لَمّا دَعا الداعي لِأَعيَنَ لَم تَكُن

لَمّا دَعا الداعي لِأَعيَنَ لَم تَكُن

لِتَفعَلَ فِعلَ المازِنِيِّ بنِ أَخضَرا

لِتَفعَلَ فِعلَ المازِنِيِّ بنِ أَخضَرا

When the caller called for Aʿyan, you would not

When the caller called to eyes that were not

Do the deed of al-Māzinī, son of Akhḍar,

Made to act as al-Mazini ibn Akhdhar did,

فَتُدرِكَ وِتراً يا اِبنَ قَينِ مُجاشِعٍ

فَتُدرِكَ وِتراً يا اِبنَ قَينِ مُجاشِعٍ

فَتَحيا كَريماً أَو تَموتَ فَتُعذَرا

فَتَحيا كَريماً أَو تَموتَ فَتُعذَرا

And so avenge a blood-debt, O son of Mujāshiʿ’s smith,

So you'd pluck a lute string, O son of bending Qain,

And live honorably, or die and be excused.

And live nobly or die and be excused,

وَلَكِن أَبى إِقرارُ مُهرِكَ إِذ جَرى

وَلَكِن أَبى إِقرارُ مُهرِكَ إِذ جَرى

بِعِرقِكَ في الغاياتِ إِلّا تَأَخُّرا

بِعِرقِكَ في الغاياتِ إِلّا تَأَخُّرا

But your colt would admit, as it ran

But the tie of your womb refused consent

With your bloodline toward the finish, only that it lagged behind.

When your sweat in extremities flowed, except belatedly