إِنّي بِدَهماءَ عَزَّ ما أَجِدُ

إِنّي بِدَهماءَ عَزَّ ما أَجِدُ

عاوَدَني مِن حِبابِها زُؤُدُ

عاوَدَني مِن حِبابِها زُؤُدُ

Grievous indeed is what I feel for Dahma.

Verily with Dahma I take pride though I find no comfort,

Dread has returned to me from loving her.

Her love has come back to me after it had departed.

عاوَدَني حُبُّها وَقَد شَحَطَت

عاوَدَني حُبُّها وَقَد شَحَطَت

صَرفُ نَواها فَإِنَّني كَمِدُ

صَرفُ نَواها فَإِنَّني كَمِدُ

My love for her returned, though she was borne far away

Her love has returned though it had withdrawn before,

by the turns of her wanderings; I am grief-stricken.

So turn her purpose away, for I am flexible.

وَاللَهُ لَو أَسمَعَت مَقالَتَها

وَاللَهُ لَو أَسمَعَت مَقالَتَها

شَيخاً مِنَ الزُبِّ رَأسُهُ لَبِدُ

شَيخاً مِنَ الزُبِّ رَأسُهُ لَبِدُ

By God, if she made her words heard

By God, if she were to speak to an old white-haired man,

by an old man of the shaggy-haired, his head matted,

Whose home is Rome, Tanukh, Al-'Atram, or Zabad.

مَآبِهُ الرومُ أَو تَنوخُ أَو ال

مَآبِهُ الرومُ أَو تَنوخُ أَو ال

آطامُ مِن صَوَّرانَ أَو زَبَدُ

آطامُ مِن صَوَّرانَ أَو زَبَدُ

whose home is among the Romans, or Tanukh, or the

He would propose marriage upon seeing her,

fortresses of Sawwaran or Zabad,

Though he had never thought of it before.

لَفاتَحَ البَيعَ عِندَ رُؤيَتِها

لَفاتَحَ البَيعَ عِندَ رُؤيَتِها

وَكانَ قَبلُ اِبتِياعُهُ لَكِدُ

وَكانَ قَبلُ اِبتِياعُهُ لَكِدُ

he would surely begin bargaining at the sight of her,

Tell the elders I sent an invigorating message,

though formerly he had been reluctant to buy.

In it are new, glistening tablets.

أَبلِغ كَبيراً عَنّي مُغَلغَلَةً

أَبلِغ كَبيراً عَنّي مُغَلغَلَةً

تَبرُقُ فيها صَحائِفٌ جُدُدُ

تَبرُقُ فيها صَحائِفٌ جُدُدُ

Convey to Kabir, from me, a far-carried message,

We made a tryst to meet in the valley's depths,

in which fresh sheets gleam.

Destroyed by confused thoughts and distant between us.

المَوعِدينا في أضن تُقَتِّلَهُم

المَوعِدينا في أضن تُقَتِّلَهُم

أَفناءُ فَهمٍ وَبَينَنا بُعَدُ

أَفناءُ فَهمٍ وَبَينَنا بُعَدُ

Those threatening us at Aḍan are being slaughtered

Their threats will be negated by my valiance,

by the clans of Fahm, while distance lies between us.

My white sword, and my sturdy shield I wield.

إِنّي سَيَنهى عَنّي وَعيدَهُم

إِنّي سَيَنهى عَنّي وَعيدَهُم

بيضٌ رِهابٌ وَمُجنَأٌ أُجُدُ

بيضٌ رِهابٌ وَمُجنَأٌ أُجُدُ

Their threats against me will indeed be checked

My sharpened blade rendered pure,

by white arrowheads and a stout, curved shield,

White iron, heavy in my steady grip.

وَصارِمٌ أُخلِصَت خَشيبَتُهُ

وَصارِمٌ أُخلِصَت خَشيبَتُهُ

أَبيَضُ مَهوٌ في مَتنشهِ رُبَدُ

أَبيَضُ مَهوٌ في مَتنشهِ رُبَدُ

and a sharp sword whose rough-forged metal was purified,

Would that swords of battle turn away from him

white and thin-bladed, with dusky markings on its flat.

