لَقينا يَومَ صَهباءٍ سَرِيَّه

لَقينا يَومَ صَهباءٍ سَرِيَّه

حَناظِلَةً لَهُم في الحَربِ نِيَّه

حَناظِلَةً لَهُم في الحَربِ نِيَّه

On the day of Ṣahbāʾ, we met a detachment,

We met on a dusty day, a small raiding party

Men of Ḥanẓalah, intent on war.

Eager for battle against them in the fray

لَقيناهُم بِأَسيافٍ حِدادٍ

لَقيناهُم بِأَسيافٍ حِدادٍ

وَأُسدٍ لا تَفِرُّ مِنَ المَنِيَّه

وَأُسدٍ لا تَفِرُّ مِنَ المَنِيَّه

We met them with sharp swords,

We met them with sharp iron swords

And lions that do not flee from death.

And lions who never flee the battleground

وَكانَ زَعيمُهُم إِذ ذاكَ لَيثاً

وَكانَ زَعيمُهُم إِذ ذاكَ لَيثاً

هِزَبراً لا يُبالي بِالرَزِيَّه

هِزَبراً لا يُبالي بِالرَزِيَّه

And their leader then was a lion,

Their chief was at that time a fierce lion

A mighty lion, heedless of calamity.

A veteran who cared not for calamity

فَخَلَّفناهُ وَسطَ القاعِ مُلقىً

فَخَلَّفناهُ وَسطَ القاعِ مُلقىً

وَها أَنا طالِبٌ قَتلَ البَقِيَّه

وَها أَنا طالِبٌ قَتلَ البَقِيَّه

So we left him cast down amid the plain,

We left him lying in the middle of the field

And here I am, seeking to kill the rest.

And here I am, seeking to kill the rest

وَرُحنا بِالسُيوفِ نَسوقُ فيهِم

وَرُحنا بِالسُيوفِ نَسوقُ فيهِم

إِلى رَبَواتِ مُعضِلَةٍ خَفِيَّه

إِلى رَبَواتِ مُعضِلَةٍ خَفِيَّه

And we went on, driving through them with swords,

We went with our swords driving into them

Toward inaccessible, hidden hills.

To the folds of intricate hidden valleys

وَكَم مِن فارِسٍ مِنهُم تَرَكنا

وَكَم مِن فارِسٍ مِنهُم تَرَكنا

عَلَيهِ مِن صَوارِمِنا قَضِيَّه

عَلَيهِ مِن صَوارِمِنا قَضِيَّه

And how many a horseman of theirs we left

And how many cavaliers among them did we leave

With a verdict from our keen swords upon him.

Slain by our swords that stab and pierce

فَوارِسُنا بَنو عَبسٍ وَإِنّا

فَوارِسُنا بَنو عَبسٍ وَإِنّا

لُيوثُ الحَربِ ما بَينَ البَرِيَّه

لُيوثُ الحَربِ ما بَينَ البَرِيَّه

Our horsemen are the sons of ʿAbs, and indeed we

Our horsemen are the Bani Abs and we

Are the lions of war among humankind.

Are the battle lions amongst the nomads

نُجيدُ الطَعنَ بِالسُمرِ العَوالي

نُجيدُ الطَعنَ بِالسُمرِ العَوالي

وَنَضرِبُ بِالسُيوفِ المَشرَفِيَّه

وَنَضرِبُ بِالسُيوفِ المَشرَفِيَّه

We excel at thrusting with tall, tawny spears,

We excel at spearing with tall lances

And we strike with Mashrafi swords.

And striking with our raised swords

وَنُنعِلُ خَيلَنا في كُلِّ حَربٍ

وَنُنعِلُ خَيلَنا في كُلِّ حَربٍ

مِنَ الساداتِ أَقحافاً دَمِيَّه

مِنَ الساداتِ أَقحافاً دَمِيَّه

And in every battle we shoe our horses

We shoe our steeds in every battle

With the bloodied skulls of chieftains.

With the bloodied forelocks of noblemen

وَيَومَ البَذلِ نُعطي ما مَلَكنا

وَيَومَ البَذلِ نُعطي ما مَلَكنا

مِنَ الأَموالِ وَالنِعَمِ البَهِيَّه

مِنَ الأَموالِ وَالنِعَمِ البَهِيَّه

And on the day of giving we give what we possess

And on the day of giving, we grant what we own

Of wealth and splendid blessings.

