تَرى عَلِمَت عُبَيلَةُ ما أُلاقي

تَرى عَلِمَت عُبَيلَةُ ما أُلاقي

مِنَ الأَهوالِ في أَرضِ العِراقِ

مِنَ الأَهوالِ في أَرضِ العِراقِ

I wonder, has Ubayla learned what I endure

Does Ubaylah know what horrors I face

Of terrors in the land of Iraq?

In the land of Iraq, evils interlace

طَغاني بِالرِيا وَالمَكرِ عَمّي

طَغاني بِالرِيا وَالمَكرِ عَمّي

وَجارَ عَلَيَّ في طَلَبِ الصَداقِ

وَجارَ عَلَيَّ في طَلَبِ الصَداقِ

My uncle deceived me with dissimulation and guile,

My uncle with deceit and tricks has tried

And wronged me in demanding the bridal dower.

To rob me of my rightful marriage prize

فَخُضتُ بِمُهجَتي بَحرَ المَنايا

فَخُضتُ بِمُهجَتي بَحرَ المَنايا

وَسِرتُ إِلى العِراقِ بِلا رِفاقِ

وَسِرتُ إِلى العِراقِ بِلا رِفاقِ

So I plunged with my very life into the sea of death,

With my own soul I crossed the sea of death

And traveled to Iraq without companions.

To Iraq I went with no friends, no guests

وَسُقتُ النَوقَ وَالرُعيانَ وَحدي

وَسُقتُ النَوقَ وَالرُعيانَ وَحدي

وَعُدتُ أُجِدُّ مِن نارِ اِشتِياقي

وَعُدتُ أُجِدُّ مِن نارِ اِشتِياقي

And drove the she-camels and the herdsmen by myself,

I led the camels and sheep and goats ahead

And returned in haste, driven by the fire of my longing.

Burning inside from the fires of love unfed

وَما أَبعَدتُ حَتّى ثارَ خَلفي

وَما أَبعَدتُ حَتّى ثارَ خَلفي

غُبارُ سَنابِكِ الخَيلِ العِتاقِ

غُبارُ سَنابِكِ الخَيلِ العِتاقِ

And I had not gone far before there rose behind me

I had not gone far when the dust arose

The dust of the hooves of noble-bred horses.

Behind me, from the purebred horses' toes

وَطَبَّقَ كُلَّ ناحِيَةٍ غُبارٌ

وَطَبَّقَ كُلَّ ناحِيَةٍ غُبارٌ

وَأُشعِلَ بِالمُهَنَّدَةِ الرِقاقِ

وَأُشعِلَ بِالمُهَنَّدَةِ الرِقاقِ

And dust blanketed every quarter,

Dust settled over every little place

And was set aflame by slender swords of Indian steel.

And sparks flew up from each horse’s pace

وَضَجَّت تَحتَهُ الفُرسانُ حَتّى

وَضَجَّت تَحتَهُ الفُرسانُ حَتّى

حَسِبتُ الرَعدَ مَحلولَ النِطاقِ

حَسِبتُ الرَعدَ مَحلولَ النِطاقِ

And the horsemen clamored beneath it, until

Below them warriors roared out loud

I thought thunder's girdle had been loosed.

I thought it was thunder from behind a cloud

فَعُدتُ وَقَد عَلِمتُ بِأَنَّ عَمّي

فَعُدتُ وَقَد عَلِمتُ بِأَنَّ عَمّي

طَغاني بِالمُحالِ وَبِالنِفاقِ

طَغاني بِالمُحالِ وَبِالنِفاقِ

So I turned back, now knowing that my uncle

I turned back knowing my uncle vile

Had deceived me with impossible demands and hypocrisy.

Had schemed against me all this while

وَبادَرتُ الفَوارِسَ وَهيَ تَجري

وَبادَرتُ الفَوارِسَ وَهيَ تَجري

بِطَعنٍ في النُحورِ وَفي التَراقي

بِطَعنٍ في النُحورِ وَفي التَراقي

And I charged the horsemen as they galloped,

I charged the horsemen as they sped

With thrusts into throats and collarbones.

