لا أَرى أَنَّ بِالقَتيلِ قَتيلاً

لا أَرى أَنَّ بِالقَتيلِ قَتيلاً

عامِرِيّاً يَفي بِقَتلِ دَوابِ

عامِرِيّاً يَفي بِقَتلِ دَوابِ

I do not think a man slain in requital for the slain,

I do not think that killing a killer

an ʿAmirite, could match the killing of Dawāb.

Is the deed of 'Amir, he who slew the beasts.

لَيسَ مَن لاعَبَ الأَسِنَّةَ في النَقْ

لَيسَ مَن لاعَبَ الأَسِنَّةَ في النَقْ

عِ وَسُمِّيَ مُلاعِباً بِأَرابِ

عِ وَسُمِّيَ مُلاعِباً بِأَرابِ

Not the man who played with spearheads amid the

'Amir is not Ibn Tufayl's son, 'Amir,

dust, and was called the Player at Arāb;

Rather he is the life of every mongrel cur!

عامِرٌ لَيسَ عامِرُ بنُ طُفَيلٍ

عامِرٌ لَيسَ عامِرُ بنُ طُفَيلٍ

لَكِن العَمرَ رَأسُ حَيِّ كُلابِ

لَكِن العَمرَ رَأسُ حَيِّ كُلابِ

ʿĀmir—not ʿĀmir ibn Ṭufayl,

That one whom I struck down with my blade

but al-ʿAmr, chief of the Kilāb clan.

And with whom I solaced the eyes of my friends.

ذاكَ أَن أَلقَهُ أَنالُ بِهِ الوَتْ

ذاكَ أَن أَلقَهُ أَنالُ بِهِ الوَتْ

رَ وَقَرَّت بِهِ عُيونَ الصِحابِ

رَ وَقَرَّت بِهِ عُيونَ الصِحابِ

That man—if I meet him, through him I shall gain

Or will you tempt me, when I have been forestalled

vengeance, and through him the companions' eyes will be gladdened.

By afine, polished blade and the grief of my anxious tribe?

أَو يَفُتني فَقَد سُبِقتُ بِوَتَرٍ

أَو يَفُتني فَقَد سُبِقتُ بِوَتَرٍ

مَذحَجِي وَجَدِّ قَومي كِئابِ

مَذحَجِي وَجَدِّ قَومي كِئابِ

Or if he eludes me, I have already been forestalled by a blood-debt,

For the phantoms I have donned the guise of men,

a Madhhijite one—by my grief-stricken people's fortune!

And I have been too noble for shedding their blood.

قَد تَقَنَّصتُ لِلضَبابِ رِجالاً

قَد تَقَنَّصتُ لِلضَبابِ رِجالاً

وَتَكَرَّمتُ عَن دِماءِ الضِبابِ

وَتَكَرَّمتُ عَن دِماءِ الضِبابِ

I have hunted down men belonging to al-Ḍibāb,

We obtained men from the lonely one,

and nobly refrained from shedding al-Ḍibāb's blood.

But my close comrades did not relish my drink.

وَأَصَبنا مِنَ الوَحيدِ رِجالاً

وَأَصَبنا مِنَ الوَحيدِ رِجالاً

وَنَفيل فَما أَساغوا شَرابي

وَنَفيل فَما أَساغوا شَرابي

And we struck down men of al-Waḥīd

and Nufayl, yet they did not make my drink go down easily.