عَشِيَّةَ تكبو الخيلُ في قِصَدِ القَنا

عَشِيَّةَ تكبو الخيلُ في قِصَدِ القَنا

وتُنْزَعُ من لباتِها ترْعُفُ الدَّما

وتُنْزَعُ من لباتِها ترْعُفُ الدَّما

At evening, the horses stumble amid broken spear-shafts,

In the evening the horses plunge towards the battle,

And spears are pulled from their breast hollows as blood gushes.

And blood drips from their bridles.

إذا كظَّهُنَّ الطَّعْنُ من كلِّ جانبٍ

إذا كظَّهُنَّ الطَّعْنُ من كلِّ جانبٍ

كظَمْن فما يشكينَ إلا تَحَمْحُما

كظَمْن فما يشكينَ إلا تَحَمْحُما

When thrusts press them hard from every side,

When the spears pierce them from all sides,

They restrain themselves, complaining only with low neighing,

They utter no complaint, only a murmuring sound.

بمعتَرَكٍ ضنْكِ المِكَرِّ كأنّما

بمعتَرَكٍ ضنْكِ المِكَرِّ كأنّما

يُساقَى به الأبطالُ صاباً وعلْقَما

يُساقَى به الأبطالُ صاباً وعلْقَما

In a melee with little room to charge, as though

In the thick of a fierce conflict, as though

The heroes there are given bitter sap and colocynth to drink.

The heroes were given to drink therein pure wine mixed with aloes.