لَعَمري لَقَد سَلَّت حَنيفَةُ سَلَّةً

لَعَمري لَقَد سَلَّت حَنيفَةُ سَلَّةً

سُيوفاً أَبَت يَومَ الوَغى أَن تُعَيَّرا

سُيوفاً أَبَت يَومَ الوَغى أَن تُعَيَّرا

By my life, Hanifa indeed unsheathed, in a single sweep,

By my life, verily Hanifa has forged a sword

Swords that refused, on the day of battle, to be shamed.

Swords that refused to be shamed on the day of battle

سُيوفاً بِها كانَت حَنيفَةُ تَبتَني

سُيوفاً بِها كانَت حَنيفَةُ تَبتَني

مَكارِمَ أَيّامٍ تُشيبُ الحَزَوَّرا

مَكارِمَ أَيّامٍ تُشيبُ الحَزَوَّرا

Swords with which Hanifa used to build

Swords with which Hanifa was striking

Honors of days that turn a strapping youth gray.

The noble deeds of days that turn young men gray

بِهِنَّ لَقوا بِالعَرضِ أَصحابَ خالِدٍ

بِهِنَّ لَقوا بِالعَرضِ أَصحابَ خالِدٍ

وَلَو كانَ غَيرَ الحَقِّ لاقوا لَأُنكِرا

وَلَو كانَ غَيرَ الحَقِّ لاقوا لَأُنكِرا

With them they met Khalid’s companions at al-‘Ard;

With them they met those who slandered Khalid

And had they faced anything but the truth, it would have been rejected.

And had it been other than the truth, they would have denied it

أَرَينَ الحَرورِيِّينَ يَومَ لَقيتَهُم

أَرَينَ الحَرورِيِّينَ يَومَ لَقيتَهُم

بِبُرقانَ يَوماً يَقلِبُ الجَونَ أَشقَرا

بِبُرقانَ يَوماً يَقلِبُ الجَونَ أَشقَرا

They showed the Harurites, on the day you met them,

Did you see the Kharijites the day you met them

At Burqan, a day that turns the black one reddish-brown.

At Burqan, a day that turns the expanse yellow

فَأَبدَت بِبُرقانَ السُيوفُ وَبِالقَنا

فَأَبدَت بِبُرقانَ السُيوفُ وَبِالقَنا

مِنَ النُصحِ لِلإِسلامِ ما كانَ مُضمَرا

مِنَ النُصحِ لِلإِسلامِ ما كانَ مُضمَرا

So at Burqan the swords, together with the spears, revealed

So the swords shone at Burqan and the spears

What had been hidden of sincere devotion to Islam.

Showed sincerely the devotion to Islam that was kept hidden

جَعَلنَ لِمَسعودٍ وَزَينَبَ أُختِهِ

جَعَلنَ لِمَسعودٍ وَزَينَبَ أُختِهِ

رِداءً وَجِلباباً مِنَ المَوتِ أَحمَرا

رِداءً وَجِلباباً مِنَ المَوتِ أَحمَرا

They made for Mas‘ud and Zaynab, his sister,

They made for Mas'ud and his sister Zainab

A mantle and a crimson cloak of death.

A cloak and gown of red death

فَما شيمَ مِن سَيفٍ بِقائِمِ نَصلِهِ

فَما شيمَ مِن سَيفٍ بِقائِمِ نَصلِهِ

يَدٌ مِن لُجَيمٍ أَو يُفَلَّ وَيُكسَرا

يَدٌ مِن لُجَيمٍ أَو يُفَلَّ وَيُكسَرا

So no sword was sheathed whose hilt was held by

No shame to a sword with its erect blade

A hand from Lujaym until it was notched and broken.

If a hand of Lujaym should waver and break

هُمُ نَزَلوا دارَ الحِفاظَ حَفيظَةً

هُمُ نَزَلوا دارَ الحِفاظَ حَفيظَةً

وَهُم يَمنَعونَ التَمرَ مِمَّن تَمَضَّرا

وَهُم يَمنَعونَ التَمرَ مِمَّن تَمَضَّرا

They settled in the abode of honor, out of protective zeal,

They came down to the Abode of the Protectors, protectively

And they withhold dates from whoever affiliates with Mudar.

As they prevented dates for those who were ripening

فَلَولا رِجالٌ مِن حَنيفَةَ جالَدوا

فَلَولا رِجالٌ مِن حَنيفَةَ جالَدوا

بِبُرقانَ أَمسى كاهِلُ الدينِ أَزوَرا

بِبُرقانَ أَمسى كاهِلُ الدينِ أَزوَرا

So, had it not been for men of Hanifa who fought

Were it not for the men of Hanifa who fought

At Burqan, the faith’s back would have grown crooked.

With Burqan, the shoulder of religion would have grown frail

فِدىً لَهُمُ حَيّا نِزارٍ كِلاهُما

فِدىً لَهُمُ حَيّا نِزارٍ كِلاهُما

إِذا المَوتُ بِالمَوتِ اِرتَدى وَتَأَزَّرا

إِذا المَوتُ بِالمَوتِ اِرتَدى وَتَأَزَّرا

May Nizar’s two tribes, both of them, be their ransom,

A ransom for them while alive and in death

When death cloaks and girds itself in death,

When death dons death and is adorned

لَيالي لُجَيمٌ بِالذَراةِ وَأَيَّنا

لَيالي لُجَيمٌ بِالذَراةِ وَأَيَّنا

يُلاقوا يَكونوا في الوَقائِعِ أَذكَرا

يُلاقوا يَكونوا في الوَقائِعِ أَذكَرا

On nights when Lujaym was at al-Dharah—and whichever of us

Nights of Lujaym at Dhara and which of us

They meet, they will be the more valiant in battle.

Will face them and be the most prudent in the fray