With stabs at chests and flanks instead

وَما قَصَّرتُ حَتّى كُلَّ مُهري

وَما قَصَّرتُ حَتّى كُلَّ مُهري

وَقَصَّرَ في السِباقِ وَفي اللِحاقِ

وَقَصَّرَ في السِباقِ وَفي اللِحاقِ

And I did not slacken until my colt was exhausted

I did not stop until each rider's steed

And lagged in racing and in catching up.

Fell back, outrun in dash and speed

نَزَلتُ عَنِ الجَوادِ وَسُقتُ جَيشاً

نَزَلتُ عَنِ الجَوادِ وَسُقتُ جَيشاً

بِسَيفي مِثلَ سَوقي لِلنِياقِ

بِسَيفي مِثلَ سَوقي لِلنِياقِ

I dismounted from my steed and drove an army

Dismounting, with my sword I drove them back

With my sword, as I had driven the she-camels.

Like herding sheep down an icy track

وَفي باقي النَهارِ ضَعُفتُ حَتّى

وَفي باقي النَهارِ ضَعُفتُ حَتّى

أُسِرتُ وَقَد عَيِيَ عَضُدي وَساقي

أُسِرتُ وَقَد عَيِيَ عَضُدي وَساقي

And through the rest of the day I weakened, until

As daylight waned, my arms grew weak

I was captured, my upper arm and my leg already weary.

Captured was I, my knees no longer sleek

وَفاضَ عَليَّ بَحرٌ مِن رِجالٍ

وَفاضَ عَليَّ بَحرٌ مِن رِجالٍ

بِأَمواجٍ مِنَ السُمرِ الدِقاقِ

بِأَمواجٍ مِنَ السُمرِ الدِقاقِ

And a sea of men flooded over me,

A sea of men poured over me

With waves of slender brown spears.

With waves of the thick-woven infantry

وَقادوني إِلى مَلِكٍ كَريمٍ

وَقادوني إِلى مَلِكٍ كَريمٍ

رَفيعٍ قَدرُهُ في العِزِّ راقي

رَفيعٍ قَدرُهُ في العِزِّ راقي

And they led me to a generous king,

To a generous king they led me forth

Of lofty rank, rising in glory.

Exalted, lofty his name and worth

وَقَد لاقَيتُ بَينَ يَدَيهِ لَيثاً

وَقَد لاقَيتُ بَينَ يَدَيهِ لَيثاً

كَريهَ المُلتَقى مُرَّ المَذاقِ

كَريهَ المُلتَقى مُرَّ المَذاقِ

And in his presence I faced a lion,

Before him there I met a dreadful sight

Dreadful to encounter, bitter to taste,

Foul of face and bitter bite

بِوَجهٍ مِثلِ ظَهرِ التُرسِ فيهِ

بِوَجهٍ مِثلِ ظَهرِ التُرسِ فيهِ

لَهيبُ النارِ يُشعِلُ في المَآقي

لَهيبُ النارِ يُشعِلُ في المَآقي

With a face like the back of a shield, where

With a visage like a shield's far side

The blaze of fire flared in the inner corners of his eyes.

Fires blazing from his hate inside

قَطَعتُ وَريدَهُ بِالسَيفِ جَزراً

قَطَعتُ وَريدَهُ بِالسَيفِ جَزراً

وَعُدتُ إِلَيهِ أَحجُلُ في وَثاقي

وَعُدتُ إِلَيهِ أَحجُلُ في وَثاقي

I severed his jugular with the sword, slaughtering him,

I severed his vein with a slash of my sword

And returned to him, hopping in my bonds.

And returned, though heavy my chains and cord

عَساهُ يَجودُ لي بُمُرادِ عَمّي

عَساهُ يَجودُ لي بُمُرادِ عَمّي

وَيُنعِمُ بِالجِمالِ وَبِالنِياقِ

وَيُنعِمُ بِالجِمالِ وَبِالنِياقِ

May he generously grant me what my uncle desires,

May he grant me my uncle's desire withdrawn

And favor me with male camels and she-camels.

And grace me with camels and goods finely born