1. أختَ جَسّاسٍ تَوارَيْ وَاِرحَلي

    عَن فِنانا اليَومَ ثُمَّ اِنتَقِلي

    Sister of Jassas, hide yourself and depart

    from our courtyard today; then move away.

  2. أَنتِ أَلقَيتِ وَأَغرَيتِ بِنا

    سَتَرَيْ مِنّا ضِرامَ الشُّعُلِ

    You sowed strife and incited others against us;

    you will see a blaze of flames from us.

  3. كُنتِ بِالأَمسِ تَغُرِّينَ أَخي

    وَتُمَنِّيهِ بِما لَم يَفعَلِ

    Yesterday you were beguiling my brother,

    and filling him with hopes of deeds he had not done,

  4. وَتَقولينَ أَخي صِهرُكَ ما

    مِثلُهُ مِمَّن أَرى بِالمِعبَلِ

    and saying, “My brother, your brother-in-law—there is none

    like him among those I see bearing broad-headed arrows.”

  5. ما لَهُم مِن حُجَّةٍ مَعروفَةٍ

    لَو رَأوا حَقّا لَأَضحى مُنجَلِي

    They have no recognized justification;

    had they seen a rightful claim, it would have become clear.

  6. يا كُلَيبٌ كُنتَ جاهِي وَلَقَد

    جارَ جَسّاسٌ بِقَتلِ البَطَلِ

    O Kulayb, you were my honor; and indeed

    Jassas acted unjustly in killing the hero.

  7. فَأَتاهُ وَهوَ عَنهُ غافِل

    وَحَباه طَعنَةً في المَقتَلِ

    He came upon him while the hero was unaware of him,

    and dealt him a thrust in a vital spot.

  8. فَاِبتَلاني وَدَهاني بشجا

    قَد مَضى لي وَشَجا لي مُعتَلِي

    So he afflicted me and overwhelmed me with grief

    that I have already borne, and grief of mine that rises high.

  9. أَسعِدوني إِخوَتي ثُمَّ اِندُبوا

    أَسَداً كانَ فخارَ المَحفَلِ

    Join me in mourning, my brothers, then lament

    a lion who was the pride of the assembly,

  10. طَودَ عِزٍّ وَهُماماً في الوَغى

    يَمنَعُ الأَقرانَ وَسطَ القَسطَلِ

    a mountain of might, and a valiant champion in battle,

    who held his rivals at bay amid the battle-dust.

  11. لَم يَكُن نِكساً وَلا ذا مَيلٍ

    عِندَ وَقعِ البِيضِ بِالمُنتَعَلِ

    He was no weakling, nor one who wavered

    when bright swords struck at shod feet.

  12. اندُبوا لَيثاً عَفِيراً بِالدِّما

    يَفحَصُ الأَرضَ صَريعاً مِن عَلِ

    Lament a lion in the dust, covered in blood,

    scrabbling at the earth, felled from on high.

  13. أَسعِدوني لا تَلُوموني في البُكا

    إِنَّ في الأَحشاء ناراً تَصطَلي

    Join me in mourning; do not blame me for weeping.

    Indeed, a fire burns within my entrails.

  14. يا قَتِيلاً قَتلُهُ جَرَّعَني

    عِندَ فَقديهِ نَقعَ الحَنظَلِ

    O slain one, whose killing made me drink

    upon losing him, an infusion of bitter colocynth.

  15. صِرتُ في لُجَّةِ بَحرٍ زاخِرٍ

    صاعِداً طَوراً وَطَوراً يَنزِلُ

    I find myself in the depths of a surging sea,

    rising at one moment, sinking at the next.

  16. لَيتَني ما عِشتُ يَوماً بَعدَهُ

    لَيتَني قَرَّبَ مَوتي أَجلي

    Would that I had not lived a day after him!

    Would that my appointed end had hastened my death!

  17. اسلُبوا عَقلي وَرُوحي بَعدَهُ

    فَهُمومي بَعدَهُ لا تَنجَلي

    Take away my reason and my soul after him,

    for my sorrows after him do not lift.

  18. لا صَفا عَيشٌ وَقَد غابَ فَتىً

    لَيتَ نَفسي خَرَجَت مِن هَيكَلي

    May life never be serene, now that a young man is gone;

    would that my soul had left my body's frame!

  19. مَن يُبَلِّغنِي الحِمى مِن بَعدِهِ

    مَن يُبَلِّغنِي رَفِيعَ المَنزِلِ

    Who will bring me to the protected haven after him?

    Who will bring me to a lofty station?

  20. بَطَلٌ ضِرغامَةٌ حينَ بَدا

    تَحتَهُ الأَشقَرُ مِثلَ التَّنَفُلِ

    A hero, a mighty lion, when he appeared,

    beneath him a chestnut steed, like a fox cub.

  21. مَن تَفِرُّ الخَيلُ في الرَّوعِ لَهُ

    بَطَلٌ مِثل هِزَبرٍ مُشبِلِ

    One before whom horses flee in terror,

    a hero like a lion with cubs.

  22. يا بَني تَغلِبَ لا تَتأَخَّروا

    وَاِطلُبوا ثَأرَ مَلِيكِ الجَحفَلِ

    O sons of Taghlib, do not hold back,

    and seek vengeance for the king of the host.

  23. إِنَّني قاتِلَةٌ مَقتُولَةٌ

    فَعَسى الأَيامُ أَن تُعقِبَ لي

    Indeed, I am both slayer and slain;

    so may the days bring me recompense.

  24. هَرَبَت بَكرٌ وَخَلَّت دارَها

    شَرَدَت مِثلَ نَعامٍ جُفَّلِ

    Bakr has fled and abandoned its home;

    it has bolted like stampeding ostriches.

  25. يا بَني بَكرٍ هَلُمُّوا شَمِّرُوا

    سَوفَ نَفنيكُم غَداً بِالمُنصُلِ

    O sons of Bakr, come forward; gird yourselves!

    Tomorrow we shall destroy you with the sword,

  26. بِرِجالٍ لَيسَ فيكُم مِثلُهُم

    مِن بَني تَغلِبَ تَحتَ القَسطَلِ

    with men whose like is not among you,

    sons of Taghlib beneath the battle-dust.

  27. فَلَقَد حُمِّلنا ما لَو بَعضُهُ

    حُمِّلَت أَجمالُنا لَم تُحمِلِ

    For we have been burdened with what, if even part of it

    were laid on our camels, they could not bear.

  28. يا بَني بَكرٍ كَفاكُم فِعلُكُم

    لا تَلومونا إِذا لَم نَجهَلِ

    O sons of Bakr, your deed is enough for you;

    do not blame us if we have not acted rashly.

  29. لَو قُتِلتُم كُلُّكُم قاطِبَةً

    لَم تَكُونوا كُلُّكُم في مَعدِلِ

    If you were killed, all of you, altogether,

    all of you together would not equal him.