أَتَعرِفُ رَسماً بَينَ رَهمانَ فَالرَقَم

أَتَعرِفُ رَسماً بَينَ رَهمانَ فَالرَقَم

إِلى ذي مَراهيطٍ كَما خُطَّ بِالقَلَمِ

إِلى ذي مَراهيطٍ كَما خُطَّ بِالقَلَمِ

Do you recognize a campsite's trace between Rahman and al-Raqam,

Do you know a symbol between uncertainties? Like a number

to Dhu Marahit, as though drawn with a pen?

Written to one with scrolls as if drawn with a pen

عَفَتهُ رِياحُ الصَيفِ بَعدي بِمورِها

عَفَتهُ رِياحُ الصَيفِ بَعدي بِمورِها

وَأَندِيَةُ الجَوزاءِ بِالوَبلِ وَالدِيَم

وَأَندِيَةُ الجَوزاءِ بِالوَبلِ وَالدِيَم

The summer winds effaced it after I left, with their swirling,

Its chastity was blown away by summer winds afterwards

and al-Jawza's rains, with downpours and steady showers.

And the valleys of Gemini with mud and blood

دِيارُ الَّتي بَتَّت قُوانا وَصَرَّمَت

دِيارُ الَّتي بَتَّت قُوانا وَصَرَّمَت

وَكُنتُ إِذا ما الحَبلُ مِن خُلَّةٍ صَرَم

وَكُنتُ إِذا ما الحَبلُ مِن خُلَّةٍ صَرَم

The dwellings of her who cut our cords and severed them.

The abode that pitched its tents and became desolate

And I would, whenever the cord with a beloved was severed,

And I was, when the rope was loose from the tent peg

فَزِعتُ إِلى وَجناءَ حَرفٍ كَأَنَّها

فَزِعتُ إِلى وَجناءَ حَرفٍ كَأَنَّها

بِأَقَرابِها قارٌ إِذا جِلدُها اِستَحَم

بِأَقَرابِها قارٌ إِذا جِلدُها اِستَحَم

seek refuge with a stout-cheeked, lean she-camel, as though

Terrified, to the vicinity of a ruin as if it

tar lay on her flanks whenever her hide grew sweaty.

With its relatives, cooing when its skin is bathed

أَلا أَبلِغا هذا المُعَرِّضِ أَنَّهُ

أَلا أَبلِغا هذا المُعَرِّضِ أَنَّهُ

أَيَقظانَ قالَ القَولَ إِذ قالَ أَم حَلَم

أَيَقظانَ قالَ القَولَ إِذ قالَ أَم حَلَم

Now, you two, tell this man who makes insinuations:

Shall I convey this disregarder that he

Was he awake when he uttered those words, or was he dreaming?

Spoke words awake or was it a dream?

فَإِن تَسأَلِ الأَقوامَ عَنّي فَإِنَّني

فَإِن تَسأَلِ الأَقوامَ عَنّي فَإِنَّني

أَنا اِبنُ أَبي سُلمى عَلى رَغمِ مَن زَعَم

أَنا اِبنُ أَبي سُلمى عَلى رَغمِ مَن زَعَم

If you ask the peoples about me, then indeed I—

If you ask people about me, I am

I am the son of Abu Sulma, despite whoever claims otherwise.

The son of Abi Sulma, despite him who presumes

أَنا اِبنُ الَّذي قَد عاشَ تِسعينَ حِجَّةً

أَنا اِبنُ الَّذي قَد عاشَ تِسعينَ حِجَّةً

فَلَم يَخزَ يَوماً في مَعَدٍّ وَلَم يُلَم

فَلَم يَخزَ يَوماً في مَعَدٍّ وَلَم يُلَم

I am the son of him who lived ninety years,

I am the son of him who lived ninety pilgrimages

and was never disgraced among Ma'add, nor reproached.

Yet never failed a day out of spite or blame

وَأَكرَمَهُ الأَكفاءُ في كُلِّ مَعشَرٍ

وَأَكرَمَهُ الأَكفاءُ في كُلِّ مَعشَرٍ

كِرامٍ فَإِن كَذَّبتَني فَاِسأَلِ الأُمَم

كِرامٍ فَإِن كَذَّبتَني فَاِسأَلِ الأُمَم

And his peers honored him in every company

The noble honored him in every gathering

of noble men; if you call me a liar, ask the peoples.

