| 1) hel ysūken bir sʿīd // beyn bwōdī we-hrīt // we-kkwōrī ḏe-mhərūt | Where the son of Sʿīd lives // between the deserts of Hrīt // and the feeder ravines of Mahrūt |
| 2) we-ḳṣeylet ʾōfyōt // we-dġawt əmāməlēt // le-ḳnawṭer ḏe-zhūt | The cease-fire expired // the “field has sprouted” // at the irrigation channels, it has grown tall (and abundant) |
| 3) nūka be-ḫbēr ḏrey // le-mǧawma ḏe-ḥḥəǧīr // tōba be-śtīrfūt | They brought strange news // to all of those assembled // the possessors of excellent, exalted virtues |
| 4) fōn heǧs ertəbūb // ḏ-īšṣawten le-ffəlēk // hebṭā w-lē sbūt | And after the passion [of Sʿīd] became dense [like the stars] // he listens carefully for the appointed time // whether it is delayed or comes earlier |
| 5) tē ḫbēr ǧrōh w-fār // sōyer ke-mneddəbīn // we-ṣfeth ṭeyrūt | Until the news came and spread // going with the messengers // and its information flew all around |
| 6) we-ḥsōbī le-slōm // bēl əǧesm w-hammēt // habrē ḏ-semdəyūt | My hopes are with Slōm // possessor of fortitude and power // son of the Smōdī woman |
| 7) bēr əǧōrem leh ʾāṣūr // yeškōf w-heh klawl // w-la ʾāyneh hāǧfūt | [Days] and nights have already passed over him // he lays down [to sleep] and is kept awake by pains // and his eyes do not sleep |
| 8) tē ǧsēdeh ərteḳawḳ // we-mṭā’t ḏ-meḫḫəlīḳ // l-ād ḥōlet ṣeydūt | Until his body becomes emaciated // and the food of humans // does not help his condition |
| 9) ənnəḳawd meḥḥəzūr // w-nḫā l-heh sḫawṭ // hel əḫaffeh seyrūt | [Slōm] chose the choice fighting men of his tribe // under him [i.e., his command] (are) the bravest ones // wherever he goes |
| 10) ṣalb we-ǧsēdeh ṭāt // wel ḫāśer beh ḫśūr // men əsōseh we-ṣmūt | All from one back and body [they are kin] // in no one is there mixed a mixing // from his roots, his is of one flesh |
| 11) w-ewōber beh bsūl // śill ʾāyneh we-nśərūt | His mounts are swift and strong // lifting their eyes and walking proudly [being happy] |
| 12) kūneḥ bīsen əssəbēḫ // teḳrīren b-hāwēl / tē šnēdeḫ le-khūt | He sets off with the camels across the plain // trotting at the front // he brought them up to their secret camp |
| 13) wōfeḳ we-ġrīm ḥźawr // we-ǧdīdem leh yheyt // we-hdīyet ġabrūt | They found what they wanted and that their target was present // they begin the encounter anew and shouted yheyt at him // a gift that was there |
| 14) ġmōleh be-ksēl // bād əmazh we-źḥāḳ // w-hōbītem we-ġmūt | They threw him down after a bit // after playing a joke // they pinned him down and covered his face |
| 15) sēlem ḳawṭa le-fwōd // bēh bḫeys mharḳōn // we-nyēt mhelwūt | Sēlim [the quarry] cut off [the feelings] of his heart // in him were pains well-known // his intentions all wrought up |
| 16) ḳōbel ke-swīyet lā // we-bkōr w-lū ʾāḳawr // we-klēf ḏ-yertəbūt | He doesn’t think about the things [done to him] // or the pile [of worries], even if it grows large // and its burden increases |
| 17) we-ṭmūten ebtəlūl // śūra men ḥmō krā’ // we-frūd l-hāḳfūt | Their thirsty camels drank their fill // and drank pure water // and then took off for their hills |
| 18) tē w-lū brēk əźeyḳ // we-mlōda ḏe-ffərūḳ // əġmūlem we-kfūt | Even if they are [ridden] in a narrow area // their eyes glance around in fear…// they threw him to the ground and pinioned his arms |
| 19) ʾār ḫźeyr w-lō ʾāmūm // we-shīb ḏ-īḳḳədūt // le-mkawser we-nkəśūt | Like the ocean when it is angry // waves follow upon wave // over the reefs [the ocean] roils |
| 20) kem men ṭīt w-seh ṭnūh // ətġawleḳ əmūḥeyr // beh ṣrōt mhōhəfūt | How many raging she-camels // looking upon an fenced-in garden // but ropes stop them from moving at all |
| 21) ḏ–ʾār ədarb hawrēs // bāl əzōyed ḏe-ḥwōl // we-śśəḳāt l-ʾāfdūt | But the road prevents her [from reaching the garden] // the wall is large and has many layers // and the steps [she takes] do not take [her] over [it] |
| 22) we-b-sats ʾālḳōt // we-ḥṭāb men əṣerbeyt // w-ǧellōt əǧensəfūt | And soon [war] broke out // its fuel [taken] from the ṣarbeyt tree // hot flames burning from the stumps |
