أَتَنسى بَنو سَعدٍ جُدودَ الَّتي بِها

أَتَنسى بَنو سَعدٍ جُدودَ الَّتي بِها

خَذَلتُم بَني سَعدٍ عَلى شَرِّ مَخذَلِ

خَذَلتُم بَني سَعدٍ عَلى شَرِّ مَخذَلِ

Do Banu Saʿd forget Judud, where

Do the sons of Sa’d forget those ancestors by whom,

you abandoned Banu Saʿd in the worst of desertions,

You abandoned the sons of Sa’d to the worst abandonment

عَشِيَّةَ وَلَّيتُم كَأَنَّ سُيوفَكُم

عَشِيَّةَ وَلَّيتُم كَأَنَّ سُيوفَكُم

ذَآنينُ في أَعناقِكُم لَم تُسَلَّلِ

ذَآنينُ في أَعناقِكُم لَم تُسَلَّلِ

that evening when you fled, as though your swords

At nightfall you turned away as if your swords

were broomrape stalks at your necks, never drawn?

Were scabbards around your necks, never unsheathed

وَشَيبانُ حَولَ الحَوفَزانِ بِوائِلٍ

وَشَيبانُ حَولَ الحَوفَزانِ بِوائِلٍ

مُنيخاً بِجَيشٍ ذي زَوائِدَ جَحفَلِ

مُنيخاً بِجَيشٍ ذي زَوائِدَ جَحفَلِ

And Shayban gathered around al-Hawfazan with Waʾil,

With grey hair wound round sheathed swords

encamped with a vast army of many contingents.

Leading an army with embroidered banners and flags

دَعَوا يا لَسَعدٍ وَاِدَّعَوا يا لَوائِلٍ

دَعَوا يا لَسَعدٍ وَاِدَّعَوا يا لَوائِلٍ

وَقَد سُلَّ مِن أَغمادِهِ كُلُّ مُنصَلِ

وَقَد سُلَّ مِن أَغمادِهِ كُلُّ مُنصَلِ

They cried, 'Saʿd, to our aid!' and called, 'Waʾil, to our aid!'

They called “O Sa’d!” and “O Wa’il!”

and every blade had already been drawn from its sheath.

And every sword was drawn from its scabbard

قَبيلَينِ عِندَ المُحصَناتِ تَصاوَلا

قَبيلَينِ عِندَ المُحصَناتِ تَصاوَلا

تَصاوُلَ أَعناقِ المَصاعيبِ مِن عَلِ

تَصاوُلَ أَعناقِ المَصاعيبِ مِن عَلِ

Two tribes charged one another beside the chaste women,

Two tribes at fortified places competed

as the necks of untamed camel-bulls clash from on high.

To take the heads of the bold warriors

عَصَوا بِالسُيوفِ المَشرِفِيَّةِ فيهِمُ

عَصَوا بِالسُيوفِ المَشرِفِيَّةِ فيهِمُ

غَيارى وَأَلقَوا كُلَّ جَفنٍ وَيَحمَلِ

غَيارى وَأَلقَوا كُلَّ جَفنٍ وَيَحمَلِ

They struck at them with Mashrafi swords,

They disobeyed with uplifted swords among them

jealously protective, and cast aside every sheath and sword-belt.

Bravely casting down every closed eyelid

حَمَتهُنَّ أَسيافٌ حِدادٌ ظُباتُها

حَمَتهُنَّ أَسيافٌ حِدادٌ ظُباتُها

وَمِن آلِ سَعدٍ دَعوَةٌ لَم تُهَلَّلِ

وَمِن آلِ سَعدٍ دَعوَةٌ لَم تُهَلَّلِ

The women were defended by swords with keen edges,

Their swords protected them, polished blades

and an unfaltering rallying cry from Saʿd's clan.

And from Sa’d’s family a call that was not weakened

دَعَونَ وَما يَدرونَ مِنهُم لِأَيِّهِم

دَعَونَ وَما يَدرونَ مِنهُم لِأَيِّهِم

يَكُنَّ وَما يُخفينَ ساقاً لِمُجتَلِ

يَكُنَّ وَما يُخفينَ ساقاً لِمُجتَلِ

The women cried out, not knowing to which of those men

They called and did not know which of them

they would belong, and hid no leg from any onlooker.

Would be for them and which would conceal the stride of the warrior

لَعَلَّكَ مِن في قاصِعائِكَ واجِدٌ

لَعَلَّكَ مِن في قاصِعائِكَ واجِدٌ

أَباً مِثلَ عَبدِ اللَهِ أَو مِثلَ نَهشَلِ

أَباً مِثلَ عَبدِ اللَهِ أَو مِثلَ نَهشَلِ

Perhaps, from the mouth of your jerboa-burrow, you will find

Perhaps among those you raid you will find

a father like ʿAbd Allah, or like Nahshal,

A father like Abdullah or like Nahshal

وَآلِ أَبي سودٍ وَعَوفِ اِبنِ مالِكٍ

وَآلِ أَبي سودٍ وَعَوفِ اِبنِ مالِكٍ

إِذا جاءَ يَومٌ بَأسُهُ غَيرُ مُنجَلِ

إِذا جاءَ يَومٌ بَأسُهُ غَيرُ مُنجَلِ

and the house of Abu Sud, and ʿAwf ibn Malik,

Or the family of Abi Saud and Awf the son of Malik

when a day comes whose fury does not abate;

When a day comes their might is not blunted

وَمُتَّخِذٌ مِنّا أَباً مِثلَ غالِبٍ

وَمُتَّخِذٌ مِنّا أَباً مِثلَ غالِبٍ

وَكانَ أَبي يَأتي السِماكَينِ مِن عَلِ

وَكانَ أَبي يَأتي السِماكَينِ مِن عَلِ

and take from among us a father like Ghalib—

And one who takes after us like Ghalib

and my father used to approach the two Simak stars from above.

And my father used to charge uphill alone

وَأَصيَدَ ذي تاجٍ صَدَعنا جَبينَهُ

وَأَصيَدَ ذي تاجٍ صَدَعنا جَبينَهُ

بِأَسيافِنا وَالنَقعُ لَم يَتَزَيَّلِ

بِأَسيافِنا وَالنَقعُ لَم يَتَزَيَّلِ

And a proud, crowned king—we split his brow

And he hunted crowned game and split open their skulls

with our swords, while the battle-dust had not dispersed.

With our swords when the blood had not yet dried

تَرى خَرَزاتِ المُلكِ فَوقَ جَبينِهِ

تَرى خَرَزاتِ المُلكِ فَوقَ جَبينِهِ

صَأولٌ شَبا أَنيابِهِ لَم يُفَلَّلِ

صَأولٌ شَبا أَنيابِهِ لَم يُفَلَّلِ

You see the beads of kingship above his brow:

You see the necklaces of kings atop his brow

a fierce attacker, his fang-tips unblunted.

Fanged and grimacing never cast down

وَما كانَ مِن آرِيِّ خَيلٍ أَمامَكُم

وَما كانَ مِن آرِيِّ خَيلٍ أَمامَكُم

وَلا مُحتَبىً عِندَ المُلوكِ مُبَجَّلِ

وَلا مُحتَبىً عِندَ المُلوكِ مُبَجَّلِ

And there was no tethering-place for horses before you,

And he was not of noble horses in front of you

nor an honored seat beside kings.

Nor cherished among kings, ever glorified