أَلا طَرَقَتكَ مِن خَبتٍ كَنودُ

أَلا طَرَقَتكَ مِن خَبتٍ كَنودُ

فَقَد فَعلَت وَآلَت لا تَعودُ

فَقَد فَعلَت وَآلَت لا تَعودُ

Ah—did an ungrateful woman from Khabt visit you by night?

Ah, Kanud visited you by night from Khabt.

She did indeed, and swore she would never return.

Indeed she did, and swore she would not return.

كَأَنَّكِ لَم تَرَينا يَومَ غَولٍ

كَأَنَّكِ لَم تَرَينا يَومَ غَولٍ

وَلَم يُخبِركِ بِالخَبَرِ الجُنودُ

وَلَم يُخبِركِ بِالخَبَرِ الجُنودُ

As though you had not seen us on the day of Ghawl,

As though you had not seen us on the day of Ghawl,

and the armies had not told you the news

and the troops had not told you the news

بِما لاقَت سَراةُ بَني لُجَيمٍ

بِما لاقَت سَراةُ بَني لُجَيمٍ

تَعَضَّ سَراتَهُم فينا القُيودُ

تَعَضَّ سَراتَهُم فينا القُيودُ

of what the chiefs of Banū Lujaym encountered—

of what befell the chiefs of Banu Lujaym,

fetters biting their chiefs in our hands.

as fetters bit their chiefs in our midst.

وَعَبدُ القَيسِ بِالمَرداءِ لاقَت

وَعَبدُ القَيسِ بِالمَرداءِ لاقَت

صَباحاً مِثلَ ما لَقِيَت ثَمودُ

صَباحاً مِثلَ ما لَقِيَت ثَمودُ

And ʿAbd al-Qays at al-Mardāʾ met,

And at al-Marda, 'Abd al-Qays met

one morning, the like of what Thamūd met.

at dawn the like of what Thamud met.

صَبَحناهُم بِكُلِّ أَقَبَّ نَهدٍ

صَبَحناهُم بِكُلِّ أَقَبَّ نَهدٍ

وَمُطَّرِدٍ لَهُ يَقِدُ الحَديدُ

وَمُطَّرِدٍ لَهُ يَقِدُ الحَديدُ

We came upon them at dawn with every hollow-flanked, broad-chested steed,

We attacked them at dawn with every lean-bellied, powerful steed,

and every straight spear whose iron point blazed,

and a straight spear whose iron blazed,

وَأَبيَضَ يَخطَفُ القَصَراتِ عَضبٍ

وَأَبيَضَ يَخطَفُ القَصَراتِ عَضبٍ

رَقيقِ الحَدِّ زَيَّنَهُ غُمودُ

رَقيقِ الحَدِّ زَيَّنَهُ غُمودُ

and every gleaming, keen-edged sword that snatched at necks,

and a bright, keen sword that snatched away necks,

slender of edge and beautified by its scabbards;

fine-edged, adorned by scabbards,

وَكُلِّ طِمِرَّةٍ خَفِقٍ حَشاها

وَكُلِّ طِمِرَّةٍ خَفِقٍ حَشاها

مُلَملَمَةٍ تَلاقيها بَعيدُ

مُلَملَمَةٍ تَلاقيها بَعيدُ

and every high-spirited mare, light in the belly,

and every swift mare, lean in the belly,

solidly knit—the far-off came to meet her.

compactly built, with a far-reaching stride.

لَقينا جَمعَهُم صُبحاً فَكانوا

لَقينا جَمعَهُم صُبحاً فَكانوا

كَمِثلِ الضَأنِ عاداهُنَّ سيدُ

كَمِثلِ الضَأنِ عاداهُنَّ سيدُ

We met their host at dawn, and they were

We met their host at dawn, and they were

like sheep pursued by a wolf.

like sheep assailed by a wolf.

فَغودِرَ مِنهُمُ عَمروٌ وَعَمروٌ

فَغودِرَ مِنهُمُ عَمروٌ وَعَمروٌ

وَأَسوَدُ وَالكُماةُ بِها شُهودُ

وَأَسوَدُ وَالكُماةُ بِها شُهودُ

Among them ʿAmr and ʿAmr were left slain,

Then 'Amr and 'Amr were left slain among them,

and Aswad and the warriors bear witness to it.

and Aswad, with the armored warriors there as witnesses.

وَعَبدُ اللَهِ غودِرَ وَاِبنُ بِشرٍ

وَعَبدُ اللَهِ غودِرَ وَاِبنُ بِشرٍ

وَعَتّابٌ وَمُرَّةُ وَالوَليدُ

وَعَتّابٌ وَمُرَّةُ وَالوَليدُ

ʿAbd Allāh was left slain, and Ibn Bishr,

And 'Abd Allah was left slain, and Ibn Bishr,

and ʿAttāb, Murra, and al-Walīd.

and 'Attab, and Murra, and al-Walid.

لَقَيناهُم بِبيضٍ مُرهَفاتٍ

لَقَيناهُم بِبيضٍ مُرهَفاتٍ

نُقَتِّلُهُم بِها حَتّى أُبيدوا

نُقَتِّلُهُم بِها حَتّى أُبيدوا

We met them with keen, gleaming blades,

We met them with bright, finely sharpened swords,

slaying them with those until they were annihilated.

slaying them with these until they were wiped out.

وَأَردَفنا نِسائَهُمُ وَجِئنا

وَأَردَفنا نِسائَهُمُ وَجِئنا

وَقَد دَمِيَت مِنَ الخَمخِ الخُدودُ

وَقَد دَمِيَت مِنَ الخَمخِ الخُدودُ

We took their women riding behind us and came away,

And we took their women up behind us and returned,

their cheeks bloodied from scratching.

with their cheeks already bloodied by scratching.