عَبَرتُ بِقَومي البَحرَ أَنزِفُ ماءَهُ

عَبَرتُ بِقَومي البَحرَ أَنزِفُ ماءَهُ

وَهَل يَنزِفَنَّ البَحرَ يا قَومُ نازِفُ

وَهَل يَنزِفَنَّ البَحرَ يا قَومُ نازِفُ

I crossed the sea with my people, draining away its waters;

I crossed the sea with my people, draining its water.

yet can any drainer from among my people drain the sea?

And can a water-drawer ever drain the sea, O my people?

وَيَومَ اِلتَقَينا ظِلَّ يَومٍ عَصَبصَبٍ

وَيَومَ اِلتَقَينا ظِلَّ يَومٍ عَصَبصَبٍ

وَفيهِ غُبارٌ ثائِرٌ وَعَواصِفُ

وَفيهِ غُبارٌ ثائِرٌ وَعَواصِفُ

And on the day we met, beneath the shadow of a most harrowing day,

And on the day we met, beneath the shadow of a dire day,

dust surged within it, and tempests raged.

And in it were rising dust and storm winds,

وَضَربٌ يَقُدُّ الهامَ بِالبيضِ موجِعٌ

وَضَربٌ يَقُدُّ الهامَ بِالبيضِ موجِعٌ

وَفيهِ الجِيادُ السابِحاتُ زَواحِفُ

وَفيهِ الجِيادُ السابِحاتُ زَواحِفُ

Ruinous blows cleaved heads with gleaming white blades,

And painful blows that cleaved heads with gleaming swords,

while coursing steeds advanced in massed ranks.

And in it the swimming steeds advanced.

إِذا قيلَ قَد وَلَّت هَزيماً فَإِنَّها

إِذا قيلَ قَد وَلَّت هَزيماً فَإِنَّها

بِقَدرِ لِحاظِ الطَرفِ مِنكَ عَواطِفُ

بِقَدرِ لِحاظِ الطَرفِ مِنكَ عَواطِفُ

Whenever it was said, “They have turned away, routed,”

Whenever it is said, 'They have fled defeated,' they

within the span of a glance from you, they wheeled back.

Wheel back within the span of a glance from your eye.

وَظَلَّ لَها يَومٌ يُجَمِّعُ هَبوَةً

وَظَلَّ لَها يَومٌ يُجَمِّعُ هَبوَةً

بِها يُبتَنى سَقفٌ مِنَ الأُفقِ واقِفُ

بِها يُبتَنى سَقفٌ مِنَ الأُفقِ واقِفُ

All day, rising gusts kept lifting and gathering the dust over them,

And for them a day kept gathering a cloud of dust,

and with it a roof was built, standing upon the horizon.

With which a roof was built, rising from the horizon.

وَدارَت رَحى الحَربِ المُشيبَةِ لِلفَتى

وَدارَت رَحى الحَربِ المُشيبَةِ لِلفَتى

وَهالَت ذَوي الأَلبابِ تِلكَ المواقِفُ

وَهالَت ذَوي الأَلبابِ تِلكَ المواقِفُ

The millstone of war revolved—the gray-maker of youth—

And the millstone of war, which turns a young man gray, revolved,

and those encounters appalled men of understanding.

And those scenes terrified men of understanding.

بِها نَغَمُ الأَسيافِ تَنطِقُ بِالطُلى

بِها نَغَمُ الأَسيافِ تَنطِقُ بِالطُلى

فَصيحاتُ حَدٍّ ثائِراتٌ خَفائِفُ

فَصيحاتُ حَدٍّ ثائِراتٌ خَفائِفُ

There, the music of swords spoke upon necks—

There the music of swords speaks upon necks,

eloquent-edged, raging, and swift.

Eloquent-edged, raging and light.

فَآبَت إلى ما يَستَشيرُ بَني أَبي

فَآبَت إلى ما يَستَشيرُ بَني أَبي

وَيُنهِضُها الشُمُّ الكِرامُ الغَطارِفُ

وَيُنهِضُها الشُمُّ الكِرامُ الغَطارِفُ

Yet she would not yield, facing whatever sought my father’s sons’ counsel;

So they returned to what seeks my father's sons' counsel,

and the unyielding, noble, illustrious lords roused the battle.

And the lofty-nosed, noble, highborn chiefs urge them on.