Of prestige, and if you doubt me, then ask the nations

أَتى العُجمَ وَالآفاقَ مِنهُ قَصائِدٌ

أَتى العُجمَ وَالآفاقَ مِنهُ قَصائِدٌ

بَقينَ بَقاءَ الوَحيِ في الحَجَرِ الأَصَم

بَقينَ بَقاءَ الوَحيِ في الحَجَرِ الأَصَم

His poems reached non-Arabs and distant horizons;

Poems of his reached non-Arabs and horizons

they endured as inscriptions endure in solid stone.

Remaining like Quranic revelation in solid stone

أَنا اِبنُ الَّذي لَم يُخزِني في حَياتِهِ

أَنا اِبنُ الَّذي لَم يُخزِني في حَياتِهِ

وَلَم أُخزِهُ حَتّى تَغَيَّبَ في الرَجَم

وَلَم أُخزِهُ حَتّى تَغَيَّبَ في الرَجَم

I am the son of him who never disgraced me in his lifetime,

I am the son of him who did not humiliate me in his life

nor did I disgrace him before he vanished beneath the grave-stones.

Nor did I humiliate him until he disappeared into the grave

فَأُعطِيَ حَتّى ماتَ مالاً وَهِمَّةً

فَأُعطِيَ حَتّى ماتَ مالاً وَهِمَّةً

وَوَرَّثَني إِذ وَدَّعَ المَجدَ وَالكَرَم

وَوَرَّثَني إِذ وَدَّعَ المَجدَ وَالكَرَم

So he was granted wealth and lofty ambition until he died,

He was given wealth and ambition until he died

and, when he bade farewell, bequeathed me glory and generosity.

And left me glory and nobility when he bid farewell

وَكانَ يُحامي حينَ تَنزِلُ لَزبَةٌ

وَكانَ يُحامي حينَ تَنزِلُ لَزبَةٌ

مِنَ الدَهرِ في ذُبيانَ إِن حَوضُها اِنهَدَم

مِنَ الدَهرِ في ذُبيانَ إِن حَوضُها اِنهَدَم

And he would stand in defense when dire hardship fell

He would defend when misfortunes descended

from fortune upon Dhubyan, if its watering-pool collapsed.

From fate upon his horses even if their troughs crumbled

أَقولُ شَبيهاتٍ بِما قالَ عالِماً

أَقولُ شَبيهاتٍ بِما قالَ عالِماً

بِهِنَّ وَمَن يُشبِه أَباهُ فَما ظَلَم

بِهِنَّ وَمَن يُشبِه أَباهُ فَما ظَلَم

I utter verses like those he uttered, knowing

I speak similitudes to what a scholar said

them; and whoever resembles his father has done no wrong.

With them, and he who emulates his father is not unjust

وَأَشبَهتُهُ مِن بَينِ مَن وَطِئَ الحَصى

وَأَشبَهتُهُ مِن بَينِ مَن وَطِئَ الحَصى

وَلَم يَنتَزِعني شِبهُ خالٍ وَلا اِبنِ عَمّ

وَلَم يَنتَزِعني شِبهُ خالٍ وَلا اِبنِ عَمّ

And of all who tread the pebbles, I have taken after him,

I resembled him from between those who stepped on pebbles

nor has likeness to a maternal uncle or paternal cousin drawn me away.

No resemblance of an uncle or cousin pulled me away

إِذا شِئتُ أَعلَكتُ الجَموحَ إِذا بَدَت

إِذا شِئتُ أَعلَكتُ الجَموحَ إِذا بَدَت

نَواجِذُ لَحيَيهِ بِأَغلَظِ ما عَجَم

نَواجِذُ لَحيَيهِ بِأَغلَظِ ما عَجَم

When I wish, I make the unruly horse chew—when it bares

When I desire, I restrain the unruly when

the molars of its jaws—on the toughest thing it has ever bitten.

