غِبناwe were absent فَلَمand so did not نَشهَدwitness بِبَطحاءِon the Batha plain of مَكَّةٍMecca
غِبنا فَلَم نَشهَد بِبَطحاءِ مَكَّةٍ
رِجَالَthe men of بَنيthe sons of كَعبٍKa'b تُحَزُّbeing cut رِقابُهاtheir necks
رِجَالَ بَني كَعبٍ تُحَزُّ رِقابُها
We were absent, and did not witness on Mecca's Batha plain
We were absent, and did not witness in Bat'ha
the men of Banu Ka'b, their necks being cut
The men of Banu Ka'b, their necks being severed
بِأَيديat the hands of رِجالٍmen لَمdid not يَسُلّواdraw سُيوفَهُمtheir swords
بِأَيدي رِجالٍ لَم يَسُلّوا سُيوفَهُم
بِحَقٍّrightfully وَقَتلىand slain men لَمhad not تُجَنَّcommitted wrongdoing ثِيابُهاtheir garments
بِحَقٍّ وَقَتلى لَم تُجَنَّ ثِيابُها
at the hands of men who did not draw their swords
By the hands of men who did not draw their swords
rightfully—and slain men whose garments had done no wrong.
For a right cause, and whose victims' clothes were not stained.
فَياso, oh لَيتَwould that شِعريmy knowledge هَلwhether تَنالَنَّwill indeed reach نُصرَتيmy aid
فَيا لَيتَ شِعري هَل تَنالَنَّ نُصرَتي
سُهَيلَSuhayl بنَson of عَمروٍAmr وَخزُهاits sting وَعِقابُهاand its punishment
سُهَيلَ بنَ عَمروٍ وَخزُها وَعِقابُها
Ah, would that I knew: will my aid indeed reach
Oh, would that I knew, will I attain support from
Suhayl son of Amr—its sting and its punishment—
Suhayl ibn ‘Amr, and those who deserted and punished him,
وَصَفوانَand Safwan عوداًan old camel حَنَّmoaned مِنfrom شُفُرِthe rim of اِستِهِhis anus
وَصَفوانَ عوداً حَنَّ مِن شُفُرِ اِستِهِ
فَهَذاso this أَوانُthe time for الحَربِwar شُدَّhas been tightened عِصابُهاits headband
فَهَذا أَوانُ الحَربِ شُدَّ عِصابُها
and Safwan, an old camel that moaned from the rim of his anus?
And Safwan, who bent from the tips of spears?
So this is war's hour; its headband has been tightened.
For this is the time of war, tighten its headbands.
فَلاso do not تَأمَنَناfeel safe from us ياO اِبنَson of أُمِّUmm (mother of) مُجالِدٍMujalid
فَلا تَأمَنَنا يا اِبنَ أُمِّ مُجالِدٍ
إِذاwhen لَقِحَتconceives حَربٌwar وَأَعصَلَand grows hard and crooked نابُهاits fang
إِذا لَقِحَت حَربٌ وَأَعصَلَ نابُها
So do not feel safe from us, O son of Umm Mujalid,
So do not feel safe from us, O son of Umm Mujalid,
when war conceives and its fang grows hard and crooked.
When war ignites and bares its fangs.
وَلَوand had شَهِدَbeen present at البَطحاءَthe Batha plain مِنّاof us عِصابَةٌa band
وَلَو شَهِدَ البَطحاءَ مِنّا عِصابَةٌ
لَهانَwould surely have been easy عَلَيناfor us يَومَon the day of ذاكَthat ضِرابُهاits combat
لَهانَ عَلَينا يَومَ ذاكَ ضِرابُها
And had a band of us been present on the Batha plain,
And if a band of us had witnessed Bat'ha,
its combat would have been easy for us that day.
On that day their striking would have wavered against us.
Sol 6.1