سَمَا بَصَري لما عَرفتُ مكانَهُ

سَمَا بَصَري لما عَرفتُ مكانَهُ

وأطّت إليَّ الواشجاتُ أطيطا

وأطّت إليَّ الواشجاتُ أطيطا

My gaze lifted when I made out where he stood,

My gaze rose when I knew where he was,

and the close-knit bonds of kinship strained toward me, groaning.

And the intertwined bonds of kinship groaned aloud to me.

علوتُ بذي الحياتِ مَفرقَ رأسِه

علوتُ بذي الحياتِ مَفرقَ رأسِه

فخرَّ كما خرَّ النساءُ عَبيطا

فخرَّ كما خرَّ النساءُ عَبيطا

I brought the Serpent-Blade down upon the crown of his head,

With Dhu al-Hayyat, the Serpent-Bearer, I struck the crown of his head.

and down he crashed as women collapse—a freshly slain man.

Then he fell as women fall, slain outright.

فأبلغ بني سَعدِ بن عجلٍ بأننا

فأبلغ بني سَعدِ بن عجلٍ بأننا

حذوناهُمُ نَعلَ المثال سَميطا

حذوناهُمُ نَعلَ المثال سَميطا

So tell the sons of Saʿd ibn ʿIjl that we

So tell the sons of Saʿd ibn ʿIjl that we

matched them, like a sandal to its pattern, with Sumayṭ

have shod them with a single-soled sandal matching the pattern.

وجهمان وكلنا بذكرة وائلٍ

وجهمان وكلنا بذكرة وائلٍ

يبيتُ إذا نام الخليُّ وقيطا

يبيتُ إذا نام الخليُّ وقيطا

and Jahmān. At the thought of him, every one of us seeks refuge,

And we charged Jahman with remembering Waʾil;

passing the night restlessly awake whenever the carefree sleep.

He spends the night stricken when the carefree man sleeps.

فدى لك أمي يوم تضربُ وائلا

فدى لك أمي يوم تضربُ وائلا

وقد بلّ ثوبَيه النجيعُ عَبيطا

وقد بلّ ثوبَيه النجيعُ عَبيطا

My mother be your ransom on the day you strike Wāʾil,

My mother be your ransom for the day you struck Waʾil,

when fresh-flowing wound-blood has drenched his two garments.

When fresh blood had already soaked his two garments.