عَرَفتُ الدارَ قَد أَقوَت سِنينا

عَرَفتُ الدارَ قَد أَقوَت سِنينا

لِزَينَبَ إِذ تَحِلُّ بِها قَطينا

لِزَينَبَ إِذ تَحِلُّ بِها قَطينا

I recognized the dwelling, deserted for years,

I knew the house though years have passed

Zaynab's, where she once made her home.

Since Zainab frequented it, a graceful guest,

وأَذرَتها حَوافِلُ مُعصِفاتٌ

وأَذرَتها حَوافِلُ مُعصِفاتٌ

كَما تُذريَ المُلَملِمَةُ الطَحينا

كَما تُذريَ المُلَملِمَةُ الطَحينا

And laden, blustering winds scattered it,

And winds effaced it, blowing grain by grain

As the sifter scatters flour.

As sifters scattering flour speck by speck.

وَسافَرَت الرِياحُ بِهِنَ عَصراً

وَسافَرَت الرِياحُ بِهِنَ عَصراً

بِأَذيالٍ يَرُحنَ وَيَغتَدينا

بِأَذيالٍ يَرُحنَ وَيَغتَدينا

And the winds swept over them for an age,

The winds blew from it one day and bore away

With trailing skirts, going at evening and at dawn.

Its flowing skirts and turned and strode again.

فَأَبقينَ الطُلولَ مُخَبيّاتٍ

فَأَبقينَ الطُلولَ مُخَبيّاتٍ

ثَلاثاً كَالحَمائِمِ قَد بَلينا

ثَلاثاً كَالحَمائِمِ قَد بَلينا

So they left the ruins hidden,

Leaving the tall acacias whispering

Three, like doves, already worn away.

Like doves that moan with their complaints suppressed.

وَآريّاً بِعَهدٍ مُرتَداتٍ

وَآريّاً بِعَهدٍ مُرتَداتٍ

أَطَلنَ بِها الصُفونَ إِذا اِفتُلينا

أَطَلنَ بِها الصُفونَ إِذا اِفتُلينا

And a tethering-place from the days of returning mares,

Remembering days gone by they sway and bend

They stood there long, one hoof raised, when weaned.

As langorous, tired women when unloosed.

فإِمّا تَسأَلي عَنّي لُبَينَى

فإِمّا تَسأَلي عَنّي لُبَينَى

وَعَن نَسَبي أُخبِركِ اليَقينا

وَعَن نَسَبي أُخبِركِ اليَقينا

So if you ask about me, Lubaynā,

If you would ask of me, tell plainly all,

And about my lineage, I will tell you the truth:

My lineage, that the truth be not disguised.

فَأَنّي لِلنَبِيتِ أَباً وَأُماً

فَأَنّي لِلنَبِيتِ أَباً وَأُماً

وَأَجداداً سَموا في الأَقدَمينا

وَأَجداداً سَموا في الأَقدَمينا

For I am of al-Nabīt by father and mother,

On both the mother's and the father's side

And by ancestors who rose high among the ancients.

Our line ascends the genealogical tree

لَأَفصى عِصمَةِ الهُلاّكِ أَفصى

لَأَفصى عِصمَةِ الهُلاّكِ أَفصى

عَلى أَفصى بنِ دَعمَّيٍ بُنينا

عَلى أَفصى بنِ دَعمَّيٍ بُنينا

Of Afṣā, refuge of the perishing—Afṣā;

To where az-Zahir did his line indite

Upon Afṣā son of Daʿmī our lineage was built.

And trace his ancestry most perfectly.

وَدَعمِيٌّ بِهِ يُكَنى إِيادُ

وَدَعمِيٌّ بِهِ يُكَنى إِيادُ

إِليه نِسبَتي كَي تَعلَمينا

إِليه نِسبَتي كَي تَعلَمينا

And Iyād is called after Daʿmī;

To Ezra's son that was surnamed Dhu Yazan

To him I trace my lineage, that you may know.

The pedigree goes back, and there it ends.

وَرِثنا المَجدَ عَن كُبرا نِزارٍ

وَرِثنا المَجدَ عَن كُبرا نِزارٍ

فَأَورَثنا مَآثِرَنا البَنينا

فَأَورَثنا مَآثِرَنا البَنينا

We inherited glory from Nizār's great ones,

We too inherit from great Jandal's fame

So we bequeathed our noble deeds to our sons.

And hand our glory on as he bequeathed.

