ومسَدِّدين إلى الطعانِ ذوابلاً

ومسَدِّدين إلى الطعانِ ذوابلاً

فازوا بها يومَ الهياجِ قِداحا

فازوا بها يومَ الهياجِ قِداحا

And men leveling slender spears for thrusting,

Brandishing spears at the boasters,

who won with them, as with lottery arrows, on the day of battle;

They triumphed on the day of turmoil with valor.

مُتسربلي قُمُصِ الحديدِ كأنها

مُتسربلي قُمُصِ الحديدِ كأنها

غُدرانُ ماءٍ قد ملأنَ بطاحا

غُدرانُ ماءٍ قد ملأنَ بطاحا

clad in shirts of iron, as though these were

Clad in iron shirts as though

pools of water that had filled broad plains.

They were clouds brimming with betrayal.

شبّوا ذبال الزرق في ليل الوغى

شبّوا ذبال الزرق في ليل الوغى

ناراً وكلَّ مُذرَّبٍ مصباحا

ناراً وكلَّ مُذرَّبٍ مصباحا

They set the wicks of blue spears in the night of war

They kindled the wicks of lances in the night of turmoil,

ablaze, and made every sharpened spear a lamp.

A fire, and each warrior, a torch.

سُرُجٌ تَرى الأرواحَ تُطفي غيرها

سُرُجٌ تَرى الأرواحَ تُطفي غيرها

عبثاً وهذي تطفئُ الأرواحا

عبثاً وهذي تطفئُ الأرواحا

Lamps—you see the winds extinguish others

A saddle where souls are seen extinguishing others

playfully, while these extinguish souls.

In vain, while it extinguishes souls.

لا فَرقَ بين النيراتِ وبينها

لا فَرقَ بين النيراتِ وبينها

إلاّ بتسمية الوشيج رماحا

إلاّ بتسمية الوشيج رماحا

There is no difference between the heavenly lights and these,

No difference between the lances and them

except that the shafts are called spears.

Except in naming the ramrods as spears.

هبها تبدَّتْ في الظلام كواكباً

هبها تبدَّتْ في الظلام كواكباً

لمَ لا تغورُ معَ النجومِ صباحا

لمَ لا تغورُ معَ النجومِ صباحا

Suppose they appeared in the darkness as stars:

With them, stars appeared in the darkness

why do they not set with the stars at dawn?

Why don't they set with the stars in the morning?

هُزَّتْ مُتونُ صِعادِها فاستيقظت

هُزَّتْ مُتونُ صِعادِها فاستيقظت

بأساً وضرَّجتِ الجسومَ جراحا

بأساً وضرَّجتِ الجسومَ جراحا

The shafts of their straight spears were shaken, and they awoke

Their spear-hafts were shaken, so they woke up

with fierce might, and stained bodies red with wounds.

To fury and stained the bodies with wounds.

وجنى الكُماةُ النصرَ من أطرافها

وجنى الكُماةُ النصرَ من أطرافها

لمّا انثنت بأكفِّها أدواحا

لمّا انثنت بأكفِّها أدواحا

And the armored warriors harvested victory from their tips

And the brave reaped victory from their tips

when they bent in their hands like spreading trees.

When they bent with their palms the curved swords.

لا غَرْوَ أنْ راحتْ نَشاوى واغتدت

لا غَرْوَ أنْ راحتْ نَشاوى واغتدت

فلقد شَرِبْنَ دمَ الفوارسِ راحا

فلقد شَرِبْنَ دمَ الفوارسِ راحا

No wonder they went forth drunk, evening and morning,

No wonder they rested satisfied and became arrogant

for indeed they had drunk the horsemen's blood as wine.

For they had sipped the blood of horsemen to the full.