لموذيةٍ بالسَّفحِ من منَحٍ طَلَلْ

لموذيةٍ بالسَّفحِ من منَحٍ طَلَلْ

أرَبَّت بهِ هوجُ المراويدِ فاضمحلْ

أرَبَّت بهِ هوجُ المراويدِ فاضمحلْ

Mudhiyah has a ruined campsite on the slope at Manah.

At the foothills, among ruins of splendor

Fierce, roving winds lingered over it, and it faded away.

Storm clouds gathered and faded away

عَفى برهةً منه وغيَّرَ رَسمَهُ

عَفى برهةً منه وغيَّرَ رَسمَهُ

مُلِثٌ متى أوما له برقه هَطَلْ

مُلِثٌ متى أوما له برقه هَطَلْ

For a time, part of it was erased and its outlines altered

It rained for a while, altering its image

By a lingering raincloud that poured whenever its lightning beckoned.

Whenever it lightened, torrents poured down

مِسَح مِجحٌّ مُستهلٌّ مجلجلٌ

مِسَح مِجحٌّ مُستهلٌّ مجلجلٌ

محّنٌّ مرنٌ جادَ فانهلَّ وانهملْ

محّنٌّ مرنٌ جادَ فانهلَّ وانهملْ

Sweeping, rain-laden, pouring and thunderous,

A terrace, now collapsing, once flowing

Moaning, resounding—it rained freely, then poured and streamed.

Once frothing, now still and dry

فأصبح مَغنى للجآذرِ والظَّبا

فأصبح مَغنى للجآذرِ والظَّبا

وكل خطيب الساقِ في رأسه صعلْ

وكل خطيب الساقِ في رأسه صعلْ

And so it became a haunt for wild-cow calves and gazelles,

It became a haunt for lizards and hyenas

And every red-shanked, small-headed ostrich,

And every orator with confusion in his head

وسمعٍ وشُرسُوعٍ وضبعٍ وفُرعلٍ

وسمعٍ وشُرسُوعٍ وضبعٍ وفُرعلٍ

وأرقط من عينيه في رأسه شَعُلْ

وأرقط من عينيه في رأسه شَعُلْ

And a wolf–hyena hybrid, a large wolf, a hyena and a hyena cub,

With rabbits and foxes, and wolves and cheetahs

And a spotted leopard, its eyes blazing in its head,

Sparks flying from their eyes onto their heads

وعرسٍ هُموسٍ والهموس وشبله

وعرسٍ هُموسٍ والهموس وشبله

وِهرٍ متى ما شامَ شخصيهما ذَهلْ

وِهرٍ متى ما شامَ شخصيهما ذَهلْ

And a stealthy lioness, the stealthy lion and his cub,

And shy, timid hares, and the timid hyena

And a cat, bewildered whenever it spies their two forms.

And deer, whenever they saw each other, they were stunned

محلٌّ لرَيَّا الردفِ مخطفة الحَشا

محلٌّ لرَيَّا الردفِ مخطفة الحَشا

مهفهفةٍ في ساقها أبداً خَدلْ

مهفهفةٍ في ساقها أبداً خَدلْ

A dwelling for a woman full in the hips and slender at the waist,

A place for gazelles, snatching with their hips

Gracefully slender, with calves forever full,

Kicking their legs constantly in a dance

بَرهرهةٌ رُعبوبةٌ بدوَّية

بَرهرهةٌ رُعبوبةٌ بدوَّية

منعَّمة خَودٌ بها يُضربُ المثلْ

منعَّمة خَودٌ بها يُضربُ المثلْ

Soft-skinned and full, tender and fair, a Bedouin beauty,

Frolicking and playful, Bedouin

Pampered, a lovely maiden held up as the ideal.

With smooth cheeks that are proverbial

تنوءُ بأُخراها فَلأياً قيامُها

تنوءُ بأُخراها فَلأياً قيامُها

وتُقعدها الأردافُ والتّيهُ والكسلْ

وتُقعدها الأردافُ والتّيهُ والكسلْ

She strains beneath her hindquarters; only with difficulty does she rise,

Swaying with their rumps, never standing straight

And her hips, her haughtiness and her languor keep her seated.

Their bottoms and wanderings make them sit

كأنَّ على أنيابها خمر كرمة

كأنَّ على أنيابها خمر كرمة

يُعَلُّ بماءِ الوردِ والمسكِ والعسلْ

يُعَلُّ بماءِ الوردِ والمسكِ والعسلْ

As though upon her canine teeth lay wine from a grapevine,

As if their fangs have been stained with vine wine

Mixed with rosewater, musk and honey.

