ونحن هَزَمنا جيشَ صَعدَةَ بالقَنا

ونحن هَزَمنا جيشَ صَعدَةَ بالقَنا

ونحنُ هَزَمنا الجيشَ يومَ بَوَارِ

ونحنُ هَزَمنا الجيشَ يومَ بَوَارِ

And we routed Ṣaʿdah’s army with spears,

We defeated the army of Sa'dah with spears

And we routed the army on the day of Bawār,

We defeated the army on the day of Bawari

جَوافِلَ حتى ظلَّ جُندٌ كأنّه

جَوافِلَ حتى ظلَّ جُندٌ كأنّه

من النَّقع شيخٌ عاصبٌ بخِمارِ

من النَّقع شيخٌ عاصبٌ بخِمارِ

Fleeing in panic, until a troop looked as though it were

Troops upon troops until the army looked like

In the dust, an old man with a veil bound round his head.

An old man veiled in a worn-out cloak

ولو جئنَ يحملنَ الحديد بنا معاً

ولو جئنَ يحملنَ الحديد بنا معاً

ألا يا لَعمرو بعدها لِشَوارِ

ألا يا لَعمرو بعدها لِشَوارِ

And had they come bearing iron against us all together—

Had they come carrying iron along with us

Ah, ʿAmr—for spoils after that!—

Oh Amr, afterwards there would still be remnants

ولكنّها قِيدَت بصَعدَةَ مرةً

ولكنّها قِيدَت بصَعدَةَ مرةً

فجئنَ وما يَعدُونَ غيرَ عِذارِ

فجئنَ وما يَعدُونَ غيرَ عِذارِ

But they were once led at Ṣaʿdah,

But they were tied down at Sa'dah once

And came with no more than a bridle’s cheek-strap—

And came with nothing but lame excuses

لَصاحَت تُنادي الهامُ منهم بأرضنا

لَصاحَت تُنادي الهامُ منهم بأرضنا

صياحَ النَّدامى حول بيت تِجَارِ

صياحَ النَّدامى حول بيت تِجَارِ

Their owls would have shrieked, calling out in our land,

The protectors among them cried out in our land

Like drinking companions crying round a merchants’ house.

The cries of the regretful around a merchant’s house