تَمَنّى اِبنُ مَسعودٍ لِقائي سَفاهَةً

تَمَنّى اِبنُ مَسعودٍ لِقائي سَفاهَةً

لَقَد قالَ حيناً يَومَ ذاكَ وَمُنكَرا

لَقَد قالَ حيناً يَومَ ذاكَ وَمُنكَرا

Ibn Masʿūd foolishly wished to meet me.

The son of Mas'ud foolishly wished to meet me,

Indeed, that day he spoke words of doom and outrage:

One day long ago he said, rejecting:

مَتى تَلقَ مِنّا عُصبَةً يا اِبنَ خالِدٍ

مَتى تَلقَ مِنّا عُصبَةً يا اِبنَ خالِدٍ

رَبيئَةَ جَيشٍ أَو يَقودونَ مِنسَرا

رَبيئَةَ جَيشٍ أَو يَقودونَ مِنسَرا

Whenever you meet a band of us, O son of Khālid,

When will you meet a group of ours, O son of Khalid,

An army's scouting party, or men leading a raiding troop,

An unruly army or marching with ease?

تَكُن هَدَراً إِن أَدرَكَتكَ رِماحُنا

تَكُن هَدَراً إِن أَدرَكَتكَ رِماحُنا

وَتُترَكَ في غَمِّ الغُبارِ مُقَطَّرا

وَتُترَكَ في غَمِّ الغُبارِ مُقَطَّرا

You will die unavenged if our spears reach you,

You would be idle chatter if our spears reached you,

And be left flung down in the murk of the dust.

Left in the gloom of dust spilled forth.

مَنَت لَكَ مِنّا أَن تُلاقِيَ عُصبَةً

مَنَت لَكَ مِنّا أَن تُلاقِيَ عُصبَةً

حِمامُ مَنايا قُدنَ حَيناً مُقَدَّرا

حِمامُ مَنايا قُدنَ حَيناً مُقَدَّرا

It was decreed for you to meet a band of us

We hoped you'd meet a group -

By death's decrees, which ushered in a destined doom,

A flock of death predetermined for you.

عَلى أَعوَجِيّاتٍ كَأَنَّ صُدورَها

عَلى أَعوَجِيّاتٍ كَأَنَّ صُدورَها

قَنا سَيسَجانٍ ماؤُهُ قَد تَحَسَّرا

قَنا سَيسَجانٍ ماؤُهُ قَد تَحَسَّرا

Mounted on Aʿwaj-bred mares, whose chests seem

On camels crooked-backed as if their chests

Like the reeds of Sīsajān, whose water has receded.

Were canals whose waters overflowed.

ذَوابِلَ تُبرى حَولَها لِفُحولِها

ذَوابِلَ تُبرى حَولَها لِفُحولِها

تَراهُنَّ مِن قودِ المَقانِبِ ضُمَّرا

تَراهُنَّ مِن قودِ المَقانِبِ ضُمَّرا

Slender mares, worn lean around the band for their stallions;

Around them young she-camels in calf bleating,

You see them gaunt from leading cavalry squadrons.

You'd think, with held halters, pressed together.

إِذا سَمِعَت قَرعَ المَساحِلِ نازَعَت

إِذا سَمِعَت قَرعَ المَساحِلِ نازَعَت

أَيامِنُهُم شَزراً مِنَ القِدِّ أَيسَرا

أَيامِنُهُم شَزراً مِنَ القِدِّ أَيسَرا

When they hear the clatter of bits, a struggle ensues:

When they heard the clank of swords they dragged

Their right hands wrench sharply at left-hand rawhide reins.

The fingertips of the warriors, pulling them along.

يَذودُ شِدادُ القَومِ بَينَ فُحولِها

يَذودُ شِدادُ القَومِ بَينَ فُحولِها

بِأَشطانِها مِن رَهبَةٍ أَن تُكَسَّرا

بِأَشطانِها مِن رَهبَةٍ أَن تُكَسَّرا

The band's strong men keep its stallions apart,

Their leader kept the camels from their males

With their long tethers, for fear they should be injured.

With their reins, fearing they'd be severed.

وَكُلُّ فَتىً عاري الأَشاجِعِ لاحَهُ

وَكُلُّ فَتىً عاري الأَشاجِعِ لاحَهُ

سَمومُ الثُرَيّا لَونُهُ قَد تَغَيَّرا

سَمومُ الثُرَيّا لَونُهُ قَد تَغَيَّرا

And every youth, bony-knuckled, has been scorched

And each bare-chested knight unsheathed his sword,

By the Pleiades' hot wind; his complexion has changed.

Its poison turning the blade an ashen hue.

عَلى كُلِّ مِذعانِ السَرى رادِنِيَّةٍ

عَلى كُلِّ مِذعانِ السَرى رادِنِيَّةٍ

يَقودُ وَأىً غَمرَ الجِراءِ مُصَدَّرا

يَقودُ وَأىً غَمرَ الجِراءِ مُصَدَّرا

Each willing night-marcher bears a Rādini spear;

On every long-necked stud of noble breed

He leads a sturdy steed, full of running, broad-chested,

He led a dusty roan mare in estrus.

شَديدَ ذُنوبِ المَتنِ مُنغَمِسَ النَسا

شَديدَ ذُنوبِ المَتنِ مُنغَمِسَ النَسا

إِذا ما تَلَقَّتهُ الجَراثيمُ أَحضَرا

إِذا ما تَلَقَّتهُ الجَراثيمُ أَحضَرا

Strong in the loins, its thigh-sinew deeply buried;

The females' loins were hard with sinew,

When mounds rise to meet it, it gallops.

Glistening when the flies alighted.

وَكَم مِن رَئيسٍ غادَرَتهُ رِماحُنا

وَكَم مِن رَئيسٍ غادَرَتهُ رِماحُنا

يَمُجُّ نَجيعاً مِن دَمِ الجَوفِ أَحمَرا

يَمُجُّ نَجيعاً مِن دَمِ الجَوفِ أَحمَرا

And how many a chief our spears have left

And how many chiefs have our spears abandoned

Spewing fresh, red blood from his innards!

Gushing blood from their pierced sides, crimson!

وَنَحنُ صَبَحنا الحَيَّ يَومَ قُراقِرٍ

وَنَحنُ صَبَحنا الحَيَّ يَومَ قُراقِرٍ

خَميساً كَأَركانِ اليَمامَةِ مِدسَرا

خَميساً كَأَركانِ اليَمامَةِ مِدسَرا

And we attacked the tribe at dawn on the day of Qurāqir,

By dawn we were the living on the day of Quraqir,

An army like al-Yamāmah's pillars, thrusting forward.

Like the pillars of Yamamah, chopped down.

وَنَحنُ أَجَرنا يَومَ حَزنِ ضَرِيَّةٍ

وَنَحنُ أَجَرنا يَومَ حَزنِ ضَرِيَّةٍ

وَنَحنُ مَنَعنا يَومَ عَينَينِ مِنقَرا

وَنَحنُ مَنَعنا يَومَ عَينَينِ مِنقَرا

And we granted protection on the day of Ḥazn Ḍariyyah,

And we were victorious on the day of Dhariya's sorrow,

And we defended Minqar on the day of ʿAynayn.

We were the ones who prevented at the two springs of Minqar.