أَلا ذَهَبَ المُحافِظُ وَالمُحامي

أَلا ذَهَبَ المُحافِظُ وَالمُحامي

وَمانِعُ ضَيمِنا يَومَ الخِصامِ

وَمانِعُ ضَيمِنا يَومَ الخِصامِ

Lo, gone is the guardian and defender,

Alas, the guardian and the lawyer are gone,

and he who shielded us from humiliation on the day of strife.

And the one who defended us on the day of dispute,

وَأَيقَنتُ التَفَرُّقَ يَومَ قالوا

وَأَيقَنتُ التَفَرُّقَ يَومَ قالوا

تُقُسِّمَ مالُ أَربَدَ بِالسِهامِ

تُقُسِّمَ مالُ أَربَدَ بِالسِهامِ

And I knew separation was certain the day they said:

And I was certain of our separation the day they said,

"Arbad's wealth has been divided into shares."

The wealth of Arbad will be divided with arrows,

وَأَربَدُ فارِسُ الهَيجا إِذا ما

وَأَربَدُ فارِسُ الهَيجا إِذا ما

تَقَعَّرَتِ المَشاجِرُ بِالخِيامِ

تَقَعَّرَتِ المَشاجِرُ بِالخِيامِ

And Arbad was battle's horseman whenever

And Arbad, the valiant knight of battles, when

the litter-frames were overturned among the tents.

The fights flare up among the tents,

تَطيرُ عَدائِدُ الأَشراكِ شَفعاً

تَطيرُ عَدائِدُ الأَشراكِ شَفعاً

وَوِتراً وَالزَعامَةُ لِلغُلامِ

وَوِتراً وَالزَعامَةُ لِلغُلامِ

The partners' allotted shares fly forth in pairs,

The tent ropes fly evenly in pairs and unevenly,

and singly, with the chief share for the lad.

And the leadership belongs to the young man,

كَأَنَّ هِجانَها مُتَأَبِّضاتٍ

كَأَنَّ هِجانَها مُتَأَبِّضاتٍ

وَفي الأَقرانِ أَصوِرَةُ الرُعامِ

وَفي الأَقرانِ أَصوِرَةُ الرُعامِ

As though their purebred white camels were hobbled,

As if their commotion is of white camels,

with clumps of mucus upon the coupling-ropes.

And among the couples are the images of oryx,

وَقَد كانَ المُعَصَّبُ يَعتَفيها

وَقَد كانَ المُعَصَّبُ يَعتَفيها

وَتُحبَسُ عِندَ غاياتِ الذِمامِ

وَتُحبَسُ عِندَ غاياتِ الذِمامِ

The hungry man, his belly bound, would seek their bounty,

The turbaned warrior used to herd them

and they were reserved for the utmost claims of protection,

And they are confined at the ends of the sand dunes,

عَلى فَقدِ الحَريبِ إِذا اِعتَراها

عَلى فَقدِ الحَريبِ إِذا اِعتَراها

وَعِندَ الفَضلِ في القُحَمِ العِظامِ

وَعِندَ الفَضلِ في القُحَمِ العِظامِ

to relieve the plundered man's loss when he approached them,

For missing the skilled warrior when he tends to them

and for generous giving amid great perils:

And for their merit among the firm bones,

خُباساتُ الفَوارِسِ كُلَّ يَومٍ

خُباساتُ الفَوارِسِ كُلَّ يَومٍ

إِذا لَم يُرجَ رِسلٌ في السَوامِ

إِذا لَم يُرجَ رِسلٌ في السَوامِ

the horsemen's spoils, day after day,

The cowardice of warriors every day

when no milk could be hoped for from the grazing herds.

When no messengers are sent into the desert,

إِذا ما تَعزُبُ الأَنعامُ راحَت

إِذا ما تَعزُبُ الأَنعامُ راحَت

عَلى الأَيتامِ وَالكَلِّ العِيامِ

عَلى الأَيتامِ وَالكَلِّ العِيامِ

When the livestock wandered far, they came at evening

When livestock wander off, they go

to orphans and helpless folk thirsting for milk.

To the orphans and those naked and displaced

فَيَحمَدُ قِدرَ أَربَدَ مَن عَراها

فَيَحمَدُ قِدرَ أَربَدَ مَن عَراها

إِذا ما ذُمَّ أَربابُ اللِحامِ

إِذا ما ذُمَّ أَربابُ اللِحامِ

Thus whoever visits it praises Arbad's cooking pot,

So the worth of Arbad is praised by those who tend them

when the owners of meat are censured.

When the owners of milk-animals are blamed,

وَجارَتُهُ إِذا حَلَّت إِلَيهِ

وَجارَتُهُ إِذا حَلَّت إِلَيهِ

لَها نَفَلٌ وَحَظٌّ في السَنامِ

لَها نَفَلٌ وَحَظٌّ في السَنامِ

And his female neighbor, when she settles beside him,

And his neighbor, when she comes to him,

has an extra gift and a share of the hump.

