أَبلِغ بَني عَمرٍ بِأَنَّ أَخاهُمُ

أَبلِغ بَني عَمرٍ بِأَنَّ أَخاهُمُ

شَراهُ اِمرُؤٌ قَد كانَ لِلغَدرِ لازِما

شَراهُ اِمرُؤٌ قَد كانَ لِلغَدرِ لازِما

Tell the sons of ʿAmr that their brother

Tell the tribe of Umar that their brother

was sold by a man who had been devoted to treachery.

Was bought by a treacherous man accustomed to deceit

شَراهُ زُهَيرُ بنُ الأَغَرِّ وَجامِعٌ

شَراهُ زُهَيرُ بنُ الأَغَرِّ وَجامِعٌ

وَكانا قَديماً يَركَبانِ المَحارِما

وَكانا قَديماً يَركَبانِ المَحارِما

Zuhayr son of al-Agharr and Jamiʿ sold him,

He was bought by Zuheir ibn Al-Aghar and his accomplice

and both had long been committing forbidden deeds.

Who have long been mounting the forbidden

أَجَرتُم فَلَمّا أَن أَجَرتُم غَدَرتُمُ

أَجَرتُم فَلَمّا أَن أَجَرتُم غَدَرتُمُ

وَكُنتُم بِأَكنافِ الرَجيعِ لَهاذِما

وَكُنتُم بِأَكنافِ الرَجيعِ لَهاذِما

You granted protection; then, once you had granted it, you betrayed,

You granted them safety, but when you granted them safety, they betrayed

and at the outskirts of al-Rajiʿ you were keen-edged blades.

And you were destroying their retreating army

فَلَو حَذِرَ القَومُ الَّذينَ غَدَرتُمُ

فَلَو حَذِرَ القَومُ الَّذينَ غَدَرتُمُ

بِهِم جَمعَكُم لَم يَرجِعِ الجَمعُ سالِما

بِهِم جَمعَكُم لَم يَرجِعِ الجَمعُ سالِما

So, had the people you betrayed been wary

If only the people had been cautious of those who betrayed them

of your host, that host would not have returned unscathed.

Your group that gathered would have returned unharmed

فَلَيتَ خُبَيباً لَم تَخُنهُ أَمانَةٌ

فَلَيتَ خُبَيباً لَم تَخُنهُ أَمانَةٌ

وَلَيتَ خَبيباً كانَ بِالقَومِ عالِما

وَلَيتَ خَبيباً كانَ بِالقَومِ عالِما

If only a pledge of safety had not betrayed Khubayb,

If only Khubyab's loyalty had not failed him

and if only Khubayb had known those people.

If only Khubyab had known about the people's plans