لا زُرتِ يا زَوراءُ كَفَّ حُلاحِلٍ

لا زُرتِ يا زَوراءُ كَفَّ حُلاحِلٍ

يَومَ الهِياجِ وَلا رَمَيتِ نِبالا

يَومَ الهِياجِ وَلا رَمَيتِ نِبالا

May you never visit a valiant chief's palm, O crooked bow,

O Zawra’ neither did you visit when passions ran high

on the day of battle, nor ever shoot arrows!

Nor did you hurl a spear on the day of battle

نازَعتِ عِندَ الرَميِ مُقلَةَ جُؤذُرٍ

نازَعتِ عِندَ الرَميِ مُقلَةَ جُؤذُرٍ

تُصمي القُلوبَ وَما تُغِبُّ نِزالا

تُصمي القُلوبَ وَما تُغِبُّ نِزالا

You vied, when shooting, with the eye of an oryx calf,

You wrestled the curved bow of Ju’thur

which slays hearts outright and never takes respite from combat.

That turns hearts to stone though no blood it drew

وَقَرَعتِ ما يَحمي بِها حَسَداً لَهُ

وَقَرَعتِ ما يَحمي بِها حَسَداً لَهُ

لَمّا بَدا بَدراً وَلُحتِ هِلالا

لَمّا بَدا بَدراً وَلُحتِ هِلالا

And, out of envy of him, you struck what he protects with it,

And you smote what he enviously protected

when he appeared as a full moon and you as a crescent.

When the full moon rose and the new crescent gleamed

فَغَدَت جُمانَةُ سِنِّهِ مَرجانَةً

فَغَدَت جُمانَةُ سِنِّهِ مَرجانَةً

وَغَدا قُراحُ رُضابِهِ جِريالا

وَغَدا قُراحُ رُضابِهِ جِريالا

So the pearl of his tooth became a piece of coral,

So his crooked old age turned straight

and the clear water of his saliva became crimson wine.

And the gashes of his blows sang like bells