نُبِّئتُ أَنَّ دَماً حَراماً نِلتَهُ

نُبِّئتُ أَنَّ دَماً حَراماً نِلتَهُ

فَهُريقَ في ثَوبٍ عَلَيكَ مُحَبَّرِ

فَهُريقَ في ثَوبٍ عَلَيكَ مُحَبَّرِ

I was told that you had shed blood forbidden to be shed,

I'm told you gained blood that was forbidden

And it was spilled on a richly patterned robe you wore.

So it was spilled onto a robe that stained you

نُبِّئتُ أَنَّ بَني سُحَيمٍ أَدخَلوا

نُبِّئتُ أَنَّ بَني سُحَيمٍ أَدخَلوا

أَبياتَهُم تامورَ نَفسِ المُنذِرِ

أَبياتَهُم تامورَ نَفسِ المُنذِرِ

I was told that the sons of Suhaym brought

I'm told the tribe of Suhaym brought

Into their dwellings the lifeblood of al-Mundhir.

Their verses to Tāmūr, that warner himself

فَلَبِئسَ ما كَسَبَ اِبنُ عَمروٍ رَهطَهُ

فَلَبِئسَ ما كَسَبَ اِبنُ عَمروٍ رَهطَهُ

شَمِرٌ وَكانَ بِمَسمَعٍ وَبِمَنظَرِ

شَمِرٌ وَكانَ بِمَسمَعٍ وَبِمَنظَرِ

So wretched was what Ibn Amr earned for his clan—

So evil is what the son of ‘Amr gained for his people

Shamir—though he was within hearing and sight.

Shimir, who had hearing and sight

زَعَمَ اِبنُ سُلمِيٍّ مُرارَةُ أَنَّهُ

زَعَمَ اِبنُ سُلمِيٍّ مُرارَةُ أَنَّهُ

مَولى السَواقِطِ دونَ آلِ المُنذِرِ

مَولى السَواقِطِ دونَ آلِ المُنذِرِ

Murarah, son of Sulmi, claimed that he was

The son of Sulami claims that he

The ally of the lowborn, rather than of al-Mundhir's house.

Is the master of the falling stars, not the clan of al-Munthir

مَنَعَ اليَمامَةَ حَزنَها وَسُهولَها

مَنَعَ اليَمامَةَ حَزنَها وَسُهولَها

مِن كُلِّ ذي تاجٍ كَريمِ المَفخَرِ

مِن كُلِّ ذي تاجٍ كَريمِ المَفخَرِ

He protected al-Yamamah—its rugged terrain and plains—

He denied al-Yamāmah its sorrow and plains

From every crowned ruler with noble grounds for pride.

From every crowned noble of pride

إِن كانَ ظَنّي في اِبنِ هِندٍ صادِقاً

إِن كانَ ظَنّي في اِبنِ هِندٍ صادِقاً

لَم يَحقُنوها في السِقاءِ الأَوفَرِ

لَم يَحقُنوها في السِقاءِ الأَوفَرِ

If my surmise about Ibn Hind is true,

If my assumption about Ibn Hind is true

They will not contain it in the largest waterskin,

He did not spare it the most abundant water-skin

حَتّى يَلُفَّ نَخيلَهُم وَزُروعَهُم

حَتّى يَلُفَّ نَخيلَهُم وَزُروعَهُم

لَهَبٌ كَناصِيَةِ الحِصانِ الأَشقَرِ

لَهَبٌ كَناصِيَةِ الحِصانِ الأَشقَرِ

Until their date palms and crops are enveloped

Until their palms and crops are wrapped

By a flame like the forelock of a chestnut stallion.

In a blaze like the blond horse's forelock