And I come back with empty hands finding naught.

فَلَيتُ عَنهُ سُيوفَ أَريَحَ حَتّى

فَلَيتُ عَنهُ سُيوفَ أَريَحَ حَتّى

باءِ بِكَفّي وَلَم أَكَد أَجِدُ

باءِ بِكَفّي وَلَم أَكَد أَجِدُ

I sifted through the swords of Arih for it, until

It is a cutting sword whose blows fall randomly,

it came into my palm; I had scarcely managed to find it.

Striking the polished handle, so it's hilt is split.

فَهُوَ حُسامٌ تُتِرُّ ضَربَتُهُ سا

فَهُوَ حُسامٌ تُتِرُّ ضَربَتُهُ سا

قَ المُذَكّى فَعَظمُها قِصَدُ

قَ المُذَكّى فَعَظمُها قِصَدُ

So it is a keen sword whose blow severs

A straight Samhara sword of the yellowness of a lion,

a full-grown horse's shank, leaving its bone in splinters.

Its number of notches as many as a locust's chirp.

وَسَمحَةٌ مِن قِسِيِّ زارَةَ صَفرا

وَسَمحَةٌ مِن قِسِيِّ زارَةَ صَفرا

ءُ هَتوفٌ عِدادُها غَرِدُ

ءُ هَتوفٌ عِدادُها غَرِدُ

And a supple, yellow bow from among Zara's bows,

As if its ringing, when wrapped,

resounding, with a melodious twang.

Defeats rebels in the wake of their loss.

كَأَنَّ إِرنانَها إِذا رُدِمَت

كَأَنَّ إِرنانَها إِذا رُدِمَت

هَزمُ بُغاةٍ في إِثرِ ما فَقَدوا

هَزمُ بُغاةٍ في إِثرِ ما فَقَدوا

Its ringing, when twanged, is like

This is my hardware I shall never fail to defend,

the murmur of searchers on the trail of what they lost.

I fear they will make true what they promised.

ذلِكَ بَزّي فَلَن أُفَرِّطُهُ

ذلِكَ بَزّي فَلَن أُفَرِّطُهُ

أَخافُ أَن يُنجِزوا الَّذي وَعَدوا

أَخافُ أَن يُنجِزوا الَّذي وَعَدوا

That is my battle gear; I shall not let it go.

I am no slave to make and keep appointments,

I fear they may fulfill what they promised.

Nor accept injustices brought by anyone.

فَلَستُ عَبداً لِموعِدِيَّ وَلا

فَلَستُ عَبداً لِموعِدِيَّ وَلا

أَقبَلُ ضَيماً يَأتي بِهِ أَحَدُ

أَقبَلُ ضَيماً يَأتي بِهِ أَحَدُ

So I am no slave to those who threaten me, nor

The elders came so I may dishonor them,

will I accept a wrong brought by anyone.

The people are prey, as though blind.

جاءَت كَبيرٌ كَيما أُخَفِّرَها

جاءَت كَبيرٌ كَيما أُخَفِّرَها

وَالقَومُ صيدٌ كَأَنَّما رَمِدوا

وَالقَومُ صيدٌ كَأَنَّما رَمِدوا

Kabir came so that I might grant it protection,

In the home I furnished with woven decoration,

and the men held their heads high, as though sore-eyed,

The home of Malik, whose birth was ignoble.

في المُزَنّى الَّذي حَشَشتُ بِهِ

في المُزَنّى الَّذي حَشَشتُ بِهِ

مالَ ضَريكٍ تِلادُهُ نَكِدُ

مالَ ضَريكٍ تِلادُهُ نَكِدُ

concerning the Muzani, through whom I replenished

A Ewe to butt which if aroused,

the wealth of a needy man whose inherited stock was meagre.

Its curved horn pains, for it is rigid.

تَيسُ تُيوسٍ إِذا يُناطِحُها

تَيسُ تُيوسٍ إِذا يُناطِحُها

يَألَمُ قَرناً أَرومُهُ نَقِدُ

يَألَمُ قَرناً أَرومُهُ نَقِدُ

A he-goat among he-goats, who, when he butts them,

feels pain in a horn whose root is decayed.