سَلِ الناسَ هَل هَزَّت فَوارِسَنا الوَغى

سَلِ الناسَ هَل هَزَّت فَوارِسَنا الوَغى

عَشِيَّةَ أَوطَأنا فَوارِسَنا عَمرا

عَشِيَّةَ أَوطَأنا فَوارِسَنا عَمرا

Ask the people whether battle shook our horsemen

Ask the people, did our steeds shake the tumult

On the evening we made our horsemen trample Amr.

In the evening when we rode our steeds to Umar

عَلى حَنَقٍ لِلخَيلِ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ

عَلى حَنَقٍ لِلخَيلِ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ

عَوابِسَ بِالفِتيانِ تُقحِمُها زَجرا

عَوابِسَ بِالفِتيانِ تُقحِمُها زَجرا

Amid the horses’ fury on every side,

Eager horses from every side

Grim-faced, bearing youths who drive them headlong with shouts.

Glowering with the young men who drive them on sternly

إِذا اِنكَشَفَت عَنها عَجاجَةُ مَعرَكٍ

إِذا اِنكَشَفَت عَنها عَجاجَةُ مَعرَكٍ

لِحينِ تُعاديها بَدَت حَولَها شُقرا

لِحينِ تُعاديها بَدَت حَولَها شُقرا

When a battle’s dust cloud clears from them,

When the dust of battle parted before them

As you confront them, they appear chestnut-red around it.

They appeared circled by blondness for a time

هَجَرنا لَبونَ الحَربِ لِلطالِبِ القِرى

هَجَرنا لَبونَ الحَربِ لِلطالِبِ القِرى

لَنَبلى فيمَن كانَ يَخبِطُنا عُذرا

لَنَبلى فيمَن كانَ يَخبِطُنا عُذرا

We tethered war’s milch-camel for the seeker of hospitality,

We abandoned the milk of war for the seeker of dwellings

To establish our justification regarding whoever struck us blindly.

That we may test those who would chide us for excuse

وَكُنّا إِذا ما اِستَمطَرَ الناسُ رَعدَنا

وَكُنّا إِذا ما اِستَمطَرَ الناسُ رَعدَنا

رَعَدنا فَأَمطَرنا مُثَقَّفَةً سُمرا

رَعَدنا فَأَمطَرنا مُثَقَّفَةً سُمرا

And whenever people sought rain from our thunder,

Whenever people thundered, we thundered

We thundered, then rained down straightened, brown spears.

We thundered and rained heavily armed

حَمَينا بِها جاراً وَنِلنا طَوائِلاً

حَمَينا بِها جاراً وَنِلنا طَوائِلاً

وَنِلنا بِها داراً وَحُزناً بِها وَفرا

وَنِلنا بِها داراً وَحُزناً بِها وَفرا

With them we protected a neighbor and won great gains,

With them we defended a neighbor and attained fortunes

And with them we won a dwelling, and with them amassed wealth.

With them we attained a home and mourned with them estrangement

نَجودُ بِها في كُلِّ يَوم كَريهَةٍ

نَجودُ بِها في كُلِّ يَوم كَريهَةٍ

لِأَعدائِنا حَتّى يَدينوا لَنا قَسرا

لِأَعدائِنا حَتّى يَدينوا لَنا قَسرا

We freely bestow them on every day of battle

We sacrifice with them on every hated day

Upon our enemies, until they submit to us by force,

Until our enemies submit to us by compulsion

لِيُحمَدَ مَحمودٌ وَيَهلِكَ هالِكٌ

لِيُحمَدَ مَحمودٌ وَيَهلِكَ هالِكٌ

وَفاءً بِعَهدٍ لا نُكَذِّبَهُ غَدرا

وَفاءً بِعَهدٍ لا نُكَذِّبَهُ غَدرا

So the praiseworthy may be praised and the doomed perish,

That the praiseworthy be praised and the perishable perish

In fulfillment of a pledge we do not break through treachery.

Loyally fulfilling a pact we do not betray treacherously

هُنالِكَ ما نَنفَكُّ نَقتُلُ تارَةً

هُنالِكَ ما نَنفَكُّ نَقتُلُ تارَةً

وَنَلحَقُ أَقواماً فَنَأسِرُهُم أَسرا

وَنَلحَقُ أَقواماً فَنَأسِرُهُم أَسرا

There we never cease: at times we kill,

There we do not cease to kill at times

And we overtake bands of men and take them captive.

And pursue people and take them captive

فَقَد تَرَكَت أَيّامُنا وَسُيوفُنا

فَقَد تَرَكَت أَيّامُنا وَسُيوفُنا

وَأَرماحُنا في الذاكِرينَ لَنا ذِكرا

وَأَرماحُنا في الذاكِرينَ لَنا ذِكرا

For our battle-days and our swords have left—

For our days and swords have left

And our spears too—a remembrance of us among those who remember.

Our spears among those who remember us a memory