وَلَو أَنَّ قَومي في الحُروبِ أَذِلَّةً

وَلَو أَنَّ قَومي في الحُروبِ أَذِلَّةً

لَأَحنَت عَلَيهِم فارِس في المَلاحِمُ

لَأَحنَت عَلَيهِم فارِس في المَلاحِمُ

And had my people been humbled in war,

And if my people were humiliated in wars,

Persia would have borne down upon them in fierce battles.

The Persian knight would have gloated in epics,

وَلَكِنَّ قومي أَحرَزَتهُم سُيوفُهُم

وَلَكِنَّ قومي أَحرَزَتهُم سُيوفُهُم

فآبوا وَقَد عادوا حُماةَ المَكارِمُ

فآبوا وَقَد عادوا حُماةَ المَكارِمُ

But my people were protected by their swords,

But my people's swords protected them,

So they returned, having become guardians of noble virtues.

So they returned having safeguarded all virtues,

أَبَينا فلم نعطِ الظَلامَةَ فارِساً

أَبَينا فلم نعطِ الظَلامَةَ فارِساً

وَلَكِن قَبلَنا السِلمَ مِمَّن يُسالِمُ

وَلَكِن قَبلَنا السِلمَ مِمَّن يُسالِمُ

We refused, and did not submit to Persia's oppression,

We refused to grant the darkness to Persia,

But we accepted peace from whoever made peace.

But accepted peace from those inclined to it,

وَنَحنُ حَبَسنا في نَهاوَندَ خَيلَنا

وَنَحنُ حَبَسنا في نَهاوَندَ خَيلَنا

لَعَشرِ لَيالٍ أُنتِجَت لِلأَعاجِمُ

لَعَشرِ لَيالٍ أُنتِجَت لِلأَعاجِمُ

And we held our horses at Nahavand

And we kept our horses confined in Nihawand

For ten nights; they were made to foal for the non-Arabs.

For ten nights they were readied for the non-Arabs,

نَتَجنَ لَهُم بِنتاً وَعَضَّلَ سَجلُها

نَتَجنَ لَهُم بِنتاً وَعَضَّلَ سَجلُها

غَداةَ نَهاوَندٍ لِإِحدى العَظائِمُ

غَداةَ نَهاوَندٍ لِإِحدى العَظائِمُ

They bore them a daughter, and her brimming bucket proved burdensome,

In the morning after Nihawand they gave birth to a daughter,

On the morning of Nahavand—one of the great calamities.

On one of the magnificent days,

مَلَأنا شِعاباً في نَهاوَندَ مِنهُم

مَلَأنا شِعاباً في نَهاوَندَ مِنهُم

رِجالاً وَخَيلاً أَسلَمَت في الصَرائِمُ

رِجالاً وَخَيلاً أَسلَمَت في الصَرائِمُ

We filled ravines at Nahavand with them—

We filled the valleys of Nihawand with them,

Men and horses left abandoned in the thickets.

Men and horses who surrendered in battles,

وَأَركَضُهُنَّ الفَيرُزانَ عَلى الصَفا

وَأَركَضُهُنَّ الفَيرُزانَ عَلى الصَفا

فَلَم يُنجه مِنها اِنفِساحُ المَخارِمُ

فَلَم يُنجه مِنها اِنفِساحُ المَخارِمُ

And al-Fayruzan sent them galloping over the smooth rock;

And we galloped the FIRUZAN on the plain,

Yet the breadth of the mountain passes did not save him from them.

So that the wide open spaces did not save them.