أَبى قَومُنا إِلاّ الفِرارَ وَمَن تَكُن

أَبى قَومُنا إِلاّ الفِرارَ وَمَن تَكُن

هَوَازِنُ مَولاهُ مِنَ الناسِ يُظلَمِ

هَوَازِنُ مَولاهُ مِنَ الناسِ يُظلَمِ

Our people would do nothing but flee; and whoever has

Our people insisted on fleeing, and whoever

Hawazin as his protector among men is wronged.

Had Hawazin as allies was wronged by men.

أَغارَ عَلَينا جَمعُهُم بَينَ ظالِمٍ

أَغارَ عَلَينا جَمعُهُم بَينَ ظالِمٍ

وَبَينَ ابنِ عَمٍّ كاذِبِ الودِّ أَيهَمِ

وَبَينَ ابنِ عَمٍّ كاذِبِ الودِّ أَيهَمِ

Their host raided us, ranging from a wrongdoer

Their army attacked us, between an unjust man

to a headstrong cousin, false in affection.

And a cousin who betrayed his loyalty.

كِلابٌ وَما تَفعَل كِلابٌ فَإِنَّها

كِلابٌ وَما تَفعَل كِلابٌ فَإِنَّها

وَكَعبٌ سَراةَ البَيتِ ما لَم تَهَدِّمِ

وَكَعبٌ سَراةَ البَيتِ ما لَم تَهَدِّمِ

Kilab—whatever Kilab may do, surely they

They're dogs, and dogs just behave as dogs do

and Ka'b are the nobles of the house, so long as they do not tear it down.

And Ka'b, who destroyed his house's sanctuary.

فَإِن كانَ هذا صُنعُكُم فَتَجَرَّدوا

فَإِن كانَ هذا صُنعُكُم فَتَجَرَّدوا

لَأَلفَينِ مِنّا حاسِرٍ وَمُلأَمِ

لَأَلفَينِ مِنّا حاسِرٍ وَمُلأَمِ

So if this is your doing, then ready yourselves

If this is how you act, then strip yourselves

for two thousand of us, unarmored and armored,

For two thousand embittered, blameworthy foes,

وَحَربٍ إِذا المَرءُ السَمينُ تَمَرَّسَت

وَحَربٍ إِذا المَرءُ السَمينُ تَمَرَّسَت

بِأَعطافِهِ بِالسَيفِ لَم يَتَرَمرَمِ

بِأَعطافِهِ بِالسَيفِ لَم يَتَرَمرَمِ

and a war: when it grapples with a stout man

And for war, when the fat man is well-armed

at his flanks with the sword, he utters not a sound.

With weapons, his sword won't weaken or bend.

وَلَم أَحتَسِب سُفيانَ حَتّى لَقيتُهُ

وَلَم أَحتَسِب سُفيانَ حَتّى لَقيتُهُ

عَلى مَأقِطٍ إِذ بَينَنا عِطرُ مَنشِمِ

عَلى مَأقِطٍ إِذ بَينَنا عِطرُ مَنشِمِ

And I had not reckoned with Sufyan until I met him

I didn't expect Sufyan until I met him

on a battlefield, when Manshim's perfume lay between us.

In Maqit, when the scent of musk was shed.

فَقُلتُ وَقَد صاحَ النِساءُ خِلالَهُم

فَقُلتُ وَقَد صاحَ النِساءُ خِلالَهُم

لِخَيلِيَ شُدِّي إِنَّهُم قَومُ لَهذَمِ

لِخَيلِيَ شُدِّي إِنَّهُم قَومُ لَهذَمِ

So I said, while the women cried out among them,

I said, as the women screamed amongst them,

to my cavalry: 'Charge! They are Lahdham's people.'

"My horsemen, charge them - they're ripe to be crushed!"

فَما كانَ تَهليلٌ لَدُن أَن رَمَيتُهُم

فَما كانَ تَهليلٌ لَدُن أَن رَمَيتُهُم

بِزِرَّةَ رَكضاً حاسِراً غَيرَ مُلجَمِ

بِزِرَّةَ رَكضاً حاسِراً غَيرَ مُلجَمِ

So there was no faltering from the moment I charged at them

From when I shot them with a quiver's arrows

on Zirrah at a gallop, unarmored, with her unbridled.

Galloping and routing them, unrestrained,

إِذا هِيَ صَدَّت نَحرَها عَن سَبيلِها

إِذا هِيَ صَدَّت نَحرَها عَن سَبيلِها

أُقَدِّمُها حَتّى تَنَعَّلَ بِالدَمِ

أُقَدِّمُها حَتّى تَنَعَّلَ بِالدَمِ

Whenever she turned her breast away from her course,

When it shied from its path, I spurred it on

I drove her forward until she was shod with blood.

Until it was shod by their blood.

وَما زالَ مِنهُم رائِغٌ عَن سَبيلِها

وَما زالَ مِنهُم رائِغٌ عَن سَبيلِها

وَآخَرُ يَهوي لِليَدَينِ وَلِلفَمِ

وَآخَرُ يَهوي لِليَدَينِ وَلِلفَمِ

And there was always one of them dodging out of her path,

One after another veered from their paths

and another falling onto his hands and mouth,

While others dove for hands and mouths.

لَدُن غُدوةً حَتّى اُستُبيحوا عَشِيَّةً

لَدُن غُدوةً حَتّى اُستُبيحوا عَشِيَّةً

وَذَلُّوا فَكانوا لُحمَةَ المُتَلَحِّمِ

وَذَلُّوا فَكانوا لُحمَةَ المُتَلَحِّمِ

from early morning until they were overrun at evening,

From dawn until they were ravaged by dusk

and were humbled, becoming a morsel of flesh for the flesh-eater.

And humbled, as chunks for the feeder to chew.

فَآبوا بِها عُرفاً وَأَلقَيتُ كَلكَلي

فَآبوا بِها عُرفاً وَأَلقَيتُ كَلكَلي

عَلى بَطَلٍ شاكي السِلاحِ مُكَلَّمِ

عَلى بَطَلٍ شاكي السِلاحِ مُكَلَّمِ

So they returned with it, resigned, and I bore down with my breast

So they returned, recognizeable by landmarks,

upon a wounded champion, bristling with weapons.

As I tossed my anklets over a weakened warrior.

وَلَن يَمنَعَ الأَقوامَ إِلاّ مُشايِحٌ

وَلَن يَمنَعَ الأَقوامَ إِلاّ مُشايِحٌ

يُطارِدُ في الأَرضِ الفَضاءِ وَيَرتَمي

يُطارِدُ في الأَرضِ الفَضاءِ وَيَرتَمي

And none will defend the tribes but a resolute fighter

Only intrepid raiders can stop these people,

who gives chase across the open land and shoots.

Pursuing on bare land and hurling themselves.