دَعا دَعوَةَ الحُبلى زَبابُ وَقَد رَأى

دَعا دَعوَةَ الحُبلى زَبابُ وَقَد رَأى

بَني قَطَنٍ هَزّوا القَنا فَتَزَعزَعا

بَني قَطَنٍ هَزّوا القَنا فَتَزَعزَعا

Zabab gave a pregnant woman's cry, having seen

Zabab called the call of the pregnant, and he saw

the sons of Qatan shake their spears; then he trembled.

The sons of Qatan, they shook the spears and wavered,

كَأَنَّهُمُ اِقتادوا بِهِ مِن بُيوتِهِم

كَأَنَّهُمُ اِقتادوا بِهِ مِن بُيوتِهِم

خَروفاً مِنَ الشاءِ الحِجازِيِّ أَبقَعا

خَروفاً مِنَ الشاءِ الحِجازِيِّ أَبقَعا

As though they had led him out from their homes,

As if they had led with it from their homes

a piebald lamb from the sheep of the Hijaz.

A lamb from the Hejazi sheep, dappled.

فَلَو أَنَّ لَوماً كانَ مُنجِيَ أَهلِهِ

فَلَو أَنَّ لَوماً كانَ مُنجِيَ أَهلِهِ

لَنَجّى زَباباً لَومُهُ أَن يُقَطَّعا

لَنَجّى زَباباً لَومُهُ أَن يُقَطَّعا

For if baseness could save those who bear it,

If blame could save his family,

Zabab's baseness would have saved him from being cut apart.

Zabab's blame would have saved him from being cut off.

إِذاً لَكَفَتهُ السَيفَ أُمٌّ لَئيمَةٌ

إِذاً لَكَفَتهُ السَيفَ أُمٌّ لَئيمَةٌ

وَخالٌ رَعى الأَشوالَ حَتّى تَسَعسَعا

وَخالٌ رَعى الأَشوالَ حَتّى تَسَعسَعا

Then an ignoble mother would have spared him the sword,

Then a vile mother would have restrained him from the sword,

and a maternal uncle who tended dry she-camels until he grew decrepit.

And an uncle who herded the young camels until they trotted.

رُمَيلَةُ أَو شَيماءُ أَو عَرَكِيَّةٌ

رُمَيلَةُ أَو شَيماءُ أَو عَرَكِيَّةٌ

دَلوكٌ بِرِجلَيها القَعودَ المُوَقَّعا

دَلوكٌ بِرِجلَيها القَعودَ المُوَقَّعا

Rumayla, or Shayma, or an Araki woman,

Rumailah or Shaima or Arakiyyah,

who rubs the saddle-sore young camel with her legs.

With her legs she kicks the sitting camels.

فَلا تَحسَبا يا اِبنَي رُمَيلَةَ أَنَّهُ

فَلا تَحسَبا يا اِبنَي رُمَيلَةَ أَنَّهُ

يَكونُ بَواءً دونَ أَن تُقتَلا مَعا

يَكونُ بَواءً دونَ أَن تُقتَلا مَعا

So do not think, you two sons of Rumayla, that he

So do not think, O sons of Rumailah, that it

can be matched in blood-requital unless you are both slain together.

Will be a disaster without you both being killed together.

وَإِن تُقتَلا لا توفَيا غَيرَ أَنَّهُ

وَإِن تُقتَلا لا توفَيا غَيرَ أَنَّهُ

دَمُ الثَأرِ أَحرى أَن يُصابَ فَيَنقَعا

دَمُ الثَأرِ أَحرى أَن يُصابَ فَيَنقَعا

Even if you are both slain, you will not match his worth; yet

And if you both are killed, you will not fulfill anything but that

blood for vengeance is better taken, to quench the thirst.

The blood of revenge is more deserving to be attained and shed.

بَني صامِتٍ هَلّا زَجَرتُم كِلابَكُم

بَني صامِتٍ هَلّا زَجَرتُم كِلابَكُم

عَنِ اللَحمِ بِالخَبراءِ أَن يَتَمَزَّعا

عَنِ اللَحمِ بِالخَبراءِ أَن يَتَمَزَّعا

Sons of Samit, why did you not restrain your dogs

O silent sons, why did you not restrain your dogs

from tearing the flesh at al-Khabra to shreds?

From the meat with the experts lest they be torn apart?

وَلَيسَ كَريمٌ لِلخُرَيبَينِ ذائِقاً

وَلَيسَ كَريمٌ لِلخُرَيبَينِ ذائِقاً

قِرىً بَعدَما نادى زَبابٌ فَأَسمَعا

قِرىً بَعدَما نادى زَبابٌ فَأَسمَعا

And no noble man tastes al-Khuraybayn's

And no generous man tasting

hospitality after Zabab cried out and made himself heard.

Abodes after Zabab called out, made them hear.

فَشَرعُكُما أَلبانَها فَاِصفِرا بِها

فَشَرعُكُما أَلبانَها فَاِصفِرا بِها

إِذا الفَأرُ مِن أَرضِ السَبِيَّةِ أَمرَعا

إِذا الفَأرُ مِن أَرضِ السَبِيَّةِ أَمرَعا

So her milk is enough for you two; whistle for it,

So set them to work, milking them, and yellow with it

when the mice from the land of al-Sabiyya find lush pasture.

When the rat from the captive woman’s land scampered.

وَقَد كانَ عَوفٌ ذا ذُحولٍ كَثيرَةٍ

وَقَد كانَ عَوفٌ ذا ذُحولٍ كَثيرَةٍ

وَذا طَلَباتٍ تَترُكُ الأَنفَ أَجدَعا

وَذا طَلَباتٍ تَترُكُ الأَنفَ أَجدَعا

And Awf bore many blood-feuds,

And Auf had many spun threads

and claims for vengeance that leave the nose cut off.

And requests that leave the nose bridge-less.

أَتَيتَ بَني الشَرقِيِّ تَحسِبُ عِزَّهُم

أَتَيتَ بَني الشَرقِيِّ تَحسِبُ عِزَّهُم

عَلى عَهدِ ذي القِرنَينِ كانَ تَضَعضَعا

عَلى عَهدِ ذي القِرنَينِ كانَ تَضَعضَعا

You came to the sons of al-Sharqi, thinking their might

You came to the sons of the East thinking their glory

had crumbled in the days of Dhu al-Qarnayn.

Was in the era of Dhu al-Qarnayn - it shook and wavered.

أَتَيتَهُمُ تَسعى لِتَسقي دِماءَهُم

أَتَيتَهُمُ تَسعى لِتَسقي دِماءَهُم

وَعَمروٌ بِشاجٍ قَبرُهُ كانَ أَضيَعا

وَعَمروٌ بِشاجٍ قَبرُهُ كانَ أَضيَعا

You came to them, striving to spill their blood,

You came to them seeking to shed their blood

while Amr's grave at Shaj lay even more neglected.

While Amr in Shaj, his grave was desolate.

أَتَأتونَ قَوماً نارُهُم في أَكُفِّهِم

أَتَأتونَ قَوماً نارُهُم في أَكُفِّهِم

وَقاتِلُ عَمروٍ يَرقُدُ اللَيلَ أَكتَعا

وَقاتِلُ عَمروٍ يَرقُدُ اللَيلَ أَكتَعا

Do you come against a people whose fire is in their palms,

You come upon a people whose fire is in their palms

while Amr's killer sleeps the whole night through?

And the killer of Amr sleeps the night eyeless.