أَلا طَرَقَتكَ مِن خَبتٍ كَنودُ

فَقَد فَعلَت وَآلَت لا تَعودُ

Ah—did an ungrateful woman from Khabt visit you by night?

She did indeed, and swore she would never return.

كَأَنَّكِ لَم تَرَينا يَومَ غَولٍ

وَلَم يُخبِركِ بِالخَبَرِ الجُنودُ

As though you had not seen us on the day of Ghawl,

and the armies had not told you the news

بِما لاقَت سَراةُ بَني لُجَيمٍ

تَعَضَّ سَراتَهُم فينا القُيودُ

of what the chiefs of Banū Lujaym encountered—

fetters biting their chiefs in our hands.

وَعَبدُ القَيسِ بِالمَرداءِ لاقَت

صَباحاً مِثلَ ما لَقِيَت ثَمودُ

And ʿAbd al-Qays at al-Mardāʾ met,

one morning, the like of what Thamūd met.

صَبَحناهُم بِكُلِّ أَقَبَّ نَهدٍ

وَمُطَّرِدٍ لَهُ يَقِدُ الحَديدُ

We came upon them at dawn with every hollow-flanked, broad-chested steed,

and every straight spear whose iron point blazed,

وَأَبيَضَ يَخطَفُ القَصَراتِ عَضبٍ

رَقيقِ الحَدِّ زَيَّنَهُ غُمودُ

and every gleaming, keen-edged sword that snatched at necks,

slender of edge and beautified by its scabbards;

وَكُلِّ طِمِرَّةٍ خَفِقٍ حَشاها

مُلَملَمَةٍ تَلاقيها بَعيدُ

and every high-spirited mare, light in the belly,

solidly knit—the far-off came to meet her.

لَقينا جَمعَهُم صُبحاً فَكانوا

كَمِثلِ الضَأنِ عاداهُنَّ سيدُ

We met their host at dawn, and they were

like sheep pursued by a wolf.

فَغودِرَ مِنهُمُ عَمروٌ وَعَمروٌ

وَأَسوَدُ وَالكُماةُ بِها شُهودُ

Among them ʿAmr and ʿAmr were left slain,

and Aswad and the warriors bear witness to it.

وَعَبدُ اللَهِ غودِرَ وَاِبنُ بِشرٍ

وَعَتّابٌ وَمُرَّةُ وَالوَليدُ

ʿAbd Allāh was left slain, and Ibn Bishr,

and ʿAttāb, Murra, and al-Walīd.

لَقَيناهُم بِبيضٍ مُرهَفاتٍ

نُقَتِّلُهُم بِها حَتّى أُبيدوا

We met them with keen, gleaming blades,

slaying them with those until they were annihilated.

وَأَردَفنا نِسائَهُمُ وَجِئنا

وَقَد دَمِيَت مِنَ الخَمخِ الخُدودُ

We took their women riding behind us and came away,

their cheeks bloodied from scratching.