أَلاlo! بانَdeparted بِالرَهنِwith the pledge الغَداةَthis morning الحَبائِبُthe beloved
أَلا بانَ بِالرَهنِ الغَداةَ الحَبائِبُ
كَأَنَّكَas though you were مَعتوبٌreproached عَلَيكَupon you وَعاتِبُand reproaching
كَأَنَّكَ مَعتوبٌ عَلَيكَ وَعاتِبُ
Lo, the beloved departed this morning, taking the pledge with them.
As though you were both reproached and reproaching.
لَعَمرُby the life of أَبيكَyour father الخَيرِthe noble لَوif ذاthis one أَطاعَنيhad obeyed me
لَعَمرُ أَبيكَ الخَيرِ لَو ذا أَطاعَني
لَغُدِّيَwould have been sent out at dawn مِنهُfrom him بِالرَحيلِin departure الرَكائِبُthe riding camels
لَغُدِّيَ مِنهُ بِالرَحيلِ الرَكائِبُ
By your noble father's life, had this one obeyed me,
The riding camels would have been sent away from him at dawn.
تَعَلَّمknow بِأَنَّthat الحَيَّthe tribe بَكرَBakr بِنَson of وائِلٍWa'il
تَعَلَّم بِأَنَّ الحَيَّ بَكرَ بِنَ وائِلٍ
هُمُthey العِزُّmight لاlet no يَكذِبكَdeceive you عَنabout ذاكَthat كاذِبُliar
هُمُ العِزُّ لا يَكذِبكَ عَن ذاكَ كاذِبُ
Know that the tribe, Bakr ibn Wa'il—
They are might itself; let no liar deceive you about that.
فَإِنَّكَfor indeed you إِنif تَعرِضinterfere لَهُمwith them أَوor تَسُؤهُمُharm them
فَإِنَّكَ إِن تَعرِض لَهُم أَو تَسُؤهُمُ
تَعَرَّضyou confront لِأَقوامٍa people سِواكَapart from you المَذاهِبُthe paths
تَعَرَّض لِأَقوامٍ سِواكَ المَذاهِبُ
For if you interfere with them or do them harm,
You confront a people whose paths lead elsewhere than to you.
فَنَحنُfor we غَداةَon the morning of العَينِal-'Ayn يَومَthe day دَعَوتَناyou called us
فَنَحنُ غَداةَ العَينِ يَومَ دَعَوتَنا
أَتيناكَwe came to you إِذwhen ثابَتrallied عَلَيكَagainst you الحَلائِبُthe allied bands
أَتيناكَ إِذ ثابَت عَلَيكَ الحَلائِبُ
For we, that morning at al-'Ayn, the day you called us,
Came to you when the allied bands rallied against you.
فَجِئناهُمُso we came upon them قَسراًby force نَفودُwe drive (reading uncertain) سَراتَهاtheir chiefs
فَجِئناهُمُ قَسراً نَفودُ سَراتَها
كَماas ذُبِّبَتwere driven off مِنَamong الجَمالِthe male camels المَصاعِبُthe unruly ones
كَما ذُبِّبَت مِنَ الجَمالِ المَصاعِبُ
So we came upon them by force, driving their chiefs,
As unruly male camels are driven off,
بِضَربٍwith blows يُزيلُthat dislodge الهامَthe heads عَنfrom سَكَناتِهاtheir resting places
بِضَربٍ يُزيلُ الهامَ عَن سَكَناتِها
كضماas (apparently a typo for كما) ذيدَwere driven away عَنfrom ماءِthe water of الحِياضِthe troughs الغَرائِبُcamels from other herds
كضما ذيدَ عَن ماءِ الحِياضِ الغَرائِبُ
With blows that dislodge heads from their resting places,
As camels from other herds are driven from the water of the troughs.