أَحَلَّ هُرَيمٌ يَومَ بابِلَ بِالقَنا

أَحَلَّ هُرَيمٌ يَومَ بابِلَ بِالقَنا

نُذورَ نِساءٍ مِن تَميمٍ فَحَلَّتِ

نُذورَ نِساءٍ مِن تَميمٍ فَحَلَّتِ

Huraym, on the day of Babylon, fulfilled with lances

Huraym breached the walls of Babylon with his spear

the vows of women from Tamim, and so they were discharged.

To free the votive offerings of Tameem's women taken captive

فَأَصبَحنَ لا يَشرينَ نَفساً بِنَفسِهِ

فَأَصبَحنَ لا يَشرينَ نَفساً بِنَفسِهِ

مِنَ الناسِ إِن عَنهُ المَنِيَّةُ زَلَّتِ

مِنَ الناسِ إِن عَنهُ المَنِيَّةُ زَلَّتِ

So now they would buy no other life at the cost of his,

So they awoke no longer valuing their own souls

among mankind, if death slipped past him.

If death should take others while they remained alive

يَكونُ أَمامَ الخَيلِ أَوَّلَ طاعِنٍ

يَكونُ أَمامَ الخَيلِ أَوَّلَ طاعِنٍ

وَيَضرِبُ أُخراها إِذا هِيَ وَلَّتِ

وَيَضرِبُ أُخراها إِذا هِيَ وَلَّتِ

He is ahead of the cavalry, the first to thrust,

Ever first to thrust his lance before the cavalry

and strikes its rear when it turns away.

And last to turn away when the ranks retreated

عَشِيَّةَ لا يَدري يَزيدُ أَيَنتَحي

عَشِيَّةَ لا يَدري يَزيدُ أَيَنتَحي

عَلى السَيفِ أَم يُعطي يَداً حينَ شَلَّتِ

عَلى السَيفِ أَم يُعطي يَداً حينَ شَلَّتِ

On the evening when Yazid knew not whether to throw himself

At dusk not knowing whether to advance his sword

upon the sword, or offer a hand now paralyzed.

Or yield his hand when paralyzed by fear

وَأَصبَحَ كَالشَقراءَ تُنحَرُ إِن مَضَت

وَأَصبَحَ كَالشَقراءَ تُنحَرُ إِن مَضَت

وَتُضرَبُ ساقاها إِذا ما تَوَلَّتِ

وَتُضرَبُ ساقاها إِذا ما تَوَلَّتِ

And he became like the chestnut-colored beast, slaughtered if she advances,

And dawn found him slaughtering like a yellow camel

her two shanks struck when she turns away.

Her legs struck if she strayed or turned away

لَعَمري لَقَد جَلّى هُرَيمٌ بِسَيفِهِ

لَعَمري لَقَد جَلّى هُرَيمٌ بِسَيفِهِ

وُجوهاً عَلَتها غَبرَةٌ فَتَجَلَّتِ

وُجوهاً عَلَتها غَبرَةٌ فَتَجَلَّتِ

By my life, Huraym has indeed brightened with his sword

By my life Huraym made plain with his sword

faces that dust had covered, and they shone clear.

Faces masked in dust now laid bare

وَقائِلَةٍ كَيفَ القِتالُ وَلَو رَأَت

وَقائِلَةٍ كَيفَ القِتالُ وَلَو رَأَت

هُرَيماً لَدارَت عَينَها وَاِسمَدَرَّتِ

هُرَيماً لَدارَت عَينَها وَاِسمَدَرَّتِ

And a woman asks, 'How goes the fighting?'—yet had she seen

"How can there be battle?" said one woman

Huraym, her eye would have rolled and grown dim.

Had she but seen Huraym her eyes would have rolled in fear

وَما كَرَّ إِلّا كانَ أَوَّلَ طاعِنٍ

وَما كَرَّ إِلّا كانَ أَوَّلَ طاعِنٍ

وَلا عايَنَتهُ الخَيلُ إِلّا اِشمَأَزَّتِ

وَلا عايَنَتهُ الخَيلُ إِلّا اِشمَأَزَّتِ

He never charged without being the first to thrust,

He charged ever foremost, never holding back

nor did the cavalry behold him without recoiling.

Horses shied at the sight of him in full retreat

أَتاكَ اِبنُ مَروانُ يَقودُ جُنودَهُ

أَتاكَ اِبنُ مَروانُ يَقودُ جُنودَهُ

ثَمانينَ أَلفاً خَيلَها قَد أَظَلَّتِ

ثَمانينَ أَلفاً خَيلَها قَد أَظَلَّتِ

The son of Marwan came to you, leading his troops,

Son of Marwan, leading his troops has come against you

eighty thousand, their cavalry already casting its shadow.

Eighty thousand horses, their tents spread dark beneath them

فَلَم يُغنِ ما خَندَقتَ حَولَكَ نَقرَةً

فَلَم يُغنِ ما خَندَقتَ حَولَكَ نَقرَةً

مِنَ البيضِ مِن أَغمادِها حينَ سُلَّتِ

مِنَ البيضِ مِن أَغمادِها حينَ سُلَّتِ

So the trench you dug around you availed not a whit

Of no avail the moat you dug around you

against the bright swords when drawn from their sheaths.

When their blades leapt clear of scabbards like flashes of light

كَأَنَّ رُؤوسَ الأَزدِ خُبطانُ حَنظَلٍ

كَأَنَّ رُؤوسَ الأَزدِ خُبطانُ حَنظَلٍ

تَخِرُّ عَلى أَكتافِهِم حينَ وَلَّتِ

تَخِرُّ عَلى أَكتافِهِم حينَ وَلَّتِ

As though the heads of the Azd were colocynth fruits,

As though the skulls of Azd were the white domes of Hanthal

tumbling onto their shoulders as they fled.

Scattering over their shoulders when put to flight

أَتَتكَ جُنودُ الشامِ تَخفِقُ فَوقَها

أَتَتكَ جُنودُ الشامِ تَخفِقُ فَوقَها

لَها خِرَقٌ كَالطَيرِ حينَ اِستَقَلَّتِ

لَها خِرَقٌ كَالطَيرِ حينَ اِستَقَلَّتِ

The armies of Syria came to you; above them fluttered

The Syrian troops swooped down on you in multitudes

their cloth banners, like birds when they took flight.

With breastplates clattering like birds taking wing in haste

تُخَبِّرَكَ الكُهّانُ أَنَّكَ ناقِضٌ

تُخَبِّرَكَ الكُهّانُ أَنَّكَ ناقِضٌ

دِمَشقَ الَّتي كانَت إِذا الحَربُ حَرَّتِ

دِمَشقَ الَّتي كانَت إِذا الحَربُ حَرَّتِ

The soothsayers tell you that you will tear down

Soothsayers warn that you have broken faith

Damascus, which, when war burned hot,

With Damascus, rallying point when war was stirred

صُخورُ الشَظا مِن فَرعِ ذي الشَريِ فَاِنتَمَت

صُخورُ الشَظا مِن فَرعِ ذي الشَريِ فَاِنتَمَت

فَطالَت عَلى رَغمِ العِدا فَاِشمَخَرَّتِ

فَطالَت عَلى رَغمِ العِدا فَاِشمَخَرَّتِ

was flinty rock from the summit of Dhu al-Shara, and rose,

Rocks of ash scattered from the peak of Sharaa

then grew tall despite its foes and towered aloft.

Pelting the foe in spite of them wrought long in vain