لَمّا رَأَيتُ الناسَ هَرَّت كِلابُهُم

لَمّا رَأَيتُ الناسَ هَرَّت كِلابُهُم

ضَرَبتُ بِسَيفي ساقَ أَفعى فَخَرَّتِ

ضَرَبتُ بِسَيفي ساقَ أَفعى فَخَرَّتِ

When I saw the people, their dogs growling,

When I saw the people, their dogs took flight

I struck Afʿā's leg with my sword, and she fell.

I struck with my sword the leg of a snake and it fell

فَقُلتُ لِأَصباهٍ صِغارٍ وَنِسوَةٍ

فَقُلتُ لِأَصباهٍ صِغارٍ وَنِسوَةٍ

بِشَهباءَ مِن لَيلِ الثَلاثينَ قَرَّتِ

بِشَهباءَ مِن لَيلِ الثَلاثينَ قَرَّتِ

So I said to little boys and women,

Then I said to the youths, children and women

on a gray night—the month's thirtieth—grown bitterly cold:

By the flashes of lightning on the night of the thirtieth

عَلَيكُم مِنَ الشَطَّينِ كُلَّ وَرِيَّةٍ

عَلَيكُم مِنَ الشَطَّينِ كُلَّ وَرِيَّةٍ

إِذا النارُ مَسَّت جانِبَيها اِرمَعَلَّتِ

إِذا النارُ مَسَّت جانِبَيها اِرمَعَلَّتِ

Help yourselves to every fatty cut from both flanks,

Upon you from the two shores every rushing torrent

which melts and flows when the fire touches its two sides.

When the fire touches its sides it blazes high

وَلا يُنزِلُ المَرءُ الكَريمُ عِيالَهُ

وَلا يُنزِلُ المَرءُ الكَريمُ عِيالَهُ

وَأَضيافَهُ ما ساقَ مالاً بِضَرَّتِ

وَأَضيافَهُ ما ساقَ مالاً بِضَرَّتِ

Nor does a generous man leave his dependents

And the generous man does not make his family

and his guests in want, so long as he has a herd to drive.

And his guests descend what legs acquired by force