لَولاwere it not for فَوارِسُhorsemen مَذحِجِof Madhhij اِبنَةِdaughter of مَذحِجٍMadhhij
لَولا فَوارِسُ مَذحِجِ اِبنَةِ مَذحِجٍ
وَالأَزدِand of Azd زُعزِعَwould have been shaken وَاِستُبيحَand would have been overrun العَسكَرُthe army
وَالأَزدِ زُعزِعَ وَاِستُبيحَ العَسكَرُ
Were it not for the horsemen of Madhhij, daughter of Madhhij,
and of Azd, the army would have been shaken and overrun;
وَتَقَطَّعَتand would have broken apart بِهِمُaround them البِلادُthe lands وَلَمand would not يَؤُبreturn
وَتَقَطَّعَت بِهِمُ البِلادُ وَلَم يَؤُب
مِنهُمfrom among them إِلىto أَهلِthe people of العِراقِIraq مُخَبِّرُa bearer of news
مِنهُم إِلى أَهلِ العِراقِ مُخَبِّرُ
the lands would have left them scattered, and none would have returned
from among them to the people of Iraq bearing news.
وَاِستَطلَقَتand would have come loose عُقَدُthe bonds of الجَماعَةِthe community وَاِزدُريand would have been scorned
وَاِستَطلَقَت عُقَدُ الجَماعَةِ وَاِزدُري
أَمرُthe command of الخَليفَةِthe caliph وَاِستُحِلَّand would have been deemed lawful المُنكَرُwrongdoing
أَمرُ الخَليفَةِ وَاِستُحِلَّ المُنكَرُ
The bonds of unity would have come undone, and scorn would have met
the caliph's command, and wrongdoing would have been deemed lawful.
قَومٌa people هُمُthey قَتَلواkilled قُتَيبَةَQutayba عَنوَةًby force
قَومٌ هُمُ قَتَلوا قُتَيبَةَ عَنوَةً
وَالخَيلُwhile the horses جانِحَةٌleaning forward عَلَيهاover them العِثيَرُthe dust
وَالخَيلُ جانِحَةٌ عَلَيها العِثيَرُ
They are the people who killed Qutayba by force,
while the horses leaned forward, dust hanging over them,
بِالمَرجِat the meadow مَرجِthe meadow of الصينِChina حَيثُwhere تَبَيَّنَتcame to know
بِالمَرجِ مَرجِ الصينِ حَيثُ تَبَيَّنَت
مُضَرُMudar العِراقِof Iraq مَنwho الأَعَزُّthe mightier الأَكثَرُthe more numerous
مُضَرُ العِراقِ مَن الأَعَزُّ الأَكثَرُ
at the meadow—the Meadow of China—where it became clear
to Iraq's Mudar who was mightier and more numerous,
إِذwhen حالَقَتjoined forces with (reading uncertain) جَزَعاًin panic رَبيعَةَRabi'a كُلَّهاall of it
إِذ حالَقَت جَزَعاً رَبيعَةَ كُلَّها
فَتَفَرَّقَتthen scattered مُضَرٌMudar وَمَنand whoever يَتَمَضَّرُclaims affiliation with Mudar
فَتَفَرَّقَت مُضَرٌ وَمَن يَتَمَضَّرُ
when, in panic, it joined forces with all of Rabi'a.
Then Mudar scattered, and whoever claimed affiliation with Mudar.
وَتَناقَلَتand moved onward أَزدُAzd العِراقِof Iraq وَمَذحِجٌand Madhhij
وَتَناقَلَت أَزدُ العِراقِ وَمَذحِجٌ
لِلمَوتِtoward death يَجمَعُهاuniting them أَبوهاtheir forefather الأَكبَرُthe eldest
لِلمَوتِ يَجمَعُها أَبوها الأَكبَرُ
And the Azd of Iraq and Madhhij moved onward
toward death, their eldest forefather uniting them.
مِنfrom مَذحجٍMadhhij وَالأَزدِand Azd حينَwhen تَجمَّعَتthey gathered
مِن مَذحجٍ وَالأَزدِ حينَ تَجمَّعَت
لِلحَربِfor war زَمزَمَةٌa host تَغِطُّrumbles وَتَهدِرُand roars
لِلحَربِ زَمزَمَةٌ تَغِطُّ وَتَهدِرُ
From Madhhij and Azd, when they gathered
for war, came a host, rumbling and roaring.
كَفَتِsufficed for الَّذينَthose who تَغَيَّبواwere absent مِنfrom قَومِهِمtheir people
كَفَتِ الَّذينَ تَغَيَّبوا مِن قَومِهِم
مَنwhoever كانَwas يُعرَفُrecognized مِنهُمُamong them أَوor يُنكَرُunrecognized
مَن كانَ يُعرَفُ مِنهُمُ أَو يُنكَرُ
It sufficed for those of their people who stayed away,
whether known among them or unrecognized.
وَالأَزدُand Azd تَعلَمُknows أَنَّthat تَحتَbeneath لِوائِهاits banner
وَالأَزدُ تَعلَمُ أَنَّ تَحتَ لِوائِها
مُلكاًdominion قُراسِيَةًmighty as a lion وَمَوتٌand death أَحمَرُred
مُلكاً قُراسِيَةً وَمَوتٌ أَحمَرُ
And Azd knows that beneath its banner
lie lion-fierce dominion and blood-red death.
وَالأَزدُand Azd تَعلَمُknows ماwhat يقالwill be said ضُحىat midmorning غَدٍtomorrow
وَالأَزدُ تَعلَمُ ما يقال ضُحى غَدٍ
تَحتَbeneath اللِواءِthe banner فَتَستَحِدُّso it shaves its pubic hair وَتَصبِرُand stands firm
تَحتَ اللِواءِ فَتَستَحِدُّ وَتَصبِرُ
And Azd knows what will be said tomorrow at midmorning
beneath the banner, so it shaves itself and stands firm.
قَحطانُQahtan تَضرِبُstrikes رَأسَthe head of كُلِّevery مُتَوَّجٍcrowned ruler
قَحطانُ تَضرِبُ رَأسَ كُلِّ مُتَوَّجٍ
وَعَلىand with بَصائِرِهاits insights وَإِذand when لاnot تُبصِرُit sees
وَعَلى بَصائِرِها وَإِذ لا تُبصِرُ
Qahtan strikes the head of every crowned ruler,
with clear insight, and even when it cannot see.
فيthrough عِزِّناour might اِنتَصَرَtriumphed النَبِيُّthe Prophet مُحَمَّدٌMuhammad
في عِزِّنا اِنتَصَرَ النَبِيُّ مُحَمَّدٌ
وَبِناand through us تَثَبَّتَbecame firmly established فيin دِمَشقَDamascus المِنبَرُthe pulpit
وَبِنا تَثَبَّتَ في دِمَشقَ المِنبَرُ
Through our might the Prophet Muhammad triumphed,
and through us the pulpit was firmly established in Damascus.