أَعَينِ أَلا فَاِبكي لِصَخرٍ بِدَرَّةٍ

أَعَينِ أَلا فَاِبكي لِصَخرٍ بِدَرَّةٍ

إِذا الخَيلُ مِن طولِ الوَجيفِ اِقشَعَرَّتِ

إِذا الخَيلُ مِن طولِ الوَجيفِ اِقشَعَرَّتِ

O eye, will you not weep for Sakhr in a streaming flood,

O eye, ah, weep for Sakhr with a flood of tears,

when the horses' coats bristled from their long, pounding gallop;

when the horses bristled from prolonged galloping,

إِذا زَجَروها في الصَريخِ وَطابَقَت

إِذا زَجَروها في الصَريخِ وَطابَقَت

طِباقَ كِلابٍ في الهِراشِ وَهَرَّتِ

طِباقَ كِلابٍ في الهِراشِ وَهَرَّتِ

when they were urged on amid the battle cry and pressed close,

when they urged them amid cries for help, and they bounded

packed like dogs in a brawl, snarling?

like dogs in a fight, and growled.

شَدَدتَ عِصابَ الحَربِ إِذ هِيَ مانِعٌ

شَدَدتَ عِصابَ الحَربِ إِذ هِيَ مانِعٌ

فَأَلقَت بِرِجلَيها مَرِيّاً فَدَرَّتِ

فَأَلقَت بِرِجلَيها مَرِيّاً فَدَرَّتِ

You tightened your grip on war's udder-band when she withheld;

You tightened war’s binding when she withheld her milk;

she set down her legs, ready for milking, and her milk flowed.

then she stretched out her hind legs, responsive to milking, and her milk flowed.

وَكانَت إِذا ما رامَها قَبلُ حالِبٌ

وَكانَت إِذا ما رامَها قَبلُ حالِبٌ

تَقَتهُ بِإيزاغٍ دَماً وَاِقمَطَرَّتِ

تَقَتهُ بِإيزاغٍ دَماً وَاِقمَطَرَّتِ

Before you, whenever any milker tried her,

And before, whenever a milker sought her,

she met him with a gush of blood and a grim scowl.

she warded him off with spurts of blood and grew fierce.

وَكانَ أَبو حَسّانَ صَخرٌ أَصابَها

وَكانَ أَبو حَسّانَ صَخرٌ أَصابَها

فَأَرغَثَها بِالرُمحِ حَتّى أَقَرَّتِ

فَأَرغَثَها بِالرُمحِ حَتّى أَقَرَّتِ

But Abu Hassan—Sakhr—laid hold of her

And Abu Hassan, Sakhr, had struck her,

and made her froth beneath his spear until she yielded,

and drew her milk with his spear until she submitted,

كَراهِيَّةٌ وَالصَبرُ مِنكَ سَجِيَّةٌ

كَراهِيَّةٌ وَالصَبرُ مِنكَ سَجِيَّةٌ

إِذا ما رَحى الحَربِ العَوانِ اِستَدَرَّتِ

إِذا ما رَحى الحَربِ العَوانِ اِستَدَرَّتِ

unwillingly; for steadfastness in you was second nature

reluctantly—yet patience is your nature—

whenever the millstone of seasoned war began to turn.

when the millstone of seasoned war whirled fiercely.

أَقاموا جَنابَي رَأسِها وَتَرافَدوا

أَقاموا جَنابَي رَأسِها وَتَرافَدوا

عَلى صَعبِها يَومَ الوَغى فَاِسبَطَرَّتِ

عَلى صَعبِها يَومَ الوَغى فَاِسبَطَرَّتِ

They took their stand on either side of her head and lent one another aid

They stood on either side of her head and helped one another

against her fierceness on battle-day—then she raged violently unchecked:

to face her fierceness on battle’s day; then she spread far and wide.

عَوانٌ ضَروسٌ ما يُنادى وَليدُها

عَوانٌ ضَروسٌ ما يُنادى وَليدُها

تَلَقَّحُ بِالمُرّانِ حَتّى اِستَمَرَّتِ

تَلَقَّحُ بِالمُرّانِ حَتّى اِستَمَرَّتِ

a seasoned, biting war whose young one no one summons,

A seasoned, biting war—her newborn goes uncalled—

impregnated by supple spear-shafts until she grew relentless.

she conceived through ash-wood spears until she grew strong.

حَلَفتَ عَلى أَهلِ اللِواءِ لَيوضَعَن

حَلَفتَ عَلى أَهلِ اللِواءِ لَيوضَعَن

فَما أَحنَثَتكَ الخَيلُ حَتّى أَبَرَّتِ

فَما أَحنَثَتكَ الخَيلُ حَتّى أَبَرَّتِ

You swore that the bearers of the standard would surely be laid low,

You swore against the men of the banner that it would surely be lowered;

and the horses did not make you break your oath: you fulfilled it.

so the horses kept your oath unbroken until they fulfilled it.

وَخَيلٌ تُنادى لا هَوادَةَ بَينَها

وَخَيلٌ تُنادى لا هَوادَةَ بَينَها

مَرَرتَ لَها دونَ السَوامِ وَمُرَّتِ

مَرَرتَ لَها دونَ السَوامِ وَمُرَّتِ

And cavalry called out to one another, with no truce between them;

And horses were summoned, with no truce between them—

you rode to meet them before the grazing herds, as they swept on,

you braced yourself against them, shielding the grazing herds, and they too were braced,

كَأَنَّ مُدِلّاً مِن أُسودٍ تَبالَةٍ

كَأَنَّ مُدِلّاً مِن أُسودٍ تَبالَةٍ

يَكونُ لَها حَيثُ اِستَدارَت وَكَرَّتِ

يَكونُ لَها حَيثُ اِستَدارَت وَكَرَّتِ

as though a lion, proud of his strength, one of Tabala's lions,

as though a self-assured lion from among the lions of Tabalah

was there against them wherever they wheeled and charged again.

were facing them wherever they wheeled and charged again.