نَحنُ أَرَينا الباهِلِيَّةَ ما شَفَت

نَحنُ أَرَينا الباهِلِيَّةَ ما شَفَت

بِهِ نَفسَها مِن رَأسِ ثَأرٍ مُعَلَّقِ

بِهِ نَفسَها مِن رَأسِ ثَأرٍ مُعَلَّقِ

We showed the Bahili woman what soothed

We saw Bāhilīyah not sated

her soul—a head hung up in vengeance.

With vengeance though her soul for it was hung

حَمَلنا إِلَيها مِن مُعاوِيَةَ الَّتي

حَمَلنا إِلَيها مِن مُعاوِيَةَ الَّتي

هِيَ الأُمُّ تَغشى كُلَّ فَرخِ مُنَقنِقِ

هِيَ الأُمُّ تَغشى كُلَّ فَرخِ مُنَقنِقِ

We carried it to her from Mu‘awiya, who

We brought to her from Mu‘āwiyah’s tribe

is the mother brooding over every chirping chick.

The mother, covering each chick fledgling

وَنَحنُ أَزَحنا عَن خُوَيلَةِ جَحدَرٍ

وَنَحنُ أَزَحنا عَن خُوَيلَةِ جَحدَرٍ

شَجاً كانَ مِنها في مَكانِ المُخَنَّقِ

شَجاً كانَ مِنها في مَكانِ المُخَنَّقِ

And we removed from Khuwayla of Jahdar

We cleared Khuwaylah’s spite from Jaḥdar

a choking bone that had lodged in her throat.

Though stuck in her throat and she was choked

وَكانَت إِذا اِبنا مِسمَعٍ ذُكِرا لَها

وَكانَت إِذا اِبنا مِسمَعٍ ذُكِرا لَها

جَرَت دُفَعٌ مِن دَمعِها المُتَرَقرِقِ

جَرَت دُفَعٌ مِن دَمعِها المُتَرَقرِقِ

Whenever Misma‘'s two sons were mentioned to her,

Whenever Ibn Mismar was recalled to her

gushes of her glistening tears flowed.

Tears poured profusely down her cheek

فَساغَ لَها بُردَ الشَبابِ وَلَم يَكُن

فَساغَ لَها بُردَ الشَبابِ وَلَم يَكُن

يَسوغُ لَها في صَدرِها المُتَحَرِّقِ

يَسوغُ لَها في صَدرِها المُتَحَرِّقِ

So youth's mantle became welcome to her, though it had not

The chill of youth was pleasant for her

been welcome within her burning breast.

Though in her burning breast was not bespoken

أَتَتها وَلا تَمشي ثَمانونَ لِحيَةً

أَتَتها وَلا تَمشي ثَمانونَ لِحيَةً

جَماجِمُها مِن مُختَلىً وَمُفَلَّقِ

جَماجِمُها مِن مُختَلىً وَمُفَلَّقِ

Eighty beards came to her, though they did not walk,

To her came eighty bearded heads

their skulls some severed and others split open.

From the slain and severed bodies taken

فَكائِن بِقَندابيلَ مِن جَسَدٍ لَهُم

فَكائِن بِقَندابيلَ مِن جَسَدٍ لَهُم

وَبِالعَقرِ مِن رَأسٍ يُدَهدى وَمِرفَقِ

وَبِالعَقرِ مِن رَأسٍ يُدَهدى وَمِرفَقِ

How many bodies of theirs lie at Qandabil,

Heaped at Qandābil were their corpses

and at al-‘Aqr, how many heads and elbows are sent tumbling,

And heads cleaved with each joint crackéd

يُدَهدى مِنَ الحِصنِ الَّذي سَرِعوا بِهِ

يُدَهدى مِنَ الحِصنِ الَّذي سَرِعوا بِهِ

إِلى الأَرضِ شَتّى مِن قَتيلٍ وَمُرهَقِ

إِلى الأَرضِ شَتّى مِن قَتيلٍ وَمُرهَقِ

sent tumbling from the fortress where they hastened,

Cleaved from the fortress wherein they hied

to the ground, scattered, from the slain and the overpowered!

Many a slain and crushed victim inside

فَما مِن بَلاءٍ أَو وَفاءٍ سِوى الَّتي

فَما مِن بَلاءٍ أَو وَفاءٍ سِوى الَّتي

فَعَلنا بِقَندابيلَ إِذ نَحنُ نَرتَقي

فَعَلنا بِقَندابيلَ إِذ نَحنُ نَرتَقي

For there is no feat of valor or loyalty save what

No ordeal but our loyalty tried

we did at Qandabil, when we climbed

When we at Qandābil did override

إِلَيهِم وَهُم في سورِها بِسُيوفِنا

إِلَيهِم وَهُم في سورِها بِسُيوفِنا

وَعَسّالَةٍ يَخرِقنَهُم كُلَّ مَخرَقِ

وَعَسّالَةٍ يَخرِقنَهُم كُلَّ مَخرَقِ

toward them, while they were on its wall, with our swords

Them in their walls by our swords so sharp

and quivering spears that pierced them through and through.

And deadly keen spears each wall to rip

فَإِن يَكُ قَتلٌ بِاِبنِ أَرطاةَ شافِياً

فَإِن يَكُ قَتلٌ بِاِبنِ أَرطاةَ شافِياً

وَمُرقِئَ عَينٍ دَمعُها ذو تَرَقرُقِ

وَمُرقِئَ عَينٍ دَمعُها ذو تَرَقرُقِ

Then if killing in vengeance for Ibn Artat brings healing

If Ibn Arṭāh by his death gives cure

and staunches an eye's glistening tears,

And tears of joy from their eyes drip

فَلَم يُبقِ مِن آلِ المُهَلَّبِ ضَربُنا

فَلَم يُبقِ مِن آلِ المُهَلَّبِ ضَربُنا

بِكُلِّ يَمانٍ ذي حُسامٍ وَرَونَقِ

بِكُلِّ يَمانٍ ذي حُسامٍ وَرَونَقِ

then our blows left nothing of al-Muhallab's house—

None of Muhalhil's clan our blow spared

with every keen-edged, gleaming Yemeni blade—

With every sharp Yemeni blade drawn

لَهُم غَيرَ أَنواحٍ قِيامٍ نِسائُها

لَهُم غَيرَ أَنواحٍ قِيامٍ نِسائُها

إِلى جَنبِ أَجسادٍ عُراةٍ وَدَردَقِ

إِلى جَنبِ أَجسادٍ عُراةٍ وَدَردَقِ

for them but mourning bands, their women standing

Only their women left alive there

beside naked bodies and little children,

Wailing naked by corpses wan

وَذاتِ حَليلٍ أَنكَحَتها رِماحُنا

وَذاتِ حَليلٍ أَنكَحَتها رِماحُنا

حَلالاً لِمَن يَبني بِها لَم تُطَلَّقِ

حَلالاً لِمَن يَبني بِها لَم تُطَلَّقِ

and a wife whom our spears gave in marriage,

Those our spears made lawful in troth

lawful to whoever consummates marriage with her, though she was not divorced.

To whomever would wed them, divorced they are not