وَكُنّا حَيثُما عَلِمَت مَعَدٌّ

وَكُنّا حَيثُما عَلِمَت مَعَدٌّ

أَقَمنا حَيثُ ساروا هارِبينا

أَقَمنا حَيثُ ساروا هارِبينا

And wherever Maʿadd knew us,

Wherever the Banu Muqbil set forth

We remained where they went fleeing.

We emigrated with them and pitched our tents.

تَنوحُ وَقَد تَولَت مُدبِراتٌ

تَنوحُ وَقَد تَولَت مُدبِراتٌ

تَخالُ سوادَ أَيكَتِها عَرينا

تَخالُ سوادَ أَيكَتِها عَرينا

They wail, already turned away in retreat;

It weeps remembering friends who turned away,

You would take the dark mass of its thicket for a lion's lair.

The courtyard mourns its devastation yet.

وَأَلقَينا بِساحَتِها حُلولاً

وَأَلقَينا بِساحَتِها حُلولاً

حُلولاً للإِقامَةِ ما بَقينا

حُلولاً للإِقامَةِ ما بَقينا

And we settled in its open ground as residents,

Upon that site we paused awhile and then

Residents to remain for as long as we live.

Moved on; and when we moved, we moved again.

فَأَنبَتنا خَضارِمَ فاخِراتٍ

فَأَنبَتنا خَضارِمَ فاخِراتٍ

يَكونُ نِتاجُها عِنَباً وَتينا

يَكونُ نِتاجُها عِنَباً وَتينا

So we grew luxuriant, splendid gardens,

Amid its precincts we left lush and green

Whose yield is grapes and figs.

A garden planted with grapes and figs.

وَأَرصَدنا لِحربِ الدَهرِ جُرداً

وَأَرصَدنا لِحربِ الدَهرِ جُرداً

تَكونَ مُتُونهاً حِصناً حَصينا

تَكونَ مُتُونهاً حِصناً حَصينا

And we kept sleek steeds ready for Time's warfare,

Against time's changing we took arms in hand -

Their backs to be an impregnable fortress.

Stout lances, swords for all event unsheathed

وَخَطِيّاً كأَشطانِ الرَكايا

وَخَطِيّاً كأَشطانِ الرَكايا

وأَسيافاً يَقُمنَ وَينَحَنينا

وأَسيافاً يَقُمنَ وَينَحَنينا

And Khaṭṭī spears like the ropes of wells,

And men whose trade is war and ever was

And swords that stand straight and bend,

And men grown grey where battle fires had scorched.

وَفِتياناً يَرونَ القَتلَ مَجداً

وَفِتياناً يَرونَ القَتلَ مَجداً

وَشيباً في الحُروبِ مُجَرِبينا

وَشيباً في الحُروبِ مُجَرِبينا

And youths who count being slain a glory,

The tribes of Muqbil point to us and say:

And gray-haired men seasoned in wars.

"These lead, where'er the march goes, vanguard they."

تُخبِرُكَ القَبائِلُ مِن مَعَدٍّ

تُخبِرُكَ القَبائِلُ مِن مَعَدٍّ

إِذا عَدّوا سَعايَةً أَوَّلِينا

إِذا عَدّوا سَعايَةً أَوَّلِينا

The tribes of Maʿadd will tell you,

And say: "When comes the call, these men attack,

When they recount the endeavors of our forebears,

But when the foe calls truce, their rage holds back."

بِأَنّا النَازِلونَ بِكُلِ ثَغرٍ

بِأَنّا النَازِلونَ بِكُلِ ثَغرٍ

وَأَنّا الضارِبونَ إِذا اِلتُقينا

وَأَنّا الضارِبونَ إِذا اِلتُقينا

That we are those who settle at every frontier,

And say: "When trials for the tribe arise

And we strike when we meet,

These lift the tribe and stem the flood that nears."

وَأَنّا المانِعونَ إِذا أَرَدنا

وَأَنّا المانِعونَ إِذا أَرَدنا

وَأَنّا العاطِفونَ إَذا دُعينا

وَأَنّا العاطِفونَ إَذا دُعينا

And we defend whenever we wish,

And say: "For Muqbil's honour they uphold

And we turn back to help when called,

Their hands in liberality nor fold."

وَأَنّا الحامِلونَ إِذا أَناخَت

وَأَنّا الحامِلونَ إِذا أَناخَت

خُطوبٌ في العَشيرَةِ تَبتَلينا

خُطوبٌ في العَشيرَةِ تَبتَلينا

And we bear the burden when they kneel down—

Those hands with generosity endowed

Calamities in the clan that put us to the test.

