أَبي فارِسُ الصَرماءِ عَمرُو بنُ مالِكٍ

أَبي فارِسُ الصَرماءِ عَمرُو بنُ مالِكٍ

غَداةَ الوَغى إِذ مالَ بِالجَدَّ عاثِرُ

غَداةَ الوَغى إِذ مالَ بِالجَدَّ عاثِرُ

My father was the rider of al-Ṣarmāʾ, ʿAmr son of Mālik,

My father, horseman of Sarma, Amr son of Malik

On the morning of battle, when mischance turned fortune awry;

On the morning of battle when he charged, stumbling

غَداةَ أَقامَ الناسُ في حَجرَتَيهِم

غَداةَ أَقامَ الناسُ في حَجرَتَيهِم

ضِراباً كَما ذيدَ الخِماسُ البَواكرُ

ضِراباً كَما ذيدَ الخِماسُ البَواكرُ

That morning, men stood their ground on their two flanks,

On the morning when people stayed in their rooms

Exchanging blows, like early-coming camels driven from their fifth-day drink,

Beating as the zealous beat the early risers

بِضَربٍ يُطيرُ الهامَ عَن سَكِناتِهِ

بِضَربٍ يُطيرُ الهامَ عَن سَكِناتِهِ

وَإِصرادِ طَعنٍ وَالقَنا مُتَشاجِرُ

وَإِصرادِ طَعنٍ وَالقَنا مُتَشاجِرُ

With blows that sent heads flying from their resting places,

With blows that make dreams fly from their dwellings

And piercing thrusts, while the spears were intertwined.

And thrusting of spears and the warrior is embroiled

فَما غَمَرَتهُ الحَربُ إذ شَمَّرَت لَهُ

فَما غَمَرَتهُ الحَربُ إذ شَمَّرَت لَهُ

وَلا خارَ إِذ جُرَّت عَلَيهِ الجَرائِرُ

وَلا خارَ إِذ جُرَّت عَلَيهِ الجَرائِرُ

So war did not overwhelm him when it girded itself to face him,

So the war did not overwhelm him when it was ferocious

Nor did he falter when wrongs were visited upon him.

Nor did he flee when vile acts were perpetrated

وَقَومي إِذا كَحلٌ عَلى الناسِ صَرَّحَت

وَقَومي إِذا كَحلٌ عَلى الناسِ صَرَّحَت

وَلاذَ بِأَذراءِ البُيوتِ الأَباعِرُ

وَلاذَ بِأَذراءِ البُيوتِ الأَباعِرُ

And my people, when Kaḥl the famine openly bore down on men,

And my people when adversity afflicts the people, they display

And camels sought refuge in the houses’ shelter,

And take refuge in the broken down houses

وَكانَ اِتِّياماً كُلُّ حَرفٍ غَزيرَةٍ

وَكانَ اِتِّياماً كُلُّ حَرفٍ غَزيرَةٍ

أَهانوا لَها الأَموالَ وَالعِرضُ وافِرُ

أَهانوا لَها الأَموالَ وَالعِرضُ وافِرُ

And every lean, milk-rich she-camel became an object of yearning,

And they were like orphans, every deep ravine

Held wealth cheap for her, while their honor remained undiminished.

They violated their wealth, honor abundant

هُمُ صَبَّحوا أَهلَ الطِفافِ وَسِربَةٍ

هُمُ صَبَّحوا أَهلَ الطِفافِ وَسِربَةٍ

بِشُعثٍ عَلَيها المُصلِتونَ المَغاوِرُ

بِشُعثٍ عَلَيها المُصلِتونَ المَغاوِرُ

They raided the people of al-Ṭifāf and Sirbah at dawn,

They left the people of Tifaf and Sirba

With shaggy steeds bearing sword-baring, daring raiders.

Disheveled, while the praying ones departed

كَأَنَّ الجِيادَ الشُعثَ تَحتَ رِحالِهِم

كَأَنَّ الجِيادَ الشُعثَ تَحتَ رِحالِهِم

سَمامٌ دَعاها لِلمَزاحِفِ ناجِرُ

سَمامٌ دَعاها لِلمَزاحِفِ ناجِرُ

As though the shaggy steeds beneath their saddles

As if the disheveled horses under their saddlebags

Were swifts summoned to the battlefields by Nājir’s heat.

Are buzzards it called to the dusk prayer