فسائلْ بسَعدَيَّ في خِندفٍ

فسائلْ بسَعدَيَّ في خِندفٍ

وقيسٍ ، وعندكَ تبيانها

وقيسٍ ، وعندكَ تبيانها

Then ask about my two Sa‘ds among Khindif

With Sa'd's mounted riders at Khindif

and Qays; its clear account is yours.

And with Qais, you know their abode,

وإنْ تسألِ الحيَّ من وائلٍ

وإنْ تسألِ الحيَّ من وائلٍ

تنبئكَ عجلٌ ، وشيبانها

تنبئكَ عجلٌ ، وشيبانها

And if you ask the clan of Wa’il,

And if you ask Al-Hayy from Wail

‘Ijl and that tribe’s Shayban will tell you.

A young camel will inform you, and its old one too.

بوادِي جَدُودَ ، وقَد غُودِرَتْ

بوادِي جَدُودَ ، وقَد غُودِرَتْ

بصيقِ السَّنابكِ أعطانها

بصيقِ السَّنابكِ أعطانها

In the valley of Jadud, where there had been left

At the valleys of Jadood, now desolated

its watering grounds amid the dust of hooves,

By the neighing of the horse stallions

بأرعنَ ، كالطودِ ، من وائئلٍ

بأرعنَ ، كالطودِ ، من وائئلٍ

يَؤُمُّ الثُّغورَ ، يَعْتانُها

يَؤُمُّ الثُّغورَ ، يَعْتانُها

by a mighty host from Wa’il, like a mountain,

With mounted knights, like pillars from Wail

heading for the frontier gaps, scouting them.

Guarding the frontiers, roaming them

تكادُ له الأرضُ ، منْ رزهِ

تكادُ له الأرضُ ، منْ رزهِ

إذا سار ، ترجفُ أركانها

إذا سار ، ترجفُ أركانها

At its rumble, the earth all but

The earth nearly shakes for him out of veneration

shakes in all its corners when it marches.

When he walks, its pillars tremble

قداميسُ ، يقدمها الحوافزانُ

قداميسُ ، يقدمها الحوافزانُ

وأَبجَرُ ، تَخفِقُ عِقبانُها

وأَبجَرُ ، تَخفِقُ عِقبانُها

Massive battalions, led by al-Hawafazan

Qadamis leads them, driven by motivation

and Abjar, their eagle banners fluttering;

And Abjar, whose heels flutter

وجَثّام ، إِذ سارَ في قَومهِ

وجَثّام ، إِذ سارَ في قَومهِ

سَفاها إِلَينا ، وحُمرانُها

سَفاها إِلَينا ، وحُمرانُها

and Jaththam, when he marched among his people,

And Jaththam, when he walked among his people

swept them toward us, as did their Humran.

He brought us foolishness, and his red camels

وتغلبُ ، إذ حربها لاقحٌ

وتغلبُ ، إذ حربها لاقحٌ

تُشَبُّ ، وتُسعَرُ نِيرانُها

تُشَبُّ ، وتُسعَرُ نِيرانُها

And Taghlib, when its war was pregnant,

And Taghlib, when the enemy of Laqeeh fought it

its fires were kindled and stoked.

It raged, and its fires blazed

غداةَ أتانا صريخُ الرّبابِ

غداةَ أتانا صريخُ الرّبابِ

ولم يكُ يصلحُ خذلانها

ولم يكُ يصلحُ خذلانها

The morning al-Ribab’s caller for help came to us,

The morning the sound of drums reached us

and it was not right to abandon them.

With no regard for abandoning it

صَرِيخٌ لضَبَّةَ ، يَومَ الهُذَيلِ

صَرِيخٌ لضَبَّةَ ، يَومَ الهُذَيلِ

وضَبَّةُ تُردَفُ نِسوانُها

وضَبَّةُ تُردَفُ نِسوانُها

A caller for Dabbah on the day of al-Hudhayl,

A cry for Dhabbah, the day of Hudhail

while Dabbah’s women were carried pillion.

And Dhabbah returns the wailing of its women

تداركهمْ ، والضُّحى غدوةٌ ،

تداركهمْ ، والضُّحى غدوةٌ ،

خناذيذُ تشعلُ أعطانها

خناذيذُ تشعلُ أعطانها

They were rescued while the forenoon was still young,

They took them by surprise, and the dawn was a raid

by noble stallions setting their watering grounds ablaze,

The kindling fires of the warriors' quarters

بأُسدٍ منَ الفِرزِ ، غُلْبِ الرِّقابِ

بأُسدٍ منَ الفِرزِ ، غُلْبِ الرِّقابِ

مصاليتَ ، لم يخشَ إدهانها

مصاليتَ ، لم يخشَ إدهانها

bearing lions of al-Firz, thick-necked,

With lions from the horsemen, vanquishers of necks

resolute fighters whose slackness none feared.

Unafraid, did not dread its inflammation

فحَطَّ الرَّبِيعَ فَتًى شَرمَحٌ

فحَطَّ الرَّبِيعَ فَتًى شَرمَحٌ

أَخوذُ الرَّغائبِ ، مَصنانُها

أَخوذُ الرَّغائبِ ، مَصنانُها

Then a tall young warrior brought al-Rabi‘ down,

So it destroyed a blooming youth, Sharmadh

a taker of coveted prizes, their tenacious keeper.

Whose desires were boundless, well-bred his pedigree

فقاظُ ، وفي الجيدِ مشهورةٌ

فقاظُ ، وفي الجيدِ مشهورةٌ

يُغَنِّيهِ في الغُلِّ إِرنانُها

يُغَنِّيهِ في الغُلِّ إِرنانُها

So he spent the summer with a conspicuous collar at his neck;

Qadim leads them, and fame is known upon his neck

its clanging sings to him in his neck-fetter.

Which his twisted and curled hair-locks sing of