فَقَدتُ بَني لُبنى فَلَمّا فَقَدتُهُم

فَقَدتُ بَني لُبنى فَلَمّا فَقَدتُهُم

صَبَرتُ وَلَم أَقطَع عَلَيهِم أَباجِلي

صَبَرتُ وَلَم أَقطَع عَلَيهِم أَباجِلي

I lost the sons of Lubna, and when I lost them,

I lost the sons of Lubna, and when I lost them,

I endured, and did not cut my veins in grief for them.

I was patient and did not shorten my resolve.

حِسانُ الوُجوهِ طَيِّبٌ حُجُزاتُهُم

حِسانُ الوُجوهِ طَيِّبٌ حُجُزاتُهُم

كَريمٌ نَثاهُم غَيرُ لُفٍّ مَعازِلِ

كَريمٌ نَثاهُم غَيرُ لُفٍّ مَعازِلِ

Fair of face, pure of loins,

The beauty of their faces was wholesome,

Noble their renown, neither tongue-tied nor battle-shy;

Their burial place generous, not mean dwellings.

رِماحٌ مِنَ الخَطِّيَّ زُرقٌ نِصالُها

رِماحٌ مِنَ الخَطِّيَّ زُرقٌ نِصالُها

حِدادٌ أَعاليها شِدادُ الأَسافِلِ

حِدادٌ أَعاليها شِدادُ الأَسافِلِ

Khatti spears, their spearheads blue,

Lances from Khati, their blades gleaming blue,

Sharp at their tips, sturdy at their bases.

Their heights polished, their bases rugged.

قَتَلتَ قَتيلاً لا يُحالِفُ غَدرَةً

قَتَلتَ قَتيلاً لا يُحالِفُ غَدرَةً

وَلا سُبَّةً لا زِلتَ أَسفَلَ سافِلِ

وَلا سُبَّةً لا زِلتَ أَسفَلَ سافِلِ

You slew a man who made no pact with treachery,

You killed a victim who betrays no treachery

Nor with disgrace—may you ever be the lowest of the low!

Nor disgrace, you remain the lowest of the low.

وَقَد أَمِنوني وَاِطمَأَنَّت نُفوسُهُم

وَقَد أَمِنوني وَاِطمَأَنَّت نُفوسُهُم

وَلَم يَعلَموا كُلَّ الَّذي هُوَ داخِلي

وَلَم يَعلَموا كُلَّ الَّذي هُوَ داخِلي

And they had trusted me, and their souls were at ease,

They had trusted me, their souls felt secure,

And did not know all that was within me.

Not knowing all that was inside me.

فَمَن كانَ يَرجو الصُلحَ مِنهُم فَإِنَّهُ

فَمَن كانَ يَرجو الصُلحَ مِنهُم فَإِنَّهُ

كَأَحمَرِ عادٍ أَو كُلَيبٍ لِوائِلِ

كَأَحمَرِ عادٍ أَو كُلَيبٍ لِوائِلِ

So whoever among them hopes for peace is

Whoever hopes for reconciliation from them,

Like Ahmar of ʿAd, or Kulayb of Waʾil.

Is like the red sands of ‘Ad or an owl crying at dusk.

أُصيبَت هُذَيلٌ بِاِبنِ لُبنى وَجُدِّعَت

أُصيبَت هُذَيلٌ بِاِبنِ لُبنى وَجُدِّعَت

أُنوفُهُمُ بِاللَوذَعِيِّ الحُلاحِلِ

أُنوفُهُمُ بِاللَوذَعِيِّ الحُلاحِلِ

Hudhayl was stricken by the loss of Lubna’s son, and severed were

Hudhayl was hit by Lubna’s son and their

Their noses at the loss of that keen-witted, mighty chief.

Noses were cut by the biting swords.

رَأَيتُ بَني العَلّاتِ لَمّا تَضافَروا

رَأَيتُ بَني العَلّاتِ لَمّا تَضافَروا

يَحوزونَ سَهمي دونَهُم بِالشَمائِلِ

يَحوزونَ سَهمي دونَهُم بِالشَمائِلِ

I saw the sons of co-wives, when they joined forces,

I saw the sons of ‘Allat, when they swarmed

Gathering in my share, apart from their own, with their left hands.

Seizing my arrows ahead of them with their wristbands.

فَلَهفي عَلى عَمرِو بنِ مُرَّةَ لَهفَةً

فَلَهفي عَلى عَمرِو بنِ مُرَّةَ لَهفَةً

وَلَهفى عَلى مَيتٍ بِقَوسى المَعاقِلِ

وَلَهفى عَلى مَيتٍ بِقَوسى المَعاقِلِ

So my grief for ʿAmr ibn Murra—what grief!

My craving for ‘Amr bin Murrah is a burning craving,

And my grief for a dead man at Qawsa of the strongholds!

And my craving for the dead with my powerful bow.