إِنّا بِالشِعبِ الَّذي دونَ سَلعٍ

إِنّا بِالشِعبِ الَّذي دونَ سَلعٍ

لَقَتيلاً دَمُهُ ما يُطَلُّ

لَقَتيلاً دَمُهُ ما يُطَلُّ

Indeed, in the ravine on this side of Salʿ,

Indeed, we have in the ravine below Salʿ

we have a slain man whose blood shall never go unavenged.

a slain man whose blood shall not go unavenged.

خَلَّفَ العِبءَ عَلَيَّ وَوَلّى

خَلَّفَ العِبءَ عَلَيَّ وَوَلّى

أَنا بِالعِبءِ لَهُ مُستَقِلُّ

أَنا بِالعِبءِ لَهُ مُستَقِلُّ

He left the burden upon me and departed;

He left the burden upon me and departed;

alone, I shall rise to bear that burden for him.

I can shoulder that burden for him.

وَوَراءَ الثَأرِ مِنّي اِبنُ أُختٍ

وَوَراءَ الثَأرِ مِنّي اِبنُ أُختٍ

مَصِعٌ عُقدَتُهُ ما تُحَلُّ

مَصِعٌ عُقدَتُهُ ما تُحَلُّ

And on vengeance’s trail stands his sister’s son—myself—

And on vengeance's trail stands a sister's son—myself—

resolute, his knot never to be undone;

a fierce fighter whose knot cannot be untied.

مُطرِقٌ يَرشَحُ مَوتاً كَما أَطرَقَ

مُطرِقٌ يَرشَحُ مَوتاً كَما أَطرَقَ

أَفعى يَنفُثُ السَمَّ صِلُّ

أَفعى يَنفُثُ السَمَّ صِلُّ

head bowed, sweating death, as there bows

Head bowed, he exudes death, as does

a male viper breathing venom;

a serpent, a venom-spitting asp.

خَبَرٌ ما نابَنا مُصمَإِلٌّ

خَبَرٌ ما نابَنا مُصمَإِلٌّ

جَلَّ حَتّى دَقَّ فيهِ الأَجَلُ

جَلَّ حَتّى دَقَّ فيهِ الأَجَلُ

seasoned in whatever befalls us, standing firm,

The news that struck us was crushing,

so great that appointed death itself seems small within him.

so great that death itself seemed small beside it.

بَزَّني الدَهرُ وَكانَ غَشوماً

بَزَّني الدَهرُ وَكانَ غَشوماً

بِأَبيٍّ جارُهُ ما يُذَلُّ

بِأَبيٍّ جارُهُ ما يُذَلُّ

Time despoiled me of him—for Time was tyrannous—

Time robbed me—and it was ruthless—

My father be his ransom! His neighbor is never humbled;

of a proud man whose neighbor was never humiliated.

شامِسٌ في القُرِّ حَتّى إِذا ما

شامِسٌ في القُرِّ حَتّى إِذا ما

ذَكَتِ الشِعرى فَبَردٌ وَظِلُّ

ذَكَتِ الشِعرى فَبَردٌ وَظِلُّ

a sun in bitter cold, until, when

Sun-warm in the cold; but when

Sirius is mentioned, he becomes coolness and shade;

Sirius blazed, he was coolness and shade.

يابِسُ الجَنبَينِ مِن غَيرِ بُؤسٍ

يابِسُ الجَنبَينِ مِن غَيرِ بُؤسٍ

وَنَديُّ الكَفَّينِ شَهمٌ مُدِلُّ

وَنَديُّ الكَفَّينِ شَهمٌ مُدِلُّ

lean-flanked, though not from poverty,

Lean of flank, though not from poverty,

dew-handed in bounty—a noble, self-assured lord;

and moist of both palms, gallant and self-assured.

ظاعِنُ بِالحَزمِ حَتّى إِذا ما

ظاعِنُ بِالحَزمِ حَتّى إِذا ما

حَلَّ الحَزمُ حَيثُ يَحُلُّ

حَلَّ الحَزمُ حَيثُ يَحُلُّ

journeying with prudence, until, when

He traveled with resolve; and whenever

prudence makes camp, there he makes camp;

he camped, resolve was wherever he camped.

