صبحت كل حريم في قلمرية

صبحت كل حريم في قلمرية

بغارة أنت فيها الفارس النجد

بغارة أنت فيها الفارس النجد

You fell at dawn upon every harem in Coimbra,

Every woman in Al-Qalamriya has become

in a raid where you were the valiant knight.

A raid in which you are the glorious knight

بئس الصباح صباح المنذرين بها

بئس الصباح صباح المنذرين بها

ونعم غزو أمير أمره رشد

ونعم غزو أمير أمره رشد

Wretched was the morning—the morning of those warned by it!

What a miserable morning, the morning of those who were warned of it

And splendid was the raid of a prince whose command was sound.

And what a great conquest, the commander whose order is right

لها الصفايا مع المرباع من نفل

لها الصفايا مع المرباع من نفل

في طيه سيد الكفار والبلد

في طيه سيد الكفار والبلد

To it fell choice spoils and the quarter-share of booty,

For it the clear goblets along with the four-stringed lute as a bonus

within whose folds lay the lord of the unbelievers and the town.

In its folds the master of the infidels and the city

قالوا لعل ظباء أقبلت سنحا

قالوا لعل ظباء أقبلت سنحا

إلى خمائل ترعاهن أو ترد

إلى خمائل ترعاهن أو ترد

They said, 'Perhaps gazelles have come, crossing from left to right,

They said, perhaps mountain cows came

toward thickets to graze in them, or to drink.'

To the stunted palm trees that they pasture or drive away

تلك الظباء عراب الخيل دونكم

تلك الظباء عراب الخيل دونكم

نهد وورد وذبّال ومنجود

نهد وورد وذبّال ومنجود

Those gazelles were purebred Arabian horses before you:

Those mountain cows are the steeds of your army

Nahd, Ward, Dhabbal, and Manjud.

Soft and rose-colored, adorned and trained

من كل سابحة طارت بفارسها

من كل سابحة طارت بفارسها

كأنها لقوة في عطفها أسد

كأنها لقوة في عطفها أسد

Each a swimming mare that flew with her rider,

From each swimmer her knight flew

as though she were an eagle with a lion at her flank.

As if in the strength of its shoulders a lion

يسبيهم الجيش ما امتدت أعنته

يسبيهم الجيش ما امتدت أعنته

كالنار توسع حرقا كل ما تجد

كالنار توسع حرقا كل ما تجد

The army took them captive as far as its reins reached,

The army captures them however far its assistance extends

like fire, burning all that it found.

Like fire that flares up burning all it finds

فكانت الخيل تطماهم دواهمه

فكانت الخيل تطماهم دواهمه

والمشرفية تلقاهم فتنتقد

والمشرفية تلقاهم فتنتقد

So the horses engulfed them with devastating onslaughts,

So the horses trampled them in their shelters

and the Mashrafi swords met them, selecting their victims:

And the balconies spotted them and picked them out

تخلى الرقاب من الأعلاج ان غلبوا

تخلى الرقاب من الأعلاج ان غلبوا

على الحريم وتستحيي المها الخرد

على الحريم وتستحيي المها الخرد

severing the foreign infidels' necks if they were overcome

The necks were freed of chokers if they overpowered

and their womenfolk seized, yet sparing the shy maiden oryxes.

The women, and the young girls were too shy

إذا رأى ابنته الفيران قد سببت

إذا رأى ابنته الفيران قد سببت

مضى يقول الا لله من يئد

مضى يقول الا لله من يئد

When al-Firan saw his daughter had been [taken captive],

When a father saw his daughter taken captive

he went on saying, 'Ah, God bless whoever buries daughters alive!'

He walked saying, except God who can help

لما رأوك وبحر الموت ملتطم

لما رأوك وبحر الموت ملتطم

ومن حميم المذاكي فوقه زبد

ومن حميم المذاكي فوقه زبد

When they saw you, with the sea of death surging,

When they saw you and the sea of death surging

and foam from the hot sweat of mature steeds upon it,

With hot anxiety atop it like foam

صلوا إلى سيفك المسلول وانحرفوا

صلوا إلى سيفك المسلول وانحرفوا

عن الصليب الذي تلقاءه سجدوا

عن الصليب الذي تلقاءه سجدوا

they prayed toward your unsheathed sword and turned away

They prayed to your unsheathed sword and veered

from the cross before which they had prostrated themselves.

From the cross which facing it they bowed down

وكان موعدهم والحين أنجزه

وكان موعدهم والحين أنجزه

لكي تراق دماء مالها قود

لكي تراق دماء مالها قود

And their appointed time—doom fulfilled it—

And their appointment was at that moment fulfilled

for blood to be shed with no blood-revenge due,

So that blood without defender would pour

يوما من القيظ يسود السلام به

يوما من القيظ يسود السلام به

كأنّ كل كلام فيه مفتأد

كأنّ كل كلام فيه مفتأد

was a day of summer heat on which the stones turned black,

A day of sultry heat on which peace turns black

as though every utterance in it were roasted.

As if all speech in it was anguished

وفاض سيفك نهرا في ظهيرته

وفاض سيفك نهرا في ظهيرته

فأقبلت نحوه الأرواح تبترد

فأقبلت نحوه الأرواح تبترد

And your sword overflowed as a river at that day's noon,

And your sword overflowed in its raid a river

so the souls came toward it to cool themselves.

To which souls came to cool off