إِن تَقتُلوا مِنّا خِداشاً فَإِنَّها

إِن تَقتُلوا مِنّا خِداشاً فَإِنَّها

عَلى إِرثِ أَضغانٍ لَكُم وَذُحولِ

عَلى إِرثِ أَضغانٍ لَكُم وَذُحولِ

If you kill Khidāsh, one of us, then the deed

If you kill Khidash from among us, then that killing

rests on your inheritance of grudges and blood-debts.

rests upon a legacy of your grudges and blood-feuds.

قَتَلنا زِياداً وَالفَصيلَ وَثابِتاً

قَتَلنا زِياداً وَالفَصيلَ وَثابِتاً

وَعَبدَةَ عَضَّ السَيفُ بَعدَ جَميلِ

وَعَبدَةَ عَضَّ السَيفُ بَعدَ جَميلِ

We killed Ziyād, al-Faṣīl, and Thābit,

We killed Ziyad, al-Fasil, and Thabit,

and ʿAbda—the sword bit him after Jamīl.

and Abdah, whom the sword bit after Jamil.

أُلاءِ وَأَنتُم تَفخَرونَ بِواحِدٍ

أُلاءِ وَأَنتُم تَفخَرونَ بِواحِدٍ

وَقَد ناءَ مِنكُم خَمسَةٌ بِقَتيلِ

وَقَد ناءَ مِنكُم خَمسَةٌ بِقَتيلِ

These are they—while you boast of a single man,

These are the men—yet you boast of one,

though five of you have borne the weight of one man slain.

though five of yours have borne the burden for one slain man.

وَكَأيِن بَعَثنا مِنكُمُ مِن مُرِنَّةٍ

وَكَأيِن بَعَثنا مِنكُمُ مِن مُرِنَّةٍ

بَلابِلُها في الصَدرِ غَيرُ قَليلِ

بَلابِلُها في الصَدرِ غَيرُ قَليلِ

How many a wailing widow among you have we roused,

And how many a wailing woman we have roused among you,

the turmoil within her breast no small thing,

whose sorrows within her breast are not few.

إِذا أَترَفَتها عَبرَةٌ بَعدَ عَبرَةٍ

إِذا أَترَفَتها عَبرَةٌ بَعدَ عَبرَةٍ

وَقامَ النَواعي رَجَّعَت بِعَويلِ

وَقامَ النَواعي رَجَّعَت بِعَويلِ

when tear after tear overcame her,

When tear after tear overwhelms her,

and the death-criers rose, and she answered with a wail.

and the mourners rise, she repeats her wailing.