وَتَظَلُّ عَبلَةُ في الخُدورِ تَجُرُّها

وَتَظَلُّ عَبلَةُ في الخُدورِ تَجُرُّها

وَأَظَلُّ في حَلَقِ الحَديدِ المُبهَمِ

وَأَظَلُّ في حَلَقِ الحَديدِ المُبهَمِ

And ʿAbla remains among the curtains, drawing them,

And Abla remains in the inner chambers, dragging her garment,

while I remain within rings of impenetrable iron.

While I remain in the grip of obscure iron.

يا عَبلَ لَو أَبصَرتِني لَرَأَيتِني

يا عَبلَ لَو أَبصَرتِني لَرَأَيتِني

في الحَربِ أُقدِمُ كَالهِزَبرِ الضَيغَمِ

في الحَربِ أُقدِمُ كَالهِزَبرِ الضَيغَمِ

O ʿAbla, had you seen me, you would have seen me

O Abla, if you could see me, you would see me

advancing in battle like a fierce lion.

In war, attacking like a restless young camel.

وَصِغارُها مِثلُ الدَبى وَكِبارُها

وَصِغارُها مِثلُ الدَبى وَكِبارُها

مِثلُ الضَفادِعِ في غَديرٍ مُقحَمِ

مِثلُ الضَفادِعِ في غَديرٍ مُقحَمِ

Its small ones are like young locusts, and its large ones

Their small ones are like lizards and their large ones

like frogs in a pool into which one has plunged.

Are like frogs in a muddy pond.

يَدعونَ عَنتَرَ وَالدُروعُ كَأَنَّها

يَدعونَ عَنتَرَ وَالدُروعُ كَأَنَّها

حَدَقُ الضَفادِعِ في غَديرٍ أَدهَمِ

حَدَقُ الضَفادِعِ في غَديرٍ أَدهَمِ

They call for ʿAntar, while the coats of mail seem like

They call on Antar, and their armors are as if

frogs’ eyes in a dark pool.

They are the eyelids of frogs in a murky pond.

تَسعى حَلائِلُنا إِلى جُثمانِهِ

تَسعى حَلائِلُنا إِلى جُثمانِهِ

بِجَنى الأَراكِ تَفيئَةً وَالشَبرُمِ

بِجَنى الأَراكِ تَفيئَةً وَالشَبرُمِ

Our wives hasten toward his body,

Our plunderers hasten to his corpse

with arak fruit, at times, and spurge.

For spoils, with the horses' halters trailing.

فَأَرى مَغانِمَ لَو أَشاءُ حَوَيتُها

فَأَرى مَغانِمَ لَو أَشاءُ حَوَيتُها

فَيَصُدُّني عَنها كَثيرُ تَحَشُّمي

فَيَصُدُّني عَنها كَثيرُ تَحَشُّمي

So I see spoils that, if I wished, I could take,

I see spoils which, if I wished, I could seize,

but my great reserve holds me back from them.

But my great modesty holds me back from them.