تَعَوَّذ إِذا ما قُمتَ مِن بَعدِ هَجعَةٍ

تَعَوَّذ إِذا ما قُمتَ مِن بَعدِ هَجعَةٍ

مِنَ المَرءِ في سُلطانَةِ المُتَفَحِّشِ

مِنَ المَرءِ في سُلطانَةِ المُتَفَحِّشِ

Seek refuge when you rise after a spell of sleep,

Seek refuge when you rise after slumber

From the man who is grossly abusive in power,

From the tyranny of the vulgar and base

وَمِن رَجُلٍ لا تَعطِفُ الرَحمُ قَلبَهُ

وَمِن رَجُلٍ لا تَعطِفُ الرَحمُ قَلبَهُ

جَريءٍ عَلى أَحوالِهِ مُتَحَرِّشِ

جَريءٍ عَلى أَحوالِهِ مُتَحَرِّشِ

And from a man whose heart kinship does not soften,

And from a man whose heart is untouched by mercy

Brazen in his ways, bent on provoking quarrels,

Reckless in his ways, insolent and rash

لَجوجٍ شَديدٍ بَطشُهُ وَعِقابُهُ

لَجوجٍ شَديدٍ بَطشُهُ وَعِقابُهُ

مَتى يَأتِهِ ساعٍ بِعَمياءَ يَبطِشِ

مَتى يَأتِهِ ساعٍ بِعَمياءَ يَبطِشِ

Obstinate, fierce in his violence and punishment:

Obstinate and fierce, harsh in punishment

Whenever an informer comes to him with an obscure charge, he strikes.

Whenever the blind hour brings him chance

أَمِن ضَربَةٍ بِالعودِ لَم يَدمَ كَلمُها

أَمِن ضَربَةٍ بِالعودِ لَم يَدمَ كَلمُها

ضَرَبتَ بِمَصقولٍ عِلاوَةَ فَندَشِ

ضَرَبتَ بِمَصقولٍ عِلاوَةَ فَندَشِ

Was it for a blow with a stick, whose wound did not bleed,

From a blow with a stick that left no words behind

That you struck Fandash's head with a polished blade?

You struck with a polished blade, rent and gashed

فَأَزهَقتَ في يَومِ العَروبَةِ نَفسَهُ

فَأَزهَقتَ في يَومِ العَروبَةِ نَفسَهُ

بِغَيرِ قَتيلٍ صاحِياً غَيرَ مُنتَشِ

بِغَيرِ قَتيلٍ صاحِياً غَيرَ مُنتَشِ

So on the day of ʿArubah (Friday) you extinguished his life,

Thus on the day of valor you took his life

With no slain man to avenge, sober and not intoxicated.

Though no victim called, no foe attacked

فَلا وَصَلَتكَ الرَحمُ مِن ذي قَرابَةٍ

فَلا وَصَلَتكَ الرَحمُ مِن ذي قَرابَةٍ

وَلا ذَهَبَ الضِغنُ الَّذي أَنتَ مُحتَشِ

وَلا ذَهَبَ الضِغنُ الَّذي أَنتَ مُحتَشِ

So may no kinsman ever uphold the ties of kinship with you,

So neither kinship nor severing of ties

Nor may the rancor you harbor ever fade.

Can save you from the abjection you have hatched

فَجَعتَ بِهِ أُمّاً عَجوزاً كَبيرَةً

فَجَعتَ بِهِ أُمّاً عَجوزاً كَبيرَةً

فَلا زِلتَ في سُلطانِكَ المُتَنَهنَشِ

فَلا زِلتَ في سُلطانِكَ المُتَنَهنَشِ

Through his death you bereaved an old, aged mother;

Leaving an aged, frail mother bereft

So may you remain forever in your tottering dominion.

Still enthroned in your rule, corroded and wretched

أَبى رُتَبيلٌ قَتلَهُ فَقَتَلتَهُ

أَبى رُتَبيلٌ قَتلَهُ فَقَتَلتَهُ

وَأَنتَ عَلى خَوّارَةٍ فَوقَ مَفرَشِ

وَأَنتَ عَلى خَوّارَةٍ فَوقَ مَفرَشِ

Rutabil refused to kill him, yet you killed him,

Rutbil refused, so you killed him

While you were upon something soft, atop a coverlet.

While lounging atop a mattress unabashed

فَإِن تَدعُنا مِن بَعدِها لِكَريهِةٍ

فَإِن تَدعُنا مِن بَعدِها لِكَريهِةٍ

نَدَعكَ فَريداً في الخَلا المُتَوحِّشِ

نَدَعكَ فَريداً في الخَلا المُتَوحِّشِ

So if, after this, you call us to battle,

If after this we shun you out of loathing

We shall leave you alone in the desolate wilderness.

We'll leave you alone in the desolate wild

وَلَم يُغنِ عَنكَ الناسُ مِثلَ غِنائِنا

وَلَم يُغنِ عَنكَ الناسُ مِثلَ غِنائِنا

وَلَم تَمتَنِع مِن آكِلٍ مُتَمَشمِشِ

وَلَم تَمتَنِع مِن آكِلٍ مُتَمَشمِشِ

And no people have served you as we have,

And people's aid unlike ours was of no use

Nor could you defend yourself against a bone-gnawing devourer.

Nor did you refrain from rending with relish

وَباكِيَةٍ تَبكي عَلى قَبرِ فَندَشٍ

وَباكِيَةٍ تَبكي عَلى قَبرِ فَندَشٍ

فَقُلتُ لَها أَذري دُموعَكِ وَاِخمِشي

فَقُلتُ لَها أَذري دُموعَكِ وَاِخمِشي

And a weeping woman weeps beside Fandash's grave;

A weeping woman laments at Fandashe's grave

So I told her, 'Shed your tears and scratch your face.'

I said: restrain your tears and be still

فَتىً كانَ مِقداماً إِذا الخَيلُ أَحجَمَت

فَتىً كانَ مِقداماً إِذا الخَيلُ أَحجَمَت

ضَروباً بِنَصلِ السَيفِ لَيسَ بِمُرعَشِ

ضَروباً بِنَصلِ السَيفِ لَيسَ بِمُرعَشِ

A youth who was bold when the horses held back,

He was a bold knight when horses held back

Striking mightily with the sword's blade, never trembling,

Striking with the sword's blade, no weakling or craven

ضَروباً لِهاماتِ الرِجالِ بِسَيفِهِ

ضَروباً لِهاماتِ الرِجالِ بِسَيفِهِ

وَرودَ القِتالِ كَالحَمِيِّ المَعَطَّشِ

وَرودَ القِتالِ كَالحَمِيِّ المَعَطَّشِ

Striking men's heads mightily with his sword,

Striking the skulls of men with his sword

Entering battle like a fevered man parched with thirst.

Plunging into fray like a thirsty raven

وَإِنّا لَنُجزي الذَحلَ بِالذَحلِ مِثلَهُ

وَإِنّا لَنُجزي الذَحلَ بِالذَحلِ مِثلَهُ

وَنَضرِبُ خَيشومَ الأَبَلِّ الغَطَمَّشِ

وَنَضرِبُ خَيشومَ الأَبَلِّ الغَطَمَّشِ

And we shall surely repay a blood wrong with an equal blood wrong,

We will requite wickedness in full measure

And strike the snout of the shameless, reckless brute.

And smite the snout of the surly, brazen beast