وَتَوارَدوا حَوض المنيّة دون أن
تُسبى خفيرةُ أُختهم وَاِستَجمعوا
They came one after another to Death’s pool rather than let
their protected woman and their sister be carried captive; together they rallied.
وَألحّ كِسرى بالجنود عليهمُ
وَطميح يردفُ بالسيوف ويدفعُ
Khosrow pressed relentlessly against them with his troops,
and, overweening, followed up with swords and drove the assault on.
كَم زادَهم مِن غارة ملموسةٍ
بِالقبِّ تعطب والأسنّة تلمعُ
How many a close-massed raid he heaped upon them,
at whose heart you perish while the spearheads flash!
وَهمُ عليهِ واردونَ بِطَرفهم
وَالنصرُ تحتَ لِوائهم يترعرعُ
Yet they came pouring against him with their vanguard,
and victory beneath their banner burgeoned,
حتّى غدا الفرسيّ في أجنادهِ
وَالقومُ جَرحى والمذاكي ظلّعُ
until the Persian, amid his forces, was left
with his men wounded and his finest steeds limping.
فَهُناك أُرجِفت البلادُ وَمَن بها ال
أحياءُ من يمنٍ ومن يتربّعُ
Then the land and all within it were thrown into alarm—the
clans of Yemen, and all who made their dwelling there.
وَتَحيّروا فَشفت صفيّةُ مفخراً
وَدَعت قبائلَ شرّها لا يقلعُ
They stood bewildered; then Ṣafiyya brought healing—a deed of pride—
and summoned tribes whose fury never abates:
مِنها شهابٌ مع ظليم وشعثمٍ
وَجدابة في حرّها يتلفّعُ
among them Shihāb, with Ẓulaym and Shaytham,
and Jadābah, cloaked in the battle’s blaze,
آجامُهم فيها الصوارم وَالقنا
وَالسابريّة وَالوشيج الشرّعُ
with mighty hosts bristling with keen swords and lances,
Sābirī mail, and leveled washīj-wood spears.
Sol 5.6