فَتىً لِرَغيفِهِ قُرطٌ وَشَنفٌ

فَتىً لِرَغيفِهِ قُرطٌ وَشَنفٌ

وَخِلخالانِ مِن خَرَزٍ وَشَذرِ

وَخِلخالانِ مِن خَرَزٍ وَشَذرِ

A youth whose loaf has an earring and an upper-ear ornament,

A lad with his loaf, a tunic and leggings,

A lad whose loaf becomes his ear’s adornment,

And two anklets of beads and gold pieces.

And anklets of blue glass and tin.

And anklets strung from beads and nuggets of gold;

إِذا فَقَدَ الرَغيفَ بَكى عَلَيهِ

إِذا فَقَدَ الرَغيفَ بَكى عَلَيهِ

بُكا الخَنساءِ إِذ فُجِعَت بِصَخرِ

بُكا الخَنساءِ إِذ فُجِعَت بِصَخرِ

When he loses the loaf, he weeps over it

When the loaf was lost he wept for it,

If he loses the loaf, he weeps upon it,

As al-Khansa wept when bereaved of Sakhr.

As Al-Khansa’ wept for Sakhr.

Like Khansa’s wailing for her brother Sakhr;

وَدونَ رَغيفِهِ قَلعُ الثَنايا

وَدونَ رَغيفِهِ قَلعُ الثَنايا

وَحَربٌ مِثلَ وَقعَةِ يَومِ بَدرِ

وَحَربٌ مِثلَ وَقعَةِ يَومِ بَدرِ

And to reach his loaf means front teeth torn out,

Without his loaf all teeth are drawn,

To take his bread is to have one's teeth torn out,

And war like the battle on the day of Badr.

And war rages like Badr’s fray.

In war as fierce as the Day of Badr.