للّهِ أيُّ شِهابِ حربٍ واقِدٌ

للّهِ أيُّ شِهابِ حربٍ واقِدٌ

صَحِبَ ابنَ ذي يزَنٍ وأدركَ تُبّعا

صَحِبَ ابنَ ذي يزَنٍ وأدركَ تُبّعا

By God, what a blazing meteor of war!

What fiery meteor of war, kindling its flames,

It accompanied Ibn Dhī Yazan and knew Tubbaʿ.

Accompanied the son of Dhi Yazan and overtook Tubba,

في كفِّ يحيَى منه أبيضُ مُرهَفٌ

في كفِّ يحيَى منه أبيضُ مُرهَفٌ

عرَفَ المعزَّ حقيقةً فتشيّعا

عرَفَ المعزَّ حقيقةً فتشيّعا

In Yaḥyā’s palm is a white, keen-edged blade from it;

In the grip of Yahya it became a flashing white blade,

It truly recognized al-Muʿizz and so became Shiʿi.

It knew the truth so it became a Shia,

وجرى الفِرِندُ بصَفحَتَيهِ كأنّما

وجرى الفِرِندُ بصَفحَتَيهِ كأنّما

ذَكرَ القتيلَ بكَربلاءَ فدمّعا

ذَكرَ القتيلَ بكَربلاءَ فدمّعا

And the watered pattern flowed along its two faces, as though

The sword flowed through him as if

It remembered the slain one at Karbalāʾ and shed tears.

It remembered the martyr of Karbala so it wept,

يكفيكَ ممّا شِئتَ في الهيجاء أنْ

يكفيكَ ممّا شِئتَ في الهيجاء أنْ

تَلقَى العِدى فتسُلّ منه إصبعا

تَلقَى العِدى فتسُلّ منه إصبعا

For whatever you desire in battle, it is enough for you to

It is enough from what you desired in the heat of battle that

Meet the foes and draw just a finger’s breadth of it.

You meet the foe and draw from him a finger.