أَبكي الفَتى الأَبيَضَ البُهلولَ سُنَّتُهُ

أَبكي الفَتى الأَبيَضَ البُهلولَ سُنَّتُهُ

عِندَ النِداءِ فَلا نِكساً وَلا وَرَعا

عِندَ النِداءِ فَلا نِكساً وَلا وَرَعا

I weep for the fair youth, cheerful of countenance

I weep for the noble white knight whose habit

at the summons—neither a weakling nor a coward.

Was never to falter when called, nor to show cowardice,

أَبكي عَلى مالِكِ الأَصيافِ إِذ نَزَلوا

أَبكي عَلى مالِكِ الأَصيافِ إِذ نَزَلوا

حينَ الشِتاءِ وَعَزَّ الرِسلُ فَاِنجَدَعا

حينَ الشِتاءِ وَعَزَّ الرِسلُ فَاِنجَدَعا

I weep for the master of the guests [reading 'guests' for 'summers'], when they arrived

I weep for the lord of summertides when they descended

in winter, when milk grew scarce and then ran dry.

In winter, and messengers grew few and were distressed,

وَلَم يَجِد لِقُراهُم غَيرَ مُربِعَةٍ

وَلَم يَجِد لِقُراهُم غَيرَ مُربِعَةٍ

مِن العِشارِ تُزَجّي تَحتَها رُبَعاً

مِن العِشارِ تُزَجّي تَحتَها رُبَعاً

And he found nothing for their guest-feast but a she-camel with a spring-born calf,

And found for their villages no shelter

one of the newly calved camels, gently urging a spring-born calf beneath her.

But a single room of the tithe store, where a quarter huddled,

أَهوى لَها السَيفَ تَرّاً وَهيَ راتِعَةٌ

أَهوى لَها السَيفَ تَرّاً وَهيَ راتِعَةٌ

فَأَوهَنَ السَيفُ عَظمَ الساقِ فَاِنقَطَعا

فَأَوهَنَ السَيفُ عَظمَ الساقِ فَاِنقَطَعا

He swung the sword down at her with a cleaving stroke while she grazed;

He brandished the sword left-handed, and it was trembling,

then the sword weakened her shank-bone, and it broke apart.

So the sword weakened the thigh bone till it snapped,

فَجاءَهُم بَعدَ رَقدُ الحَيِّ أَطيَبُها

فَجاءَهُم بَعدَ رَقدُ الحَيِّ أَطيَبُها

وَقَد كَفى مِنهُمُ مَن غابَ وَاِضطَجَعا

وَقَد كَفى مِنهُمُ مَن غابَ وَاِضطَجَعا

Then her choicest meat came to them after the clan had fallen asleep,

Then after the living one's slumber, the sweetest of it

and he had provided for those among them who were absent and had lain down.

Came to them, for the departed had slept and were still,

يا فارِسَ الرَوعِ يَومَ الرَوعِ قَد عَلِموا

يا فارِسَ الرَوعِ يَومَ الرَوعِ قَد عَلِموا

وَصاحِبَ العَزمِ لا نِكساً وَلا طَبِعا

وَصاحِبَ العَزمِ لا نِكساً وَلا طَبِعا

O horseman of terror on the day of terror—they knew well—

O knight of dread on the day of dread, they learned

and man of resolve, neither a weakling nor base;

Resolution's companion falters not, nor is humble,

وَمُدرِكَ التَبلِ في الأَعداءِ يَطلُبُهُ

وَمُدرِكَ التَبلِ في الأَعداءِ يَطلُبُهُ

وَإِن طَلَبتَ بِتَبلٍ عِندَهُ مَنَعا

وَإِن طَلَبتَ بِتَبلٍ عِندَهُ مَنَعا

and exactor of vengeance from enemies, pursuing it,

And overtaker of victims among foes he seeks,

yet if you sought vengeance against him, he thwarted you.

Though you seek victims from him, he denies,

قالوا أَخوكَ أَتى الناعي بِمَصرَعِهِ

قالوا أَخوكَ أَتى الناعي بِمَصرَعِهِ

فَاِرتاعَ قَلبي غَداةَ البَينِ فَاِنصَدَعا

فَاِرتاعَ قَلبي غَداةَ البَينِ فَاِنصَدَعا

They said, 'Your brother—the death-messenger has come with news of his fall.'

They said, your brother, the herald came with his death,

Then my heart shuddered on the morning of parting and split apart.

So at dawn of separation my heart was shaken and cracked,

ثُمَّ اِرعَوى القَلبُ شَيئاً بَعدَ طَيرَتِهِ

ثُمَّ اِرعَوى القَلبُ شَيئاً بَعدَ طَيرَتِهِ

وَالنَفسُ تَعلَمُ أَن قَد أُثبِتَت وَجَعا

وَالنَفسُ تَعلَمُ أَن قَد أُثبِتَت وَجَعا

Then the heart regained some composure after its fright,

Then the heart regained composure after its panic,

and the soul knows it has been stricken with pain.

And the soul knows well that grief has been confirmed,