أَلا هَل أَتاها أَنَّ يَومَ عُراعِرٍ

أَلا هَل أَتاها أَنَّ يَومَ عُراعِرٍ

شَفى سَقَماً لَو كانَتِ النَفسُ تَشتَفي

شَفى سَقَماً لَو كانَتِ النَفسُ تَشتَفي

Ah, has word reached her that the day of Ura'ir

Alas, have they not been told that a day of raging

Healed an ailment—if the soul could find healing?

Would heal an illness were the soul seeking healing?

فَجِئنا عَلى عَمياءَ ما جَمَعوا لَنا

فَجِئنا عَلى عَمياءَ ما جَمَعوا لَنا

بِأَرعَنَ لا خَلٍّ وَلا مُتَكَشِّفِ

بِأَرعَنَ لا خَلٍّ وَلا مُتَكَشِّفِ

So we came, blind to what they had mustered against us,

Yet we came upon the blind ones in what they had gathered for us

With a massive host, neither sparse nor exposed.

With the bleating of neither fettered lambs nor unveiled women.

تَمارَوا بِنا إِذ يَمدُرونَ حِياضَهُم

تَمارَوا بِنا إِذ يَمدُرونَ حِياضَهُم

عَلى ظَهرِ مَقصِيٍّ مِنَ الأَمرِ مُحصَفُ

عَلى ظَهرِ مَقصِيٍّ مِنَ الأَمرِ مُحصَفُ

They doubted us as they plastered their watering troughs,

They refused us when they were milking their camels

Far removed from a secret, firmly laid plan.

On the back of a weaner, one dismissed from command, scabby.

وَما نَذِروا حَتّى غَشَينا بُيوتَهُم

وَما نَذِروا حَتّى غَشَينا بُيوتَهُم

بِغَبيَةِ مَوتٍ مُسبَلِ الوَدقِ مُزعِفِ

بِغَبيَةِ مَوتٍ مُسبَلِ الوَدقِ مُزعِفِ

And they were unaware until we swept over their dwellings

They did not vow until we entered their houses

With a shower of death, its rain pouring down, instantly lethal.

With the stupidity of death, its weapon belts unencumbered.

فَظَلنا نَكُرُّ المَشرَفِيَّةَ فيهِمُ

فَظَلنا نَكُرُّ المَشرَفِيَّةَ فيهِمُ

وَخُرصانَ لَدنِ السَمهَرِيِّ المُثَقَّفِ

وَخُرصانَ لَدنِ السَمهَرِيِّ المُثَقَّفِ

So we kept plying Mashrafi swords among them,

So we remained overturning the honorable ones among them

And the spearheads of supple, straightened Samhari lances.

And the guts of plump creatures made docile and cultivated.

عُلالَتُنا في كُلِّ يَومٍ كَريهَةٍ

عُلالَتُنا في كُلِّ يَومٍ كَريهَةٍ

بِأَسيافِنا وَالقَرحُ لَم يَتَقَرَّفِ

بِأَسيافِنا وَالقَرحُ لَم يَتَقَرَّفِ

Our refreshment on every day of battle

Our illness on every miserable day

Is with our swords, while the wound has yet to shed its scab.

With our swords as the wounds had yet to heal.

أَبَينا فَلا نُعطي السَواءَ عَدُوُّنا

أَبَينا فَلا نُعطي السَواءَ عَدُوُّنا

قِياماً بِأَعضادِ السَراءِ المُعَطَّفِ

قِياماً بِأَعضادِ السَراءِ المُعَطَّفِ

We have refused, so we grant our enemy no equal footing,

We refused to grant equality to our enemy

Standing armed with bent sarā-wood bows,

While upright with the staves of well-being and cloaked.

بِكُلِّ هَتوفٍ عُجسُها رَضَوِيَّةٍ

بِكُلِّ هَتوفٍ عُجسُها رَضَوِيَّةٍ

وَسَهمٍ كَسَيرِ الحِميَرِيِّ المُؤَنَّفِ

وَسَهمٍ كَسَيرِ الحِميَرِيِّ المُؤَنَّفِ

With every resounding bow whose grip is of Radwa,

With every roar whose hoarseness was becoming

And an arrow like a Himyarite's newly made leather thong.

And arrows swift as the galloping Yemeni poet's output.

فَإِن يَكُ عِزٌّ في قُضاعَةَ ثابِتٌ

فَإِن يَكُ عِزٌّ في قُضاعَةَ ثابِتٌ

فَإِنَّ لَنا بِرَحرَحانَ وَأَسقُفِ

فَإِنَّ لَنا بِرَحرَحانَ وَأَسقُفِ

So if glory stands firm among Quda'a,

And if honor remains firm in Ghatafan

Then we have, at Rahrahan and Asquf,

We have in Kirman and Askof

كَتائِبَ شُهباً فَوقَ كُلِّ كَتيبَةٍ

كَتائِبَ شُهباً فَوقَ كُلِّ كَتيبَةٍ

لِواءٌ كَظِلِّ الطائِرِ المُتَصَرِّفِ

لِواءٌ كَظِلِّ الطائِرِ المُتَصَرِّفِ

Gleaming battalions, above each battalion

Regiments like the shooting stars above each regiment

A banner like the shadow of a wheeling bird.

A banner like the hovering bird's shadow wavering about.

وَغادَرنَ مَسعوداً كَأَنَّ بِنَحرِهِ

وَغادَرنَ مَسعوداً كَأَنَّ بِنَحرِهِ

شَقيقَةَ بُردٍ مِن يَمانٍ مُفَوَّفِ

شَقيقَةَ بُردٍ مِن يَمانٍ مُفَوَّفِ

And they left Mas'ud as though at his throat

They left Mus'ud as if in his breast

Lay a torn strip of a striped Yemeni cloak.

Were the chill of a Yemeni coat of mail interlocking.