أَبَيتَ اللَعنَ وَالراعي مَتى ما

أَبَيتَ اللَعنَ وَالراعي مَتى ما

يَضَع تَكُنِ الرَعِيَّةُ لِلذِئابِ

يَضَع تَكُنِ الرَعِيَّةُ لِلذِئابِ

May you be spared the curse! And whenever the shepherd

You refused imprecation though the shepherd - whenever

is negligent, the flock falls to the wolves;

The flock is left to the wolves - finds his wealth dispersed

فَيُصبِح مالُهُ فَرسَي وَيُفرَش

فَيُصبِح مالُهُ فَرسَي وَيُفرَش

إِلى ما كانَ مِن ظُفرٍ وَنابِ

إِلى ما كانَ مِن ظُفرٍ وَنابِ

then his wealth becomes prey, and is spread out

And turns to its former glory and sharpness.

before every claw and fang there is.

Our excuse is that You punish us for a sin

عَذَرنا أَن تُعاقِبَنا بِذَنبٍ

عَذَرنا أَن تُعاقِبَنا بِذَنبٍ

فَما بالُ اِبنِ عائِذٍ المُصابِ

فَما بالُ اِبنِ عائِذٍ المُصابِ

We excused your punishing us for an offense;

Then why does the son of A'idh the afflicted suffer?

but what of the stricken son of ʿĀʾidh?

Did he sin or gain or were You unjust

أَأَجرَمَ أَم جَنى أَم لَم تَخُطّوا

أَأَجرَمَ أَم جَنى أَم لَم تَخُطّوا

لَهُ أَمناً فَيوجَدَ في الكِتابِ

لَهُ أَمناً فَيوجَدَ في الكِتابِ

Did he commit a crime or do wrong? Or did you not write

To him, finding no security in Scripture?

safe conduct for him, to be found in the document?

Had we feared You, You would not have won it

فَلَو كُنّا نَخافُكَ لَم تَنَلها

فَلَو كُنّا نَخافُكَ لَم تَنَلها

بِذي بَقَرٍ فَرَوضاتِ الرُبابِ

بِذي بَقَرٍ فَرَوضاتِ الرُبابِ

For had we feared you, you would not have reached it

With Ubaid's son, on coursers racing the hill-tops.

at Dhū Baqar and the meadows of al-Rubāb.

Were we in Yamaamah or were we

أَكُنّا بِاليَمامَةِ أَو لَكُنّا

أَكُنّا بِاليَمامَةِ أَو لَكُنّا

مِنَ المُتَحَدِّرينَ عَلى جَنابِ

مِنَ المُتَحَدِّرينَ عَلى جَنابِ

Would we have been in al-Yamāmah, or would we have been

Of those who pour down the hill-sides?

among those descending toward Janāb?

Deluded when the King made a raid against us -

أَغَرنا إِذ أَغارَ المَلكُ فينا

أَغَرنا إِذ أَغارَ المَلكُ فينا

مَنالاً وَالقِبابُ مَعَ القِبابِ

مَنالاً وَالقِبابُ مَعَ القِبابِ

We raided when the king raided our midst,

An attainment, and tents matching with tents -

for plunder, with domed tents beside domed tents,

Punishing the son of A'idh the son of a slave,

عِقاباً بِاِبنِ عائِذٍ اِبنِ عَبدٍ

عِقاباً بِاِبنِ عائِذٍ اِبنِ عَبدٍ

وَكُنّا في العَدوِّ ذَوي عِقابِ

وَكُنّا في العَدوِّ ذَوي عِقابِ

in vengeance for the son of ʿĀʾidh ibn ʿAbd;

While we were his peers in striking the foe.

and we were avengers against the enemy.

We had agreed to lay low the roaring warriors

تَواعَدنا أُضاخَهُمُ وَنَقراً

تَواعَدنا أُضاخَهُمُ وَنَقراً

وَمَنعِجَهُم بِأَحياءٍ غِضابِ

وَمَنعِجَهُم بِأَحياءٍ غِضابِ

We arranged to meet at their Uḍākh and Naqr,

And make the forbidden ghada trees their burial-ground

and their Manʿij, with wrathful clans,

In a torrent wherein Balqaa is made desolate

بِمَجرٍ تَهِلكُ البَلقاءُ فيهِ

بِمَجرٍ تَهِلكُ البَلقاءُ فيهِ

فَلا تَبقى وَنودي بِالرِكابِ

فَلا تَبقى وَنودي بِالرِكابِ

with a vast host in which a piebald mare would be lost,

With no survival, and men call for mounts.

leaving no trace; and the riding camels were summoned.

There she remained twisting for a long time

فَظَلَّت تَقتَري مَرخاً طِوالاً

فَظَلَّت تَقتَري مَرخاً طِوالاً

إِلى الأَبياتِ تُلوي بِالنِهابِ

إِلى الأَبياتِ تُلوي بِالنِهابِ

Then the tall mounts kept traversing Markh,

Towards ruins, bending over with vulture-like neck.

toward the tents, carrying off the plunder.

We took vengeance on the branded slaves

أَخَذنا بِالمُخَطَّمِ مَن عَلِمتُم

أَخَذنا بِالمُخَطَّمِ مَن عَلِمتُم

مِنَ الدُهمِ المُزَنَّمَةِ الرِعابِ

مِنَ الدُهمِ المُزَنَّمَةِ الرِعابِ

At al-Mukhaṭṭam we took the ones you know,

Of terrible appearance and fearful cries.

among the black, ear-notched, massive camels.