نَحنُ جَلَبنا الخَيلَ قُبّاً بُطونُها

نَحنُ جَلَبنا الخَيلَ قُبّاً بُطونُها

تَراها إِلى الداعي المُثَوِّبِ جُنَّحا

تَراها إِلى الداعي المُثَوِّبِ جُنَّحا

We brought the horses, their bellies lean,

We brought the horses with humps on their backs

You see them inclining toward the caller who repeats his summons,

You can see them flying to the generous caller

بِكُلِّ خُزاعِيٍّ إِذا الحَربُ شَمَّرَت

بِكُلِّ خُزاعِيٍّ إِذا الحَربُ شَمَّرَت

تَسَربَلَ فيها بُردَهُ وَتَوَشَّحا

تَسَربَلَ فيها بُردَهُ وَتَوَشَّحا

Bearing every man of Khuzaʿa who, when war girds itself,

With every Khuza'i when war takes off its dress

Dons his mantle amid it and drapes it about himself.

He wraps himself in it and puts on his armor

قَرَعنا قُشَيراً في المَحَلِّ عَشِيَّةً

قَرَعنا قُشَيراً في المَحَلِّ عَشِيَّةً

فَلَم يَجِدوا في واسِعِ الأَرضِ مَسرَحا

فَلَم يَجِدوا في واسِعِ الأَرضِ مَسرَحا

We struck Qushayr at their encampment one evening,

We rattled the armor in battle one evening

So they found nowhere to flee in the wide earth.

But they could not find a wide plain in which to take cover

قَتَلنا أَبا زَيدٍ وَزَيداً وَعامِراً

قَتَلنا أَبا زَيدٍ وَزَيداً وَعامِراً

وَعُروَةَ أَقصَدنا بِها وَمُرَوَّحا

وَعُروَةَ أَقصَدنا بِها وَمُرَوَّحا

We killed Abu Zayd, Zayd, and ʿAmir,

We killed Abu Zayd and Zayd and 'Amir

And with them we struck ʿUrwa and Murawwah dead.

And we aimed at 'Urwa and hit him with a piercing blow

وَأُبنا بِإِبلِ القَومِ تُحدى وَنِسوَةٍ

وَأُبنا بِإِبلِ القَومِ تُحدى وَنِسوَةٍ

يُبَكِّينَ شِلواً أَو أَسيراً مُجَرَّحا

يُبَكِّينَ شِلواً أَو أَسيراً مُجَرَّحا

And we returned with the people's camels, driven by chant, and women

We drove off the people's camels and their women

Lamenting a corpse or a grievously wounded captive.

Who weep for a prisoner injured or captive taken away

غَداةَ سَقَينا أَرضَهم مِن دِمائِهِم

غَداةَ سَقَينا أَرضَهم مِن دِمائِهِم

وَأُبنا بِأُدمٍ كُنَّ بِالأَمسِ وُضَّحا

وَأُبنا بِأُدمٍ كُنَّ بِالأَمسِ وُضَّحا

On the morning we watered their land with their blood,

The next morning we watered their land with their blood

And we returned with darkened women who had been fair the day before.

And we drove off camels that yesterday were marked

وَرُعنا كِلاباً قَبلَ ذاكَ بِغارَةٍ

وَرُعنا كِلاباً قَبلَ ذاكَ بِغارَةٍ

فَسُقنا جِلاداً في المُبارَكِ قُرَّحا

فَسُقنا جِلاداً في المُبارَكِ قُرَّحا

And before that we had terrified Kilab with a raid,

Before that we herded dogs with a night raid

So we drove off pregnant camels, tough at their kneeling-pads.

So we dragged them wounded in the blessed ruins

لَقَد عَلِمَت أَفناءُ بَكرِ بنِ عامِرٍ

لَقَد عَلِمَت أَفناءُ بَكرِ بنِ عامِرٍ

بِأَنّا نَذودُ الكاشِحَ المُتَزَحزِحا

بِأَنّا نَذودُ الكاشِحَ المُتَزَحزِحا

The clans of Bakr ibn ʿAmir have surely learned

The shelters of Bekr bin 'Amir certainly knew

That we repel the spiteful foe who draws away,

That we repel the attacker who stirs restlessly

وَأَنّا بِلا مَهرٍ سِوى البيضِ وَالقَنا

وَأَنّا بِلا مَهرٍ سِوى البيضِ وَالقَنا

نُصيبُ بِأَفناءِ القَبائِلِ مَنكَحا

نُصيبُ بِأَفناءِ القَبائِلِ مَنكَحا

And that, with no bride-price but bright blades and spears,

That without any dowry but white camels and spears

We win a bride among the clans of the tribes.

We win the shelters of the tribes in marriage