إِذا شِئتَ أَن تَلقى أُسوداً قَساوِرا

إِذا شِئتَ أَن تَلقى أُسوداً قَساوِرا

لِنُعماهُمُ الصَفوُ الَّذي لَن يُكَدَّرا

لِنُعماهُمُ الصَفوُ الَّذي لَن يُكَدَّرا

If you wish to meet fierce lions,

When you wish to meet fierce lions

Whose bounty is pure and will never be clouded,

Whose glory time shall never mar

يُلاقيكَ مِنّا كُلُّ قَرمٍ سَمَيذَعٍ

يُلاقيكَ مِنّا كُلُّ قَرمٍ سَمَيذَعٍ

يُطاعِنُ حَتّى يُحسَبَ الجَونُ أَشقَرا

يُطاعِنُ حَتّى يُحسَبَ الجَونُ أَشقَرا

Every noble, valiant chief among us will meet you,

You will meet from us every gray-haired warrior

Fighting with lances until the black steed seems chestnut.

Who will strike until his spear seems blond with gore

بِدَولَةِ سَيفِ اللَهِ طُلنا عَلى الوَرى

بِدَولَةِ سَيفِ اللَهِ طُلنا عَلى الوَرى

وَفي عِزِّهِ صُلنا عَلى مَن تَجَبَّرا

وَفي عِزِّهِ صُلنا عَلى مَن تَجَبَّرا

Under the rule of God's Sword, we rose above humankind,

By God's sword of power we have ruled the land

And in his might we charged at all who played the tyrant.

And in His might we pray o'er every tyrant slain

حَمَلنا عَلى الأَعداءِ وَسطَ دِيارِهِم

حَمَلنا عَلى الأَعداءِ وَسطَ دِيارِهِم

بِضَربٍ يُرى مِن وَقعِهِ الجَوَّ أَغبَرا

بِضَربٍ يُرى مِن وَقعِهِ الجَوَّ أَغبَرا

We charged at our enemies in the midst of their lands,

We attacked the foe amid their homes

With blows whose impact made the air appear dust-grey.

With blows that raised storm clouds of dust

فَسائِل كِلاباً يَومَ غَزوَةِ بالِسٍ

فَسائِل كِلاباً يَومَ غَزوَةِ بالِسٍ

أَلَم يَترُكوا النُسوانَ في القاعِ حُسَّرا

أَلَم يَترُكوا النُسوانَ في القاعِ حُسَّرا

So ask Kilab about the day of the raid on Balis:

Ask the Banū Lihyān about our raid

Did they not leave the women unveiled on the plain?

Did they not leave their women unveiled in distress?

وَسائِل نُمَيراً يَومَ سارَ إِلَيهِمُ

وَسائِل نُمَيراً يَومَ سارَ إِلَيهِمُ

أَلَم يوقِنوا بِالمَوتِ لَمّا تَنَمَّرا

أَلَم يوقِنوا بِالمَوتِ لَمّا تَنَمَّرا

And ask Numayr about the day he marched against them:

Ask the Banū Numayr when we marched against them

Did they not know death was certain when he grew fierce as a leopard?

Did they not know death was certain when we stirred for war?

وَسائِل عُقَيلاً حينَ لاذَت بِتَدمُرٍ

وَسائِل عُقَيلاً حينَ لاذَت بِتَدمُرٍ

أَلَم نُقرِها ضَرباً يُقَدُّ السَنَوَّرا

أَلَم نُقرِها ضَرباً يُقَدُّ السَنَوَّرا

And ask Uqayl, when they sought refuge in Tadmur:

Ask ‘Uqayl when Tadmur gave them refuge

Did we not feast them on blows that cleaved armor?

Did we not smite them with blows that shore their necks?

وَسائِل قُشَيراً حينَ جَفَّت حُلوقُها

وَسائِل قُشَيراً حينَ جَفَّت حُلوقُها

أَلَم نَسقِها كَأساً مِنَ المَوتِ أَحمَرا

أَلَم نَسقِها كَأساً مِنَ المَوتِ أَحمَرا

And ask Qushayr, when their throats ran dry:

Ask Qushayr when their throats went dry

Did we not make them drink a crimson cup of death?

Did we not serve them a red cup of death?

وَفي طَيِّئٍ لَمّا أَثارَت سُيوفُهُ

وَفي طَيِّئٍ لَمّا أَثارَت سُيوفُهُ

كُماتُهُمُ مَرأىً لِمَن كانَ مُبصِرا

كُماتُهُمُ مَرأىً لِمَن كانَ مُبصِرا

And in Tayy, when his swords were roused

When Tā’ī unsheathed their swords

By their champions, there was a sight for anyone who could see.

Their bodies bore witness for those with eyes to see

وَكَلبٌ غَداةَ اِستَعصَموا بِحِبالِهِم

وَكَلبٌ غَداةَ اِستَعصَموا بِحِبالِهِم

رَماهُم بِها شُعثاً شَوازِبَ ضُمَّرا

رَماهُم بِها شُعثاً شَوازِبَ ضُمَّرا

And Kalb, the morning they sought refuge among their ridges—

The morrow when they clung to their ropes for safety

He assailed them with shaggy, lean, gaunt steeds,

A dog cast them away ragged outcasts

فَأَشبَعَ مِن أَبطالِهِم كُلَّ طائِرٍ

فَأَشبَعَ مِن أَبطالِهِم كُلَّ طائِرٍ

وَذِئبٍ غَدا يَطوي البَسيطَةَ أَعفَرا

وَذِئبٍ غَدا يَطوي البَسيطَةَ أَعفَرا

So he sated every bird upon their champions,

And sated every bird and yellow wolf

And every dust-grey wolf that went forth traversing the earth.

As they ranged freely over the steppe