وَآلُand the family of الزُبَيرِal-Zubayr بَنوsons of حُرَّةٍa freeborn woman
وَآلُ الزُبَيرِ بَنو حُرَّةٍ
مَرَواthey struck بِالسُيوفِwith swords صُدوراًbreasts خِنافاhaughty
مَرَوا بِالسُيوفِ صُدوراً خِنافا
And the house of al-Zubayr are sons of a freeborn woman;
The sons of Zubayr, men of valor,
They struck haughty breasts with swords.
Thrust with their swords through many a chest.
سَلِask الجُردَthe sleek steeds عَنهُمabout them وَأَيّامَهاand their battle-days
سَلِ الجُردَ عَنهُم وَأَيّامَها
إِذاwhen اِمتَعَطواthey unsheathed المُرهَفاتِthe keen blades الخِفافاthe light ones
إِذا اِمتَعَطوا المُرهَفاتِ الخِفافا
Ask the sleek steeds and their battle-days about them,
Ask the coats of mail about them and their days
When they drew the keen, light blades.
When they don mails light and swift to wear.
يَموتونَthey die وَالقَتلُand being slain داءٌa malady لَهُمfor them
يَموتونَ وَالقَتلُ داءٌ لَهُم
وَيَصلونَand they brave the heat of يَومَthe day of السِيافِswordplay السِيافاswordplay
وَيَصلونَ يَومَ السِيافِ السِيافا
They die, and being slain is their malady;
They die, and killing is an ill to them
And on the day of swordplay, they brave its fire.
On the day they mingle sword with sword.
إِذاwhenever فَرَّجَopens gaps القَتلُslaughter عَنaway from عيصهمtheir thicket
إِذا فَرَّجَ القَتلُ عَن عيصهم
أَبىrefuses ذلِكَthat العيصُthicket إِلّاanything but اِلتِفافاentwinement
أَبى ذلِكَ العيصُ إِلّا اِلتِفافا
Whenever slaughter opens gaps in their thicket,
When the strife parts from their helmets,
That thicket refuses to be anything but tightly entwined.
Those helmets refuse to leave but wrap the closer.
مَطاعيمُgenerous givers of food تُحمَدare praised أَبياتُهُمtheir tents
مَطاعيمُ تُحمَد أَبياتُهُم
إِذاwhen قُنِّعare cloaked in الشاهقاتُthe lofty peaks الطخافاclouds
إِذا قُنِّع الشاهقاتُ الطخافا
Generous hosts, whose tents are praised
Their verses are gems when recited,
When the lofty peaks are cloaked in clouds.
When the tall warriors don their mail.
وَأَجبَنُand more timid منthan صافِرٍa whistling bird كلبُهُمtheir dog
وَأَجبَنُ من صافِرٍ كلبُهُم
إِذاwhen قَرَعتُهُstrikes it حَصاةٌa pebble أَضافاit shies away
إِذا قَرَعتُهُ حَصاةٌ أَضافا
And their dog is more timid than a whistling bird:
More dangerous than a howling wolf of theirs
When a pebble strikes it, it shies away.
If a pebble is cast at it ever so lightly.
Sol 6.1