آلى اِبنُ عَبدٍ حينَ جاءَ مُحارِباً

آلى اِبنُ عَبدٍ حينَ جاءَ مُحارِباً

وَحَلَفتَ فَاِستَمِعوا مِنَ الكَذّابِ

وَحَلَفتَ فَاِستَمِعوا مِنَ الكَذّابِ

Ibn Abd swore when he came to fight,

The son of Abd charged into battle

Ibn Abd swore an oath when he came forth to war,

And you swore—so listen to the liar—

And you swore to listen, you liars

And you swore too—so listen now to see who proves the liar—

أَن لا يَفِرَّ وَلا يَمَلِّلَ فَاِلتَقى

أَن لا يَفِرَّ وَلا يَمَلِّلَ فَاِلتَقى

أَسَدانِ يَضطَرِبانِ كُلُّ ضِرابِ

أَسَدانِ يَضطَرِبانِ كُلُّ ضِرابِ

That he would neither flee nor tire; then met

That he would not flee or tire, so two lions clashed

That he would not flee nor tire; and so there met

Two lions, exchanging every kind of blow.

Both striking out

Two lions, striking one another with every manner of blow.

اليَومَ يَمنَعُني الفَرارُ حَفيظَتي

اليَومَ يَمنَعُني الفَرارُ حَفيظَتي

وَمُصَمِّمٌ في الرَأسِ لَيسَ بِنابِ

وَمُصَمِّمٌ في الرَأسِ لَيسَ بِنابِ

Today my sense of honor keeps me from flight,

Today my vigilance prevents my flight

Today, my honor holds me back from flight,

And a head-cleaving blade that never glances off.

Resolute, with no weakness of mind

And a determined blade strikes the head, one that does not recoil.

أَعليَّ تَقتَحِمُ الفَوارِسَ هَكَذا

أَعليَّ تَقتَحِمُ الفَوارِسَ هَكَذا

عَنّي وَعَنهُم خَبِّروا أَصحابي

عَنّي وَعَنهُم خَبِّروا أَصحابي

Is it against me that you charge through the horsemen like this?

Shall I charge the horsemen like this?

Is it against me that the horsemen charge in such a way?

Tell my companions about me and about them.

Tell my comrades about me and them

Bear news of me and of them to my companions.

فَغَدَوتُ أَلتَمِسُ القِراعَ بِمُرهَفٍ

فَغَدَوتُ أَلتَمِسُ القِراعَ بِمُرهَفٍ

عَضبٍ مَعَ البَتراءِ في أَقرابِ

عَضبٍ مَعَ البَتراءِ في أَقرابِ

So I went forth seeking combat with a fine-edged sword,

So I went seeking combat with angry flashing swords

So I went forth seeking the duel with a honed blade,

Sharp, with the short coat of mail about my flanks.

Along with the short swords in the scabbards

Sharp-edged, alongside al-Batra, ready at the flank.

وَغَدَوتُ اَلتَمِسُ القِراعَ وَصارِمٌ

وَغَدَوتُ اَلتَمِسُ القِراعَ وَصارِمٌ

عَضبٌ كَلَونِ المِلحِ في اَقرابِ

عَضبٌ كَلَونِ المِلحِ في اَقرابِ

And I went forth seeking combat, with a cutting sword,

I went seeking combat, swords bared,

I went forth seeking the clash, carrying a resolute sword,

Sharp, the color of salt, at my side.

Angry like the color of salt in scabbards

A cutting blade, white as salt, drawn from the scabbard.

عَرَفَ اِبنُ عَبدٍ حينَ أَبصَرَ صارِماً

عَرَفَ اِبنُ عَبدٍ حينَ أَبصَرَ صارِماً

يَهتَزُّ أَنَّ الأَمرَ غَيرُ لِعابِ

يَهتَزُّ أَنَّ الأَمرَ غَيرُ لِعابِ

Ibn Abd realized, when he saw a cutting sword

The son of Abd realized when he saw the bare blades

Ibn Abd realized, the moment he beheld the sharp edge

Quivering, that the affair was no game.

