قَتَلتُ اِبنَ عَمرانَ الفُضَيلَ وَعَبدَهُ

قَتَلتُ اِبنَ عَمرانَ الفُضَيلَ وَعَبدَهُ

بِذَحلِ غُلامي مَعمَرَ بنِ سِوارِ

بِذَحلِ غُلامي مَعمَرَ بنِ سِوارِ

I killed al-Fuḍayl, son of ʿAmrān, and his slave,

I killed the son of Imran al-Fudayl and his servant

to avenge my young servant Maʿmar, son of Siwār.

With the sword of my young slave Ma'mar ibn Siwar

وَما رُمتُ قَتلاً لِلفضيلِ وَإِنَّما

وَما رُمتُ قَتلاً لِلفضيلِ وَإِنَّما

أَرَدتُّ ذِمامي إِذ أخَذتُ بِثاري

أَرَدتُّ ذِمامي إِذ أخَذتُ بِثاري

And I did not seek al-Fuḍayl’s death; I only

And I did not intend killing al-Fudayl, but rather

sought to honor my pledge when I took my revenge.

I sought to take revenge when I took vengeance

رَمَيتُ بِهِ سَهماً فَعَجَّلَ حَتفَهُ

رَمَيتُ بِهِ سَهماً فَعَجَّلَ حَتفَهُ

وَذَلِكَ شَئٌ لَم يَكُن بِخِياري

وَذَلِكَ شَئٌ لَم يَكُن بِخِياري

I shot an arrow at him, and it hastened his death,

I shot an arrow at him which hastened his death

and that was something not of my choosing.

And that was something not of my choosing

أَلا فَاِسعِدوني لِلوَقيعَةِ وَالبَلا

أَلا فَاِسعِدوني لِلوَقيعَةِ وَالبَلا

وَإِضمارِ خَيلٍ قُرِّبَت لِمُغارِ

وَإِضمارِ خَيلٍ قُرِّبَت لِمُغارِ

Come, then, help me in battle and hardship,

So wish me well for the battle and ordeal

and in conditioning horses readied for a raid.

And the mustering of horses brought near for the fray