أَلَسنا نَقودُ الخَيلَ قُبّاً عَوابِساً

أَلَسنا نَقودُ الخَيلَ قُبّاً عَوابِساً

وَنَخضِبُ يَومَ الرَوعِ أَسيافَنا دَما

وَنَخضِبُ يَومَ الرَوعِ أَسيافَنا دَما

Do we not lead lean-bellied, grim-faced horses,

Are we not the ones who urge on the steeds with gloomy determination

and dye our swords with blood on the day of terror,

And on the day of panic we dye our swords with blood

وَنَحمي الذِمارَ حينَ يَشتَجِرُ القَنا

وَنَحمي الذِمارَ حينَ يَشتَجِرُ القَنا

وَنَثني عَنِ السَربِ الرَعيلَ المُسَوَّما

وَنَثني عَنِ السَربِ الرَعيلَ المُسَوَّما

and defend what we must protect when the spears clash,

And we protect the guest-houses when the evil-doer stirs up trouble

and turn the marked cavalry troop back from the herd,

And we turn away from the flock the marked straggler

وَنَستَلِبُ الحُوَّ العَوابِسَ كَالقَنا

وَنَستَلِبُ الحُوَّ العَوابِسَ كَالقَنا

سَواهِمَ يَحمِلنَ الوَشيجَ المُقَوَّما

سَواهِمَ يَحمِلنَ الوَشيجَ المُقَوَّما

and seize the dark-bay, grim-faced steeds, like spear-shafts,

And we plunder the grim knights like violent warriors

gaunt, bearing straightened spears?

Except for them who carry the bent spear

وَنَحنُ صَبَحنا حَيَّ أَسماءَ غارَةً

وَنَحنُ صَبَحنا حَيَّ أَسماءَ غارَةً

أَبالَت حَبالى الحَيِّ مِن وَقعِها دَما

أَبالَت حَبالى الحَيِّ مِن وَقعِها دَما

And we struck Asma's clan in a dawn raid,

And we used to be a tribe whose name inspired raids

whose onslaught made the clan's pregnant women urinate blood.

That made the pregnant women of the tribe miscarry from their violence

وَبِالنَقعِ مِن وادي أَبيدَةَ جاهَرَت

وَبِالنَقعِ مِن وادي أَبيدَةَ جاهَرَت

أُنَيساً وَقَد أَردَينَ سادَةَ خُثعَما

أُنَيساً وَقَد أَردَينَ سادَةَ خُثعَما

And amid dust from the valley of Abidah, they openly confronted

And in Naq` of Wābidah valley they assaulted

Unays, having already felled the chiefs of Khath'am.

Anas while they wore the chiefs of Khusa`mah's gowns

وَيَومَ عُكاظٍ أَنتُمُ تَعلَمونَهُ

وَيَومَ عُكاظٍ أَنتُمُ تَعلَمونَهُ

شَهِدنا فَأَقدَمنا بِها الحَيَّ مُقدَما

شَهِدنا فَأَقدَمنا بِها الحَيَّ مُقدَما

And the day of Ukaz—you know it—

And the day of `Ukaz which you know

we were there, then drove the clan forward with them in a charge.

We witnessed so we engaged the tribe with our vanguard

وَنَحنُ فَعَلنا بِالحَليفَينِ فَعلَةً

وَنَحنُ فَعَلنا بِالحَليفَينِ فَعلَةً

نَفَت بَعدَها عَنّا الظَلومَ الغَشَمشَما

نَفَت بَعدَها عَنّا الظَلومَ الغَشَمشَما

And we did such a deed to the two allies

And we did to the two allies a deed

that afterward drove the reckless oppressor away from us.

That afterwards made the tyrannical swindler avoid us

وَما بَرِحَت في الدَهرِ مِنّا عِصابَةٌ

وَما بَرِحَت في الدَهرِ مِنّا عِصابَةٌ

يَذودونَ عَن أَحسابِنا مَن تَعَرَّما

يَذودونَ عَن أَحسابِنا مَن تَعَرَّما

And through the ages a band of ours has never ceased

And there has not ceased among us a band

to ward off from our ancestral honor whoever acts insolently.

Who ward off from our relations whoever transgressed

يَقودونَ جُرداً كَالسَراحينِ تَستَمي

يَقودونَ جُرداً كَالسَراحينِ تَستَمي

صُدورَ العَوالي مِن كُمَيتٍ وَأَدهَما

صُدورَ العَوالي مِن كُمَيتٍ وَأَدهَما

They lead sleek steeds like wolves, seeking out

They lead a troop of horses swift as ostriches

the points of long spears—bay steeds and black.

Whose breasts cleave the hilltops whether dusty or dark

وَنَحنُ أَبَرنا حَيَّ أَشجَعَ بِالقَنا

وَنَحنُ أَبَرنا حَيَّ أَشجَعَ بِالقَنا

وَنَحنُ تَرَكنا حَيَّ مُرَّةَ مَأتَما

وَنَحنُ تَرَكنا حَيَّ مُرَّةَ مَأتَما

And we annihilated the clan of Ashja' with spears,

And we fulfilled the duty of succor against spears

and we left the clan of Murrah a gathering of mourners.

And we left the tribe in perpetual mourning