَرَت حَزماً وَبِرّاً وَنائِلاً

وَلُبّاً أَصيلاً خالَفَتهُ المَجاهِلُ

وَلُبّاً أَصيلاً خالَفَتهُ المَجاهِلُ

Indeed, they left behind resolve, kindness, and bounty,

Indeed, you have left discretion, righteousness, and an obtainer

And sound, deep-rooted wisdom, at odds with folly;

And an unspoilt kernel - the ignorant opposed it

وَقِدراً إِذا ما أَنفَضَ القَومُ أَوفَضَت

وَقِدراً إِذا ما أَنفَضَ القَومُ أَوفَضَت

إِلى نارِها سَعياً إِلَيها الأَرامِلُ

إِلى نارِها سَعياً إِلَيها الأَرامِلُ

And a cauldron: when the people's stores ran out, they hurried

And a pot, when the people decamp it boils over

To its fire—the destitute, hastening toward it.

With striving to it the widows hasten

لَعَمري لَنِعمَ المَرءُ لا واهِنُ القُوى

لَعَمري لَنِعمَ المَرءُ لا واهِنُ القُوى

وَلا هُوَ لِلمَولى عَلى الدَهرِ خاذِلُ

وَلا هُوَ لِلمَولى عَلى الدَهرِ خاذِلُ

By my life, a fine man indeed, not feeble in strength,

By my life, excellent is the man, not weak in strength

Nor one to forsake his ally in the face of fate.

Nor for the Lord through time neglectful

لَعَمري لَنِعمَ المَرءُ إِن عَيَّ قائِلٌ

لَعَمري لَنِعمَ المَرءُ إِن عَيَّ قائِلٌ

عَنِ القيلِ أَو أَدنى عَنِ الفِعلِ فاعِلُ

عَنِ القيلِ أَو أَدنى عَنِ الفِعلِ فاعِلُ

By my life, a fine man indeed, if a speaker falters

By my life, excellent is the man, if a sayer

In speech, or a doer falls short in action.

Abstains from saying, or less than doing, a doer

لَعَمري لَنِعمَ المَرءُ لا مُتَهاوِنٌ

لَعَمري لَنِعمَ المَرءُ لا مُتَهاوِنٌ

عَنِ السورَةِ العُليا وَلا مُتَخاذِلُ

عَنِ السورَةِ العُليا وَلا مُتَخاذِلُ

By my life, a fine man indeed, never slack

By my life, excellent is the man, not careless

In seeking the highest rank, nor ever fainthearted.

Of the sublime cause, nor neglectful

تَكادُ يَداهُ تُسلِمانِ رِدائَهُ

تَكادُ يَداهُ تُسلِمانِ رِدائَهُ

مِنَ الجودِ لَمّا اِستَقبَلَتهُ الشَمائِلُ

مِنَ الجودِ لَمّا اِستَقبَلَتهُ الشَمائِلُ

His hands all but give away his cloak

His hands almost submit his garment

Out of generosity, when the north winds face him.

When the seeking hands met him

يَداكَ خَليجُ البَحرِ إِحداهُما دَماً

يَداكَ خَليجُ البَحرِ إِحداهُما دَماً

تَفيضُ وَأُخرى فِعلُ حَزمٍ وَنائِلُ

تَفيضُ وَأُخرى فِعلُ حَزمٍ وَنائِلُ

Your hands are a channel of the sea: one, with blood,

Your hands, one is a sea inlet of blood

Overflows; the other acts with prudence and gives bounty.

Pouring forth, and the other a deed of discretion and obtaining

فَإِن تَحيَ لا أَملَل حَياتي وَإِن تَمُت

فَإِن تَحيَ لا أَملَل حَياتي وَإِن تَمُت

فَما في حَياةٍ بَعدَ مَوتِكَ طائِلُ

فَما في حَياةٍ بَعدَ مَوتِكَ طائِلُ

So if you live, I shall not weary of my life; and if you die,

So if you live, my life will not tire, and if you die

Then there is no worth in life after your death.

Then in life after your death there is no use