طَلَبنا بِالرُضاب بَني زهير

طَلَبنا بِالرُضاب بَني زهير

وَبِالأَكناف أَكناف الجِبال

وَبِالأَكناف أَكناف الجِبال

We sought the sons of Zuhayr at al-Ruḍāb,

We begged the Bani Zuheir at Al-Ridab

And along the flanks—the flanks of the mountains.

And by the mountain passes, passes of mountains

فَلَم يَزَل الرُضاب لَهُم مقاماً

فَلَم يَزَل الرُضاب لَهُم مقاماً

وَلم يؤنَسهم عِندَ الرِمال

وَلم يؤنَسهم عِندَ الرِمال

So al-Ruḍāb remained their dwelling,

Yet Al-Ridab remained their abode

And it gave them no comfort beside the sands.

And they were not companied at the sands

فَإِن تثقَف أَسنتنا زهيراً

فَإِن تثقَف أَسنتنا زهيراً

يكفّ شَريدهم أخرى اللَيالي

يكفّ شَريدهم أخرى اللَيالي

For if our spearheads catch Zuhayr,

So if our tongues attain Zuheir

Their fugitive will flee no more, to the last of nights.

It would suffice their wanderers for nights to come