لَعَمري لَبِئسَ الحَيُّ شَيبانُ إِن عَلا

لَعَمري لَبِئسَ الحَيُّ شَيبانُ إِن عَلا

عُنيزَةَ يَومٌ ذو أَهابِيَّ أَغبَرُ

عُنيزَةَ يَومٌ ذو أَهابِيَّ أَغبَرُ

By my life, Shaybān is a wretched tribe when there overtakes

By my life, wretched indeed is the tribe of Shayban, if there rises

ʿUnayzah a dust-dark day fraught with calamities.

over Unayzah a dust-grey day filled with dust clouds.

فَلَمّا اِلتَقوا بِالمَشرَفِيَّةِ ذَبذَبَت

فَلَمّا اِلتَقوا بِالمَشرَفِيَّةِ ذَبذَبَت

مُوَلِّيَّةً أَستاهُ شَيبانَ تَقطُرُ

مُوَلِّيَّةً أَستاهُ شَيبانَ تَقطُرُ

For when they clashed with Mashrafī blades, there went quivering,

Then, when they clashed with Mashrafi swords, there quivered

turning in flight, Shaybān’s dripping backsides.

the buttocks of Shayban, turned away and dripping.

فَأَدّوا إِلى بَهراءَ فيكُم بَناتِهِ

فَأَدّوا إِلى بَهراءَ فيكُم بَناتِهِ

وَأَبناءَهُ إِنَّ القُضاعِيَّ أَحمَرُ

وَأَبناءَهُ إِنَّ القُضاعِيَّ أَحمَرُ

So give back to Bahrāʾ those of its daughters who are among you,

So hand over to Bahra his daughters among you,

and its sons. Indeed I, the Qudāʿī, am ruddy.

and his sons; indeed, the man of Quda‘ah is ruddy.

ظَلَلنَ يُنازِعنَ العَضاريطَ أُزرَها

ظَلَلنَ يُنازِعنَ العَضاريطَ أُزرَها

وَشَيبانُ وَسطَ القُطقُطانَةِ حُضَرُ

وَشَيبانُ وَسطَ القُطقُطانَةِ حُضَرُ

All day they struggled with the base camp-followers over their waist-wraps,

They spent the day struggling with the menials over their waistcloths,

while Shaybān, there in the midst of al-Quṭquṭānah, stood by.

while Shayban, amid al-Qutqutanah, ran swiftly.

فَمِنّا يَزيدٌ إِذ تَحَدّى جُموعَكُم

فَمِنّا يَزيدٌ إِذ تَحَدّى جُموعَكُم

فَلَم تُفرِحوهُ المَرزُبانُ المُسَوَّرُ

فَلَم تُفرِحوهُ المَرزُبانُ المُسَوَّرُ

From us came Yazīd, when he faced your gathered hosts;

For among us was Yazid when he challenged your hosts;

you could not overpower him—the bracelet-wearing marzbān.

yet you did not overwhelm him—the bracelet-wearing marzuban.

وَأَحَجتُم حَتّى عَلاهُ بِصارِمٍ

وَأَحَجتُم حَتّى عَلاهُ بِصارِمٍ

حُسامٍ إِذا مَسَّ الضَريبَةَ يَبتُرُ

حُسامٍ إِذا مَسَّ الضَريبَةَ يَبتُرُ

You hemmed him in until Ḥusām overtook him with a keen blade;

And you drew back until he struck him with a sharp sword,

when he strikes his target, he cuts it clean through.

a keen blade that severs when it touches its target.

وَمِنّا الَّذي أَوصى بِثُلثِ تُراثِهِ

وَمِنّا الَّذي أَوصى بِثُلثِ تُراثِهِ

عَلى كُلِّ ذي باعٍ يَقِلُّ وَيَكثُرُ

عَلى كُلِّ ذي باعٍ يَقِلُّ وَيَكثُرُ

And from us was he who bequeathed a third of his inheritance,

And among us was he who bequeathed a third of his estate

outdoing every man of means, whether his means be little or great.

to every man of reach, be it little or great,

لَيالِيَ قُلتُم يا اِبنَ حَلِّزَةَ اِرتَحِل

لَيالِيَ قُلتُم يا اِبنَ حَلِّزَةَ اِرتَحِل

فَزابِن لَنا الأَعداءَ وَاِسمَع وَأَبصِر

فَزابِن لَنا الأَعداءَ وَاِسمَع وَأَبصِر

In those days you said, “Son of Ḥillizah, set forth;

on the nights when you said, “O son of Hallizah, set out;

then grapple with our enemies for us—listen, and see.”

so fend off the enemies for us, and listen and look.”

فَأَدّى إِليكُم رَهنَكُم وَسطَ وائِلٍ

فَأَدّى إِليكُم رَهنَكُم وَسطَ وائِلٍ

حَباهُ بِها ذو الباعِ عَمرو بنُ مُنذِرِ

حَباهُ بِها ذو الباعِ عَمرو بنُ مُنذِرِ

So he returned your hostage to you amid Wāʾil,

So he delivered your pledge to you amid Wa’il;

and for that the far-reaching ʿAmr ibn Mundhir rewarded him.

Amr ibn Mundhir, the man of reach, had bestowed it on him.