لِيَجزِ اللَّهُ مِن جُشَمَ بنِ بَكرٍ

لِيَجزِ اللَّهُ مِن جُشَمَ بنِ بَكرٍ

فَوارِسَ نَجدَةٍ خَيرَ الجَزاءِ

فَوارِسَ نَجدَةٍ خَيرَ الجَزاءِ

May God reward the men of Jusham ibn Bakr,

May God reward Jusham ibn Bakr

Those horsemen of valor, with the finest reward,

The horsemen of Najd with the best reward

بِما حاموا عَلَيَّ غَداةَ دارَت

بِما حاموا عَلَيَّ غَداةَ دارَت

بِوادي الأَخرَمَينِ رَحى صُداءِ

بِوادي الأَخرَمَينِ رَحى صُداءِ

For defending me that morning when there turned

For attacking me at dawn in the valley

In the valley of al-Akhramayn the millstone of Suda,

Of Al-Akharamayn with swift blows

بِضَربٍ تَشخَصُ الأَبصارُ مِنهُ

بِضَربٍ تَشخَصُ الأَبصارُ مِنهُ

وَطَعنٍ مِثلِ أَفراغِ الدِلاءِ

وَطَعنٍ مِثلِ أَفراغِ الدِلاءِ

With blows that made the eyes stare fixedly,

With stabbing like the strikes of knives

And thrusts like the emptying of buckets.

The horses in the morning bloodied all over

صَباحَ الخَيلُ دامِيَةٌ كُلاها

صَباحَ الخَيلُ دامِيَةٌ كُلاها

تَرَقَّصٌ بِالفَوارِسِ كَالظِباءِ

تَرَقَّصٌ بِالفَوارِسِ كَالظِباءِ

That morning the horses, their loins bloodied,

Dancing about with the horsemen like gazelles

Pranced with their riders like gazelles.

The knight of Hijjah turned away cowardly

وَأَعرَضَ فارِسُ الهَيجاءِ جَحشٌ

وَأَعرَضَ فارِسُ الهَيجاءِ جَحشٌ

وَجَحشٌ نِعمَ حامِيَةِ النِساءِ

وَجَحشٌ نِعمَ حامِيَةِ النِساءِ

And Jahsh, the horseman of battle, appeared,

A coward though claiming protector of women

And Jahsh—what a fine protector of women!

He called out in panic “Where is Amro?”

فَنادى في العَجاجَةِ أَينَ عَمروٌ

فَنادى في العَجاجَةِ أَينَ عَمروٌ

كَأَنّي فَقعَةٌ أَو طَيرُ ماءِ

كَأَنّي فَقعَةٌ أَو طَيرُ ماءِ

Then he called in the dust cloud, "Where is Amr?"

As if I am a loud noise or a water bird

As though I were a truffle or a waterbird!

So I stabbed him and said “Take this”

فَأَطعَنُهُ وَقُلتُ لَهُ خُذَنَّها

فَأَطعَنُهُ وَقُلتُ لَهُ خُذَنَّها

مُشَوَّهَةً تَبجِسُ بِالدِماءِ

مُشَوَّهَةً تَبجِسُ بِالدِماءِ

So I stabbed him and said to him, "Take this—

Distorted, oozing with blood

A hideous wound, gushing blood!"

The vegetation did not separate for that

فَما اِفتَرَقَت لِذاكَ نَباتُ نَعشٍ

فَما اِفتَرَقَت لِذاكَ نَباتُ نَعشٍ

وَلا كَسَفَت لَهُ شَمسُ السَماءِ

وَلا كَسَفَت لَهُ شَمسُ السَماءِ

Yet the Daughters of the Bier did not scatter for that,

Nor did the sun in the sky grow dim

Nor was the sun in the sky eclipsed for him.

We killed seventy of their cowards

قَتَلنا مِنهُمُ سَبعينَ جَحشاً

قَتَلنا مِنهُمُ سَبعينَ جَحشاً

وَوَلَّونا بِأَقفِيَةِ الإِماءِ

وَوَلَّونا بِأَقفِيَةِ الإِماءِ

We killed seventy Jahshes among them,

And drove off with the serving maids’ head scarves

And they turned away, showing us slave-women's napes.

We sought the veiled ladies riding behind

وَأُبنا بِالهِجانِ مُردَفاتٍ

وَأُبنا بِالهِجانِ مُردَفاتٍ

خَطَبناهُنَّ بِالأُسلِ الظِماءِ

خَطَبناهُنَّ بِالأُسلِ الظِماءِ

And we returned with fair, noble women riding pillion;

Asking for them with the swords’ edges

We had wooed them with thirsty spears.

And we ignited from them the palm trees of a people

وَقُدنا مِنهُم سَرَواتِ قَومٍ

وَقُدنا مِنهُم سَرَواتِ قَومٍ

كَجُربِ الإِبلِ تُطلى بِالهِناءِ

كَجُربِ الإِبلِ تُطلى بِالهِناءِ

And we led off their people's nobles,

Like the mange of camels smeared with dung.

Like mangy camels smeared with tar.