وحَامت كِنَانَةُ فِي حَرْبِهَا

وحَامت كِنَانَةُ فِي حَرْبِهَا

وَحَامَتْ تَمِيمٌ وَحامَتْ أسَدْ

وَحَامَتْ تَمِيمٌ وَحامَتْ أسَدْ

And Kinanah stood firm in her war,

Kinanah was zealous in her wars,

and Tamim stood firm, and Asad stood firm;

As were Tamim, Asad on that day of meeting.

وَحَامَتْ هُوَازِنُ يوْمَ اللِّقَاءِ

وَحَامَتْ هُوَازِنُ يوْمَ اللِّقَاءِ

فَمَا حَامَ مِنَّا وَمِنْهُمْ أحَدْ

فَمَا حَامَ مِنَّا وَمِنْهُمْ أحَدْ

and Hawazin stood firm on the day of battle,

Neither us nor them gave way,

so not one of us or them drew back.

We met tribes of noble lineage,

لَقِينَا قَبَائِلَ أنْسَابُهُمْ

لَقِينَا قَبَائِلَ أنْسَابُهُمْ

إلى حَضْرُمَوْتٍ وَأهْلِ الْجَنَدْ

إلى حَضْرُمَوْتٍ وَأهْلِ الْجَنَدْ

We faced tribes whose lineages

From Hadramawt and people of Al-Jand.

reached back to Hadramawt and the people of al-Janad.

We met the horsemen on Thursday,

لقينا الفوَارِسَ يوْمَ الخَمِيس

لقينا الفوَارِسَ يوْمَ الخَمِيس

وَالعِيدِ وَالسَّبْتِ ثم الأحَدْ

وَالعِيدِ وَالسَّبْتِ ثم الأحَدْ

We faced the horsemen on Thursday,

Eid, Saturday and then Sunday.

and the feast day, and Saturday, then Sunday.

Their reinforcements behind their ears,

وَأمْدَادُهُم خَلْفَ آذانِهِمَ

وَأمْدَادُهُم خَلْفَ آذانِهِمَ

وَلَيْسَ لَنَا مِن سِوَانَا مَددْ

وَلَيْسَ لَنَا مِن سِوَانَا مَددْ

And their reinforcements were behind their ears,

While we had no help from our people.

while we had no reinforcement from anyone but ourselves.

When they called out their fathers' names,

فَلَمَّا تَنادَوا بِآبَائِهِم

فَلَمَّا تَنادَوا بِآبَائِهِم

دَعَونَا مَعَدَّا وَنِعْمَ المَعَدْ

دَعَونَا مَعَدَّا وَنِعْمَ المَعَدْ

So when they called out their forefathers’ names,

We invoked Ma'add - excellent Ma'add!

we called on Maʿadd—excellent indeed is Maʿadd!

We went on splitting their skulls,

فَظَلْنَا نُفَلِّقُ هَامَاتِهِم

فَظَلْنَا نُفَلِّقُ هَامَاتِهِم

وَلَم نَكُ فِيهَا بِبِيضِ البَلَدْ

وَلَم نَكُ فِيهَا بِبِيضِ البَلَدْ

So we kept splitting their skulls,

Not sparing any in that country.

nor were we in it eggs abandoned in the wilderness.

Excellent were the horsemen that day of meeting,

وَنِعْمَ الفَوَرِسُ يوْمَ اللِّقَاءِ

وَنِعْمَ الفَوَرِسُ يوْمَ اللِّقَاءِ

فَقُلْ في عَدِيدٍ وَقُل في عَدَدْ

فَقُلْ في عَدِيدٍ وَقُل في عَدَدْ

And fine were the horsemen on the day of battle—

Say a large number, say a multitude!

so speak of their multitude, and speak of their numbers!

But we swept them away violently,

وَلَكِنْ عَصَفْنَا بِهِمْ عَصْفَة

وَلَكِنْ عَصَفْنَا بِهِمْ عَصْفَة

وَفي الحَرْبِ يُمْنٌ وَفيهَا نَكَدْ

وَفي الحَرْبِ يُمْنٌ وَفيهَا نَكَدْ

But we swept over them in a single furious blast;

War has prosperity and adversity.

and in war there is good fortune, and there is misfortune.

We stabbed the horsemen amidst the heaving,

طَعَنَّا الفوَارِسَ وَسطَ العَجَاج

طَعَنَّا الفوَارِسَ وَسطَ العَجَاج

وَسُقْنَا الزعَانِفَ سوْقَ النَّقَدْ

وَسُقْنَا الزعَانِفَ سوْقَ النَّقَدْ

We speared the horsemen amid the swirling dust,

And drove the horses like driven cattle.

and we drove the rabble as small sheep are driven.

And we said Ali is a father to us,

وَقُلْنَا عَلِيٌّ لَنَا وَالِدٌ

وَقُلْنَا عَلِيٌّ لَنَا وَالِدٌ

وَنَحْنُ لَهُ طَاعَةٌ كَالْوَلَدْ

وَنَحْنُ لَهُ طَاعَةٌ كَالْوَلَدْ

And we said: Ali is a father to us,

And we to him are obedience like sons.

and we obey him like children.