سَل حَيَّ تَغلِبَ عَن بكرٍ وَوَقعَتِهِم

سَل حَيَّ تَغلِبَ عَن بكرٍ وَوَقعَتِهِم

بِالحِنوِ إِذ خَسِروا جَهراً وَما رَشِدوا

بِالحِنوِ إِذ خَسِروا جَهراً وَما رَشِدوا

Ask the tribe of Taghlib about Bakr and their battle—

Ask the tribe of Taghlib about Bakr and their battle,

at al-Hanū, when they lost openly and followed no right course.

At al-Hinw, when they plainly lost and showed no wisdom.

فَأَقبَلوا بِجَناحَيهِم يَلُفُّهُما

فَأَقبَلوا بِجَناحَيهِم يَلُفُّهُما

مِنّا جَناحانِ عِندَ الصبح فَاِطَّرَدوا

مِنّا جَناحانِ عِندَ الصبح فَاِطَّرَدوا

They came on with both their wings; yet, closing around them,

Then they advanced with their two wings, both enveloped

were two wings of ours at dawn—and they were driven off.

By two wings of ours at dawn; then they pursued one another.

فَأَصبَحوا ثمَّ صَفواً دونَ بيضِهِم

فَأَصبَحوا ثمَّ صَفواً دونَ بيضِهِم

وَأَبرَقوا ساعَةً مِن بَعدِ ما رَعَدوا

وَأَبرَقوا ساعَةً مِن بَعدِ ما رَعَدوا

By morning they lay there slain, before their fair women;

So at dawn they were there, 'pure,' before their helmets [wording unclear].

they flashed lightning for an hour, after all their thunder.

And they flashed for a while after they had thundered.

وَأَيقَنوا أَنَّ شَيباناً وَإِخوَتَهُم

وَأَيقَنوا أَنَّ شَيباناً وَإِخوَتَهُم

قَيساً وَذُهلاً وَتَيمَ اللاتِ قَد رَصَدوا

قَيساً وَذُهلاً وَتَيمَ اللاتِ قَد رَصَدوا

They knew for certain that Shaybān and their kindred—

And they knew for certain that Shayban and their brothers—

Qays, Dhuhl, and Taym al-Lāt—had lain in wait,

Qays, Dhuhl, and Taym al-Lat—had lain in wait,

وَيَشكُرٌ وَبَنو عِجلٍ وَإِخوَتُهُم

وَيَشكُرٌ وَبَنو عِجلٍ وَإِخوَتُهُم

بَنو حَنيفَةَ لا يُحصى لَهُم عَدَدُ

بَنو حَنيفَةَ لا يُحصى لَهُم عَدَدُ

as had Yashkur, the sons of ʿIjl, and their brethren,

And Yashkur, the sons of Ijl, and their brothers,

and Banū Ḥanīfa, whose numbers cannot be counted.

The sons of Hanifa, whose numbers cannot be counted.

ثُمَّ اِلتَقَينا وَنارُ الحَربِ ساطِعَةٌ

ثُمَّ اِلتَقَينا وَنارُ الحَربِ ساطِعَةٌ

وَسَمهَرِيُّ العَوالي بَينَنا قِصَدُ

وَسَمهَرِيُّ العَوالي بَينَنا قِصَدُ

Then we met in battle, with the fire of war blazing,

Then we met, with the fire of war blazing,

and tall-shafted Samharian spears lay shattered between us.

And the tough shafts of the long spears lying broken between us.

طَوراً نُديرُ رَحانا ثُمَّ نَطحَنُهُم

طَوراً نُديرُ رَحانا ثُمَّ نَطحَنُهُم

طَحناً وَطَوراً نُلاقيهِم فَنَجتَلِدُ

طَحناً وَطَوراً نُلاقيهِم فَنَجتَلِدُ

At times we set our mill turning, then ground them

At times we turn our millstone, then grind them,

to a thorough grinding; at times we met them and fought hand to hand.

A thorough grinding; at other times we meet them and trade blows.

حَتّى إِذا الشَمسُ دارَت أَجفَلوا هَرَباً

حَتّى إِذا الشَمسُ دارَت أَجفَلوا هَرَباً

عَنّا وَخَلّوا عَنِ الأَموالِ وَاِنجَرَدوا

عَنّا وَخَلّوا عَنِ الأَموالِ وَاِنجَرَدوا

At last, when the sun wheeled round, they bolted in flight,

Until, when the sun turned, they bolted in flight

fleeing us, abandoning their wealth, and racing off unburdened.

From us, abandoning their possessions and fleeing unencumbered.

