أَذِئبَ الغَضا قَد صِرتَ لِلناسِ ضِحكَة

أَذِئبَ الغَضا قَد صِرتَ لِلناسِ ضِحكَة

تغادى بِها الرُكبانُ شَرقاً إِلى غَربِ

تغادى بِها الرُكبانُ شَرقاً إِلى غَربِ

O wolf of the ghada trees, you have become the people's laughingstock,

The wolves of malice you’ve become a joke

a jest riders carry at dawn from east to west.

To travelers heading east and west alike

فَأَنتَ وَإِن كُنتَ الجَريءَ جَنانُهُ

فَأَنتَ وَإِن كُنتَ الجَريءَ جَنانُهُ

مُنيتَ بِضِرغامٍ مِن الأسدِ الغُلبِ

مُنيتَ بِضِرغامٍ مِن الأسدِ الغُلبِ

For you, though brave of heart,

And though undaunted was your soul Dear wolf

have come up against a fierce lion among the thick-necked lions,

You met your end by a lion’s clawing strike

بِمَن لا يَنامُ الليلَ إِلا وَسَيفُهُ

بِمَن لا يَنامُ الليلَ إِلا وَسَيفُهُ

رَهينَةُ أَقوامٍ سِراعٍ إِلى الشَّغبِ

رَهينَةُ أَقوامٍ سِراعٍ إِلى الشَّغبِ

against one who never sleeps at night unless his sword

At the hands of one who never sleeps at night

is pledged to men swift to strife.

Without his sword held hostage by the valiant tribes so eager for a fight

أَلَم تَرَني يا ذِئبُ إِذ جِئتَ طارِقاً

أَلَم تَرَني يا ذِئبُ إِذ جِئتَ طارِقاً

تُخاتِلُني أَنّي اِمرؤٌ وافِرُ اللُّبِّ

تُخاتِلُني أَنّي اِمرؤٌ وافِرُ اللُّبِّ

Did you not see, O wolf, when you came by night,

Did you not see me wolf as you crept close in the dead of night

seeking to outwit me, that I am a man of ample understanding?

Thinking me but a meek and feeble soul in spite of might

زَجَرتُكَ مَرّاتٍ فَلَمّا غَلَبتَني

زَجَرتُكَ مَرّاتٍ فَلَمّا غَلَبتَني

وَلَم تَنزَجِر نَهنَهتُ غَربَكَ بِالضَربِ

وَلَم تَنزَجِر نَهنَهتُ غَربَكَ بِالضَربِ

I warned you off repeatedly; when you wore me down

I scared you off time and again but when you overpowered me

and would not desist, I checked your fury with blows.

And paid no heed, I put an end to you with heavy blows now see

فَصِرتَ لُقىً لما عَلاكَ اِبنُ حُرَّةٍ

فَصِرتَ لُقىً لما عَلاكَ اِبنُ حُرَّةٍ

بِأَبيَضَ قَطّاعٍ يُنَجّي مِنَ الكَربِ

بِأَبيَضَ قَطّاعٍ يُنَجّي مِنَ الكَربِ

So you became a discarded carcass when a freeborn woman's son struck you down

You fell prey to Ibn Hurra’s cutting white blade

with a gleaming, keen-cutting sword that delivers from distress.

That saves from harm and damage ever made

أَلا رُبَّ يَوم ريبَ لَو كُنتَ شاهِداً

أَلا رُبَّ يَوم ريبَ لَو كُنتَ شاهِداً

لَهالَكَ ذِكري عِندَ مَعمَعَةِ الحَربِ

لَهالَكَ ذِكري عِندَ مَعمَعَةِ الحَربِ

Ah, many a day of peril—had you been there to witness it,

Oh, many are the dubious days my friend had you been witness

my name would have terrified you amid the tumult of war.

My name among the brave would surely not be missed

وَلَستَ تَرى إِلا كَمِيّاً مُجَدَّلاً

وَلَستَ تَرى إِلا كَمِيّاً مُجَدَّلاً

يَداهُ جَميعاً تَثبُتانِ مِنَ التُّربِ

يَداهُ جَميعاً تَثبُتانِ مِنَ التُّربِ

And you would see only an armored warrior laid low,

You’d see no coward there all bundled in the dust

both his hands held fast in the dust,

Both hands covered entirely by soil and rust

وَآخَرَ يَهوي طائِرَ القَلبِ هارِباً

وَآخَرَ يَهوي طائِرَ القَلبِ هارِباً

وَكُنتُ اِمرأً في الهَيجِ مُجتَمعَ القَلبِ

وَكُنتُ اِمرأً في الهَيجِ مُجتَمعَ القَلبِ

and another rushing headlong, his heart aflutter, fleeing.

And another still with fluttering frightened heart

Yet I was a man of steadfast heart in battle.

While I faced the battle clamoring as lions do headlong dart

أصولُ بِذي الزرَّينِ أَمشي عِرضنَةً

أصولُ بِذي الزرَّينِ أَمشي عِرضنَةً

إِلى المَوتِ وَالأَقرانُ كَالإِبِلِ الجُربِ

إِلى المَوتِ وَالأَقرانُ كَالإِبِلِ الجُربِ

I charge with the two-studded blade, striding with a swagger

With my proud steed I march with head held high

toward death, while my adversaries are like mangy camels.

Toward death itself, my peers around me nigh

أَرى المَوتَ لا أَنحاشُ عَنهُ تَكَرُّماً

أَرى المَوتَ لا أَنحاشُ عَنهُ تَكَرُّماً

وَلَو شِئتُ لَم أَركَب عَلى المَركَبِ الصَعبِ

وَلَو شِئتُ لَم أَركَب عَلى المَركَبِ الصَعبِ

I see death and do not shrink from it, for honor's sake;

I see death coming on and do not flinch, too proud am I

and had I wished, I would not have ridden the unruly mount.

Though I could if I wished avoid its grueling tribulation cry

وَلَكِن أَبَت نَفسي وَكانَت أَبِيَّةً

وَلَكِن أَبَت نَفسي وَكانَت أَبِيَّةً

تَقاعَسُ أَو يَنصاعُ قَومٌ مِنَ الرُعبِ

تَقاعَسُ أَو يَنصاعُ قَومٌ مِنَ الرُعبِ

But my soul refused, and it was unyielding,

But my defiant soul refused, for it has always been so pigheadedly feign

while men hung back or turned aside in terror.

Never to cower or let people see it frightened or constrained