نَصَرناwe aided رَسولَthe Messenger اللَهِGod وَالدينَand the faith عَنوَةًby force
نَصَرنا رَسولَ اللَهِ وَالدينَ عَنوَةً
عَلىagainst رَغمِthe will of عاتٍa defiant man مِنfrom مَعَدٍّMa‘add وَحاضِرِand the settled folk
عَلى رَغمِ عاتٍ مِن مَعَدٍّ وَحاضِرِ
We aided God's Messenger and the faith by force,
Despite every defiant man of Ma‘add and the settled folk,
بِضَربٍwith blows كَإيزاغِlike the urine-spurting of المَخاضِpregnant she-camels مُشاشُهُits soft bone-ends
بِضَربٍ كَإيزاغِ المَخاضِ مُشاشُهُ
وَطَعنٍand spear-thrusts كَأَفواهِlike the mouths of اللِقاحِmilch she-camels السَوادِرِwandering heedlessly
وَطَعنٍ كَأَفواهِ اللِقاحِ السَوادِرِ
With blows that spray soft bone like pregnant she-camels' spurting urine,
And spear-thrusts like the gaping mouths of wandering milch-camels.
وَسَلand ask أُحُداًUhud لَمّاwhen اِستَقَلَّتrose up شِعابُهُits ravines
وَسَل أُحُداً لَمّا اِستَقَلَّت شِعابُهُ
بِضَربٍwith blows لَناof ours مِثلَlike اللِيوثِthe lions الخَوادِرِlair-dwelling
بِضَربٍ لَنا مِثلَ اللِيوثِ الخَوادِرِ
And ask Uhud, when its ravines heaved
With our blows, as we fought like lions in their lairs.
أَلَسناare we not نَخوضُwe plunge الخَوضَthe plunging فيin حَومَةِthe thick of الوَغىbattle
أَلَسنا نَخوضُ الخَوضَ في حَومَةِ الوَغى
إِذاwhen طابَbecame sweet وِردُthe draught of المَوتِdeath بَينَamong العَساكِرِthe armies
إِذا طابَ وِردُ المَوتِ بَينَ العَساكِرِ
Do we not plunge headlong into the thick of battle,
When death's draught tastes sweet amid the armies?
وَنَضرِبُand we strike هامَthe heads of الدارِعينَmail-clad warriors وَنَنتَميand we trace our lineage
وَنَضرِبُ هامَ الدارِعينَ وَنَنتَمي
إِلىto حَسَبٍancestral honor مِنfrom جِذمِthe stock of غَسّانَGhassan قاهِرِconquering
إِلى حَسَبٍ مِن جِذمِ غَسّانَ قاهِرِ
And strike the heads of mail-clad men, and trace our lineage
To a conquering noble line sprung from Ghassan's stock?
وَلَولاand were it not for حَياءُshame before اللَهِGod قُلناwe would say تَكَرُّماًboasting of nobility
وَلَولا حَياءُ اللَهِ قُلنا تَكَرُّماً
عَلىover الناسِthe people بِالخَيفَينِat al-Khayfayn هَلis there مِنany مُنافِرِa rival in honor
عَلى الناسِ بِالخَيفَينِ هَل مِن مُنافِرِ
And were it not for shame before God, we would boast of our nobility
Over all men at al-Khayfayn: 'Is there a rival in honor?'
فَأَحياؤُناfor our living مِنamong خَيرِthe best of مَنthose who وَطِئَtrod الثَرىthe earth
فَأَحياؤُنا مِن خَيرِ مَن وَطِئَ الثَرى
وَأَمواتُناand our dead مِنamong خَيرِthe best of أَهلِthe dwellers in المَقابِرِgraves
وَأَمواتُنا مِن خَيرِ أَهلِ المَقابِرِ
For our living are among the best who have trodden the earth,
And our dead among the best of those who dwell in graves.