إِذا عَضَلٌ سيقَت إِلَينا كَأَنَّهُم

إِذا عَضَلٌ سيقَت إِلَينا كَأَنَّهُم

جِدايَةُ شَركٍ مُعلَماتُ الحَواجِبِ

جِدايَةُ شَركٍ مُعلَماتُ الحَواجِبِ

When ʿAḍal are driven toward us, they are like

When enemies charged as if they were

the gazelle fawns of Shark, with marked brows.

Banners of allies marked with kohl,

أَقَمنا لَهُم ضَرباً مُبيراً مُنَكِّلاً

أَقَمنا لَهُم ضَرباً مُبيراً مُنَكِّلاً

وَحُزناهُمُ بِالطَعنِ مِن كُلِّ جانِبِ

وَحُزناهُمُ بِالطَعنِ مِن كُلِّ جانِبِ

We inflicted on them a devastating, chastening beating,

We confronted them with crushing blows

and drove them with spear-thrusts from every side.

And pierced them from every side.

وَلَولا لِواءُ الحارِثِيَّةِ أَصبَحوا

وَلَولا لِواءُ الحارِثِيَّةِ أَصبَحوا

يُباعونَ في الأَسواقِ بَيعَ الجَلائِبِ

يُباعونَ في الأَسواقِ بَيعَ الجَلائِبِ

And without al-Ḥārithiyya’s banner, they would have been

Had it not been for Al-Harith's banner, they would have

sold in the markets like slaves brought in for sale.

Been sold in markets like slaves in shackles,

يَمُصّونَ أَرصافَ السِهامِ كَأَنَّهُم

يَمُصّونَ أَرصافَ السِهامِ كَأَنَّهُم

إِذا هَبَطوا سَهلاً وِبارٌ شَوازِبُ

إِذا هَبَطوا سَهلاً وِبارٌ شَوازِبُ

They suck the sinew bindings of arrows, as though they were,

Sucking arrows as if they were

when they descend to level ground, gaunt hyraxes.

Heavy rain pouring from laden clouds.

نُفَجِّئُ عَنّا الناسَ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

نُفَجِّئُ عَنّا الناسَ حَتّى كَأَنَّما

يُلَفِّحُهُم جَمرٌ مِنَ النارِ ثاقِبُ

يُلَفِّحُهُم جَمرٌ مِنَ النارِ ثاقِبُ

We startle people away from us, until it is as though

We took people by surprise as if

blazing embers of fire were scorching them.

Scorching embers pierced them through.