فِدىً لِبَني النَجّارِ أُمّي وَخالَتي

غَداةَ أَتَوكُم بِالمُثَقَّفَةِ السُمرِ

To ransom the sons of Najjar my mother and aunt

The morning you attacked with culture and vigilance

وَصِرمٍ مِنَ الأَحياءِ عَمروُ بنُ مالِكٍ

إِذا ما غَدَوا كانَت لَهُم عِزَّةُ النَصرِ

And courage of the living, Amr ibn Malik

When they marched victory was assured for them

فَوَاللَهِ لا أَنسى حَياتي بَلائَهُم

غَداةَ رَمَوا عَمرواً بِقاصِمَةِ الظَهرِ

By Allah, I won't forget their lives of affliction

The morning they shot Amr with back-breaking arrows

وَأَفلَتَ يَومَ الرَوعِ أَوسُ بنُ خالِدٍ

يَمَجُّ دَماً كَالرَعثِ مُختَضِبَ النَحرِ

And escaped the day of panic, Aws ibn Khalid

Bleeding profusely like a thrush stained at the throat

فَإِن تَنجُ مِنها يا جُوَيُّ فَإِنَّها

رُحابٌ كَجَوفِ الغارِ مُظلِمَةِ القَعرِ

So if you survive it, O Jawwi, it still is

A vastness like the belly of a cave, deep and dark