وَلَمّا رَأَيتُ الخَيلَ تَقرَعُ بِالقَنا

فَوارِسها حُمرُ العُيونِ دَوامي

When I saw the horses striking with spears

And when I saw the cavalry clashing with lances,

Their riders, red-eyed always

Their riders with eyes turned red and streaming blood;

وَأَقبَلَ رَهجٌ في السماءِ كَأَنَّه

غَمامَةُ دَجنٍ مُلبَسٍ بِقُتامِ

And a commotion approached in the sky as though

And a cloud of dust rose in the sky, as if it were

It was a cloud of evening dressed in darkness

A dark rain-cloud cloaked in murky gloom;

وَنادى اِبن هِندٍ ذا الكِلاعِ وَيَحصُباً

وِكِندَةَ في لَخمٍ وَحَيِّ جُذامِ

And the son of Hind called out, he of braids and plait

And Ibn Hind called out to Dhu al-Kila' and Yahsub,

And Kinda in Lakhm and the tribe of Judham

And Kinda, amidst the tribes of Lakhm and Judham;

تَيَمَّمتُ هَمدانَ الَّذينَ هُمُ هُمُ

إِذا نابَ أَمرٌ جُنَّتي وَحُسامي

I betook myself to Hamdan, they who are they

I turned towards Hamdan—those who are truly men—

Whenever my affair was difficult and my sword

My shield and my sword when calamity strikes.

وَنادَيتُ فيهِم دَعوَةً فَأَجابني

فَوارِسُ مِن هَمدانَ غَيرُ لِئامِ

And I called out among them an invitation, so they answered me

I cried out a summons among them, and they answered me:

The horsemen of Hamdan, not ignoble

Horsemen from Hamdan, far removed from any baseness;

فَوارِسُ مِن هَمدانَ لَيسوا بُعُزَّلٍ

غُداةَ الوَغى مِن شاكِرٍ وَشبامِ

The horsemen of Hamdan are not abandoned

Knights of Hamdan who are never unarmed

In the morning of battle, whether Shakir or Shibam

On the morning of battle—men from Shakir and Shibam;

وَمن أَرحَبَ الشَمَّ المطاعينَ بِالقَنا

وَرَهُمٌ وَأَحياءُ السَبيعِ وَيامِ

And whoever spread out the obedient horses with spears

And from Arhab, the lofty ones who thrust with spears,

And archers, and the alive Saba’ and Yam

And Rahum, and the clans of Sabi' and Yam.

وَمِن كُلِّ حَيٍّ أَتَتني فَوارِسٌ

ذوُو نَجَداتٍ في اللِقاءِ كِرامِ

And from every tribe came horsemen to me

From every clan, horsemen rallied to me,

Possessors of excellence in the encounter, generous

Men of valor in the clash, noble in spirit;

بِكُلِّ رَدينيٍّ وَعَضبٍ تَخالُهُ

إِذا اِختَلَفَ الأَقوامُ شَعَلَ ضِرامِ

With every sharp and hot-tempered one, whom

With every Rudayni spear and sharp blade, which seem—

If the people differ, his fire flame kindles

When the hosts collide—to be blazing tongues of fire.

فَخاضوا لَظاها وَاصطَلوا بِشَرارِها

وَكانوا لَدى الهَيجا كَشَربِ مُدامِ

So they plunged into the deepest part and drew from its live coals

They waded into the blaze and warmed themselves by its sparks,

And they were at the frenzy like a draught of wine

And in the thick of war, they were like men drinking wine.

جَزى اللَهُ هَمدانَ الجِنانَ فإِنَّهُم

سِمامُ العِدى في كُلِّ يَومٍ خِصامِ

May God reward Hamdan the gardens, for they

May God reward Hamdan with the Gardens of Paradise, for they are

Are the poison of enemies in every day of contention

The lethal poison to their enemies on every day of conflict.

لِهَمدانَ اَخلاقٌ وَدينٌ يَزينهُم

وَلينٌ إِذا لاقوا وَحُسنُ كَلامِ

For Hamdan are character and religion that adorn them

Hamdan possesses character and faith that adorn them,

And gentleness when they meet, and excellent speech

And gentleness when they meet, and eloquence of speech;

وَجَدٌّ وَصِدقٌ في الحُروبِ وَنَجدَةٌ

وَقَولٌ إِذا قالوا بِغَيرِ إِثامِ

And truthfulness in wars and help

Yet seriousness and sincerity in war, and valor,

And words when they speak without sin

And words, when they speak, free from any sin.

مَتى تَأتِهِم في دارِهِم لِضيافَةٍ

تَبِت عِندَهُم في غِبطَةٍ وَطَعامِ

When will you come to visit them in their homes

Whenever you visit them in their abodes for hospitality,

You would stay with them in happiness and food

You pass the night with them in bliss and feasting.

أَلا إِنَّ هَمدانَ الكِرامَ أَعِزَةٌ

كَما عَزَّ رُكنُ البَيتِ عِندَ مَقامِ

Verily, Hamdan the generous are most noble

Truly, the noble Hamdan are mighty and proud,

As the stones of the Ka’ba are noble at the Station

Mighty as the Corner of the House stands by the Station.

أَناسٌ يُحِبّونَ النَبيَّ وَرَهطَهُ

سِراعٌ إِلى الهَيجاءِ غَيرَ كَهامِ

They are people who love the Prophet and his comrades

A people who love the Prophet and his kin,

Quickly to the frenzy, not shrinking

Rushing swift to the fray, never blunt of edge.

فَلو كُنتَ بَوّاباً عَلى بابِ جَنَةٍ

لَقُلتُ لِهَمدانَ اِدخلوا بِسلامِ

So if you were a gatekeeper at the door of Paradise

So if I were the gatekeeper at the door of Paradise,

You would say to Hamdan, “Enter in peace.”

I would say to Hamdan, "Enter in peace!"