قَد قَرَّت العَينُ مِن عِمرانَ إِذ قُتِلَت

قَد قَرَّت العَينُ مِن عِمرانَ إِذ قُتِلَت

وَمِن عَدِيٍّ مَعَ القَمقامِ إِذ جَهِدوا

وَمِن عَدِيٍّ مَعَ القَمقامِ إِذ جَهِدوا

Our eyes were gladdened by ʿImrān when its men were slain,

Indeed, the eye was gladdened when Imran was slain,

and by ʿAdī with its mighty chief, when they were sorely tried;

And by Adi, with al-Qamqam, when they were exhausted,

وَمِن زِيادٍ وَمِن غُنمٍ وَإِخوَتِها

وَمِن زِيادٍ وَمِن غُنمٍ وَإِخوَتِها

وَمِن حَبيبٍ أَصابوا الذُلَّ فَاِنفَرَدوا

وَمِن حَبيبٍ أَصابوا الذُلَّ فَاِنفَرَدوا

and by Ziyād, and Ghanm with her brother clans,

And by Ziyad, and by Ghunm and her brothers,

and by Ḥabīb: they met humiliation and were left alone;

And by Habib: they met humiliation and were left isolated.

وَمِن بَني الأَوسِ إِذ شُلَّت قَبيلَتُهُم

وَمِن بَني الأَوسِ إِذ شُلَّت قَبيلَتُهُم

لا يَنفَقونَ وَلا ضَرّوا وَلا حُمِدوا

لا يَنفَقونَ وَلا ضَرّوا وَلا حُمِدوا

and by the sons of Aws, when their tribe was crippled—

And by the sons of al-Aws, when their tribe was routed:

they neither give, nor do harm, nor earn any praise.

They are not valued, nor did they harm, nor were they praised.

فَرّوا إِلى النِمرِ مِنّا وَهوَ عَمُّهُم

فَرّوا إِلى النِمرِ مِنّا وَهوَ عَمُّهُم

فَما وَفي النِمرُ إِذ طاروا وَهُم مُرُدُ

فَما وَفي النِمرُ إِذ طاروا وَهُم مُرُدُ

They fled to al-Nimr, one of us, who is their paternal uncle;

They fled from us to al-Nimr, their paternal uncle,

but al-Nimr did not stand by them when they took flight, beardless youths.

But al-Nimr kept no faith when they took flight, beardless youths.

نَحنُ الفَوارِس نَغشى الناسَ كُلَّهُم

نَحنُ الفَوارِس نَغشى الناسَ كُلَّهُم

وَنَقتُلُ الناسَ حَتّى يوحِشَ البَلَدُ

وَنَقتُلُ الناسَ حَتّى يوحِشَ البَلَدُ

We are the horsemen who assail all mankind,

We are the horsemen who assail all the people,

and slay our foes until the land lies desolate.

And kill the people until the land grows desolate.

لَقَد أَصبَحناهُم بِالبيضِ صافِيَةً

لَقَد أَصبَحناهُم بِالبيضِ صافِيَةً

عِندَ اللِقاءِ وَحَرُّ المَوتِ يَتَّقِدُ

عِندَ اللِقاءِ وَحَرُّ المَوتِ يَتَّقِدُ

Indeed, at dawn we fell upon them with gleaming white blades,

Indeed, we attacked them at dawn with gleaming white blades,

at the encounter, while the heat of death blazed.

At the encounter, while the heat of death blazed.

وَقَد فَقَدنا أُناساً مِن أَماثِلِنا

وَقَد فَقَدنا أُناساً مِن أَماثِلِنا

وَمِثلَهُم فَكَذاكَ القَومُ قَد فَقَدوا

وَمِثلَهُم فَكَذاكَ القَومُ قَد فَقَدوا

We too have lost men from among our noblest,

And we have lost some of our finest men,

and men their equals; likewise, the other folk have suffered loss.

And the other side has likewise lost their equals.

وَالخَيلُ تَعلَمُ أَنّي مِن فَوارِسِها

وَالخَيلُ تَعلَمُ أَنّي مِن فَوارِسِها

يَومَ الطِعانِ وَقَلبُ الناسِ يَرتَعِدُ

يَومَ الطِعانِ وَقَلبُ الناسِ يَرتَعِدُ

The horses know that I am one of their riders

And the horses know that I am one of their horsemen,

on the day of spear-thrusts, when human hearts tremble.

On the day of spear-thrusts, while the people's heart trembles.

وَقَد حَلَفتُ يَميناً لا أُصالِحُهُم

وَقَد حَلَفتُ يَميناً لا أُصالِحُهُم

ما دامَ مِنّا وَمِنهُم في المَلا أَحَدُ

ما دامَ مِنّا وَمِنهُم في المَلا أَحَدُ

I have sworn an oath that I will make no peace with them

And I have sworn an oath: I will make no peace with them,

as long as one of us or them remains upon the open earth.

As long as any one of us or them remains on the open plain.