إِنّي أَظُنُّ نِزاراً سَوفَ يَجمَعُها

إِنّي أَظُنُّ نِزاراً سَوفَ يَجمَعُها

بَعدَ التَفَرُّقِ حَربٌ شَبَّها زُفَرُ

بَعدَ التَفَرُّقِ حَربٌ شَبَّها زُفَرُ

Indeed, I think Nizar will be reunited

I think that Nizar will someday gather them,

after division, by a war that Zufar kindled.

After separation, a war resembling their sighs.

صَلتُ الجَبينِ رَشيدُ الأَمرِ تَعرِفُهُ

صَلتُ الجَبينِ رَشيدُ الأَمرِ تَعرِفُهُ

إِذا تَكَشَّفَ عَن عِرنينِهِ القَتَرُ

إِذا تَكَشَّفَ عَن عِرنينِهِ القَتَرُ

Broad-browed, sound in judgment—you recognize him

The determined leader knows the prayer of the forehead,

when the dark dust clears from the bridge of his nose.

When the bitterness of his soul is uncovered.

سارى بِهِم أَرضَهُم لَيلاً فَصَبَّحَهُم

سارى بِهِم أَرضَهُم لَيلاً فَصَبَّحَهُم

بِوَقعَةٍ لَم يُقَدَّم قَبلَها النُذُرُ

بِوَقعَةٍ لَم يُقَدَّم قَبلَها النُذُرُ

He marched his men through their land by night, then struck them at dawn

He took them through their land at night and woke them up

with a battle preceded by no warnings.

With an unprecedented battle, no warnings preceded it.

فَهُم عَلى آلَةٍ قَد بَيَّنَت لَهُمُ

فَهُم عَلى آلَةٍ قَد بَيَّنَت لَهُمُ

أَمراً عَلانِيَةً غَيرَ الَّذي اِئتَمَروا

أَمراً عَلانِيَةً غَيرَ الَّذي اِئتَمَروا

So they are in a plight that has made clear to them

So they were taken by surprise, it made clear to them

openly, a reality unlike what they had planned,

A public matter, not what they had conspired.

حَتّى رَأَوهُ صَباحاً في مُلَملَمَةٍ

حَتّى رَأَوهُ صَباحاً في مُلَملَمَةٍ

شَهباءَ يَبرَقُ في حافاتِها البَصَرُ

شَهباءَ يَبرَقُ في حافاتِها البَصَرُ

until they saw him at dawn amid a closely massed host,

Until they saw it in the morning, in a fiery

gray-white, at whose edges the eye is dazzled,

Dust storm, its edges flashing before the eyes.

في عارِضٍ مِن كِلابٍ يُبرِقونَ إِذا

في عارِضٍ مِن كِلابٍ يُبرِقونَ إِذا

نالَ الأَعادِيَ مِنهُم فَيلَقٌ هَبَروا

نالَ الأَعادِيَ مِنهُم فَيلَقٌ هَبَروا

amid a cloudlike host of Kilab, flashing their weapons; when

Among packs of dogs who shine when

a mighty host of theirs reaches the enemies, they hew them down.

The enemies get some of them, and they bark and flee.

سَعى بِأَوتارِ أَقوامٍ فَأَدرَكَها

سَعى بِأَوتارِ أَقوامٍ فَأَدرَكَها

لَولا أَياديهِ ما اِمتَنّوا وَلا اِنتَصَروا

لَولا أَياديهِ ما اِمتَنّوا وَلا اِنتَصَروا

He sought vengeance for peoples and achieved it;

He strove with the strings of the people and reached them.

but for his favors, they could neither have claimed credit nor triumphed.

Had it not been for his hands, they would not have endured or been victorious.