وَبِالشَعبِ إِذ سَدَّت بَجيلَةُ فَجَّهُ

وَمِن خَلفِهِ هَضبٌ صِعابٌ وَجامِلُ

With the people when Bajila obstructed their pass

And behind it a rugged and steep mountain

شَدَدتُ لِنَفسِ المَرءِ مَرَّةَ حَزمَهُ

وَقَد نُصِبَت دونَ النَجاءِ الحَبائِلُ

I girded the loins of a man with determination

And snares were set before deliverance

وَقُلتُ لَهُ كُن خَلفَ ظَهري فَإِنَّني

سَأَفديكَ وَاِنظُر بَعدُ ما أَنتَ فاعِلُ

And I said to him, "Be behind my back, for I

Will ransom you; look and see what you will do"

فَعاذَ بِحَدِّ السَيفِ صاحِبُ أَمرِهِم

وَخَلّوا عَنِ الشَيءِ الَّذي لَم يُحاوِلوا

The leader of them took refuge with the edge of a sword

And they avoided the thing they did not try

وَأَخطَأَهُم قَتلي وَرَفَّعتُ صاحِبي

عَلى اللَيلِ لَم تُؤخَذ عَلَيهِ المَخاتِلُ

And my killing them missed while I raised my companion

In the night when strategies could not be taken against him

وَأَشطَأَ غُنمَ الحَيِّ مُرَّةُ بَعدَما

حَوَتهُ إِلَيهِ كَفُّهُ وَالأَنامِلُ

And the flock of Al-Hayy once circled around

After it was brought near to it, grasped by its palms and tent ropes

يَعَضُّ عَلى أَطرافِهِ كَيفَ زَولُهُ

وَدونَ المَلا سَهلٌ مِنَ الأَرضِ ماثِلُ

Biting its extremities out of impatience for its departure

With an open plain of land smoothly spread out beneath the highland

فَقُلتُ لَهُ هَذي بِتِلكَ وَقَد يَرى

لَها ثَمَناً مِن نَفسِهِ ما يُزاوِلُ

So I said to it, "This is in exchange for that, and perhaps

He will see for it from himself a price he will pay"

تُوَلوِلُ سُعدى أَن أَتَيتُ مُجَرَّحاً

إِلَيها وَقَد مَنَّت عَلَيَّ المَقاتِلُ

Sa'da twists in grief that I came to her wounded

While the warriors did me a favor

وَكائِن أَتاها هارِباً قَبلَ هَذِهِ

وَمِن غانِمٍ فَأَينَ مِنكِ الوَلاوِلُ

And I came to her fleeing before this

So where are your twistings, O Sa'da?