A long night تطاول ليلك بالأثمد

تَطَاوَلَ لَيْلُكَ بِالأَثْمُدِ * وَنامَ الْخَلِيُّ وَلَمْ تَرقُدِ

Your night has grown long beneath the kohl-dark gloom,
while the carefree one slept, and you did not sleep.

وَباتَ وَبَاتَتْ لَهُ لَيْلَةٌ * كَلَيْلَةِ ذِي الْعَائِرِ الْأَرْمَدِ

He passed the night, and for him it was a night
like the night of a wandering man, sore-eyed and sleepless.

وَذَلِكَ مِنْ نَبَإٍ جَاءَنِي * وَخُبِّرْتُهُ عَنْ أَبِي الأَسْوَدِ

And that was from news that came to me,
and I was informed of it by Abu Al-Aswad.

وَلَوْ عَنْ نَثَا غَيْرِهِ جَاءَنِي * وَجُرْحُ اللِّسَانِ كَجُرْحِ الْيَدِ

And had it come to me as slander from anyone else,
for the wound of the tongue is like the wound of the hand.

لَقُلْتُ مِنَ الْقَوْلِ مَا لَا يَزَا * لُ يُؤْثَرُ عَنِّي يَدَ المُسْنَدِ

I would have spoken words that would forever
be reported from me by those who transmit them.

بِأَيِّ عَلاقَتِنَا تَرْغَبُونَ * أَعَن دَمِ عَمْرٍو عَلَى مَرْثَدِ

By which bond between us do you seek closeness
Is it over the blood of ‘Amr, because of Marthad?

فَإِن تَدْفِنُوا الدَّاءَ لَا نَخْفِهِ * وَإِن تَبْعَثُوا الحَرْبَ لَا نَقْعُدِ

If you bury the grievance, we will not uncover it,
but if you stir up war, we will not remain seated.

فَإِنْ تَقْتُلُونَا نُقَتِّلْكُمُ * وَإِن تَقْصِدُوا لِدَمٍ نَقْصُدِ

If you kill us, we will kill you in return;
And if you seek blood vengeance, we too shall seek it.

مَتَى عَهْدُنَا بِطِعَانِ الكُمَا * ةِ وَالحَمدِ وَالمَجْدِ وَالسُؤْدَدِ

Since when have we been strangers to attacking brave warriors,
And to praise, to glory, and to nobility?

وَبَنْيِ القِبَابِ وَمَلْءِ الجِفَا * نِ وَالنَّارِ وَالْحَطَبِ الْمُفْأَدِ

And with raising domed tents, filling great bowls with food,
And with the fire and the firewood kept ever kindled.

وَأَعَدَدْتُ لِلْحَرْبِ وَثَّابَةً * جَوَادَ المَحَثَّةِ وَالمَرْوَدِ

And I prepared for war a swift-charging steed,
A noble horse, quick to be urged on and driven ahead.

سَمُوحًا جَمُوحًا وَإِحْضَارُهَا * كَمَعْمَعَةِ السَعَفِ الْمُوْقَدِ

Generous and headstrong, its swift gallop
Like the crackling roar of burning palm branches.

وَمَشْدُودَةَ السَّكِّ مَوْضُونَةً * تَضَائَلُ فِي الطَّيِّ كَالْمِبْرَدِ

Tightly bound at the jaw, finely woven in form,
Slender in movement, like a file drawn in swift motion.

تَفِيضُ عَلَى الْمَرْءِ أَردَانُهَا * كَفَيْضِ الأَتِيِّ عَلَى الْجَدْجَدِ

Its flowing flanks pour over the rider,
Like the flood of a torrent over hard, barren ground.

وَمُطَّرِدًا كَرِشَاءِ الجَرُو * رِ مِنْ خُلُبِ النَّخْلَةِ الأَجْرَدِ

And a tail streaming straight behind,
Like the long drawn rope made from the fibre of a bare palm tree.

وَذَا شُطَبٍ غَامِضًا كَلْمَهُ * إِذَا صَابَ بِالْعَظْمِ لَمْ يَنْأَدِ

And a sword with marked grooves, whose wound cuts deep
When it strikes bone, it does not bend away.