إِذا أَوضَعَ الرُكبانُ غَوراً وَأَنجَدوا

إِذا أَوضَعَ الرُكبانُ غَوراً وَأَنجَدوا

بِها فَاِرجُزا يا اِبنَي مُعَيَّةَ أَو دَعا

بِها فَاِرجُزا يا اِبنَي مُعَيَّةَ أَو دَعا

When the riders speed through the lowlands and ascend the uplands,

When the travelers halted at a valley and sought refuge in it

bearing it, chant rajaz, O two sons of Muʿayya—or leave it.

Then beware, O sons of Mu'eyyah, or leave it alone

بَني العَبدِ لَو كُنتُم صَريحاً لِمالِكٍ

بَني العَبدِ لَو كُنتُم صَريحاً لِمالِكٍ

لَوَرَّعتُمُ دونَ الظَعائِنِ مِربَعا

لَوَرَّعتُمُ دونَ الظَعائِنِ مِربَعا

Sons of al-ʿAbd, had you been of pure descent from Mālik,

O sons of Al-Abd, had you been honorable to Malik

you would have kept Mirbaʿ from the women in their howdahs.

You would have guarded yourselves against shameful deeds

تَدارَكَ مِنهُم مِربَعٌ يَومَ عاقِلٍ

تَدارَكَ مِنهُم مِربَعٌ يَومَ عاقِلٍ

ظَعائِنَ قَد راءى بِهِنَّ وَسَمَّعا

ظَعائِنَ قَد راءى بِهِنَّ وَسَمَّعا

Mirbaʿ caught up with some of theirs on the day at ʿĀqil—

One of them guarded against shame on the day he was reasonable

women in howdahs whom he had flaunted and loudly boasted of.

Having seen and heard of shameful acts

أَلا إِنَّما كانَت غَضوبُ مُحامِياً

أَلا إِنَّما كانَت غَضوبُ مُحامِياً

غَداةَ اللِوى لَم يَدفَعِ الشَرَّ مَدفَعا

غَداةَ اللِوى لَم يَدفَعِ الشَرَّ مَدفَعا

Indeed, Ghaḍūb alone stood as defender

Indeed, the wrath of the protector was only

that morning at al-Liwā; he warded off no harm at all.

The day after drinking, not preventing harm

فِدىً لَكَ إِذ جَدَّعتَ بِالسَيفِ أَنفَها

فِدىً لَكَ إِذ جَدَّعتَ بِالسَيفِ أَنفَها

وَأَبدَيتَ مِنها عاسِياً غَيرَ أَجدَعا

وَأَبدَيتَ مِنها عاسِياً غَيرَ أَجدَعا

May I be your ransom: you cut off its nose with the sword

To ransom you when you peeled its nose with a sword

and uncovered behind it an aged man, his nose intact.

And made it yield, not cutting it off