وَدافَعَ عَنها عَسقَلٌ وَاِبنُ عَسقَلٍ

وَدافَعَ عَنها عَسقَلٌ وَاِبنُ عَسقَلٍ

بِأَعناقِ صُهبٍ ذَبَّبَت كُلَّ خاطِبِ

بِأَعناقِ صُهبٍ ذَبَّبَت كُلَّ خاطِبِ

And ʿAsqal and the son of ʿAsqal defended her

Ascalon was defended by the son of Ascalon

with herds of tawny camels that drove off every suitor.

With the necks of warriors whose swords slew every suitor

إِذا اِستَشفَعوا في أَيِّمٍ شَفَعَت لَهُم

إِذا اِستَشفَعوا في أَيِّمٍ شَفَعَت لَهُم

ذُراها وَضَرّاتٌ عِظامُ المَحالِبِ

ذُراها وَضَرّاتٌ عِظامُ المَحالِبِ

When they sought intercession concerning an unmarried woman, pleading for them were

When they begged for clemency on a day, she was merciful to them

their humps and their great, milk-bearing udders.

Her sheep and camels were her wealth, the bones of knights

رُقَيعِيَّةٌ خورٌ كَأَنَّ مَخاضَها

رُقَيعِيَّةٌ خورٌ كَأَنَّ مَخاضَها

عِظامُ قُرومٍ أَو جِبالٍ رَواسِبِ

عِظامُ قُرومٍ أَو جِبالٍ رَواسِبِ

Ruqayʿī camels, rich in milk—as though their pregnant females were

She is a gazelle with a fawn, as though her birth pangs

huge camel stallions or firmly rooted mountains.

Were the bones of ostrich chicks or mountains’ sediments