فِدىًa ransom لِقَومِيَfor my people ماwhat جَمَّعتُI amassed منof نَشَبٍwealth
فِدىً لِقَومِيَ ما جَمَّعتُ من نَشَبٍ
إذwhen لَفَّتِentangled الحَربُwar أَقوَاماًpeoples بِأَقوامِwith peoples
إذ لَفَّتِ الحَربُ أَقوَاماً بِأَقوامِ
May all the wealth I have amassed be a ransom for my people,
For my people I gathered youth when war wrapped some people around others
when war entangled peoples with peoples;
When Muzahij informed us and we were accused
إذwhen خُبِّرتwas informed مَذحِجٌMadhhij عَنَّاabout us وقَدand indeed كُذِبتwas lied to
إذ خُبِّرت مَذحِجٌ عَنَّا وقَد كُذِبت
أنthat لَنwould not يُوَرِّعَward off عَنfrom أَحسابِنَاour ancestral honors حَامِa defender
أن لَن يُوَرِّعَ عَن أَحسابِنَا حَامِ
when Madhhij was told about us—and was lied to—
That he would not refrain from attacking us
that no defender would ward them off from our ancestral honor.
They lived in comfort for a while, then they were hit by a blow that terrified the ambitious
دارَتturned رَحاناour millstone قَليلاًbriefly ثمَّthen صَبَّحَهُمcame upon them at dawn
دارَت رَحانا قَليلاً ثمَّ صَبَّحَهُم
ضَربٌblows يُصَيِّحُcries out مِنهُbecause of it جِلَّةُmighty ones الهَامِof the skulls
ضَربٌ يُصَيِّحُ مِنهُ جِلَّةُ الهَامِ
Our millstone turned briefly; then at dawn there fell upon them
Hyena cubs remained, delighting in them
blows at which mighty skulls cried out.
And their flesh adhered to them, what firm adhesion!
ظَلَّتkept ضِباعُthe hyenas مُجَيرَاتٍof Mujayrat يَلُذنَtaking refuge بِهِمbeside them
ظَلَّت ضِباعُ مُجَيرَاتٍ يَلُذنَ بِهِم
وَأَلحمُوهُنَّand they fed them flesh مِنهمfrom them أيَّwhat a إلحَامِfeeding with flesh
وَأَلحمُوهُنَّ مِنهم أيَّ إلحَامِ
The hyenas of Mujayrat kept taking refuge beside them,
They marched against us while they were prey, their heads
and they fed them with their own flesh—how lavishly!
So we made them a day like [our] days
سَارُواthey marched إلَيناtoward us وهُمwhile they were صِيدٌhaughtily upraised رُؤوسُهمُtheir heads
سَارُوا إلَينا وهُم صِيدٌ رُؤوسُهمُ
فَقَدso indeed جَعَلناwe made لهُمfor them يَوماًa day كأيامِlike battle-days
فَقَد جَعَلنا لهُم يَوماً كأيامِ
They marched toward us with their heads held haughtily high,
Until Huthnah, we left no hyena in it
so we gave them a day like other battle-days.
Except it had anklets of leather from its snout
حتَّىeven حُذُنَّةُHudhunna لَمdid not نَترُكwe leave بِهاin it ضَبُعاًa hyena
حتَّى حُذُنَّةُ لَم نَترُك بِها ضَبُعاً
إِلاexcept لَهاfor it جزرٌmeat منfrom شِلوِa severed limb مِقدامِa bold warrior
إِلا لَها جزرٌ من شِلوِ مِقدامِ
Even at Hudhunna, we left no hyena
It continued trampling the clan of Ka’b with its anklets
without flesh from a bold warrior's severed limb.
And the day of Banu Nahd thought of darkness
ظلَّتit kept تَدوسُtrampling بَنيthe sons of كَعبٍKa'b بِكَلكَلِهاwith its breast
ظلَّت تَدوسُ بَني كَعبٍ بِكَلكَلِها
وَهَمَّand was about to يومُthe day بَنيthe sons of نَهدٍNahd بِإظلامِto grow dark
وَهَمَّ يومُ بَني نَهدٍ بِإظلامِ
It kept trampling the sons of Ka'b beneath its breast,
and the day of the sons of Nahd was about to grow dark.
Partial English translation: 12 of 14 Arabic lines translated.