أَلَم يَأتِ بِالشَأمِ الخَليفَةَ أَنَّنا

أَلَم يَأتِ بِالشَأمِ الخَليفَةَ أَنَّنا

ضَرَبنا لَهُ مَن كانَ عَنهُ يُخالِفُ

ضَرَبنا لَهُ مَن كانَ عَنهُ يُخالِفُ

Has word not reached the Caliph in Syria that we

Has it not reached the caliph in Syria that we

struck down for him whoever opposed him—

struck down for him those who opposed him—

صَناديدَ أَهدَينا إِلَيهِ رُؤوسَهُم

صَناديدَ أَهدَينا إِلَيهِ رُؤوسَهُم

وَقَد باشَرَت مِنها السُيوفُ الشَناذِفُ

وَقَد باشَرَت مِنها السُيوفُ الشَناذِفُ

mighty chiefs, whose heads we sent him as gifts,

chieftains whose heads we sent him as gifts,

after the rancorous swords had met them at close quarters?

after broad-bladed swords had struck them?

وَعِندَ أَبي بِشرَ اِبنِ أَحوَزَ مِنهُمُ

وَعِندَ أَبي بِشرَ اِبنِ أَحوَزَ مِنهُمُ

عَلى جِيَفِ القَتلى نُسورٌ عَواكِفُ

عَلى جِيَفِ القَتلى نُسورٌ عَواكِفُ

And there, with Abū Bishr ibn Aḥwaz, are some of them,

And near Abu Bishr, son of Ahwaz, some of them lie,

while vultures brood over the slain men’s corpses.

with vultures lingering over the corpses of the slain.

فَإِن تَنسَ ما تُبلي قُرَيشٌ فَإِنَّنا

فَإِن تَنسَ ما تُبلي قُرَيشٌ فَإِنَّنا

نُجالِدُ عَن أَحسابِها وَنُقاذِفُ

نُجالِدُ عَن أَحسابِها وَنُقاذِفُ

If you forget what Quraysh has achieved, surely we

If you forget the feats Quraysh performs, then we

fight for her honor and exchange volleys.

fight with swords for its ancestral honor, and confront

شَدائِدَ أَيّامٍ بِنا يَتَّقونَها

شَدائِدَ أَيّامٍ بِنا يَتَّقونَها

كَأَنَّ شُعاعَ الشَمسِ فيهِنَّ كاسِفُ

كَأَنَّ شُعاعَ الشَمسِ فيهِنَّ كاسِفُ

The crushing ordeals of the age they ward off through us—

the hardships of days they ward off through us,

days when even the sun’s radiance seems eclipsed.

as though the sun's radiance were dimmed in them.

وَما اِنكَشَفَت خَيلٌ بِبابِلَ تَتَّقي

وَما اِنكَشَفَت خَيلٌ بِبابِلَ تَتَّقي

رَدى المَوتِ إِلّا مِسوَرُ الخَيلِ واقِفُ

رَدى المَوتِ إِلّا مِسوَرُ الخَيلِ واقِفُ

Nor did cavalry at Babylon break ranks as it sought

Whenever cavalry at Babylon withdrew to escape

the doom of death, while Miswar, the horseman, stood fast:

death's doom, the assailant of cavalry stood firm.

شَوازِبُ قَد كانَت دِماءُ نُحورِها

شَوازِبُ قَد كانَت دِماءُ نُحورِها

نِعالاً لِأَيديها وَهُنَّ كَواتِفُ

نِعالاً لِأَيديها وَهُنَّ كَواتِفُ

gaunt steeds, the blood from whose throats had become

Lean steeds—the blood from their chests had become

sandals for their forefeet as they pressed shoulder to shoulder,

shoes for their forefeet, their forelegs drawn together,

بِمُعتَرَكٍ لا تَنجَلي غَمَراتُهُ

بِمُعتَرَكٍ لا تَنجَلي غَمَراتُهُ

عَنِ القَومِ إِلّا وَالرِماحُ رَواعِفُ

عَنِ القَومِ إِلّا وَالرِماحُ رَواعِفُ

in a battlefield whose engulfing horrors never cleared

on a battlefield whose surging terrors never lift

from the warriors save with the spears streaming blood—

from the men except while the spears drip blood,

نَواقِلُ مِن جُردٍ عَوابِسُ في الوَغى

نَواقِلُ مِن جُردٍ عَوابِسُ في الوَغى

وَكُلُّ صَريعٍ خَرَّقَتهُ الجَوائِفُ

وَكُلُّ صَريعٍ خَرَّقَتهُ الجَوائِفُ

swift bearers among sleek steeds, grim-faced in the fray,

unseating riders from sleek steeds, grim in the battle din;

and every fallen warrior pierced through by penetrating wounds.

and every fallen man is torn open by deep, penetrating wounds.

عَذيرُكَ في شَغبٍ إِذا أَنتَ لَم تُطَع

عَذيرُكَ في شَغبٍ إِذا أَنتَ لَم تُطَع

وَسَهلٌ إِذا طُوِّعتَ لِلحَقِّ عارِفُ

وَسَهلٌ إِذا طُوِّعتَ لِلحَقِّ عارِفُ

Grant me excuse for turmoil when you are not obeyed;

You are excused for strife when you are not obeyed,

you know my gentleness when you are won over to the right.

and gentle when persuaded to the right, discerning it.

تَجودُ بِنَفسٍ لا يُجادَ بِمِثلِها

تَجودُ بِنَفسٍ لا يُجادَ بِمِثلِها

حِفاظاً وَإِن خيفَت عَلَيكَ المَتالِفُ

حِفاظاً وَإِن خيفَت عَلَيكَ المَتالِفُ

You lavish a life whose like no one would lavish,

You give freely of a life whose like is never given,

to safeguard honor, though mortal perils for you are feared.

for honor's sake, though deadly perils are feared for you.

فَأَنتَ الفَتى المَعروفُ وَالفارِسُ الَّذي

فَأَنتَ الفَتى المَعروفُ وَالفارِسُ الَّذي

بِهِ بَعدَ عَبّادٍ تُجَلّى المَخاوِفُ

بِهِ بَعدَ عَبّادٍ تُجَلّى المَخاوِفُ

For you are the renowned young champion, the horseman through whom,

For you are the renowned youth and the horseman who

after ʿAbbād, all fears are dispelled.

dispels fears after Abbad.

وَتَقلِصُ بِالسَيفِ الطَويلِ نِجادُهُ

وَتَقلِصُ بِالسَيفِ الطَويلِ نِجادُهُ

وَفي الرَوعِ لا شَختٌ وَلا مُتَآزِفُ

وَفي الرَوعِ لا شَختٌ وَلا مُتَآزِفُ

His baldric rides up beneath the long sword;

And you spring forward with a sword whose baldric is long,

amid battle’s terror he is neither frail nor cramped in build.

and amid terror are neither frail nor short of stature.

أَغَرُّ عَظيمُ المَنكِبَينِ سَما بِهِ

أَغَرُّ عَظيمُ المَنكِبَينِ سَما بِهِ

إِلى كَرَمِ المَجدِ الكِرامُ الغَطارِفُ

إِلى كَرَمِ المَجدِ الكِرامُ الغَطارِفُ

Radiant and broad-shouldered, he was raised

Radiant, broad-shouldered, borne aloft

to glory’s noble heights by noble, lordly forebears.

to noble glory by noble, highborn lords.