The ends of his beard bristle with the harshest Arabic

أَعَيَّرتَني عِزّاً عَزيزاً ومَعشَراً

أَعَيَّرتَني عِزّاً عَزيزاً ومَعشَراً

كِراماً بَنوا لِيَ المَجدَ في باذِخٍ أَشَم

كِراماً بَنوا لِيَ المَجدَ في باذِخٍ أَشَم

Do you reproach me for unassailable honor and a company

You vilified me a dear and noble lineage and people

of noble men, who built my glory at a towering, lofty height?

Who built glory for me in a splendid towering peak

هُمُ الأَصلُ مِنّي حَيثُ كُنتُ وَإِنَّني

هُمُ الأَصلُ مِنّي حَيثُ كُنتُ وَإِنَّني

مِنَ المُزنِيّينَ المُصَفّينَ بِالكَرَم

مِنَ المُزنِيّينَ المُصَفّينَ بِالكَرَم

They are my roots wherever I am; and indeed I am

They are my origin wherever I was and I

of the Muzaynis, made pure by nobility.

Am from the refined, noble Muzaynah

هُمُ ضَربوكُم حينَ جُرتُم عَنِ الهُدى

هُمُ ضَربوكُم حينَ جُرتُم عَنِ الهُدى

بِأَسيافِهمِ حَتّى اِستَقَمتُم عَلى القِيَم

بِأَسيافِهمِ حَتّى اِستَقَمتُم عَلى القِيَم

They struck you when you strayed from right guidance,

They are the ones who struck you when you deviated

with their swords, until you kept to the upright way.

From the right path with their swords until you straightened upon the straight

وَساقَتكَ مِنهُم عُصبَةٌ خِندَفِيَّةٌ

وَساقَتكَ مِنهُم عُصبَةٌ خِندَفِيَّةٌ

فَما لَكَ فيهِم قَيدُ كَفٍّ وَلا قَدَم

فَما لَكَ فيهِم قَيدُ كَفٍّ وَلا قَدَم

And a Khindifi band from among them drove you,

And a lowly gang from them led you astray

so you have among them not a palm's breadth, nor a foot's length.

So you have no ties or foothold among them

هُمُ مَنَعوا حَزنَ الحِجازِ وَسَهلَهُ

هُمُ مَنَعوا حَزنَ الحِجازِ وَسَهلَهُ

قَديماً وَهُم أَجلَوا أَباكَ عَنِ الحَرَم

قَديماً وَهُم أَجلَوا أَباكَ عَنِ الحَرَم

They defended the rugged ground of the Hijaz and its plains

They are the ones who prevented the sorrow of Hejaz and its plains

long ago; and they drove your father out of the Sanctuary.

Long ago, and they are the ones who prevented your father from the sanctuary

هُمُ اأُسدُ عِندَ البَأسِ وَالحَشدُ في القِرى

هُمُ اأُسدُ عِندَ البَأسِ وَالحَشدُ في القِرى

وَهُم عِندَ عَقدِ الجارِ يَوفون بِالذِمَم

وَهُم عِندَ عَقدِ الجارِ يَوفون بِالذِمَم

They are lions in battle and lavish hosts in hospitality,

They are lions in valor and the army in villages

and when they pledge protection to a neighbor, they honor their covenants.

And they are true to their word when binding a pact with a neighbor

فَكَم فيهِمُ مِن سَيِّدٍ مُتَوَسِّعٍ

فَكَم فيهِمُ مِن سَيِّدٍ مُتَوَسِّعٍ

وَمِن فاعِلٍ لِلخَيرِ إِن هَمَّ أَو عَزَم

وَمِن فاعِلٍ لِلخَيرِ إِن هَمَّ أَو عَزَم

And how many openhanded chiefs are among them,

So how many noble, generous men are among them

and doers of good whenever they intend or resolve!

And those who do good, whether they desire or intend

مَتى أَدَعُ في أَوسٍ وَعُثمانَ يَأتِني

مَتى أَدَعُ في أَوسٍ وَعُثمانَ يَأتِني

مَساعيرُ حَربٍ كُلُّهُم سادَةٌ دِعَم

مَساعيرُ حَربٍ كُلُّهُم سادَةٌ دِعَم

Whenever I call among Aws and Uthman, there come to me

When will Aus and Othman cease coming to me

firebrands of war, all of them chiefs and pillars.

With sparks of war, all of them eminent pillars?