| 23) we-ǧźawret yekrūr // w-sūmeydī le-slōm // hēs hatf ənǧəzūt | The “lions” attacked // and the Smōdī surrendered // when his rifle was emptied |
| 24) le-ḳlūten yebhōr // be-ǧmīlet we-drēk // we-slōmet ḥeṣlūt | He called for help from the young men // [to come] well and speedily // the help arrived |
| 25) we-ḥǧūfem leh ġyūǧ // men ədēfer we-lhīb // ḫōzem leh men əḥwūt | Men came to protect him // from the fire and flames // and defended him from the net of death |
| 26) w-sādīt ḏlūf w-ferr // we-ḳdōm hṭeyr əḳōn // əġfōr ḏ-bēr ḳnūt | Sādīt jumped up and went // coming to the very top of a mountain // May God have mercy on the woman who bore him |
| 27) yekhōb ḏ-heh ṣendūd // yestūfī men əġell // berh nōǧeḥ we-ṯbūt | He who is brave came // throwing dust on himself out of excitement // indeed he is ready (“well cooked”) and steadfast |
| 28) we-brūkem hārwōn // le-mḫawbeṭ əġzōn // ṣnets ənǧəbūt | The “rams” kneeled [with their rifles] // in order [to shoot] their new bullets // fresh from the factory |
| 29) b-śīwōṭḏ-seh nǧiḥt // men ʾawafh ḏ–ṭerrāb // wet rišt ənḳəbūt | With the fire that is strong and continuous // from the rapid action of the firing pin // and the clicking of the trigger |
| 30) we-ḥzūrem mešwōf // we-tḳawnem źebtāt // hel əśawket ḫaṭfūt | They know well the rifle sights // and are experts at taking aim // when the bullets whiz by |
| 31) tē mīzōn dkūs ʾāḳā // we-ǧwēher ḏe-zhē // men əkabś eftəlūt | Until the scale tilted to the ground // and “the jewels of the wedding” escaped // and were lost from their hand |
| 32) we-zġīf ḏ-hāhmənōn // w-kīlōten ǧāryōt // ṣāreb bēhem we-hbūt | They poured out their cartridges // running through measures [of ammo] // [there was] a loss [of ammo] and a heedless expenditure |
| 33) we-ḥsōb el menh bedd // mīzōn tē l-ṣār // le-brē men hkūt | But there is no avoiding [taking vengeance] into consideration // until the scales are even once again // and is fixed of its tilt |
| 34) w-ber ʾāmer men khēn // ḏ-el yṭōmeh śḳāt wel yrikt ḏe-rkūt | And Bir ʾĀmer, for a long time past, // is not one greedy to overstep [the bounds] // and is not one who stomps on one who has stomped on him |
| 35) ġeyr we-killem hāmtōn // we-śrūḳem men əḫawf // yebṣeyr šūdəfūt | Except if they cause him pain in his back // or it is split in half from fear // or if he sees the end-game coming |
| 36) we-ṣrōma we-krēm // hɛ̄s əlēḥen ərtəbūb // w-mehṣāt l-ġārəffūt | And now ōdī we-krēm krēm // when the melodies gather // a reservoir that can’t be emptied by scooping |
| 37) men taʾmērem ənśəkōt // ḏ–ʾār ḥmō brēk sōs // w-mehṣāt mhaḥsūt | [Beware] of saying that it has dried up // indeed there is water in its deepest bedrock // and the reservoir has been re-dug |
| 38) wet nkūśes tentəkūś // ke-mḫawreǧḏe-rbā // we-mdīt dōṯəyūt | If it is searched for, it is found // [as though it were a well] at the time of the departure of Rbā // and the mdīt of Dōṯa |
| 39) kem men ṭīṭ w-seh ṭmīt // mnōhel ṣedrūt | How many she-camels when she [sic] is thirsty // goes forth from the streams [quenched of thirst] |
| 40) wet ṭwōren thāḳawb // beyn ərāmel we-ḫṭāt // hēs əbīr messənūt | Sometimes the “muse” migrates // between the sandy plain and the pasture land // like a spring from which people habitually draw water |
| 41) w-adh ǧēza medḥeyḳ // we-bḳāt ḏ-šāḳawt | And Wadi Ǧēza is still well-travelled // and the place of Šāḳawt |
| 42) hād ṣeydet ḏe-ḫḫəlē // ḏīk tehyūm ʾāḳā // le-hnefs we-ḫlūt | No one but the desert gazelle // the one who roams the land // by herself in the desolate waste |
| 43) bēr thawzer əlebbōd // ke-rdōten ḏ-rīḥeyn // wet əǧēs əškerfūt | She has known the hunter // when the wind blows back and forth // when she smells his sweat |
| 44) teḥrīren b-āzīb / tē men hāl ġeyṭāṭ / we-ḥrō əġteybūt | She takes off at a run // until she has disappeared // and her head has completely disappeared. |