لَقَد عَلِمَ الحَيُّ المُصَبِّحُ أَنَّني

لَقَد عَلِمَ الحَيُّ المُصَبِّحُ أَنَّني

بِجِنبِ أَياءٍ غَيرُ نِكْس مواكِلِ

بِجِنبِ أَياءٍ غَيرُ نِكْس مواكِلِ

The dawn-raiding tribe has indeed learned that I

The bright morning star knew well that I,

Beside Ayāʾ, am no coward who relies on others.

Beside Aya, was no coward in the fray,

تَرَكتُ عَزيزاً تَحجُلُ الطَّيرُ حَولَهُ

تَرَكتُ عَزيزاً تَحجُلُ الطَّيرُ حَولَهُ

وَغَشَّيْتُ قَيساً حَدَّ أَبيَضَ قاصِلِ

وَغَشَّيْتُ قَيساً حَدَّ أَبيَضَ قاصِلِ

I left ʿAzīz with birds hopping around him,

Left Aziz, whom the birds circled warily,

And struck Qays with the edge of a white, cleaving sword.

And faced Ghashsh, wielder of glittering blade.

وَنِمْرَانَ قَد قَضَّيْتَ مِنْهُ حَزازَةً

وَنِمْرَانَ قَد قَضَّيْتَ مِنْهُ حَزازَةً

عَلى حَنَقٍ يَوْمَ التِفَافِ القَبائِلِ

عَلى حَنَقٍ يَوْمَ التِفَافِ القَبائِلِ

And you have indeed avenged a grievance on Nimrān,

From Nimran I took blood-price savagely

In fury, on the day the tribes clashed.

For rage pent up since the tribes deployed.

عِكَبٌّ شفيتُ النَّفْسَ مِنْهُ وَحارِثٌ

عِكَبٌّ شفيتُ النَّفْسَ مِنْهُ وَحارِثٌ

بِنافِذَةٍ في صَدرِهِ ذي عَوامِلِ

بِنافِذَةٍ في صَدرِهِ ذي عَوامِلِ

I healed my soul by taking vengeance on ʿIkabb, and on Ḥārith,

Ikab I left gasping, and Hareth died

With a piercing thrust into his chest, bristling with spear-shafts.

With my spear in his breast, that breast so proud.

وَأَرْدَتْ سُمَيّاً في المكَرِّ رِماحَنا

وَأَرْدَتْ سُمَيّاً في المكَرِّ رِماحَنا

وَصادَفَ مَوتاً عاجِلاً غَيرَ آجِلِ

وَصادَفَ مَوتاً عاجِلاً غَيرَ آجِلِ

And our spears slew Sumayy in the charge,

Sumayya thought our lances play, but met

And he met a swift death, not a delayed one.

Sudden, unlooked-for death, her life-blood spilt.