غَيثُ مُزنٍ غامِرٌ حَيثُ يُجدي

غَيثُ مُزنٍ غامِرٌ حَيثُ يُجدي

وَإِذا يَسطو فَلَيثٌ أَبَلُّ

وَإِذا يَسطو فَلَيثٌ أَبَلُّ

a cloudburst, overflowing wherever his bounty falls,

A flooding rain from clouds wherever he gave,

and, when he attacks, a lion, sire of cubs;

and when he struck, a formidable lion.

مُسبِلٌ في الحَيِّ أَحوى رِفَلُ

مُسبِلٌ في الحَيِّ أَحوى رِفَلُ

وَإِذا يَغزو فَسِمعٌ أَزَلُّ

وَإِذا يَغزو فَسِمعٌ أَزَلُّ

among his people, dark-lipped, his ample robe trailing,

Among the clan, dark-hued, with robes hanging long and trailing;

but, when he raids, a lean-flanked wolf;

and when he raided, a lean wolf–hyena beast.

وَلَهُ طَعمانِ أَريٌ وَشَريٌ

وَلَهُ طَعمانِ أَريٌ وَشَريٌ

وَكِلا الطَعمَينِ قَد ذاقَ كُلُّ

وَكِلا الطَعمَينِ قَد ذاقَ كُلُّ

he had two flavors: honey and bitter colocynth,

He had two flavors: honey and bitter colocynth,

and everyone tasted both flavors.

and everyone had tasted both flavors.

يَركَبُ الهَولَ وَحيداً وَلا يَصحَبُهُ

يَركَبُ الهَولَ وَحيداً وَلا يَصحَبُهُ

إِلّا اليَمانيُّ الأَفَلُّ

إِلّا اليَمانيُّ الأَفَلُّ

He rode into terror alone, accompanied

He rode into terror alone, and none accompanied him

only by his notched Yemeni blade,

but the notched Yemeni sword.

وَفُتُوٍّ هَجَّروا ثُمَّ أَم أَسروا

وَفُتُوٍّ هَجَّروا ثُمَّ أَم أَسروا

لَيلَهُم حَتّى إِذا اِنجابَ حَلّوا

لَيلَهُم حَتّى إِذا اِنجابَ حَلّوا

and by young men who set out in the midday heat, then journeyed by night

And young men marched in the noonday heat, then—or—traveled

through their night, until, when it drew aside, they camped.

through their night, until it lifted and they camped.

كُلُّ ماضٍ قَد تَرَدّى بِماضٍ

كُلُّ ماضٍ قَد تَرَدّى بِماضٍ

كَسَنا البَرقِ إِذا ما يُسَلُّ

كَسَنا البَرقِ إِذا ما يُسَلُّ

Each keen man was cloaked in a keen blade,

Each resolute man had slung on a keen blade,

like lightning’s gleam whenever it is drawn.

like lightning's gleam whenever it was drawn.

فَاِحتَسَوا أَنفاسَ نَومٍ فَلَمّا

فَاِحتَسَوا أَنفاسَ نَومٍ فَلَمّا

ثَمِلوا رُعتُهُم فَاِشمَعَلّوا

ثَمِلوا رُعتُهُم فَاِشمَعَلّوا

They sipped breaths of sleep; then, when

So they sipped breaths of sleep; and when

they were drunk with it, I startled them, and they sprang up.

they grew drunk, I startled them, and they sped off.

فَاِدَّرَكنا الثَأرَ مِنهُم وَلَمّا

فَاِدَّرَكنا الثَأرَ مِنهُم وَلَمّا

يَنجُ مِلَحَيّنِ إِلّا الأَقَلُّ

يَنجُ مِلَحَيّنِ إِلّا الأَقَلُّ

Thus we overtook our vengeance from them, while

So we exacted vengeance from them, and none

of the two clans none escaped except the barest few.

of the two clans escaped except a very few.

