يا شَدَّةً ما شَدَدنا غَيرَ كاذِبَةٍ

يا شَدَّةً ما شَدَدنا غَيرَ كاذِبَةٍ

عَلى سَخينَةَ لَولا اللَيلُ وَالحَرَمُ

عَلى سَخينَةَ لَولا اللَيلُ وَالحَرَمُ

Oh, what an unfeigned charge we would have made

Oh what misery we’ve endured except falsehood

against Sakhina, but for night and the sacred precinct!

Against the hot-tempered, were it not for night and the sanctuary

إِذ يَتَّقينا هِشامٌ بِالوَليدِ وَلَو

إِذ يَتَّقينا هِشامٌ بِالوَليدِ وَلَو

أَنّا ثَقِفنا هِشاماً شالَتِ الخَدَمُ

أَنّا ثَقِفنا هِشاماً شالَتِ الخَدَمُ

When Hisham shielded himself from us with al-Walid—and had

When Hisham took cover behind Al-Walid, and had

we caught Hisham, the anklets would have flown up.

We come upon Hisham, the servants would have fled

بَينَ الأَراكِ وَبَينَ المَرجِ تَبطَحُهُم

بَينَ الأَراكِ وَبَينَ المَرجِ تَبطَحُهُم

زُرقُ الأَسِنَّةِ في أَطرافِها السُهُمُ

زُرقُ الأَسِنَّةِ في أَطرافِها السُهُمُ

Between the arak trees and the meadow, they are laid low

Between Al-Arak and Al-Marj we laid them down

by blue spearheads, with arrows at their tips.

The tips of spears plunging into their sides like arrows

فَإِن سَمِعتُم بِجَيشٍ سالِكٍ سَرِفاً

فَإِن سَمِعتُم بِجَيشٍ سالِكٍ سَرِفاً

أَو بَطنَ مَرٍّ فَأَخفوا الجَرسَ وَاِكتَتَموا

أَو بَطنَ مَرٍّ فَأَخفوا الجَرسَ وَاِكتَتَموا

So if you hear of an army passing through Sarif,

So if you hear of an army marching boastfully

or the valley of Marr, hush all sound and hide yourselves.

Or the belly of a snake, then muffle the bells and keep silent

ثُمَّ اِرجِعوا فَأَكِبّوا في بُيوتِكُمُ

ثُمَّ اِرجِعوا فَأَكِبّوا في بُيوتِكُمُ

كَما أَكَبَّ عَلى ذي بَطنِهِ الهَرِمُ

كَما أَكَبَّ عَلى ذي بَطنِهِ الهَرِمُ

Then turn back and fall face-down inside your houses,

Then return and huddle in your homes

as a decrepit old man falls upon his belly.

As the elderly huddle over their bellies

لَمّا رَأَوا خَيلَنا تُزجى أَوائِلُها

لَمّا رَأَوا خَيلَنا تُزجى أَوائِلُها

آسادُ غيلٍ حَمى أَشبالَها الأَجَمُ

آسادُ غيلٍ حَمى أَشبالَها الأَجَمُ

When they saw our cavalry, its leading ranks urged onward—

When they saw our horses lined up, their first ranks

lions of a thicket whose cubs the dense woods sheltered—

Lions protecting their cubs with ferocity

وَاِستَقبِلوا بِضِرابٍ لا كِفاءَ لَهُ

وَاِستَقبِلوا بِضِرابٍ لا كِفاءَ لَهُ

يُبدي مِنَ العُزَّلِ الأَكفالَ ما كَتَموا

يُبدي مِنَ العُزَّلِ الأَكفالَ ما كَتَموا

and were met with blows that had no equal,

And they came out to meet us with blows beyond compare

exposing the unarmed men's buttocks, what they had concealed,

Revealing from their sleeves hands that were once hidden

وَلَّوا شِلالا وَعُظمُ الخَيلِ لاحِقَةٌ

وَلَّوا شِلالا وَعُظمُ الخَيلِ لاحِقَةٌ

كَما تَخُبُّ إِلى أَوطانِها النِعَمُ

كَما تَخُبُّ إِلى أَوطانِها النِعَمُ

they fled in scattered bands, the main body of cavalry pursuing,

They fled torrentially while the horses pursued

as herds trot toward their home grounds.

As cattle return to their settlements

وَلَّت بِهِم كُلُّ مِحضارٍ مُلَملَمَةٌ

وَلَّت بِهِم كُلُّ مِحضارٍ مُلَملَمَةٌ

كَأَنَّها لِقوَةٌ يَحتَثُّها ضَرَمُ

كَأَنَّها لِقوَةٌ يَحتَثُّها ضَرَمُ

Every compact-built, swift-running mare bore them away,

Every armed man wavered and swayed

as though she were an eagle driven by ravenous hunger.

As if a power was stirring him from slumber