أَلا هَل أَتى غَوثاً وَرومانَ أَنَّنا

أَلا هَل أَتى غَوثاً وَرومانَ أَنَّنا

صَبَحنا بَني ذُبيانَ إِحدى العَظائِمِ

صَبَحنا بَني ذُبيانَ إِحدى العَظائِمِ

Lo, has word reached Ghawth and Ruman that we

Alas! Has help and Romans come that we

struck the sons of Dhubyan at dawn with one of the great calamities,

Have become in the morning Banu Dhubyan, one of the greatest,

وَسُقنا نِساءَ الحَيِّ مُرَّة بِالقَنا

وَسُقنا نِساءَ الحَيِّ مُرَّة بِالقَنا

وَبِالخَيلِ تَردي قَد حَوَينا اِبنَ ظالِمِ

وَبِالخَيلِ تَردي قَد حَوَينا اِبنَ ظالِمِ

and drove off the women of Murrah's clan with spears,

And we watered the women of Al-Hayy once with the spear

and, with horses galloping, had captured Ibn Zalim,

And with horses charging we have surrounded the son of the unjust

جَنيباً لِأَعضادِ النَواحي يَقُدنَهُ

جَنيباً لِأَعضادِ النَواحي يَقُدنَهُ

عَلى تَعَبٍ بَينَ النَواجي الرَواسِمِ

عَلى تَعَبٍ بَينَ النَواجي الرَواسِمِ

led beside the forelegs of the outlying mounts that lead him,

A prominent one leading the sides of the dwellings

wearied, among swift, long-striding she-camels?

With fatigue between the lofty landmarks

يَقولُ اِقبَلوا مِنّي الفِداءَ وَاِنعموا

يَقولُ اِقبَلوا مِنّي الفِداءَ وَاِنعموا

عَلَيَّ وَجَزّوني مَكانَ القَوادِمِ

عَلَيَّ وَجَزّوني مَكانَ القَوادِمِ

He says, “Accept ransom from me and show kindness

He says come to me for redemption and be kind

to me, and clip me at the primary wing-feathers.”

To me and reward me instead of the newcomers

وَقَد مَسَّ حَدُّ الرُمحِ قَوّارَةَ أَستِهِ

وَقَد مَسَّ حَدُّ الرُمحِ قَوّارَةَ أَستِهِ

فَصارَت كَشِدقِ الأَعلَم المُتَضاجِمِ

فَصارَت كَشِدقِ الأَعلَم المُتَضاجِمِ

And the spear's point had touched his round anal opening,

And the edge of the spear has touched the side of his camel

so it became like the mouth-corner of a cleft-lipped, crooked-mouthed man.

So it became like the cheek of the intertwined standard

وَسائِل بِنا جارَ اِبنَ عَوفٍ فَقَد رَأى

وَسائِل بِنا جارَ اِبنَ عَوفٍ فَقَد رَأى

حَليلَتَهُ جالَت عَلَيها مَقاسِمي

حَليلَتَهُ جالَت عَلَيها مَقاسِمي

And ask Ibn Awf's neighbor about us, for he saw

Asking about us the neighbor Ibn 'Awf for he has seen

his wife, over whom my lots for the spoils were cast,

His wife set upon her the destinies

تلاعب وَحدان العَضاريطِ بَعدَما

تلاعب وَحدان العَضاريطِ بَعدَما

جَلاها بِسَهمَيهِ لَقيطُ بنُ حازِمِ

جَلاها بِسَهمَيهِ لَقيطُ بنُ حازِمِ

dallying with solitary menials, after

After being distracted by the denial of the one hit by

Laqit ibn Hazim had unveiled her with his two arrows.

Laiq the son of Hazim with his two arrows

أَغَرَّكَ إِن قيلَ اِبنَ عوفٍ وَلا أَرى

أَغَرَّكَ إِن قيلَ اِبنَ عوفٍ وَلا أَرى

عَزيمَكَ إِلّا واهِياً في العَزائِمِ

عَزيمَكَ إِلّا واهِياً في العَزائِمِ

Has it deluded you to be called Ibn Awf? Yet I see

Are you deluded if told Ibn 'Awf while I do not see

your resolve as nothing but feeble beside other resolves,

Your determination except weak in determinations

غَداةَ سَبَينا في خَفاجَة سَبيِها

غَداةَ سَبَينا في خَفاجَة سَبيِها

وَمَرَّت لَهُم مِنّا نُحوسُ الأَشائِمِ

وَمَرَّت لَهُم مِنّا نُحوسُ الأَشائِمِ

on the morning we carried off the captives of Khafajah,

The next day we took captives in Khafajah their captives

and from us the direst ill fortunes swept over them.

And evil omens passed them from us

فَمَن مُبلِغٌ عَنّى الخَزارِجَ غارَةً

فَمَن مُبلِغٌ عَنّى الخَزارِجَ غارَةً

عَلى حَيِّ عَوف موجِفاً غَيرَ نائِمِ

عَلى حَيِّ عَوف موجِفاً غَيرَ نائِمِ

So who will tell the Khazarij, on my behalf, of a raid

So who will convey from me to the Khawarij a raid

against Awf's clan, spurring his mount onward, not sleeping?

Upon the people of 'Awf terrifying the non-sleepers