فَإِن تَنجُ مِنها يا ضُبَيعَ فَإِنَّني

فَإِن تَنجُ مِنها يا ضُبَيعَ فَإِنَّني

وَجَدِّكَ لَم أَعقِد عَلَيكَ التَمائِما

وَجَدِّكَ لَم أَعقِد عَلَيكَ التَمائِما

So if you escape it, O Ḍubayʿ, then I—

If you escape, O hyena, then I swear

by your grandfather—have tied no amulets upon you.

By your life, I have not tied amulets upon you,

فَأَنزَلتُهُ إِنزالَ مِثلِيَ مِثلَهُ

فَأَنزَلتُهُ إِنزالَ مِثلِيَ مِثلَهُ

بِنَجلاءَ بَلَّت ظَهرَهُ وَالمَآكِما

بِنَجلاءَ بَلَّت ظَهرَهُ وَالمَآكِما

So I brought him down as one like me brings down one like him,

So I brought him down as one like me brings down one like him

with a gaping wound that soaked his back and buttocks.

At Najlaa’, who scarred his back and shoulders,

وَأَدَّيتُ زَيداً بَعدَما كانَ ثاوِياً

وَأَدَّيتُ زَيداً بَعدَما كانَ ثاوِياً

إِلى أَهلِهِ يَومَ الثَنِيَّةِ سالِما

إِلى أَهلِهِ يَومَ الثَنِيَّةِ سالِما

And I returned Zayd, after he had been held captive,

And I returned Zayd, after he was lost,

safe to his people on the day of al-Thaniyyah.

To his family on Monday safe,

فَأَصبَحتُمُ لا في سَوامِ فِدائِهِ

فَأَصبَحتُمُ لا في سَوامِ فِدائِهِ

وَأَصبَحَ في تَيمانَ يَخطِرُ ناعِما

وَأَصبَحَ في تَيمانَ يَخطِرُ ناعِما

So you had no share in the grazing herds of his ransom,

So you spent the morning not paying his ransom,

and he was now in Tayman, strutting at ease,

While he spent it in Tayman, living comfortably,

يُزَجّي جِيادَ الخَيلِ نَحوَ دِيارِكُم

يُزَجّي جِيادَ الخَيلِ نَحوَ دِيارِكُم

وَقَد كانَ في جِلدٍ مِنَ القِدَّ آزِما

وَقَد كانَ في جِلدٍ مِنَ القِدَّ آزِما

driving fine steeds toward your dwellings,

Driving the steeds of horses back to your abodes,

though he had been held fast in a binding of leather thongs.

After being clad in worn out skin,

فَلا تَعجَلَن وَاِنظُر بِأَرضِكَ فارِساً

فَلا تَعجَلَن وَاِنظُر بِأَرضِكَ فارِساً

يَهُزُّ رُدَينِيّاً وَأَبيَضَ صارِما

يَهُزُّ رُدَينِيّاً وَأَبيَضَ صارِما

So do not rush; await in your land a horseman

So do not hurry, and look for a horseman in your land,

brandishing a Rudayni spear and a keen white sword.

Who shakes a lance, white and sharp,

لَهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ غارَةٌ عُرِفَت لَهُ

لَهُ كُلَّ يَومٍ غارَةٌ عُرِفَت لَهُ

إِذا قادَها لِلمَوتِ جُرداً سَواهِما

إِذا قادَها لِلمَوتِ جُرداً سَواهِما

Each day he has a raid, known to be his,

Who has a raid every day, known to be his

when he leads them to death, sleek-coated and lean.

When he leads it to death, driving the tips of spears.

وَعَبدَ بَني بَرشا تَرَكنا مُجَدَّلاً

وَعَبدَ بَني بَرشا تَرَكنا مُجَدَّلاً

غَداةَ ثَوى بَينَ الفَوارِسِ كازِما

غَداةَ ثَوى بَينَ الفَوارِسِ كازِما

And the slave of Banu Barsha we left struck down,

And we left ‘Abda, the son of Bishr, winding in his shroud,

the morning he lay silent among the horsemen.

The morning after he spent the night amongst the horsemen as a pledge,

تَناوَلتُهُ فَاِختَلَّ سَيفي ذُبابُهُ

تَناوَلتُهُ فَاِختَلَّ سَيفي ذُبابُهُ

شَراسيفَهُ العُليا وَجَدَّ المَعاصِما

شَراسيفَهُ العُليا وَجَدَّ المَعاصِما

I struck him, and my sword's point pierced

I confronted him, so my sword hacked his body,

his upper rib cartilages and severed the wrists.

His high wristguards, and the wrist joint,

وَأَنتَ قَريبٌ قَد رَأَيتَ مَكانَهُ

وَأَنتَ قَريبٌ قَد رَأَيتَ مَكانَهُ

تُنادي شَتيراً يَومَ ذاكَ وَعاصِما

تُنادي شَتيراً يَومَ ذاكَ وَعاصِما

And you were nearby; you had seen where he was,

While you were near, and saw his position,

calling to Shatir and ʿAsim that day.

Calling “Sitara!” on that day, and “‘Aasim!”