لَهانَ عَلى فِتيانِ بَكرِ اِبنِ وائِلِ

لَهانَ عَلى فِتيانِ بَكرِ اِبنِ وائِلِ

وَتَغلِبَ إِصعادٌ بِذاتِ الجَحافِلِ

وَتَغلِبَ إِصعادٌ بِذاتِ الجَحافِلِ

It would have been easy for the young men of Bakr ibn Wa'il

The youths of the clan of Bekr ibn Wael

and Taghlib to go upcountry with the thick-lipped one.

Were defeated by the onslaught of Issaad

سَما لِمَراعيها تُوَيلٌ بِفِتيَةٍ

سَما لِمَراعيها تُوَيلٌ بِفِتيَةٍ

فَأَلوى بِها عَن بَيتِ أَعزَلَ تافِلِ

فَأَلوى بِها عَن بَيتِ أَعزَلَ تافِلِ

Tuwayl advanced toward her pastures with a band of youths,

Leading their herds away were some young men

then carried her away from an unarmed, unperfumed man's house.

Who turned them from the house of the defenseless old man

كَأَن لَم تُبَرَّك بِالقُنَينِيِّ مَرَّةً

كَأَن لَم تُبَرَّك بِالقُنَينِيِّ مَرَّةً

وَلَم يُرتَكَب مِنها لِرَمكاءَ حافِلِ

وَلَم يُرتَكَب مِنها لِرَمكاءَ حافِلِ

As though she had never once been made to kneel by al-Qunayni,

As if she had never been blessed with a milch camel

nor been mounted—that dusky, full-uddered one [construction uncertain],

Nor mounted by throngs of pilgrims

شَديدَةِ أَنَّ الآخَرينَ كَأَنَّها

شَديدَةِ أَنَّ الآخَرينَ كَأَنَّها

إِذا اِبتَدَّها العِلجانِ زُجلَةُ قافِلِ

إِذا اِبتَدَّها العِلجانِ زُجلَةُ قافِلِ

loud with the others' groaning [reading uncertain], as though she were,

So vehement were the others that it was as if

when the two hulking brutes took her from either side, a returning caravan's noisy throng.

When the camels bellowed it was a departing caravan

فَلَو كُنتُمُ مِنّا أَخَذنا بِأَخذِكُم

فَلَو كُنتُمُ مِنّا أَخَذنا بِأَخذِكُم

وَلَكِنَّما الأَوحادُ أَسفَلُ سافِلِ

وَلَكِنَّما الأَوحادُ أَسفَلُ سافِلِ

Had you been of us, we would have followed your way,

Had you been of us we would have responded in kind

but men of obscure lineage are the lowest of the low.

But the lonely ones are the lowest of the low