وَلَقَدand indeed شَهِدتُI witnessed الخَيلَthe horses دامِيَةًbloodied
وَلَقَد شَهِدتُ الخَيلَ دامِيَةً
تَختالُswagger فيin أَعطافِهاtheir flanks السُمرُthe brown lances
تَختالُ في أَعطافِها السُمرُ
And indeed I witnessed the horses bloodied,
brown lances swaggering in their flanks,
فيin ظُلمَةٍdarkness مِنfrom لَيلِthe night of غَيهَبِهاits deep gloom
في ظُلمَةٍ مِن لَيلِ غَيهَبِها
ماnot إِنemphatic particle لَهاfor it إِلّاexcept الرَدىdeath فَجرُa dawn
ما إِن لَها إِلّا الرَدى فَجرُ
in a darkness whose pitch-black night
has no dawn but death.
فَكَأَنَّso, as though مَجَّthe gushing of دَمِblood of النَحورِthe throats بِهاupon them
فَكَأَنَّ مَجَّ دَمِ النَحورِ بِها
إِثرَafter الطِعانِthe lance-thrusts مَقاوِدٌreins حُمرُred
إِثرَ الطِعانِ مَقاوِدٌ حُمرُ
So it was as though the blood gushing from their throats upon them,
after the lance-thrusts, were red reins.