لاmay not يَنسَإِprolong the life of اللَهُGod مِنّاfrom among us مَعشَراًa band شَهِدواthey were present
لا يَنسَإِ اللَهُ مِنّا مَعشَراً شَهِدوا
يَومَthe day of الأُمَيلِحِal-Umaylih لاnot غابواthey were absent وَلاnor جَرَحواthey wounded
يَومَ الأُمَيلِحِ لا غابوا وَلا جَرَحوا
May God not prolong the lives of a band of ours who were present
God does not forget a group of us who witnessed
On the day of al-Umaylih: they were not absent, yet wounded no one.
The day of Al-Umaylah, neither absent nor wounded.
كانواthey were نَعائِمَostriches حَفّانٍostrich chicks مُنَفَّرةًdriven to flight
كانوا نَعائِمَ حَفّانٍ مُنَفَّرةً
مُعطَfeatherless الحُلوقِthe throats إِذاwhen ماever (emphasis) أُدرِكواthey were overtaken طَفَحواthey bolted
مُعطَ الحُلوقِ إِذا ما أُدرِكوا طَفَحوا
They were ostriches with chicks, driven to flight,
They were docile camels of Haffan dispersed,
Bare-necked—whenever overtaken, they bolted.
Generous when met, overflowing when given to drink.
لاnot غَيَّبواthey buried شِلوَthe remains of حَجّاجٍHajjaj وَلاnor شَهِدواthey witnessed
لا غَيَّبوا شِلوَ حَجّاجٍ وَلا شَهِدوا
جَمَّthe thick of القِتالِthe fighting فَلاso do not تَسأَلask بِماby what اِفتَضَحواthey were disgraced
جَمَّ القِتالِ فَلا تَسأَل بِما اِفتَضَحوا
They neither buried Hajjaj's remains nor witnessed
They neither failed to attend Hajj nor witnessed
The thick of battle—so do not ask how they were disgraced.
The intensity of battle, so ask not how they were torn.
عَقّواthey shot skyward بِسَهمٍwith an arrow فَلَمbut did not يَشعُرbe aware بِهِof it أَحَدٌanyone
عَقّوا بِسَهمٍ فَلَم يَشعُر بِهِ أَحَدٌ
ثُمَّthen اِستَفاءواthey took blood money وَقالواand they said حَبَّذاhow fine is الوَضَحُthe silver
ثُمَّ اِستَفاءوا وَقالوا حَبَّذا الوَضَحُ
They shot an arrow skyward, but no one noticed it;
They shot arrows without anyone noticing,
Then they took blood money and said, 'How fine the silver!'
Then they charged and said: excellent is the bright dawn.
لكِنbut كَبيرُKabir بنُson of هِندٍHind يَومَthe day ذلِكُمthat (addressing you all)
لكِن كَبيرُ بنُ هِندٍ يَومَ ذلِكُم
فُتخُsupple الشَمائِلِthe left hands فيin أَيمانِهِمtheir right hands رَوَحُbreadth
فُتخُ الشَمائِلِ في أَيمانِهِم رَوَحُ
But the men of Kabir ibn Hind, on that day,
But Kabir ibn Hind on that day,
Were supple of left hand and broad of right.
The defender, had swords in their right hands that sliced off heads
تَعلوstrike from above السُيوفُthe swords بِأَيديهِمin their hands جَماجِمَهُمtheir skulls
تَعلو السُيوفُ بِأَيديهِم جَماجِمَهُم
كَماas يُفَلَّقُis split مَروُthe flint of الأَمعَزِthe rocky ground الصَرَحُpure
كَما يُفَلَّقُ مَروُ الأَمعَزِ الصَرَحُ
The swords in their hands strike down upon their skulls,
As the head of a goat is split open.
As the pure flint of rocky ground is split.
They did not surrender an ally who was among them
لاnot يُسلِمونَthey abandon قَريحاًa wounded man كانَwas وَسطَهُمُin their midst
لا يُسلِمونَ قَريحاً كانَ وَسطَهُمُ
يَومَthe day of اللِقاءِthe battle وَلاnor يُشوونَspare by missing vital spots مَنthose whom قَرَحواthey wounded
يَومَ اللِقاءِ وَلا يُشوونَ مَن قَرَحوا
They do not abandon a wounded man who was among them
The day they met, nor did they pardon whoever they wounded,
On the day of battle, nor spare anyone they wound.
As if they were, at the flanks of Al-Mabrakayn at dawn,
كَأَنَّهُمas though they بِجُنوبِby the flanks of المَبرَكَينِal-Mabrakayn ضُحىًat midmorning
كَأَنَّهُم بِجُنوبِ المَبرَكَينِ ضُحىً
ضَأنٌsheep تُجَزَّرُbeing butchered فيin آباطِهاtheir armpits الوَذَحُclinging dung
ضَأنٌ تُجَزَّرُ في آباطِها الوَذَحُ
As if, by al-Mabrakayn's flanks at midmorning, they were
Sheep slaughtered in their enclosures.
Sheep being butchered, dung clinging beneath their forelegs.
Partial English translation: 15 of 16 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1