Of wealth and the most radiant blessings

وَنَحنُ العادِلونَ إِذا حَكَمنا

وَنَحنُ العادِلونَ إِذا حَكَمنا

وَنَحنُ المُشفِقونَ عَلى الرَعِيَّه

وَنَحنُ المُشفِقونَ عَلى الرَعِيَّه

And we are just when we pass judgment,

We are the just ones when we judge

And we are compassionate toward our subjects.

And we care for the commoners

وَنَحنُ المُنصِفونَ إِذا دُعينا

وَنَحنُ المُنصِفونَ إِذا دُعينا

إِلى طَعنِ الرِماحِ السَمهَرِيَّه

إِلى طَعنِ الرِماحِ السَمهَرِيَّه

And we deal fairly when we are summoned

We are the equitable ones when called

To thrusting with Samhari spears.

To thrust with spears that pierce and spill blood

وَنَحنُ الغالِبونَ إِذا حَمَلنا

وَنَحنُ الغالِبونَ إِذا حَمَلنا

عَلى الخَيلِ الجِيادِ الأَعوَجِيَّه

عَلى الخَيلِ الجِيادِ الأَعوَجِيَّه

And we are victorious when we charge

We are the victors when we charge

On fine steeds of Aʿwaj's stock.

With the nimble-bodied limping horses

وَنَحنُ الموقِدونَ لِكُلِّ حَربٍ

وَنَحنُ الموقِدونَ لِكُلِّ حَربٍ

وَنَصلاها بِأَفئِدَةٍ جَرِيَّه

وَنَصلاها بِأَفئِدَةٍ جَرِيَّه

And we are those who set every war ablaze,

And we are the ones who ignite every battle

And we brave its flames with daring hearts.

And urge it on with ardent hearts

مَلَأنا الأَرضَ خَوفاً مِن سَطانا

مَلَأنا الأَرضَ خَوفاً مِن سَطانا

وَهابَتنا المُلوكُ الكِسرَوِيَّه

وَهابَتنا المُلوكُ الكِسرَوِيَّه

We filled the earth with fear of our onslaught,

We filled the land with awe of our rule

And the Khosrowian kings feared us.

And made even Kisra's kings fearful

سَلوا عَنّا دِيارَ الشامِ طُرّاً

سَلوا عَنّا دِيارَ الشامِ طُرّاً

وَفُرسانَ المُلوكِ القَيصَرِيَّه

وَفُرسانَ المُلوكِ القَيصَرِيَّه

Ask all the lands of al-Shām about us,

Ask the Levant about us and

And the horsemen of the Caesarian kings.

The horsemen of Caesar's royal court

أَنا العَبدُ الَّذي بِدِيارِ عَبسٍ

أَنا العَبدُ الَّذي بِدِيارِ عَبسٍ

رَبيتُ بِعِزَّةِ النَفسِ الأَبِيَّه

رَبيتُ بِعِزَّةِ النَفسِ الأَبِيَّه

I am the slave who, in the lands of ʿAbs,

I am the servant raised in the land of Abs

Grew up with the dignity of an unbowed soul.

With a spirit of self-pride and dignity

سَلوا النُعمانَ عَنّي يَومَ جاءَت

سَلوا النُعمانَ عَنّي يَومَ جاءَت

فَوارِسُ عُصبَةِ النارِ الحَمِيَّه

فَوارِسُ عُصبَةِ النارِ الحَمِيَّه

Ask al-Nuʿmān about me on the day there came

Ask al-Nu'man about me the day

The horsemen of the band of blazing fire.

The cavaliers of the burning alliance came

أَقَمتُ بِصارِمي سوقَ المَنايا

أَقَمتُ بِصارِمي سوقَ المَنايا

وَنِلتُ بِذابِلي الرُتَبَ العَلِيَّه

وَنِلتُ بِذابِلي الرُتَبَ العَلِيَّه

With my keen sword I set up the market of death,

I set up the market of death with my sword

And with my slender spear I attained the lofty ranks.

And attained by my demise the highest titles