وَبِالشَعبِ إِذ سَدَّت بَجيلَةُ فَجَّهُ

وَبِالشَعبِ إِذ سَدَّت بَجيلَةُ فَجَّهُ

وَمِن خَلفِهِ هَضبٌ صِعابٌ وَجامِلُ

وَمِن خَلفِهِ هَضبٌ صِعابٌ وَجامِلُ

And in the ravine, when Bajilah blocked its passage,

With the people when Bajila obstructed their pass

and behind it lay rugged hills and a herd of camels,

And behind it a rugged and steep mountain

شَدَدتُ لِنَفسِ المَرءِ مَرَّةَ حَزمَهُ

شَدَدتُ لِنَفسِ المَرءِ مَرَّةَ حَزمَهُ

وَقَد نُصِبَت دونَ النَجاءِ الحَبائِلُ

وَقَد نُصِبَت دونَ النَجاءِ الحَبائِلُ

I once steeled the man's own resolve,

I girded the loins of a man with determination

with snares already set in the way of escape.

And snares were set before deliverance

وَقُلتُ لَهُ كُن خَلفَ ظَهري فَإِنَّني

وَقُلتُ لَهُ كُن خَلفَ ظَهري فَإِنَّني

سَأَفديكَ وَاِنظُر بَعدُ ما أَنتَ فاعِلُ

سَأَفديكَ وَاِنظُر بَعدُ ما أَنتَ فاعِلُ

And I told him, “Stay behind my back, for I

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

will ransom you; afterward, consider what you will do.”

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

فَعاذَ بِحَدِّ السَيفِ صاحِبُ أَمرِهِم

فَعاذَ بِحَدِّ السَيفِ صاحِبُ أَمرِهِم

وَخَلّوا عَنِ الشَيءِ الَّذي لَم يُحاوِلوا

وَخَلّوا عَنِ الشَيءِ الَّذي لَم يُحاوِلوا

Then their leader sought refuge in the sword's edge,

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

and they withdrew from what they had not attempted.

And they avoided the thing they did not try

وَأَخطَأَهُم قَتلي وَرَفَّعتُ صاحِبي

وَأَخطَأَهُم قَتلي وَرَفَّعتُ صاحِبي

عَلى اللَيلِ لَم تُؤخَذ عَلَيهِ المَخاتِلُ

عَلى اللَيلِ لَم تُؤخَذ عَلَيهِ المَخاتِلُ

And they failed to kill me, and I hurried my companion

And my killing them missed while I raised my companion

through the night; no chance to ambush him was seized.

In the night when strategies could not be taken against him

وَأَشطَأَ غُنمَ الحَيِّ مُرَّةُ بَعدَما

وَأَشطَأَ غُنمَ الحَيِّ مُرَّةُ بَعدَما

حَوَتهُ إِلَيهِ كَفُّهُ وَالأَنامِلُ

حَوَتهُ إِلَيهِ كَفُّهُ وَالأَنامِلُ

And Murrah lost the clan's booty, after

And the flock of Al-Hayy once circled around

his palm and fingers had gathered it to him.

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

يَعَضُّ عَلى أَطرافِهِ كَيفَ زَولُهُ

يَعَضُّ عَلى أَطرافِهِ كَيفَ زَولُهُ

وَدونَ المَلا سَهلٌ مِنَ الأَرضِ ماثِلُ

وَدونَ المَلا سَهلٌ مِنَ الأَرضِ ماثِلُ

He bites his fingertips—how did it slip away?

Biting its extremities out of impatience for its departure

And before the open waste, a plain lay in view.

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

فَقُلتُ لَهُ هَذي بِتِلكَ وَقَد يَرى

فَقُلتُ لَهُ هَذي بِتِلكَ وَقَد يَرى

لَها ثَمَناً مِن نَفسِهِ ما يُزاوِلُ

لَها ثَمَناً مِن نَفسِهِ ما يُزاوِلُ

So I told him, “This for that,” and he may regard

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

what he undertakes as a price for it, drawn from his own life.

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

تُوَلوِلُ سُعدى أَن أَتَيتُ مُجَرَّحاً

تُوَلوِلُ سُعدى أَن أَتَيتُ مُجَرَّحاً

إِلَيها وَقَد مَنَّت عَلَيَّ المَقاتِلُ

إِلَيها وَقَد مَنَّت عَلَيَّ المَقاتِلُ

Su'da wails because I came covered in wounds

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

to her, though my vital parts had been spared.

While the warriors did me a favor

وَكائِن أَتاها هارِباً قَبلَ هَذِهِ

وَكائِن أَتاها هارِباً قَبلَ هَذِهِ

وَمِن غانِمٍ فَأَينَ مِنكِ الوَلاوِلُ

وَمِن غانِمٍ فَأَينَ مِنكِ الوَلاوِلُ

And how many came to her fleeing before this,

And I came to her fleeing before this

and how many with spoils—where, then, were your wails?

So where are your twistings, O Sa'da?