وَلَمand did not تَمنَعواyou protect يَومَon the day of الهُذَيلِal-Hudhayl بَناتِكُمyour daughters
وَلَم تَمنَعوا يَومَ الهُذَيلِ بَناتِكُم
بَنيO sons of الكَلبَthe Dog وَالحاميand the defender of الحَقيقَةَhonor مانِعُa protector
بَني الكَلبَ وَالحامي الحَقيقَةَ مانِعُ
And you did not protect your daughters on the day of al-Hudhayl,
You did not prevent your daughters from the sons of Kalb and the truthful protector on the day of Hudhayl
O sons of the Dog—and a defender of honor gives protection.
The next morning the horses of Hudhayl came after you
غَداةَon the morning when أَتَتcame خَيلُthe horsemen of الهُذَيلِal-Hudhayl وَراءَكُمbehind you
غَداةَ أَتَت خَيلُ الهُذَيلِ وَراءَكُم
وَسُدَّتand were barred عَلَيكُمagainst you مِنfrom إِرابَIrab المَطالِعُthe ascent-paths
وَسُدَّت عَلَيكُم مِن إِرابَ المَطالِعُ
That morning when al-Hudhayl's horsemen came behind you,
And the places of descent were closed to you
and the passes from Irab were barred to you.
They cried to you while the spears were like
بَكَينَthey wept إِلَيكُمto you وَالرِماحُand the spears كَأَنَّهاas though they were
بَكَينَ إِلَيكُم وَالرِماحُ كَأَنَّها
مَعَwith القَومِthe men أَشطانَropes الجَرورِa deep well النَوازِعُstraining
مَعَ القَومِ أَشطانَ الجَرورِ النَوازِعُ
They wept to you, while the spears seemed
The tyrants of the people, the violent snatchers
with the men like the straining ropes of a deep well.
She called, O Leyrabou, and the chests of the heights and the severing men prevented her
دَعَتshe cried out ياO! لَيَربوعٍYarbuʿ, to the rescue وَقَدand already حالَbarred the way دونَهاbefore her
دَعَت يا لَيَربوعٍ وَقَد حالَ دونَها
صُدورُthe points of العَواليlong spears وَالذُكورُand hard-steeled swords القَواطِعُkeen-cutting
صُدورُ العَوالي وَالذُكورُ القَواطِعُ
She cried, 'Help, Yarbuʿ!' with her way already barred by
So what catching up do you expect when
the points of long spears and hard-steeled, cleaving swords.
The yielding women have come upon the expectations of the fat
فَأَيَّso what لَحاقٍcatching up تَنظُرونَdo you await وَقَدand already أَتىhas passed
فَأَيَّ لَحاقٍ تَنظُرونَ وَقَد أَتى
عَلىover أُمُلِthe sand ridges of الدَهناal-Dahna النِساءُthe women الرَواضِعُthe milk-sucking ones
عَلى أُمُلِ الدَهنا النِساءُ الرَواضِعُ
What chance of catching up do you await, when they have already passed
And they are followers looking back at you
over al-Dahna's sand ridges—the milk-sucking women?
For their litters behind the men, the makers of clatter
وَهُنَّand they رُدافىriding pillion يَلتَفِتنَthey look back إِلَيكُمُtoward you
وَهُنَّ رُدافى يَلتَفِتنَ إِلَيكُمُ
لِأَسوُقِهاfor her shins خَلفَbehind الرِجالِthe men قَعاقِعُclattering sounds
لِأَسوُقِها خَلفَ الرِجالِ قَعاقِعُ
And they rode pillion, looking back toward you;
With a cry, when a howdah sways with them, the torrents of longing are seen from it
from her shins came clattering behind the men,
You see in the houses of the Kulaybiyyat amidst their homes
بِعيطٍon long-necked mounts إِذاwhenever مالَتturned aside بِهِنَّwith them خَميلَةٌa thicket
بِعيطٍ إِذا مالَت بِهِنَّ خَميلَةٌ
مَرىmilked forth عَبَراتِtears الشَوقِof longing مِنهاfrom her المَدامِعُthe tear ducts
مَرى عَبَراتِ الشَوقِ مِنها المَدامِعُ
on long-necked mounts; whenever a thicket turned them aside,
The faces of maidens not veiled by the litters
her tear ducts milked tears of longing from her.
تَرىyou see لِلكُلَيبِيّاتِbelonging to Kulayb's women وَسطَamid بُيوتِهِمtheir houses
تَرى لِلكُلَيبِيّاتِ وَسطَ بُيوتِهِم
وُجوهَfaces of إِماءٍslave women لَمdid not تَصُنهاprotect them البَراقِعُthe face-veils
وُجوهَ إِماءٍ لَم تَصُنها البَراقِعُ
You see on the women of Kulayb, amid their houses,
slave-women's faces, which face-veils have not guarded.
Partial English translation: 13 of 16 Arabic lines translated.