وَلَقَد دَعَوتَ طَريفُ دَعوَةَ جاهِلٍ

وَلَقَد دَعَوتَ طَريفُ دَعوَةَ جاهِلٍ

سَفَهاً وَأَنتَ بِمَنظَرٍ لَو تَعلَمُ

سَفَهاً وَأَنتَ بِمَنظَرٍ لَو تَعلَمُ

And indeed, Tarif, you uttered an ignorant man's call,

You have summoned, O Tareef, with the summons of an ignorant man,

Foolishly, while you were in full view—if only you knew.

Foolishly, though you knew better if you had known,

وَلَقيتَ حَيّاً في الحُروبِ مَحَلُّهُم

وَلَقيتَ حَيّاً في الحُروبِ مَحَلُّهُم

وَالجَيشُ بِاِسمِ أَبيهِمُ يُستَهزَمُ

وَالجَيشُ بِاِسمِ أَبيهِمُ يُستَهزَمُ

And you met a clan whose dwelling is in battle,

And you met alive on the field of battle men of distinction,

And the army is put to flight at their father's name.

And the army was put to rout in the name of their father,

فَإِذا دَعَوا بِأَبي رَبيعَةَ أَقبَلوا

فَإِذا دَعَوا بِأَبي رَبيعَةَ أَقبَلوا

بِكَتائِبِ دونَ النِساءِ تَلَمَّموا

بِكَتائِبِ دونَ النِساءِ تَلَمَّموا

So when they called out Abu Rabi‘ah's name, they advanced,

So when they called upon the name of Abee Raabi'ah they advanced

In battalions, they gathered in front of the women.

In battalions, having veiled themselves less than the women,

فَلَقَيتَ فيهِم هانِئاً وَسِلاحَهُ

فَلَقَيتَ فيهِم هانِئاً وَسِلاحَهُ

بَطَلاً إِذا هابَ الفَوارِسُ يقدمُ

بَطَلاً إِذا هابَ الفَوارِسُ يقدمُ

So among them you met Hani’ and his weapons,

And you met among them Hanei' with his weapons,

A hero who advances when the horsemen are afraid.

A hero, while the horsemen fled, pressing forward,

سَلَبوكَ دِرعَكَ وَالأَغَرَّ كِلَيهِما

سَلَبوكَ دِرعَكَ وَالأَغَرَّ كِلَيهِما

وَبَنو أُسَيِّدَ أَسلَموكَ وَخَضَّمُ

وَبَنو أُسَيِّدَ أَسلَموكَ وَخَضَّمُ

They stripped you of your coat of mail and al-Agharr, the white-blazed steed—both,

They stripped you of your coat of mail and the youths overcame you,

And the sons of Usayyid abandoned you, as did Khaddam.

And the sons of Usayyid made you their captive and pressed hard upon you.