صَبَحناwe gave a morning drink الحَيَّthe clan مِنfrom عَبسٍʿAbs صَبوحاًa morning draught
صَبَحنا الحَيَّ مِن عَبسٍ صَبوحاً
بِكَأسٍwith a cup فيin جَوانِبِهاits sides الثَميلُthe poison
بِكَأسٍ في جَوانِبِها الثَميلُ
We gave the clan of ʿAbs a morning draught,
We woke at dawn from a frowning gloom
From a cup with poison along its sides.
With a cup whose sides were pleasant
وَأَبقَيناand we left لِمُرَّةَfor Murra يَومَa day نَحسٍmisfortune
وَأَبقَينا لِمُرَّةَ يَومَ نَحسٍ
وَإِخوَتِهِمand their brothers فَقَدso indeed ذَهَبَwas gone الغَليلُthe burning thirst
وَإِخوَتِهِم فَقَد ذَهَبَ الغَليلُ
And for Murra we left a day of misfortune,
And we left for the day of ill omen
And their brothers; our burning thirst was quenched.
And its brothers, so grief has passed
تَرَكناwe left دورَهُمtheir dwellings فيهاin them دِماءٌblood
تَرَكنا دورَهُم فيها دِماءٌ
وَأَجسادٌand bodies فَقَدso indeed ظَهَرَarose العَويلُthe wailing
وَأَجسادٌ فَقَد ظَهَرَ العَويلُ
We left their dwellings with blood within them,
We left their homes filled with blood
And bodies; then the wailing arose.
And bodies, so wailing arose
فَذَلَّso was humbled الأَبلَخُthe arrogant man المُختالُthe swaggering إِنّاindeed we
فَذَلَّ الأَبلَخُ المُختالُ إِنّا
نُخَيِّسُهُwe subdue him وَعَزَّand grew mighty بِناthrough us الذَليلُthe lowly man
نُخَيِّسُهُ وَعَزَّ بِنا الذَليلُ
So the arrogant swaggerer was humbled; indeed, we
The arrogant tyrant has fallen low
Subdue him, and through us the lowly grew mighty.
We humiliate him and the lowly prevail
قَتَلناwe killed مالِكاًMalik وَأَباand Abu رَزينٍRazin
قَتَلنا مالِكاً وَأَبا رَزينٍ
غَداةَon the morning of القاعِal-Qaʿ إِذwhen لَمَعَgleamed الدَليلُthe guiding light
غَداةَ القاعِ إِذ لَمَعَ الدَليلُ
We killed Malik and Abu Razin,
We killed Malik and Abu Razin
On the morning at al-Qaʿ, when the guiding light gleamed.
At dawn when the guide shone
لَناwe have فيin الرَوعِbattle's terror أَبطالٌchampions كِرامٌnoble
لَنا في الرَوعِ أَبطالٌ كِرامٌ
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle الخَيلُthe horses جَدَّgrew intense بِهاamong them الصَهيلُthe neighing
إِذا ما الخَيلُ جَدَّ بِها الصَهيلُ
We have noble champions amid battle's terror,
For us in fright are noble heroes
When the horses' neighing grows fierce,
When the horses stamp with neighing
عَلىupon جُردٍsleek horses مُسَوَّمَةٍmarked عِتاقٍthoroughbred
عَلى جُردٍ مُسَوَّمَةٍ عِتاقٍ
تَوَقَّصُgallop with short strides بِالشَبابِwith young men وَبِالكُهولِand with mature men
تَوَقَّصُ بِالشَبابِ وَبِالكُهولِ
On sleek, marked, thoroughbred steeds,
On slender steeds marked with brands
That gallop bearing young men and mature men.
They charge with youth and elders alike
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle الرَكضُspurring أَسهَلَsmoothed جانِبَيهاboth their flanks
إِذا ما الرَكضُ أَسهَلَ جانِبَيها
وَجَدَّand grew intense السَيرُthe pace وَاِنقَطَعَand ceased النَقيلُthe trot
وَجَدَّ السَيرُ وَاِنقَطَعَ النَقيلُ
When spurring smooths both their flanks,
When the galloping makes its flanks smooth
And the pace quickens and the trot ceases.
The pace quickens and the sandals cease
وَيَومَand on the day of الشِعبِal-Shiʿb غادَرناwe left لَقيطاًLaqit
وَيَومَ الشِعبِ غادَرنا لَقيطاً
بِأَبيَضَwith a bright sword صارِمٍsharp-cutting عَضبٍkeen-edged صَقيلُpolished
بِأَبيَضَ صارِمٍ عَضبٍ صَقيلُ
And on the day of al-Shiʿb we left Laqit fallen,
And the day we left Liqit alone
With a bright sword—cutting, keen, and polished.
With an angry, unsheathed white sword
غَداةَon the morning when أَرادَhe sought أَنto يَسموrise إِلَيناtoward us
غَداةَ أَرادَ أَن يَسمو إِلَينا
بِأُسرَتِهِwith his kinsmen وَأَخلَفَهُand failed him القَبيلُthe tribe
بِأُسرَتِهِ وَأَخلَفَهُ القَبيلُ
On the morning he sought to rise against us,
When he intended to rebel against us
With his kinsmen, but his tribe failed him.
But his tribe held him back
فَأُبناso we returned غانِمينَbearing spoils بِماwith what اِستَفَأناwe seized as booty
فَأُبنا غانِمينَ بِما اِستَفَأنا
نَسوقُwe drive البيضَthe fair-skinned women دَعواهاtheir cry الأَليلُthe lamentation
نَسوقُ البيضَ دَعواها الأَليلُ
So we returned laden with the booty we had seized,
So we return victorious with our spoils
Driving fair-skinned women before us, their cry a lament.
We lead the white she-camels, their ornament tinkling
Sol 6.1