توعِدُني شَيبانُ بَغياً وَما

توعِدُني شَيبانُ بَغياً وَما

تَعلَمُ مَن توعِدُ شَيبانُ

تَعلَمُ مَن توعِدُ شَيبانُ

Shaybān threatened me in wanton aggression, yet

Shayban threatens me unjustly, and does not

Shaybān knows not whom it threatens.

know whom Shayban threatens.

وَالعَنَزِيّونَ فَقَد أَوعَدوا

وَالعَنَزِيّونَ فَقَد أَوعَدوا

وَالحَربُ أَطوارٌ وَأَلوانُ

وَالحَربُ أَطوارٌ وَأَلوانُ

The men of ʿAnaza, too, have hurled their threats;

And the ʿAnazis have indeed made threats;

and war comes in turns and colors.

and war has phases and colors.

لَو أَبصَروا خَيلي وَأَبطالَها

لَو أَبصَروا خَيلي وَأَبطالَها

وَبَعدَها رَجلٌ وَفُرسانُ

وَبَعدَها رَجلٌ وَفُرسانُ

If they beheld my cavalry and its champions,

Had they seen my cavalry and its champions,

and behind it men on foot and horsemen,

and behind it foot soldiers and horsemen,

لَعايَنوا المَوتَ أَوِ استَأسَروا

لَعايَنوا المَوتَ أَوِ استَأسَروا

بِالصُغرِ وَالذِلَّةِ أَو دانوا

بِالصُغرِ وَالذِلَّةِ أَو دانوا

they would look death itself in the face, or yield themselves captive

they would have beheld death or surrendered as captives

in abasement and humiliation—or bow in submission.

in abasement and humiliation, or submitted.