صَرَمتَ اليَومَ حَبلَكَ مِن كَنودا

صَرَمتَ اليَومَ حَبلَكَ مِن كَنودا

لِتُبدِلَ حَبلَها حَبلاً جَديدا

لِتُبدِلَ حَبلَها حَبلاً جَديدا

Today you cut the cord linking you to Kanud,

You have today cut your rope from Kanuda

to replace hers with a new cord,

To replace her rope with a new one

مِنَ اللائي إِذا يَمشينَ هَوناً

مِنَ اللائي إِذا يَمشينَ هَوناً

تَجَلبَبنَ المَجاسِدَ وَالبُرودا

تَجَلبَبنَ المَجاسِدَ وَالبُرودا

with one of those who, when they walk gently,

Of those who when they walk gently

drape themselves in saffron-dyed garments and striped cloaks.

Sway hips and calves

كَأَنَّ بُطونَهُنَّ سُيوفُ هِندٍ

كَأَنَّ بُطونَهُنَّ سُيوفُ هِندٍ

إِذا ما هُنَّ زايَلنَ الغُمودا

إِذا ما هُنَّ زايَلنَ الغُمودا

As though their bellies were swords of India,

As if their bellies were Indian swords

when they have left their scabbards.

When they reveal their hidden charms

تَبَدَّت لي لِتَقتُلُني فَأَبدَت

تَبَدَّت لي لِتَقتُلُني فَأَبدَت

مَعاصِمَ فَخمَةً مِنها وَجيدا

مَعاصِمَ فَخمَةً مِنها وَجيدا

She appeared to me to slay me, then revealed

She appeared before me to kill me and showed

her full wrists and her neck,

A plump cheek and a face when it appeared to me

وَوَجهاً خِلتُهُ لَمّا بَدا لي

وَوَجهاً خِلتُهُ لَمّا بَدا لي

غَداةَ البَينِ ديناراً نَقيدا

غَداةَ البَينِ ديناراً نَقيدا

and a face I thought, when it appeared to me,

The morning we parted was like a pure gold dinar

on the morning of parting, a fine gold dinar.

We drank in the desert cups with Hatif

سَقينا بِالفَضاءِ كُؤوسَ حَتفٍ

سَقينا بِالفَضاءِ كُؤوسَ حَتفٍ

بَني عَوفٍ وَإِخوَتَهُم تَزيدا

بَني عَوفٍ وَإِخوَتَهُم تَزيدا

On the open plain we served cups of death

The sons of Auf and their brothers increase

to the sons of Awf and their brothers, Tazid.

We met them in every battle led by a brother

لَقيناهُم بِكُلِّ أَخي حُروبٍ

لَقيناهُم بِكُلِّ أَخي حُروبٍ

يَقودُ وَراءَهُ جَمعاً عَتيدا

يَقودُ وَراءَهُ جَمعاً عَتيدا

We met them with every brother of war,

Leading behind him a prepared army

leading a ready host behind him,

With the tips of its unsheathed swords bent

وَمُشرِفَةَ التَلائِلِ مُضمَراتٍ

وَمُشرِفَةَ التَلائِلِ مُضمَراتٍ

طَوى أَحشاءَها التَعداءُ قودا

طَوى أَحشاءَها التَعداءُ قودا

and with lofty-necked steeds, trained lean,

Did you think fighting my people

long-necked, their bellies drawn tight by galloping.

Was like your eating berries and seeds?

أَكُنتُم تَحسَبونَ قِتالَ قَومي

أَكُنتُم تَحسَبونَ قِتالَ قَومي

كَأَكلِكُمُ الفَغايا وَالهَبيدا

كَأَكلِكُمُ الفَغايا وَالهَبيدا

Did you think fighting my people

Death struck Sa'ida the son of Ka'b

was like your eating inferior dates and colocynth seeds?

And left in his dwellings only apes

أَصابَ القَتلُ ساعِدَةَ بنَ كَعبٍ

أَصابَ القَتلُ ساعِدَةَ بنَ كَعبٍ

وَغادَرَ في مَجالِسِها قُرودا

وَغادَرَ في مَجالِسِها قُرودا

Slaughter struck Sa'ida son of Ka'b,

And purposes have been turned back in Tarif

and left monkeys in its assemblies.

And Aqil where they forge iron

وَقَد رُدَّ العَزائِمُ في طَريفٍ

وَقَد رُدَّ العَزائِمُ في طَريفٍ

وَأَقيالٍ يَصوغونَ الحَديدا

وَأَقيالٍ يَصوغونَ الحَديدا

And firm resolves were indeed checked in Tarif,

And our swords have lasted upon you

and chieftains who forge iron.

Oh sons of the worst treachery, for a long time

وَإِنَّ سُيوفَنا ذَهَبَت عَلَيكُم

وَإِنَّ سُيوفَنا ذَهَبَت عَلَيكُم

بَني شَرِّ الخَنى مَهلاً بَعيدا

بَني شَرِّ الخَنى مَهلاً بَعيدا

And indeed our swords have outstripped you,

And your group refuses anything but flight

sons of the vilest obscenity, by a vast distance.

While our group refuses anything but attack

وَيَأبى جَمعُكُم إِلّا فِراراً

وَيَأبى جَمعُكُم إِلّا فِراراً

وَيَأبى جَمعُنا إِلّا وُرودا

وَيَأبى جَمعُنا إِلّا وُرودا

And your host refuses all but flight,

And our threat to you when we walk

and our host refuses all but advancing.

With them to death is no empty threat

وَإِنَّ وَعيدَناكُم حينَ نَمشي

وَإِنَّ وَعيدَناكُم حينَ نَمشي

بِهِنَّ عَلى المَنونِ وَلا وَعيدا

بِهِنَّ عَلى المَنونِ وَلا وَعيدا

And indeed our threat to you, when we march

Oh who will convey from me to Ku'ayb

with them to face death, is no mere threat.

Will your resolve forbid you from returning?

أَلا مَن مُبلِغٌ عَنّي كُعَيباً

أَلا مَن مُبلِغٌ عَنّي كُعَيباً

فَهَل يَنهاكَ لُبُّكَ أَن تَعودا

فَهَل يَنهاكَ لُبُّكَ أَن تَعودا

Ah, who will carry word from me to Ku'ayb:

Whenever I undertake a matter

then will your reason keep you from returning?

The sons of Raq'a you oppose ascending

أَراني كُلَّما صَدَّرتُ أَمراً

أَراني كُلَّما صَدَّرتُ أَمراً

بَني الرَقعاءَ جَشَّمَكُم صَعودا

بَني الرَقعاءَ جَشَّمَكُم صَعودا

I find that whenever I issue an order,

So the swords of Aus left of you

sons of al-Raq'a', it burdens you with a steep ascent.

Nothing but the fleeing remnant

فَما أَبقَت سُيوفُ الأَوسِ مِنكُم

فَما أَبقَت سُيوفُ الأَوسِ مِنكُم

وَحَدُّ ظُباتِها إِلّا شَريدا

وَحَدُّ ظُباتِها إِلّا شَريدا

For the swords of Aws have spared none of you—

We will not cease to kill your men

nor their blade-edges—save a fugitive.

And make you slaves

فَلَن نَنفَكَّ نَقتُلُ ما حَيِينا

فَلَن نَنفَكَّ نَقتُلُ ما حَيِينا

رِجالَكُمُ وَنَجعَلُكُم عَبيدا

رِجالَكُمُ وَنَجعَلُكُم عَبيدا

So we shall never cease, as long as we live, killing

your men and making you slaves.