أَلَم تَعَلم أَبا سَمعانَ أَنّا

أَلَم تَعَلم أَبا سَمعانَ أَنّا

نَرُدُّ الشَيخَ مَثلَكَ ذا الصداعِ

نَرُدُّ الشَيخَ مَثلَكَ ذا الصداعِ

Did you not know, Abu Sam‘an, that we

Do you not know, O Abu Sam'an, that indeed we

send an old man like you back with a headache,

Turn back an elder like you, despite his haughty pride,

وَيُذهِلُ عَقلَهُ بِالحَربِ حَتّى

وَيُذهِلُ عَقلَهُ بِالحَربِ حَتّى

يَقومُ فَيَستَجيبُ لِغَيرِ داعِ

يَقومُ فَيَستَجيبُ لِغَيرِ داعِ

and his mind is bewildered by war until

And we bereave his mind with the terror of war, until

he rises and answers someone who has not called?

He rises to answer a summons, though no one has called,

فَدافِع عَن خُزاعَةَ جَمعَ بَكرٍ

فَدافِع عَن خُزاعَةَ جَمعَ بَكرٍ

وَما بِكَ يا سُراقَةَ مِن دِفاعِ

وَما بِكَ يا سُراقَةَ مِن دِفاعِ

So defend Khuza‘ah against Bakr’s host,

So defend the tribe of Khuza'a against the gathered host of Bakr,

yet you, O Suraqah, have no power to defend.

Though in you, O Suraqa, lies no power of defense.