لَوif أَنَّthat قَوميmy people فيin الحُروبِwars أَذِلَّةًabject
لَو أَنَّ قَومي في الحُروبِ أَذِلَّةً
لَأَلوَتwould have swept away بَنيmy sons العَنقاءَthe ʿAnqāʾ (mythical bird) مِنfrom رَأسa summit حالِقِlofty
لَأَلوَت بَني العَنقاءَ مِن رَأس حالِقِ
Had my people been abject in war,
Had my people in wars been humiliated
The ʿAnqāʾ would have swept my sons away from a lofty summit,
I would have cut off the heads of the long-necked with a barber’s razor
عَشِيَّةَon the evening كِسرىKisrā وَالجُنودُand the troops مُقيمَةٌencamped
عَشِيَّةَ كِسرى وَالجُنودُ مُقيمَةٌ
بِبابِat the gate of قُدَيسٍQudays يَنتَهيarrives بِالبَوائِقِwith calamities
بِبابِ قُدَيسٍ يَنتَهي بِالبَوائِقِ
On the evening when Kisrā, with the troops encamped,
On the eve when Kisra and his armies were stationed
At the gate of Qudays, came bearing calamities.
At the gate of Qudays, ending with the towers
وَلَكِنَّand yet قَوميmy people آزَرَتنيsupported me رماحُهُمtheir spears
وَلَكِنَّ قَومي آزَرَتني رماحُهُم
عَشِيَّةَon the evening هَبّواthey sprang up بِالرِماحِwith the spears الخَوافِقِquivering
عَشِيَّةَ هَبّوا بِالرِماحِ الخَوافِقِ
But my people's spears came to my aid,
But my people, their spears supported me
On the evening when they sprang up with quivering spears.
On the eve when they brandished their piercing spears
وَنَحنُand we عَقَرناwe hamstrung بِالمَلوطِwith the sword ركابَناour riding camels
وَنَحنُ عَقَرنا بِالمَلوطِ ركابَنا
بِبابِat the gate of قُدَيسٍQudays عِندَduring إِحدىone of الصَفائِقِthe dire ordeals
بِبابِ قُدَيسٍ عِندَ إِحدى الصَفائِقِ
And we hamstrung our riding camels with the sword,
And we hamstrung our horses at Malwat
At the gate of Qudays, during one of the dire ordeals.
At the gate of Qudays, by one of the riverbanks
وَنَحنُand we كَفَفناwe held back الفُرسَthe Persians أَيّامَduring the days of قادِسٍQādis
وَنَحنُ كَفَفنا الفُرسَ أَيّامَ قادِسٍ
بِمُعتَركٍin a mêlée ضَنكٍcramped كَلَفِّlike the folds of السُرادِقِthe pavilion
بِمُعتَركٍ ضَنكٍ كَلَفِّ السُرادِقِ
And we held back the Persians in the days of Qādis,
And we held back the horses in the days of Qadis
In a cramped mêlée, like the folds of a pavilion.
In a narrow, distressing battlefield like the ceilings of tents
إِذاwhenever ناهَدوناthey advanced against us رَفَّعَتهُمlifted them up سُيوفُناour swords
إِذا ناهَدونا رَفَّعَتهُم سُيوفُنا
إِلىto الماءِthe water حَتّىuntil تُتَّقىare warded off بِالعَلائِقِwith straps
إِلى الماءِ حَتّى تُتَّقى بِالعَلائِقِ
Whenever they advanced against us, our swords lifted them
Whenever they attacked us, our swords raised them
To the water, until our blades were warded off with straps.
To the water, until they were warded off with spears
Sol 6.1