رَكَضوا الجِيادَ إِلى الجِلادِ صَباحاً

وَاِستَشعَروا النَصرَ العَزيزَ سِلاحا

The steeds raced to battle at dawn

And felt the sweetness of mighty triumph in their weapons

وَاِستَقبَلوا أُفُقَ الشَمالِ بِجَحفَلٍ

نَشَرَ القَتامَ عَلى الشَمالِ جَناحا

And faced the northern horizon with an army

That spread darkness over the north on wings

قَد ماسَ في أَرجائِهِ شَجَرُ القَنا

وَجَرى بِهِ ماءُ الحَديدِ فَساحا

The spear-wood groaned throughout its borders

And the water of iron flowed freely in it

مَطَرَ الأَعاجِمِ مِنهُ عارِضُ سَطوَةٍ

بَرَقَ الحَديدُ بِجانِبَيهِ فَلاحا

It rained destruction on the enemy from a raging storm

The iron flashed lightning on both sides

حَتّى إِذا قُضِمَ المُهَنَّدُ نَبوَةً

وَاِندَقَّ صَدرُ السَمهَرِيِّ فَطاحا

Until Al-Muhannad was broken into pieces

And the chest of Al-Samhari collapsed and fell

زَحَمَت مَناكِبُهُ الأَعادي زَحمَةً

بَسَطتَهُمُ فَوقَ البِطاحِ بِطاحا

Their shoulders piled the enemies in heaps

Laying them out in the dust flattened

قَتلى بِحَيثُ اِرفَضَّ دَمعُ المُزنِ لا

رُحمى فَأَسعَدَهُ الحَمامُ فَناحا

There were corpses where the tear of mourning was shed

And the turtledove rejoiced with glad cries

قَد تُرِّبَت مِنهُم صَحائِفُ أَوجُهٍ

جَعَلَت تُمَزِّقُها السُيوفُ جِراحا

Pages made from their faces were torn

By swords that slashed them with wounds

فَلَوِ اِطَّلَعتَ لَما اِطَّلَعتَ عَلى سِوى

سَهمٍ تَثَلَّمَ في قَتيلٍ طاحا

If you had looked you would have seen naught

But arrows conversationally lodged in the fallen dead

فَحَمَت حَريمَ المُسلِمينَ مَصارِعٌ

تَرَكَت حَريمَ المُشرِكينَ مُباحا

Graves protected the sanctity of the Muslims

Leaving the pagans' women free for all

مُسوَدَّ ساحاتِ المَنازِلِ وَحشَةً

مَملوءَ أَفنِيَةِ الدِيارِ نِياحا

Filling the courtyards of homes with darkness

And houses' patios resounding with wailing

تَأتي صُقورٌ مِنهُمُ مُنقَضَّةٌ

قَدَراً عَلى مُهَجِ العَدُوِّ مُتاحا

Eagles swooped down upon the guts of the foe

Freely at the enemy's soft bellies pecking

مَلَأوا ضُلوعَ اللَيلِ زُرقَ أَسِنَّةٍ

سالَت عَلى أَعطافِهِ أَوضاحا

They filled the ribs of night with the flickering of tongues

Darting over its shoulders sparks aflashing

وَتَخايَلَت بِهِمِ الجِيادُ كَأَنَّما

شَرِبَت مَعاطِفَ كُلِّ طِرفٍ راحا

The steeds fancied as though they were wearing

Mantles fringed with pleasure on every edge

مِن كُلِّ مَنصورِ اللِواءِ إِذا سَرى

مَثُلَت لَهُ عُقبى السُرى فَاِرتاحا

Whenever a horseman of bright banners rode forth

The heels of riding put comfort behind

فَاِنصاعَ يَضحَكُ وَجهُهُ مِن غُرَّةٍ

سالَت وَيَلعَبُ في العِنانِ مِراحا

His face laughed from the glow of youth

As pleasure frolicked on the bridle

يَسري بِأَبلَجَ ما اِدلَهَمَّت رَوعَةٌ

إِلّا تَلَألَأَ وَجهُهُ مِصباحا

He proceeded serenely, whatever alarm dimmed his vision

His face shone like a bright lantern

وَأَقامَ فَوقَهُمُ العَجاجَةَ كِلَّةً

وَأَدارَ بَينَهُمُ الرَدى أَقداحا

He stirred up dust storms over them completely

And drove destruction among them in cups

أَيسارُ حَربٍ كُلَّما اِشتَجَرَ القَنا

لَم يُعمِلوا إِلّا الرِماحَ قِداحا

Warriors whose hands when the spears mixed

Used only the spears for striking fire

طالوا العَوالِيَ بَسطَةً فَكَأَنَّما

رَكَزَت يَدُ الهَيجا بِهِم أَرماحا

They stretched out to high places far and wide

As though the hand of fate had planted them as spears

مِن كُلِّ هَضبَةِ سُؤدُدٍ هَزَّ النَدى

أَعطافَهُ طَرَباً فَسالَ سَماحا

Dew shaken in arousal streamed from every hill

Of twisted peaks in generous flow

أَدمى اللِقاءُ مِنَ القَنا ظَفراً لَهُ

ذَرِباً وَمَدَّ مِنَ اللِواءِ جَناحا

The encounter reddened victory for the spears

Striking in profusion and the banners spreading wide

فَاِنجابَ لَيلُ الخَطبِ عَن أُفقِ الهُدى

وَتَطَلَّعَ الفَتحُ المُبينُ صَباحا

The night of trials drew away from the horizon of guidance

And clear triumph appeared in the dawn