حَمَلنا عَلى جُردِ البِغالِ رُؤوسَهُم

حَمَلنا عَلى جُردِ البِغالِ رُؤوسَهُم

إِلى الشامِ مِن أَقصى العِراقِ تَدَلَّتِ

إِلى الشامِ مِن أَقصى العِراقِ تَدَلَّتِ

We carried their heads on sleek mules,

We carried their heads on the bare backs of camels

To al-Sham from farthest Iraq, dangling down.

To Syria from the furthest parts of Iraq they dangled

وَكَم مِن رَئيسٍ قَد قَتَلناهُ راغِماً

وَكَم مِن رَئيسٍ قَد قَتَلناهُ راغِماً

إِذا الحَربُ عَن روقٍ قَوارِحَ فُرَّتِ

إِذا الحَربُ عَن روقٍ قَوارِحَ فُرَّتِ

And how many a chief we slew, humbled,

And how many leaders we have killed by force

When war was laid bare, revealing its full-grown teeth.

When war turned away from the beaks of hawks they bolted

بِمُعتَرَكٍ ضَنكٍ بِهِ قِصَدُ القَنا

بِمُعتَرَكٍ ضَنكٍ بِهِ قِصَدُ القَنا

وَضَعنا بِهِ أَقدامَنا فَاِستَقَرَّتِ

وَضَعنا بِهِ أَقدامَنا فَاِستَقَرَّتِ

On a cramped battlefield, where lay splinters of spears,

In a narrow battlefield we aimed straight

We planted our feet there, and so they stood firm.

We planted our feet firmly and stood our ground

تَرَكنا بِهِ عِندَ اللِقاءِ مَلاحِماً

تَرَكنا بِهِ عِندَ اللِقاءِ مَلاحِماً

عَلَيهِم رَحانا بِالمَنايا اِستَحَرَّتِ

عَلَيهِم رَحانا بِالمَنايا اِستَحَرَّتِ

We left scenes of slaughter there at the clash;

We left behind at the clash dire calamities

Against them our millstone grew hot with death.

Rushing upon them with deaths they were laden

فَلَم يَبقَ إِلّا مَن يُؤَدّي زَكاتَهُ

فَلَم يَبقَ إِلّا مَن يُؤَدّي زَكاتَهُ

إِلَينا وَمُعطٍ جِزيَةٍ حينَ حَلَّتِ

إِلَينا وَمُعطٍ جِزيَةٍ حينَ حَلَّتِ

So none remained but those who paid their alms-tax

None remained except those who paid us alms

To us, and those paying the poll tax when it fell due.

And tributes when their time was due they remitted

وَلَو أَنَّ عُصفوراً يَمُدُّ جَناحَهُ

وَلَو أَنَّ عُصفوراً يَمُدُّ جَناحَهُ

عَلى طَيِّءٍ في دارِها لَاِستَظَلَّتِ

عَلى طَيِّءٍ في دارِها لَاِستَظَلَّتِ

And if a sparrow were to stretch out its wing

Had a sparrow stretched its wings over Tai

Over Tayy in its homeland, the tribe would take shade beneath it.

Seeking shade even in their homes they submitted

سَأَلتُ حَجيجَ المُسلِمينَ فَلَم أَجِد

سَأَلتُ حَجيجَ المُسلِمينَ فَلَم أَجِد

ذَبيحَةَ طائِيٍّ لِمَن حَجَّ حَلَّتِ

ذَبيحَةَ طائِيٍّ لِمَن حَجَّ حَلَّتِ

I asked the Muslim pilgrims, but did not find

I asked the pilgrims if an unblemished sacrifice

A Tayy man's slaughtered animal that was lawful for any pilgrim.

From Tai was found for those performing the pilgrimage

وَما بَرِأَت طائِيَّةٌ مِن خِتانِها

وَما بَرِأَت طائِيَّةٌ مِن خِتانِها

وَلا وُجِدَت في مَسجِدِ الدينِ صَلَّتِ

وَلا وُجِدَت في مَسجِدِ الدينِ صَلَّتِ

And no woman of Tayy has recovered from her circumcision,

No woman of Tai was spared from circumcision

Nor has one been found to have prayed in the mosque of the faith.

No prayer was observed in the mosque of the religion