أَتاني وَعونُ الحوشِ بَيني وَبَينُكُم

أَتاني وَعونُ الحوشِ بَيني وَبَينُكُم

كَوانِسُ مِن جَنبَي فِتاقٍ فَأَبلَقا

كَوانِسُ مِن جَنبَي فِتاقٍ فَأَبلَقا

Word reached me, while full-grown wild cows were between me and you,

The band of the tribe came to my aid, between me and you,

Sheltering on either side of Fitaq and Ablaq:

Like slender spears protruding from polished sheaths.

تَأَنّيكُمُ أَحلامَ مَن لَيسَ عِندَهُ

تَأَنّيكُمُ أَحلامَ مَن لَيسَ عِندَهُ

عَلى الرَهطِ مَغنىً لَو تَنالونَ مَوثِقا

عَلى الرَهطِ مَغنىً لَو تَنالونَ مَوثِقا

Your deliberation—the judgment of one who has no

Your dreams are those of one who has nothing,

Power against the clan, should you secure a binding pledge.

Even if you had power over the people.

بُنَيَّةُ إِنَّ القَومَ كانَ جَريرُهُم

بُنَيَّةُ إِنَّ القَومَ كانَ جَريرُهُم

بِرَأسِيَ لَو لَم يَجعَلوهُ مُعَلَّقا

بِرَأسِيَ لَو لَم يَجعَلوهُ مُعَلَّقا

Little daughter, surely the people's halter-rope would have been

O Buniyya, they would have had my head,

Around my head, had they not left it hanging loose.

If they had not kept it hanging.

أَفي فِتيَةٍ بيضِ الوُجوهِ إِذا لَقوا

أَفي فِتيَةٍ بيضِ الوُجوهِ إِذا لَقوا

قَبيلَكَ يَوماً أَبلَغوهُ المُخَنَّقا

قَبيلَكَ يَوماً أَبلَغوهُ المُخَنَّقا

Is this about fair-faced youths who, when they meet

Will the fair-faced youths, when they meet

Your clan one day, bring it to the choking point?

Your tribe one day, convey to them one who is strangled?

إِذا اِعتَفَرَت أَقدامُهُم عِندَ مَعرَكٍ

إِذا اِعتَفَرَت أَقدامُهُم عِندَ مَعرَكٍ

ثَبَتنَ بِهِ يَوماً فَإِن كانَ مَزلَقا

ثَبَتنَ بِهِ يَوماً فَإِن كانَ مَزلَقا

When their feet are dust-covered on a battlefield,

When their feet slip in battle,

They stand firm there that day, even if it is slippery.

They stand firmly one day, even if the ground be slippery.

جَزى اللَهُ فيما بَينَنا شَيخَ مِسمَعٍ

جَزى اللَهُ فيما بَينَنا شَيخَ مِسمَعٍ

جَزاءَ المُسيءِ حَيثُ أَمسى وَأَشرَقا

جَزاءَ المُسيءِ حَيثُ أَمسى وَأَشرَقا

May God requite the elder of Mismaʿ for what lies between us,

May God reward, between us and the elder of hearing,

With an evildoer's recompense, wherever dusk and sunrise find him.

The reward of the evildoer, wherever he has set and risen!

جَزى اللَهُ تَيماً مِن أَخٍ كانَ يَتَّقي

جَزى اللَهُ تَيماً مِن أَخٍ كانَ يَتَّقي

مَحارِمَ تَيمٍ ما أَخَفَّ وَأَرهَقا

مَحارِمَ تَيمٍ ما أَخَفَّ وَأَرهَقا

May God requite Taym on behalf of a brother who used to respect

May God reward Taim, of a brother who used to be pious,

Taym's sacred bounds—how light-minded and oppressive!

And observe the taboos of Taim - both open and hidden.

أَخونا الَّذي يَعدو عَلَينا وَلَو هَوَت

أَخونا الَّذي يَعدو عَلَينا وَلَو هَوَت

بِهِ قَدَمٌ كُنّا بِهِ مُتَعَلِّقا

بِهِ قَدَمٌ كُنّا بِهِ مُتَعَلِّقا

Our brother, who assails us—yet, should

The brother who aggresses against us -

A foot slip beneath him, we would cling to him.

Had his foot slipped, we would have held to him.

أَتَينا لَهُم إِذ لَم نَجِد غَيرَ أَنيهِم

أَتَينا لَهُم إِذ لَم نَجِد غَيرَ أَنيهِم

وَكُنّا صَفائِحاً مِنَ المَوتِ أَزرَقا

وَكُنّا صَفائِحاً مِنَ المَوتِ أَزرَقا

We came to them, since we found nothing but their delay,

We came to them, when we found none but their houses,

And we were sword-blades, blue with death.

And we were sheets from death, scattered and torn.

وَجُدنا إِلى أَرماحِنا حينَ عَوَّلَت

وَجُدنا إِلى أَرماحِنا حينَ عَوَّلَت

عَلَينا بَنو رُهمٍ مِنَ الشَرِّ مَلزَقا

عَلَينا بَنو رُهمٍ مِنَ الشَرِّ مَلزَقا

We found beside our spears, when

We resorted to our spears when the Banu Ruhem

Banu Ruhm relied upon us, a refuge from evil.

Depended on us with evil, stuck fast.