فِدىً لِبَني النَجّارِ أُمّي وَخالَتي

فِدىً لِبَني النَجّارِ أُمّي وَخالَتي

غَداةَ أَتَوكُم بِالمُثَقَّفَةِ السُمرِ

غَداةَ أَتَوكُم بِالمُثَقَّفَةِ السُمرِ

May my mother and maternal aunt be a ransom for Banū al-Najjār,

To ransom the sons of Najjar my mother and aunt

On the morning they came upon you with straightened brown spears,

The morning you attacked with culture and vigilance

وَصِرمٍ مِنَ الأَحياءِ عَمروُ بنُ مالِكٍ

وَصِرمٍ مِنَ الأَحياءِ عَمروُ بنُ مالِكٍ

إِذا ما غَدَوا كانَت لَهُم عِزَّةُ النَصرِ

إِذا ما غَدَوا كانَت لَهُم عِزَّةُ النَصرِ

And for a band among the tribes—ʿAmr ibn Mālik—

And courage of the living, Amr ibn Malik

Whenever they went forth in the morning, the glory of victory was theirs.

When they marched victory was assured for them

فَوَاللَهِ لا أَنسى حَياتي بَلائَهُم

فَوَاللَهِ لا أَنسى حَياتي بَلائَهُم

غَداةَ رَمَوا عَمرواً بِقاصِمَةِ الظَهرِ

غَداةَ رَمَوا عَمرواً بِقاصِمَةِ الظَهرِ

So, by God, as long as I live I shall not forget their valor,

By Allah, I won't forget their lives of affliction

The morning they struck ʿAmr with a back-breaking blow.

The morning they shot Amr with back-breaking arrows

وَأَفلَتَ يَومَ الرَوعِ أَوسُ بنُ خالِدٍ

وَأَفلَتَ يَومَ الرَوعِ أَوسُ بنُ خالِدٍ

يَمَجُّ دَماً كَالرَعثِ مُختَضِبَ النَحرِ

يَمَجُّ دَماً كَالرَعثِ مُختَضِبَ النَحرِ

And Aws ibn Khālid escaped on the day of terror,

And escaped the day of panic, Aws ibn Khalid

Spitting blood like earring pendants, his upper chest stained.

Bleeding profusely like a thrush stained at the throat

فَإِن تَنجُ مِنها يا جُوَيُّ فَإِنَّها

فَإِن تَنجُ مِنها يا جُوَيُّ فَإِنَّها

رُحابٌ كَجَوفِ الغارِ مُظلِمَةِ القَعرِ

رُحابٌ كَجَوفِ الغارِ مُظلِمَةِ القَعرِ

So if you escape it, O Juwayy, it is indeed

So if you survive it, O Jawwi, it still is

Wide as a cave’s hollow, dark at the bottom.

A vastness like the belly of a cave, deep and dark