وَخِرقٍ كَنَصلِ السَيفِ قَد رامَ مَصدِفي

وَخِرقٍ كَنَصلِ السَيفِ قَد رامَ مَصدِفي

تَعَسَّفتُهُ بِالرُمحِ وَالقَومُ شُهَّدي

تَعَسَّفتُهُ بِالرُمحِ وَالقَومُ شُهَّدي

And a gallant man, like a sword blade, had sought to turn me aside;

And like the slicing blade, against him I aimed my spear,

I thrust at him with the spear, with the people as my witnesses.

Though his people rendered aid, I showed no fear,

فَخَرَّ عَلى حُرِّ الجَبينِ بِضَربَةٍ

فَخَرَّ عَلى حُرِّ الجَبينِ بِضَربَةٍ

تَقُطُّ صِفاقاً عَن حَشاً غَيرِ مُسنَدِ

تَقُطُّ صِفاقاً عَن حَشاً غَيرِ مُسنَدِ

Then he fell upon his smooth brow from a blow

My blow landed on his brow, fierce and bold,

that sliced the belly's membrane away from unsupported entrails.

Splitting his belly, no armor could it hold,

فَما رُمتُهُ حَتّى تَرَكتُ عَويصَهُ

فَما رُمتُهُ حَتّى تَرَكتُ عَويصَهُ

بَقِيَّةَ عَرفٍ يَحفِزُ التُربَ مِذوَدِ

بَقِيَّةَ عَرفٍ يَحفِزُ التُربَ مِذوَدِ

So I did not leave him until I had reduced his stubborn strength

I did not stop until his defenders all withdrew,

to a trace of scent, my spear thrusting against the dust.

Leaving but a ruined camp, their bodies slew,

وَحَتّى تَرَكتُ العائِداتِ يَعُدنَهُ

وَحَتّى تَرَكتُ العائِداتِ يَعُدنَهُ

يُنادينَ لا تَبعَد وَقُلتُ لَهُ اِبعُدِ

يُنادينَ لا تَبعَد وَقُلتُ لَهُ اِبعُدِ

And until I left the women visiting him,

Even pleas from maidens could not make him stay,

crying, 'May you not perish!' while I told him, 'Be gone!'

"Do not go far" they implored, but to him I did say:

أَطافوا بِهِ طَوفَينِ ثُمَّ مَشَوا بِهِ

أَطافوا بِهِ طَوفَينِ ثُمَّ مَشَوا بِهِ

إِلى ذاتِ إِلجافِ بِزَخّاءَ قُردُدِ

إِلى ذاتِ إِلجافِ بِزَخّاءَ قُردُدِ

They circled him twice, then bore him away

"Begone and away!" They circled him twice in a run,

to a grave with side-hollows on rough, rocky high ground.

To the barren valley they dragged his body, no more fun,

وَمَرقَبَةٍ دونَ السَماءِ طِمِرَّةٍ

وَمَرقَبَةٍ دونَ السَماءِ طِمِرَّةٍ

سَبَقتُ طُلوعَ الشَمسِ مِنها بِمَرصَدِ

سَبَقتُ طُلوعَ الشَمسِ مِنها بِمَرصَدِ

And a towering lookout just beneath the sky—

Below the sky's gaze, a hill there lies,

I reached a watchpost upon it before the sun rose.

I reached it before dawn, no sleep in my eyes,

وَسادي بِها جَفنُ السِلاحِ وَتارَةً

وَسادي بِها جَفنُ السِلاحِ وَتارَةً

عَلى عُدواءِ الجَنبِ غَيرُ مُوَسَّدِ

عَلى عُدواءِ الجَنبِ غَيرُ مُوَسَّدِ

My pillow there was the weapon's sheath, and sometimes

There my weapon found rest, but still warily,

I lay on the uneven slope, without a pillow.

Lest foeman rise, unguarded the act would be.