1. ذَهَبَت بِاِبنِ الزَبَعرى وَقعَةٌ

    كانَ مِنّا الفَضلُ فيها لَو عَدَل

    A battle swept Ibn al-Ziba‘ra away;

    ours was the advantage in it, if he judged fairly.

  2. وَلَقَد نِلتُم وَنِلنا مِنكُمُ

    وَكَذاكَ الحَربُ أَحياناً دُوَل

    You have dealt blows, and we have dealt blows to you;

    so war's fortunes sometimes alternate.

  3. إِذ شَدَدنا شَدَّةً صادِقَةً

    فاجَأناكُمُ إِلى سَفحِ الجَبَل

    When we charged in a resolute onslaught,

    we took you by surprise, driving you to the mountain's foot,

  4. إِذ تُوَلّونَ عَلى أَعقابِكُم

    هَرَباً في الشَعبِ أَشباهَ الرَسَل

    as you turned upon your heels,

    fleeing through the ravine like herds.

  5. نَضَعُ الخَطِّيَّ في أَكتافِكُم

    حَيثُ نَهوى عَلَلاً بَعدَ نَهَل

    We planted Khatti spears in your shoulders,

    wherever we wished, a second draught after the first.

  6. فَسَدَحنا في مَقامٍ واحِدٍ

    مِنكُمُ سَبعينَ غَيرَ المُنتَحَل

    So we laid low in a single place

    seventy of you—no invented boast.

  7. وَأَسَرنا مِنكُمُ أَعدادَهُم

    فَاِنصَرَفتُم مِثلَ إِفلاتِ الحَجَل

    And we captured an equal number of you;

    then you withdrew like escaping partridges,

  8. بِخَناطيلَ كَجِنّانِ المَلا

    مَن يُلاقوهُ مِنَ الناسِ يُهَل

    in scattered bands like serpents of the plain;

    whoever they encounter is terrified.

  9. يَخرُجُ الأَكدَرُ مِن أَستاهِكُم

    مِثلَ ذَرقِ النيبِ يَأكُلنَ العَصَل

    Dark filth comes out of your arses,

    like old she-camels' droppings as they eat ‘aṣal.

  10. لَم يَفوتونا بِشَيءٍ ساعَةً

    غَيرَ أَن وَلَّوا بِجُهدٍ وَفَشَل

    They gained no advantage over us, even for a moment,

    except that they fled with strain and cowardice.

  11. ضاقَ عَنّا الشِعبُ إِذ نَجزَعُهُ

    وَمَلَأنا الفُرطَ مِنهُم وَالرِجَل

    The ravine was too narrow for us as we crossed it,

    and we filled the heights and watercourses with them,

  12. بِرِجالٍ لَستُمُ أَمثالَهُم

    أُيِّدوا جِبريلَ نَصراً فَنَزَل

    through men whose equals you are not.

    They were aided by Gabriel, who descended to help.

  13. وَعَلَونا يَومَ بَدرٍ بِالتُقى

    طاعَةَ اللَهِ وَتَصديقَ الرُسُل

    And we prevailed on the day of Badr through piety,

    in obedience to God and belief in the messengers.

  14. وَتَرَكنا في قُرَيشٍ عَورَةً

    يَومَ بَدرٍ وَأَحاديثَ مَثَل

    And we left a shameful breach in Quraysh

    on the day of Badr, and tales that became bywords.

  15. وَرَسولُ اللَهِ حَقّاً شاهِدٌ

    يَومَ بَدرٍ وَالتَنابيلُ الهُبَل

    And God's Messenger was truly a witness

    on the day of Badr, and so were the squat, hulking men.

  16. وَتَرَكنا مِن قُرَيشٍ جَمعَهُم

    مِثلَ ما جُمِّعَ في الخِصبِ الهَمَل

    And we left the assembled host of Quraysh

    like untended camels gathered in lush pasture.

  17. وَقَتَلنا مِنكُمُ أَهلَ اللِوَا

    إِذ لَقيناكُم كَأَنّا أُسدُ طَلّ

    And we killed the banner-bearers among you,

    when we met you as though we were lions wet with dew.

  18. فَقَتَلنا كُلَّ رَأسٍ مِنهُمُ

    وَقَتَلنا كُلَّ جَحجاحٍ رِفَلّ

    So we killed every leader among them,

    and we killed every mighty, swaggering chief.

  19. كَم قَتَلنا مِن كَريمٍ سَيِّدٍ

    ماجِدِ الجَدَّينِ مِقدامٍ بَطَل

    How many a noble lord we killed,

    noble through both grandfathers, a bold hero,

  20. وَشَريفٍ لِشَريفٍ ماجِدٍ

    لا نُباليهِ لَدى وَقعِ الأَسَل

    and a noble born of an illustrious noble,

    whom we disregarded when the spears struck,

  21. حينَ أَعلَنتُم بِصَوتٍ كاذِبٍ

    وَأَبو سُفيانَ كَي يَعلو هُبَل

    when you shouted out a lying cry,

    and Abu Sufyan too, so that Hubal might be exalted.

  22. نَحنُ لا أَنتُم بَني أَستاهِها

    نَحنُ في البَأسِ إِذا البَأسُ نَزَل

    We—not you, sons of her arses—

    we are in the fray when battle descends.