Has a share and portion in the camel-hair robes,

فَإِن تَقعُد فَمُكرَمَةٌ حَصانٌ

فَإِن تَقعُد فَمُكرَمَةٌ حَصانٌ

وَإِن تَظعَن فَمُحسِنَةُ الكَلامِ

وَإِن تَظعَن فَمُحسِنَةُ الكَلامِ

So if she stays, she is honored and chaste;

So if she sits, she is an honored mare,

and if she departs, she speaks well.

And if she talks, she speaks good words,

وَإِن تَشرَب فَنِعمَ أَخو النَدامى

وَإِن تَشرَب فَنِعمَ أَخو النَدامى

كَريمٌ ماجِدٌ حُلوُ النِدامِ

كَريمٌ ماجِدٌ حُلوُ النِدامِ

And if you drink, what a fine fellow among drinking companions:

And if she drinks, excellent is the brother of conviviality,

generous, noble, sweet in drinking fellowship.

Generous, glorious, sweet in companionship,

وَفِتيانٍ يَرَونَ المَجدَ غُنماً

وَفِتيانٍ يَرَونَ المَجدَ غُنماً

صَبَرتَ لِحَقِّهِم لَيلَ التَمامِ

صَبَرتَ لِحَقِّهِم لَيلَ التَمامِ

And many young men who counted glory a gain—

And youths who view glory as war spoils,

you stayed to honor their due through the longest night.

You were patient for their rights through the night of completion,

وَإِن بَكَروا غَدَوتَ بِمُسمِعاتٍ

وَإِن بَكَروا غَدَوتَ بِمُسمِعاتٍ

وَأَدكَنَ عاتِقٍ جَلدِ العِصامِ

وَأَدكَنَ عاتِقٍ جَلدِ العِصامِ

And if they came early, you set out with singing women

And if they set out early, you went out with she-camels listening,

and a dusky, aged wineskin with a sturdy strap.

The shoulders of the hardy laden with leather,

لَهُ زَبَدٌ عَلى الناجودِ وَردٌ

لَهُ زَبَدٌ عَلى الناجودِ وَردٌ

بِماءِ المُزنِ مِن ريقِ الغَمامِ

بِماءِ المُزنِ مِن ريقِ الغَمامِ

It has rose-colored foam upon the wine-vessel,

He has creamy foam on the howdah and a sight

with rain-cloud water, from the clouds' own spittle.

of water from the rainclouds at the watering place,

إِذا بَكَرَ النِساءُ مُرَدَّفاتٍ

إِذا بَكَرَ النِساءُ مُرَدَّفاتٍ

حَواسِرَ لا يُجِئنَ عَلى الخِدامِ

حَواسِرَ لا يُجِئنَ عَلى الخِدامِ

When the women set out early, riding pillion,

When the women set out early, double-mounted

bareheaded, not drawing their hems over their anklets,

Proud women who don't need servants,

يُرَينَ عَصائِباً يَركُضنَ رَهواً

يُرَينَ عَصائِباً يَركُضنَ رَهواً

سَوابِقُهُنَّ كَالرَجلِ القِيامِ

سَوابِقُهُنَّ كَالرَجلِ القِيامِ

they are shown bands galloping smoothly,

They are seen in headwraps, galloping freely,

their front-runners like footmen standing still.

Their racers like the standing man,

كَأَنَّ سِراعَها مُتَواتِراتٍ

كَأَنَّ سِراعَها مُتَواتِراتٍ

حَمامٌ باكِرٌ قَبلَ الحَمامِ

حَمامٌ باكِرٌ قَبلَ الحَمامِ

As though their swift ones, following one another,

As if their pace is consecutive,

were early doves, abroad before the other doves.

Early pigeons before the dove enclosure,

فَواءَلَ يَومَ ذَلِكَ مَن أَتاهُ

فَواءَلَ يَومَ ذَلِكَ مَن أَتاهُ

كَما وَأَلَ المُحِلُّ إِلى الحَرامِ

كَما وَأَلَ المُحِلُّ إِلى الحَرامِ

So whoever came to him that day sought refuge,

So doom befell those who came to it

as one outside the sacred precinct seeks the sanctuary,

Like the pilgrim arriving at the Sacred House,

بِضَربَةِ فَيصَلٍ تَرَكَت رَئيساً

بِضَربَةِ فَيصَلٍ تَرَكَت رَئيساً

عَلى الخَدَّينِ يَنحَطُ غَيرَ نامِ

عَلى الخَدَّينِ يَنحَطُ غَيرَ نامِ

through a decisive blow that left a chieftain

With the stroke of Fayṣal's sword which left a chieftain

falling upon both cheeks, not asleep;

Falling on his cheeks, tossed to and fro,

وَكُلِّ فَريغَةٍ عَجلى رَموحٍ

وَكُلِّ فَريغَةٍ عَجلى رَموحٍ

كَأَنَّ رَشاشَها لَهَبُ الضِرامِ

كَأَنَّ رَشاشَها لَهَبُ الضِرامِ

and through every gaping, swift, blood-spurting wound,

And every swipe of the quick, firm Rashash

as though its spray were a blazing fire's flame.

