الا أَبلغ عُبيدَ اللَهِ عَنّي فإِنَّني

الا أَبلغ عُبيدَ اللَهِ عَنّي فإِنَّني

رَمَيتُ ابنَ عَوذٍ إِذ بَدَت لي مقاتِلُه

رَمَيتُ ابنَ عَوذٍ إِذ بَدَت لي مقاتِلُه

Now carry word to ʿUbayd Allāh from me—for indeed I

Now tell Ubayd Allah on my behalf, for I

shot Ibn ʿAwḏ when his mortal opening came into view,

Shot at Ibn ʿAwdh when his vital spots became visible to me,

عَلى قَفرَةٍ إِذا هابَهُ الوَفدُ كُلُّهُم

عَلى قَفرَةٍ إِذا هابَهُ الوَفدُ كُلُّهُم

وَلَم أَكُ أَشوي القِرنَ حينَ أُناضِلُه

وَلَم أَكُ أَشوي القِرنَ حينَ أُناضِلُه

out on a barren waste, when the whole delegation feared him.

On a barren tract, when all the envoys feared him;

I did not merely graze my match when I exchanged shots with him.

Nor did I miss my rival's vitals when I exchanged shots with him.

وَكانَ يُماري مِن يَزيدَ بوقعةٍ

وَكانَ يُماري مِن يَزيدَ بوقعةٍ

فَما زالَ حَتّى اِستَدرَجَتهُ حَبائِلُه

فَما زالَ حَتّى اِستَدرَجَتهُ حَبائِلُه

He had been disputing with Yazīd over a battle,

And he was disputing over a battle involving Yazid;

and persisted until Yazīd’s snares drew him on step by step,

So he did not cease until his snares drew him in,

فَتُقصيهِ مِن ميراثِ حَربٍ وَرَهطِهِ

فَتُقصيهِ مِن ميراثِ حَربٍ وَرَهطِهِ

وَآلَ الى ما ورَّثَتهُ أَوائِله

وَآلَ الى ما ورَّثَتهُ أَوائِله

thus casting him far from the legacy of Ḥarb and his clan.

And so they drive him from the inheritance of Harb and his clan.

He came at last to what his forebears had bequeathed him,

And he returned to what his forebears had bequeathed him.

وَأَصبَحَ لَمّا أَسلَمتهُ حِبالهم

وَأَصبَحَ لَمّا أَسلَمتهُ حِبالهم

كَكَلبِ القِطارِ حُلَّ عَنهُ جَلاجِلُه

كَكَلبِ القِطارِ حُلَّ عَنهُ جَلاجِلُه

and when their cords abandoned him, he became

And when their ropes abandoned him, he became

like the caravan train’s dog, its jingling bells unfastened from it.

Like a caravan dog with its bells taken off.