يَقولُ حَيّايَ مِن عَوفٍ وَمِن جُشَمٍ

يَقولُ حَيّايَ مِن عَوفٍ وَمِن جُشَمٍ

يا كَعبُ وَيحَكَ هَلّا تَشتَري غَنَما

يا كَعبُ وَيحَكَ هَلّا تَشتَري غَنَما

My two clans, of ʿAwf and of Jusham, say:

Hayya says, from Auf and from Jusham,

“O Kaʿb, alas for you! Why not buy sheep?”

"O Ka'b, woe to you! Why don't you buy sheep?

ما لِيَ مِنهَا إذا ما أَزمَةٌ أَزَمَت

ما لِيَ مِنهَا إذا ما أَزمَةٌ أَزَمَت

وَمِن أُوَيسٍ إِذا ما أَنفُهُ رَذَما

وَمِن أُوَيسٍ إِذا ما أَنفُهُ رَذَما

What use would they be to me when famine tightens its grip,

Of no use are they to me when crisis overwhelms,

And how could I fend off Uways when his nose drips?

Or from Uways when his nostrils spew mucus.

أَخشى عَلَيها كَسوباً غَيرَ مُدَّخِرٍ

أَخشى عَلَيها كَسوباً غَيرَ مُدَّخِرٍ

عاري الأَشاجِعِ لا يُشوي إِذا ضَغَما

عاري الأَشاجِعِ لا يُشوي إِذا ضَغَما

I fear for them an eager hunter who stores nothing,

I fear for them wearers without savings,

His paw-joints bare, never missing the vitals when he bites.

Barefoot, not cooking when evening comes.

إِذا تَلَوّى بِلَحمِ الشاةِ تَبَّرَها

إِذا تَلَوّى بِلَحمِ الشاةِ تَبَّرَها

أَشلاءَ بُردٍ وَلَم يَجعَل لَها وَضَما

أَشلاءَ بُردٍ وَلَم يَجعَل لَها وَضَما

When he twists around a sheep’s flesh, he tears it apart,

When he twists the sheep's meat, he soils it,

Into shreds of a cloak, and provides no meat-board for it.

Limb scraps in the cold, no fat does he leave it.

إِن يَغدُ في شيعَةٍ لَم يَثنِهِ نَهَرٌ

إِن يَغدُ في شيعَةٍ لَم يَثنِهِ نَهَرٌ

وَإِن غَدا واحِداً لا يَتَّقي الظَلِما

وَإِن غَدا واحِداً لا يَتَّقي الظَلِما

If he goes out in a pack, no river turns him back;

If he goes in a group, no river makes him waver,

And if he goes out alone, he fears no darkness.

And if alone, he fears no darkness.

وَإِن أَطافَ وَلَم يَظفَر بِضّائِنَةٍ

وَإِن أَطافَ وَلَم يَظفَر بِضّائِنَةٍ

في لَيلَةٍ ساوَرَ الأَقوامَ وَالنَعَما

في لَيلَةٍ ساوَرَ الأَقوامَ وَالنَعَما

And if he prowls but catches no ewe,

If he circles without gaining a prize

At night he springs upon the people and the livestock.

In the night, he contends with men and sheep.

وَإِن أَغارَ وَلَم يَحلَ بِطائِلَةٍ

وَإِن أَغارَ وَلَم يَحلَ بِطائِلَةٍ

في ظُلمَةٍ اِبنِ جَميرٍ ساوَرَ الفُطُما

في ظُلمَةٍ اِبنِ جَميرٍ ساوَرَ الفُطُما

And if he raids but gains no worthwhile prey,

And if he raids without reaching a troop

In Ibn Jamīr’s darkness, he springs upon the weanlings.

In the dark, he contends with young camels.

إِذ لا تَزالُ فَريسٌ أَو مُغَبَّبَةٌ

إِذ لا تَزالُ فَريسٌ أَو مُغَبَّبَةٌ

صَيداءُ تَنشِجُ مِن دونِ الدِماغِ دَما

صَيداءُ تَنشِجُ مِن دونِ الدِماغِ دَما

For there is always a slain beast, or one left mauled,

Since they remain either prey or stolen,

Neck awry, sobbing blood from beneath the brain.

Looted game bleeding from the brain."