وَنَحنُ صَبَحنا عامِراً إِذ تَمَرَّسَت

وَنَحنُ صَبَحنا عامِراً إِذ تَمَرَّسَت

عُلالَةَ أَرماحٍ وَضَرباً مُذَكَّرا

عُلالَةَ أَرماحٍ وَضَرباً مُذَكَّرا

And we assailed ʿĀmir at dawn, when they engaged in combat,

We awoke at dawn while the spears were set

With a second draught of spears and manly blows,

And swords struck with reminders made clear,

بِكُلِّ رُقاقِ الشَفرَتَينِ مُهَنَّدٍ

بِكُلِّ رُقاقِ الشَفرَتَينِ مُهَنَّدٍ

وَلَدنٍ مِنَ الخَطِّيِّ قَد طُرَّ أَسمَرا

وَلَدنٍ مِنَ الخَطِّيِّ قَد طُرَّ أَسمَرا

With every Indian-steel sword, thin at both edges,

With the blades of each sharpened sword

And a supple brown spear from al-Khaṭṭ, already sharpened.

And the dark gloss of polished lances near.

عَجِبتُ لَهُم إِذ يَخنُقونَ نُفوسَهُم

عَجِبتُ لَهُم إِذ يَخنُقونَ نُفوسَهُم

وَمَقتَلُهُم تَحتَ الوَغى كانَ أَعذَرا

وَمَقتَلُهُم تَحتَ الوَغى كانَ أَعذَرا

I marveled at them as they strangled themselves,

I was amazed as they choked their souls,

And their death amid battle’s din would have been more excusable.

Though their killing midst the melee was excused.

يَشُدُّ الحَليمُ مِنهُمُ عَقدَ حَبلِهِ

يَشُدُّ الحَليمُ مِنهُمُ عَقدَ حَبلِهِ

أَلا إِنَّما يَأتي الَّذي كانَ حُذَّرا

أَلا إِنَّما يَأتي الَّذي كانَ حُذَّرا

The prudent man among them tightens the knot of his rope—

The forbearing tie fast their ropes,

Lo, he only meets what he had been warned of.

Verily, what was feared is now loosed.