ما أَدري إِذا لاقَيتُ عَمرواً

ما أَدري إِذا لاقَيتُ عَمرواً

أَكَلبى آلُ عَمروٍ أَم صِحاحُ

أَكَلبى آلُ عَمروٍ أَم صِحاحُ

I do not know, when I meet Amr,

I know not, if I meet Amr

whether Amr's people are rabid or sound.

Whether hounds of Amr or warriors upright,

لَقَد بَلَغَ الوَفاءُ فَأَخبِرونا

لَقَد بَلَغَ الوَفاءُ فَأَخبِرونا

بِقَتلى مَن تُقَتِّلُنا رِياحُ

بِقَتلى مَن تُقَتِّلُنا رِياحُ

Full requital has been reached; so tell us:

Loyalty has reached its height, so inform us,

for whose slain does Riyah slaughter us?

By those slain by winds which slay us,

بِلا قَتلى تُقَتِّلُنا رِياحٌ

بِلا قَتلى تُقَتِّلُنا رِياحٌ

رِماحٌ في مَراكِزِها رِماحُ

رِماحٌ في مَراكِزِها رِماحُ

With no slain to avenge, Riyah slaughters us—

Winds that slay us without slain,

spears—spears in their emplacements—

Lances in their sheaths are lances,

وَجُردٌ في الأَعِنَّةِ مُلجَماتٌ

وَجُردٌ في الأَعِنَّةِ مُلجَماتٌ

خِفافُ الوَطءِ كَلَّمَها السِلاحُ

خِفافُ الوَطءِ كَلَّمَها السِلاحُ

and sleek horses, bridled in their reins,

And steeds with reins held in are steeds

light of tread, wounded by weapons.

Whose soft tread arms address.

إِذا ثارَ الغُبارُ خَرَجنَ مِنهُ

إِذا ثارَ الغُبارُ خَرَجنَ مِنهُ

كَما خَرَجَت مِنَ الغَدَرِ السِراحُ

كَما خَرَجَت مِنَ الغَدَرِ السِراحُ

When the dust rises, they emerge from it,

When dust rises, out of it come

as grazing herds emerge from the pools.

As females came out of perfidy,

وَما باؤوا كَما باؤوا عَلَينا

وَما باؤوا كَما باؤوا عَلَينا

بِفَضلِ دِمائِهِم حَتّى أَراحوا

بِفَضلِ دِمائِهِم حَتّى أَراحوا

And never did they return as they returned against us,

And not in vain against us they came

with the surplus of their blood, until they found relief.

By their blood's merit rest they took.