لِيَبكِ وَكيعاً خَيلُ حَربٍ مُغيرَةٌ

لِيَبكِ وَكيعاً خَيلُ حَربٍ مُغيرَةٌ

تَساقى المَنايا بِالرُدَينِيَّةِ السُمرِ

تَساقى المَنايا بِالرُدَينِيَّةِ السُمرِ

Let the raiding warhorses weep for Wakiʿ,

Let War's horses weep copiously, a defeated army

exchanging draughts of death with brown Rudayni spears.

Death drank from goblets at Rudayniyyah's feast

لَقوا مِثلَهُم فَاِستَهزَموهُم بِدَعوَةٍ

لَقوا مِثلَهُم فَاِستَهزَموهُم بِدَعوَةٍ

دَعوها وَكيعاً وَالجِيادُ بِهِم تَجري

دَعوها وَكيعاً وَالجِيادُ بِهِم تَجري

They met their equals and routed them with a cry,

They met the like of them but were routed by a shout

crying “Wakiʿ!” as their noble steeds carried them along.

He shouted "O Khaibar" though the steeds raced with them

وَبَينَ الَّذي نادى وَكيعاً وَبَينَهُم

وَبَينَ الَّذي نادى وَكيعاً وَبَينَهُم

مَسيرَةُ شَهرٍ لِلمُقَصَّصَةِ البُترِ

مَسيرَةُ شَهرٍ لِلمُقَصَّصَةِ البُترِ

And between the one who called Wakiʿ and them

Between the shouter "Khaibar" and them

lay a month's journey for cropped-maned, dock-tailed horses.

A month's journey for the maimed she-camel

وَكَم هَدَّتِ الأَيّامُ مِن جَبَلٍ لَنا

وَكَم هَدَّتِ الأَيّامُ مِن جَبَلٍ لَنا

وَسابِغَةٍ زَغفٍ وَأَبيَضَ ذي أَثرِ

وَسابِغَةٍ زَغفٍ وَأَبيَضَ ذي أَثرِ

And how many a mountain of ours have the days brought down,

How many days has fate demolished a mountain for us

and a full, supple coat of mail, and a bright, patterned sword!

With pouring rains, rumbling thunder, the mount is effaced

وَإِنّا عَلى أَمثالِهِ مِن جِبالِنا

وَإِنّا عَلى أَمثالِهِ مِن جِبالِنا

لَأَبقى مَعَدٍّ لِلنَوائِبِ وَالدَهرِ

لَأَبقى مَعَدٍّ لِلنَوائِبِ وَالدَهرِ

Yet despite the loss of such as he among our mountains,

Yet we remain, like our mountains, enduring

we are surely the most enduring of Maʿadd against calamities and time.

Against misfortunes and time, steadfast and firm

وَما كانَ كَالمَوتى وَكيعٌ فَيَمنَعوا

وَما كانَ كَالمَوتى وَكيعٌ فَيَمنَعوا

نَوائِحَ لا رَثَّ السِلاحِ وَلا غَمرِ

نَوائِحَ لا رَثَّ السِلاحِ وَلا غَمرِ

Wakiʿ was not like other dead men, that they should silence

The dead cannot prevent, like Khaibar's clans

the wailing women; he was neither poorly armed nor inexperienced.

Wailings, not the clash of arms, nor our plunge

فَإِنَّ الَّذي نادى وَكيعاً فَنالَهُ

فَإِنَّ الَّذي نادى وَكيعاً فَنالَهُ

تَناوَلَ صِدّيقَ النَبِيِّ أَبا بَكرِ

تَناوَلَ صِدّيقَ النَبِيِّ أَبا بَكرِ

For the one who summoned Wakiʿ and claimed him

For he who shouted "Khaibar" was granted

also claimed the Prophet's ever-truthful companion, Abu Bakr.

To slay the Prophet's friend, Abu Bakr

فَماتَ وَلَم يُؤثَر وَما مِن قَبيلَةٍ

فَماتَ وَلَم يُؤثَر وَما مِن قَبيلَةٍ

مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا قَد أَباتَ عَلى وِترِ

مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا قَد أَباتَ عَلى وِترِ

He died, with no favor shown him; and there is no tribe

Who died, not survived, no tribe of men

among mankind that death has not left to pass the night with a blood-grievance.

But mourned him bitterly, all were aggrieved

فَلَو أَنَّ مَيتاً لا يَموتُ لِعِزِّهِ

فَلَو أَنَّ مَيتاً لا يَموتُ لِعِزِّهِ

عَلى قَومِهِ ما ماتَ صاحِبُ ذا القَبرِ

عَلى قَومِهِ ما ماتَ صاحِبُ ذا القَبرِ

So if a mortal could escape death through his high standing

If the honored dead could death defeat

among his people, the man in this grave would not have died.

For his people's glory, this tomb's owner would not have died

أُصيبَت بِهِ عَمروٌ وَسَعدٌ وَمالِكٌ

أُصيبَت بِهِ عَمروٌ وَسَعدٌ وَمالِكٌ

وَضَبَّةُ عُمّوا بِالعَظيمِ مِنَ الأَمرِ

وَضَبَّةُ عُمّوا بِالعَظيمِ مِنَ الأَمرِ

ʿAmr, Saʿd, and Malik were stricken by his loss,

In him were struck down Amr, Sa'd, Malik

and Dabba—all overwhelmed by the enormity of the calamity.

And Omar's clan by fate's mighty blow