لا تَلومي عَلى القِتالَ عَريباً

لا تَلومي عَلى القِتالَ عَريباً

إِنَّ بِالكازِرونَ يَوماً عَجيبا

إِنَّ بِالكازِرونَ يَوماً عَجيبا

Do not blame ʿUrayb for the fighting;

Do not blame anyone for fighting.

Indeed, I had at Kāzerūn a wondrous day,

Indeed, at Kazerun there was an astonishing day,

إِذ أَتانا عَبيدَةُ بنُ هِلالٍ

إِذ أَتانا عَبيدَةُ بنُ هِلالٍ

فَاغِراً فاهُ بِالدِماءِ خَضيباً

فَاغِراً فاهُ بِالدِماءِ خَضيباً

when ʿUbayda son of Hilāl came upon us,

When Ubayda ibn Hilal came to us,

his mouth gaping, stained with blood.

His mouth agape, stained with blood.

فَأَراهُ عَلى النِزالِ بَطيئاً

فَأَراهُ عَلى النِزالِ بَطيئاً

وَبِما قَد أَراهُ فيها مُهيبا

وَبِما قَد أَراهُ فيها مُهيبا

Then I see him slow to enter single combat,

So I see him slow to face combat,

yet fearsome for what I may see him do there.

And, from what I have seen of him in it, fearsome.

إِن تَعُد لِلنِّزالِ تَلقاهُ حَتفاً

إِن تَعُد لِلنِّزالِ تَلقاهُ حَتفاً

وَعَسى ذاكَ أَن يَكونَ قَريبا

وَعَسى ذاكَ أَن يَكونَ قَريبا

If you return to single combat, you will meet him as your doom—

If you return to combat, you will find it your doom,

and that may well be near.

And perhaps that will be soon.