That this was no joking matter

Quivering in the air, that this matter was no game.

أَدّى عُمَيرٌ حينَ أَخلَصَ صَقلَهُ

أَدّى عُمَيرٌ حينَ أَخلَصَ صَقلَهُ

صافي الحَديدَةِ يَستَفيضُ ثَوابي

صافي الحَديدَةِ يَستَفيضُ ثَوابي

Umair delivered it when he had perfected its polish,

Umair proved when he drew his polished sword

Umair fulfilled his task when he polished it to perfection,

Its iron pure; my reward flows abundantly.

Its steel gleaming and rewarding my thrusts

Pure in its iron; may my reward be abundant.

أَردَيتُ عَمراً إِذ طَغى بِمُهَنَّدٍ

أَردَيتُ عَمراً إِذ طَغى بِمُهَنَّدٍ

صافي الحَديدِ مُجَرَّبٍ قَصّابِ

صافي الحَديدِ مُجَرَّبٍ قَصّابِ

I felled Amr when he transgressed, with an Indian blade,

I wanted Omar when he raged with his Indian blade

I brought down 'Amr when he transgressed, with a fine Indian blade,

Of pure iron, well tried, a butcher.

Polished steel, tested and slaughtering

Of pure steel, battle-tested, a cleaver of flesh.

فَصَدَدتُ حينَ تَرَكتُهُ مُتَجَدِّلاً

فَصَدَدتُ حينَ تَرَكتُهُ مُتَجَدِّلاً

كَالجِذعِ بَينَ دَكادِكٍ وَرَوابي

كَالجِذعِ بَينَ دَكادِكٍ وَرَوابي

So I turned away when I had left him sprawled,

So I repelled him when I left him lying prone

Then I turned away once I had left him sprawling,

Like a tree trunk amid low mounds and hills.

Like a log between blows and millstones

Like a fallen trunk amidst the hollows and the hills.

وَعَفَفتُ عَن اَثوابِهِ وَلَوَ اَنَّني

وَعَفَفتُ عَن اَثوابِهِ وَلَوَ اَنَّني

كُنتُ المُقَطَّرَ بَزَّني أَثوابي

كُنتُ المُقَطَّرَ بَزَّني أَثوابي

And I refrained from taking his clothes, though, had I

And I refused his clothes though had I

I withheld my hand from his raiment; though had I

Been the one cast down, he would have stripped me of my clothes.

Been dripping with sweat, I'd have wanted clothes

Been the one felled, he surely would have stripped me of mine.

عَبدَ الحِجارَةَ مِن سَفاهَةِ رَأيِهِ

عَبدَ الحِجارَةَ مِن سَفاهَةِ رَأيِهِ

وَعَبَدتُ رَبَّ مُحَمَّدٍ بِصَوابي

وَعَبَدتُ رَبَّ مُحَمَّدٍ بِصَوابي

He worshipped stones out of the folly of his judgment,

Abd worshipped rocks in his foolishness

He worshipped stones out of the folly of his mind,

And I worshipped Muhammad's Lord with sound judgment.

While I worshipped the Lord of Muhammad rightly

While I worshipped the Lord of Muhammad with rectitude.

لا تَحسَبَنَّ اللَهَ خاذِلُ دينِهِ

لا تَحسَبَنَّ اللَهَ خاذِلُ دينِهِ

وَنَبِيَّهُ يا مَعشَرَ الأَحزابِ

وَنَبِيَّهُ يا مَعشَرَ الأَحزابِ

Never think that God will forsake His religion

Think not that God would abandon His religion

Do not think that God will ever forsake His religion,

And His Prophet, O assembly of the confederates.

And His prophet, O all you factions

Nor His Prophet, O assembly of the Confederates!