By ancestors whose rule came down in line,

وَأَنّا الرافِعونَ عَلى مَعَدٍّ

وَأَنّا الرافِعونَ عَلى مَعَدٍّ

أَكُفاً في المَكارِمِ ما بَقينا

أَكُفاً في المَكارِمِ ما بَقينا

And we raise above Maʿadd

Who quail their enemies and on their friends

Hands in noble deeds for as long as we live—

Bestow the fortune of the favorable stars.

أَكُفاً في المَكارِمِ قَدَّمَتها

أَكُفاً في المَكارِمِ قَدَّمَتها

قُرونٌ أُورِثَت مِنا قُرونا

قُرونٌ أُورِثَت مِنا قُرونا

Hands in noble deeds put forward by

When death sprang at us with its clashing arms

Generations, handed down from us to generations.

And from our failing eyes the light began to fade,

نُشَرِدُ بِالمَخافَةِ مَن أَتانا

نُشَرِدُ بِالمَخافَةِ مَن أَتانا

وَيُعطينا المَقادَةَ مَن يَلينا

وَيُعطينا المَقادَةَ مَن يَلينا

We drive away through fear whoever comes to us,

We grasped our spears in one last desperate bout

And whoever dwells near us yields us obedience.

And where they lunged our weapons lunged again.

إِذا ما المَوتُ غَلَّسَ بِالمَنايا

إِذا ما المَوتُ غَلَّسَ بِالمَنايا

وَزايَلَتِ المُهَنَدَةُ الجُفونا

وَزايَلَتِ المُهَنَدَةُ الجُفونا

When Death comes in predawn darkness with deadly fates,

They drove the Abs from out their native earth,

And Indian-steel swords leave their scabbards,

Lords over tribes and arrogant in might.

وَأَلقَينا الرِماحَ وَكانَ ضَربٌ

وَأَلقَينا الرِماحَ وَكانَ ضَربٌ

يُكَبُّ عَلى الوجوهِ الدارِعينا

يُكَبُّ عَلى الوجوهِ الدارِعينا

And we cast down the spears, and there was striking

Their own hands slew Ra'l the tribal head

That throws armored men face-down.

As he was watering palms one eventide.

نُفوا عَن أَرضِهِم عَدنان طَراً

نُفوا عَن أَرضِهِم عَدنان طَراً

وَكانوا للقَبائِلِ قاهِرينا

وَكانوا للقَبائِلِ قاهِرينا

All of Adnān were banished from their land,

Repulsed was Tubba's cavalry at Qudaid

And they had been conquerors of the tribes.

And they set out Iraqwards marching light.

وَهُم قَتَلوا الرَئِيس أَبا رِغالِ

وَهُم قَتَلوا الرَئِيس أَبا رِغالِ

بِنَخلَةَ حينَ إِذ وَسَقَ الوَطينا

بِنَخلَةَ حينَ إِذ وَسَقَ الوَطينا

And it was they who killed the chief, Abū Righāl,

The dwellings of the Kinanah gave place

At Nakhla, when he loaded the date-basket.

After the Qatain to the Bani Eyaad.

وَرَدّوا خَيلَ تُبَّعَ في قُدَيدٍ

وَرَدّوا خَيلَ تُبَّعَ في قُدَيدٍ

وَساروا لِلعِراقِ مُشرِقينا

وَساروا لِلعِراقِ مُشرِقينا

And they repelled Tubbaʿ's horsemen at Qudayd,

One folk moves in when another moves along.

And marched eastward toward Iraq.

Men take some houses that they leave ere long.

وَبُدِّلَت المَساكِنُ مِن إِيادٍ

وَبُدِّلَت المَساكِنُ مِن إِيادٍ

كِنانَةُ بَعدَ ما كانوا القَطينا

كِنانَةُ بَعدَ ما كانوا القَطينا

And the dwellings passed from Iyād to

While we drink water pure and undefiled

Kināna, after they had been the inhabitants.

Another nation drinks a good mil mixed.

نَسيرُ بِمَعشَرِ قَوماً لِقومٍ

نَسيرُ بِمَعشَرِ قَوماً لِقومٍ

وَنَدخُلُ دارَ قَومٍ آخَرينا

وَنَدخُلُ دارَ قَومٍ آخَرينا

We march with a host, tribe against tribe,

And enter the abode of another people.

وَإِنّا الشارِبونَ الماءَ صَفواً

وَإِنّا الشارِبونَ الماءَ صَفواً

وَيَشرَبُ غَيرُنا كَدِراً وَطينا

وَيَشرَبُ غَيرُنا كَدِراً وَطينا

And we are the drinkers of clear water,

And others drink murky water and mud.