وكتيبة بالدارعين كثيفة

وكتيبة بالدارعين كثيفة

جرت ذيول الجحفل الجرار

جرت ذيول الجحفل الجرار

And a battalion, dense with armored men,

And a dense battalion of armored warriors, dragging the train of a sweeping army,

trailed the skirts of a vast, mighty host:

A garden of doom whose branches are tawny spears, above which banners bloom like flowers,

روض المنايا قضبها السمر التي

روض المنايا قضبها السمر التي

من فوقها الرايات كالأزهار

من فوقها الرايات كالأزهار

a garden of death, its branches the tawny spears,

Filled with champions, sons of champions, resembling lions of the thicket amidst quivering lances,

above which the banners were like flowers.

Beaming with joy at the clash of battle, as though their faces were fashioned from moons,

فيها الكماة بنو الكماة كأنهم

فيها الكماة بنو الكماة كأنهم

أسد الشرى بين القنا الخطار

أسد الشرى بين القنا الخطار

Within it were champions, sons of champions, as though they were

Every lion mounted on a steed like flashing lightning, holding in his right hand a decree of fate,

lions of al-Sharā among the swaying spears,

Every sharp blade unsheathed by a soul just as keen, cutting short the appointed terms of lives,

متهللين لدى الهياج كأنما

متهللين لدى الهياج كأنما

خلقت وجوههم من الأقمار

خلقت وجوههم من الأقمار

beaming amid battle's tumult, as though

They wore their hearts atop their armor and thrust forth, with their hands, fire against the people of the fire,

their faces had been fashioned out of moons.

They advanced, bearing against their foes the malice of enemies and the fervor of defenders,

من كل ليث فوق برق خاطف

من كل ليث فوق برق خاطف

بيمينه قدر من الأقدار

بيمينه قدر من الأقدار

Each a lion astride swift-flashing lightning,

The bell was terrified as its tongue was torn out, and the Cross wept for the humiliation of the unbelievers,

with one of fate's decrees in his right hand.

Then they turned away from him and his servants, once they had become but a tale among tales.

من كل ماض ينتضيه مثله

من كل ماض ينتضيه مثله

فيصيب آجالا على أعمار

فيصيب آجالا على أعمار

Each keen blade is unsheathed by one as keen,

and so brings appointed deaths upon lives.

لبسوا القلوب على الدروع وأشرعوا

لبسوا القلوب على الدروع وأشرعوا

بأكفهم نارا لأهل النار

بأكفهم نارا لأهل النار

They wore their hearts over their armor and thrust forth

with their hands a fire for the people of Hell.

وتقدموا ولهم على أعدائهم

وتقدموا ولهم على أعدائهم

حنق العدا وحمية الأنصار

حنق العدا وحمية الأنصار

And they advanced, bearing against their enemies

the fury of foes and the zeal of the Ansar.

فارتاع ناقوس لخلع لسانه

فارتاع ناقوس لخلع لسانه

وبكى الصليب لذلة الكفار

وبكى الصليب لذلة الكفار

So a church bell shuddered at its tongue being torn out,

and the cross wept at the unbelievers' humiliation.

ثم انثنوا عنه وعن عباده

ثم انثنوا عنه وعن عباده

وقد أصبحوا خبرا من الأخبار

وقد أصبحوا خبرا من الأخبار

Then they turned away from it and its worshippers,

who by then had become a tale among tales.