فَلَئِن فَلَّت هُذَيلٌ خَباهُ

فَلَئِن فَلَّت هُذَيلٌ خَباهُ

لَبِما كانَ هُذَيلاً يَفُلُّ

لَبِما كانَ هُذَيلاً يَفُلُّ

Though Hudhayl may once have blunted his edge,

If Hudhayl has blunted his [edge?],

how often had he blunted Hudhayl!

he had often blunted Hudhayl before,

وَبِما أَبرَكَهُم في مُناخٍ

وَبِما أَبرَكَهُم في مُناخٍ

جَعجَعٍ يَنقَبُ فيهِ الأَظَلُّ

جَعجَعٍ يَنقَبُ فيهِ الأَظَلُّ

How often he made them kneel at an encampment,

and often made them kneel in a camping ground

pinning them on rough ground where hoof-soles split;

rough and cramped, where the camel's sole-pad wore through,

وَبِما صَبَّحَها في ذُراها

وَبِما صَبَّحَها في ذُراها

مِنهُ بَعدَ القَتلِ نَهبٌ وَشَلُّ

مِنهُ بَعدَ القَتلِ نَهبٌ وَشَلُّ

and how often at dawn he fell upon them on their heights—

and often, at dawn on their heights, there came

after the killing came plunder and herds driven away.

from him, after the killing, plunder and herds driven off.

صَلِيَت مِنّي هُذَيلٌ بِخِرقٍ

صَلِيَت مِنّي هُذَيلٌ بِخِرقٍ

لا يَمَلُّ الشَرَّ حَتّى يَمَلّوا

لا يَمَلُّ الشَرَّ حَتّى يَمَلّوا

Hudhayl was scorched by me—a reckless fighter

Hudhayl has been scorched by me, a daring man

who never tires of war until they tire.

who does not tire of harm until they tire.

يُنهِلُ الصَعدَةَ حَتّى إِذا ما

يُنهِلُ الصَعدَةَ حَتّى إِذا ما

نَهِلَت كانَ لَها مِنهُ عَلُّ

نَهِلَت كانَ لَها مِنهُ عَلُّ

He gives the straight spear its first drink, until, when

He gives the spear its first drink; then, when

it has drunk, from him it receives a second draught.

it has drunk, he gives it a second draught.

تَضحَكُ الضَبعُ لِقَتلى هُذَيلٍ

تَضحَكُ الضَبعُ لِقَتلى هُذَيلٍ

وَتَرى الذِئبُ لَها يَستَهِلُّ

وَتَرى الذِئبُ لَها يَستَهِلُّ

The hyena laughs over Hudhayl’s slain,

The hyena laughs over Hudhayl's slain,

and you see the wolf raise its cry over them.

and you see the wolf cry out to her.

وَطِتاقُ الطَيرُ تَهفوا بِطاناً

وَطِتاقُ الطَيرُ تَهفوا بِطاناً

تَتَخَطّاهُمُ فَما تَستَقِلُّ

تَتَخَطّاهُمُ فَما تَستَقِلُّ

Rank upon rank, the birds flutter away full-bellied,

And [noble?] birds flutter, their bellies full,

stepping over them, too gorged to rise.

stepping over them, unable to take flight.

حَلَّتِ الخَمرُ وَكانَت حَراماً

حَلَّتِ الخَمرُ وَكانَت حَراماً

وَبِلَأيِ ما أَلَمَّت تَحِلُّ

وَبِلَأيِ ما أَلَمَّت تَحِلُّ

Wine has become lawful, though it had been forbidden;

Wine is lawful now, though it was forbidden,

after what a grievous blow has it become lawful!

and only with great difficulty did it come to be lawful.

فَاِسقِنيها يا سَوادَ بنَ عَمروٍ

فَاِسقِنيها يا سَوادَ بنَ عَمروٍ

إِنَّ جِسمي بَعدَ خالِ لَخَلُّ

إِنَّ جِسمي بَعدَ خالِ لَخَلُّ

So give me wine to drink, Sawād ibn ʿAmr;

So pour it for me, O Sawād son of ʿAmr;

indeed, after my maternal uncle, my body has wasted away.

my body, since my maternal uncle's loss, is truly wasted.