Mixed with rosewater, musk, and honey

هي الشمسُ إشراقاً هي البدرُ صورةً

هي الشمسُ إشراقاً هي البدرُ صورةً

وظبيُ الفلافي الجيد والثورُ في المقلْ

وظبيُ الفلافي الجيد والثورُ في المقلْ

She is the sun in radiance; she is the full moon in form,

She is the rising sun, she is the full moon

And a desert gazelle in neck, a wild bull in eyes.

And the oryx with the elegant neck and bull with curled horns

كبدرٍ على غصنٍ على دِعص حُرَّةٍ

كبدرٍ على غصنٍ على دِعص حُرَّةٍ

تلألأ في ليل من الفاحمِ الجثلْ

تلألأ في ليل من الفاحمِ الجثلْ

Like a full moon upon a bough upon a mound of pure sand,

Like a full moon on a branch on a sandy dune

Gleaming in a night of coal-black, luxuriant hair.

Shining in a night of deep darkness

أموذي ما للحسنِ فيكِ مذاهب

أموذي ما للحسنِ فيكِ مذاهب

فيمضي ولا يوم به عنك مرتحلْ

فيمضي ولا يوم به عنك مرتحلْ

O Mudhiyah, beauty finds no paths in you

What is with beauty's ways around you

By which to depart, nor a day on which to leave you.

Passing by, but never leaving you

قتلتِ مليكَ الناسِ والهيطلَ الذي

قتلتِ مليكَ الناسِ والهيطلَ الذي

أبادَ الِعدى والسيدَ الماجدِ البطلْ

أبادَ الِعدى والسيدَ الماجدِ البطلْ

You have slain the king of men, the mighty champion who

You killed the king of mankind and the torrential rain

Annihilated the foes—the noble lord, the hero.

That destroyed the enemy and the heroic champion

قتلتِ فتى لو بارزَ الموت في الوغى

قتلتِ فتى لو بارزَ الموت في الوغى

لما حادَ خوفاً منه قطُّ ولا ذهلْ

لما حادَ خوفاً منه قطُّ ولا ذهلْ

You have slain a young man who, if he dueled with Death in battle,

You killed a lad, who if faced death in battle

Would never recoil in fear of it, nor lose his composure.

Would not have recoiled in fear or been confused

فتى حميريُّ العيصِ هوديُّ دوحة

فتى حميريُّ العيصِ هوديُّ دوحة

يمانيُّ فَخر كاليمانيِّ إن حملْ

يمانيُّ فَخر كاليمانيِّ إن حملْ

A young man of Himyarite stock, of Hud's spreading tree,

A Himeri youth, descendant of Hud

Yemeni in glory, like a Yemeni blade when he charges.

Yemeni pride, like the proud Yemenis when enraged

مذلُّ أعزَّاءِ الملوكِ وناصر

مذلُّ أعزَّاءِ الملوكِ وناصر

معزٌّ لذي فقر له دهرُه مُذلْ

معزٌّ لذي فقر له دهرُه مُذلْ

Humbler of mighty kings, and a protector,

Who humiliates arrogant kings and lends support

Bestowing honor on the poor man whom his times abase.

To the poor, whom fate has long humbled

لأملأ لوحَ الجوّ بالخيل والقَنا

لأملأ لوحَ الجوّ بالخيل والقَنا

وأُذعرُ أرباب المَجادلِ والقَللْ

وأُذعرُ أرباب المَجادلِ والقَللْ

I shall surely fill the sky's expanse with horses and lances,

I will, if I want, fill the atmosphere with horses and spears

And terrify the lords of fortresses and mountain summits.

And panic the masters of mountains and hills

ولا بد من يوم أغرَّ مشهَّرٍ

ولا بد من يوم أغرَّ مشهَّرٍ

من الدهر قد حلت به شمسُه الحملْ

من الدهر قد حلت به شمسُه الحملْ

And a bright, renowned day must surely come

And a day will come when I unsheathe

In the course of time, its sun having entered Aries.

A sword given by fate when fate takes its course

أجُرُّ به جيشاً لُهاماً عُرمَرماً

أجُرُّ به جيشاً لُهاماً عُرمَرماً

إذا ناشَ طوداً ماد من خوفه الجبلْ

إذا ناشَ طوداً ماد من خوفه الجبلْ

On it I shall draw forth a vast, teeming army,

I will lead an ferocious, well-equipped army

When it reaches for a towering mountain, the mountain sways in fear of it.

When frightened, mountains will bow before it

هنالك ألقي الأُسدَ صَرعى سليمة

هنالك ألقي الأُسدَ صَرعى سليمة

وكائن ترى من شمَّري ومن بطلْ

وكائن ترى من شمَّري ومن بطلْ

There I shall lay the lions low—Sulaymah's slain,

Thereupon I will fell the lion dead

And how many a daring fighter and hero you will see!

And you will see wonders from me and from the hero