As if the sparks of his blade are embers,

تَرُدُّ المَرءَ قافِلَةً يَداهُ

تَرُدُّ المَرءَ قافِلَةً يَداهُ

بِعامِلِ صَعدَةٍ وَالنَحرُ دامي

بِعامِلِ صَعدَةٍ وَالنَحرُ دامي

It drives a man back, his hands stiffened

Turning a man away empty-handed, his hands

around a straight lance's point, his throat bleeding.

Like a laborer whose throat is still bleeding,

فَوَدِّع بِالسَلامِ أَبا حُزَيزَ

فَوَدِّع بِالسَلامِ أَبا حُزَيزَ

وَقَلَّ وَداعُ أَربَدَ بِالسَلامِ

وَقَلَّ وَداعُ أَربَدَ بِالسَلامِ

Then bid Abu Huzayz farewell in peace,

So bid farewell in peace to Abu Huzayz,

yet scant is a farewell of peace to Arbad.

And few are the farewells of Arbad in peace,

يُفَضِّلُهُ شِتاءَ الناسِ مَجدٌ

يُفَضِّلُهُ شِتاءَ الناسِ مَجدٌ

إِذا قُصِرَ السُتورُ عَلى البِرامِ

إِذا قُصِرَ السُتورُ عَلى البِرامِ

His glory exalts him in the people's winter,

Glory distinguishes him in winter over people

when screens are drawn close around the stone cooking pots.

When the tents are folded at the camping grounds,

فَهَل نُبِّئتَ عَن أَخَوَينِ داما

فَهَل نُبِّئتَ عَن أَخَوَينِ داما

عَلى الأَيّامِ إِلّا اِبنَي شَمامِ

عَلى الأَيّامِ إِلّا اِبنَي شَمامِ

Have you heard of two brothers who endured

Have you been informed of two brothers who lasted

through the days, save the two sons of Shamam,

Through the eras except the sons of Shamam,

وَإِلّا الفَرقَدَينِ وَآلَ نَعشٍ

وَإِلّا الفَرقَدَينِ وَآلَ نَعشٍ

خَوالِدَ ما تَحَدَّثُ بِاِنهِدامِ

خَوالِدَ ما تَحَدَّثُ بِاِنهِدامِ

and save the Farqadayn and the family of Na'sh,

Except the two Farqads and the family of Na'sh,

everlasting, whose crumbling is never spoken of?

Khuwalid, whose ruin is not talked about,

وَكُنتَ إِمامَنا وَلَنا نِظاماً

وَكُنتَ إِمامَنا وَلَنا نِظاماً

وَكانَ الجَزعُ يُحفَظُ بِالنِظامِ

وَكانَ الجَزعُ يُحفَظُ بِالنِظامِ

And you were our leader, the string that bound us,

You were our leader and our system for us

and onyx beads were held together by their string.

And anguish was kept under control by the system,

وَلَيسَ الناسُ بَعدَكَ في نَقيرٍ

وَلَيسَ الناسُ بَعدَكَ في نَقيرٍ

وَلا هُم غَيرُ أَصداءٍ وَهامِ

وَلا هُم غَيرُ أَصداءٍ وَهامِ

After you, people are not worth a date-stone's dimple,

And people after you are not in any light

nor are they anything but corpses and skulls.

And they are nothing but illusions and wanderers,

وَإِنّا قَد يُرى ما نَحنُ فيهِ

وَإِنّا قَد يُرى ما نَحنُ فيهِ

وَنُسحَرُ بِالشَرابِ وَبِالطَعامِ

وَنُسحَرُ بِالشَرابِ وَبِالطَعامِ

And indeed, the state we are in can be seen,

And we may see the state we are in

yet we are bewitched by drink and food,

And be enchanted by the drink and the food,

كَما سُحِرَت بِهِ إِرَمٌ وَعادٌ

كَما سُحِرَت بِهِ إِرَمٌ وَعادٌ

فَأَضحَوا مِثلَ أَحلامِ النِيامِ

فَأَضحَوا مِثلَ أَحلامِ النِيامِ

as Iram and 'Ad were bewitched by it,

Just as Iram and 'Aad were enchanted by it

so they became like sleepers' dreams.

And became like the dreams of slumberers.