فَفَرَّ زُهَيرٌ خيفَةً مِن عِقابِنا

فَفَرَّ زُهَيرٌ خيفَةً مِن عِقابِنا

فَلَيتُكَ لَم تَفرِر فَتُصبِح نادِما

فَلَيتُكَ لَم تَفرِر فَتُصبِح نادِما

So Zuhayr fled, afraid of our retribution.

So Zuhayr fled for fear of our punishment.

Would that you had not fled—for then you would have awakened remorseful.

Would that you had not fled, so you might end up remorseful!

فَلَهفَ اِبنَةَ المَجنونِ أَلّا نُصيبَهُ

فَلَهفَ اِبنَةَ المَجنونِ أَلّا نُصيبَهُ

فُنوفِيَهُ بِالصاعِ كَيلاً غُذارِما

فُنوفِيَهُ بِالصاعِ كَيلاً غُذارِما

Ah, the grief of al-Majnūn’s daughter that we did not catch him,

Alas, daughter of al-Majnun, that we did not catch him,

and pay him back by the sāʿ, with a brimming measure.

And repay him in full by the sāʿ, with a brimming measure.

وَنَلقى قُمَيرا في المَكَرِّ وَحَبتَراً

وَنَلقى قُمَيرا في المَكَرِّ وَحَبتَراً

وَجارَهُم في الفَجرِ يَدعونَ حاطِما

وَجارَهُم في الفَجرِ يَدعونَ حاطِما

And meet Qumayr in the charge, and Ḥabtar,

And meet Qumayr in the charge, and Habtar,

and their neighbor at dawn, whom they call the Crusher.

And, at dawn, their neighbor, whom they call Hāṭim.

وَما خِلتُني لِاِبنِ الأَغَرِّ مُثَمِّراً

وَما خِلتُني لِاِبنِ الأَغَرِّ مُثَمِّراً

وَما خِلتُني أَجني عَلَيهِ الجَرائِما

وَما خِلتُني أَجني عَلَيهِ الجَرائِما

Never did I think I would enrich Ibn al-Agharr,

And I never thought I would enrich Ibn al-Agharr,

nor did I think I would commit crimes against him.

Nor did I think I would commit crimes against him.

عَلى حَنَقٍ صَبَّحتُهُم بِمُغيرَةٍ

عَلى حَنَقٍ صَبَّحتُهُم بِمُغيرَةٍ

كَرِجلِ الدَبى الصَيفِيِّ أَصبَحَ سائِماً

كَرِجلِ الدَبى الصَيفِيِّ أَصبَحَ سائِماً

In fury I fell upon them at dawn with a raiding host,

In fury I struck them at dawn with a raiding force,

like a swarm of summer locusts setting out at dawn to graze.

Like a swarm of summer's young locusts grazing at dawn.

بَغَيتُهُم ما بَينَ حَدّاءَ وَالحَشا

بَغَيتُهُم ما بَينَ حَدّاءَ وَالحَشا

وَأَورَدتُهُم ماءَ الأُثَيلِ فَعاصِما

وَأَورَدتُهُم ماءَ الأُثَيلِ فَعاصِما

I pursued them between Ḥaddāʾ and al-Ḥashā,

I sought them between Ḥaddāʾ and al-Ḥashā,

and drove them to the water of al-Uthayl, then to ʿĀṣim,

And brought them to al-Uthayl's water, then to ʿĀṣim,

إِلى مَلَحِ الفَيفا فَقُنَّةِ عازِبٍ

إِلى مَلَحِ الفَيفا فَقُنَّةِ عازِبٍ

أُجَمِّعُ مِنهُم جامِلاً وَأَغانِما

أُجَمِّعُ مِنهُم جامِلاً وَأَغانِما

on to Malaḥ al-Fayfā, then the summit of ʿĀzib,

To Malaḥ of the open desert, then the summit of ʿĀzib,

gathering from them camel-herds and spoils.

Gathering from them a herd of camels and flocks of sheep.