ومُعَطَّشاتٍ في سُعُورِ قُيونها

ومُعَطَّشاتٍ في سُعُورِ قُيونها

تُسْقى نجيعَ جماجمٍ وكواهِلِ

تُسْقى نجيعَ جماجمٍ وكواهِلِ

And blades made thirsty in their smiths’ blazing fires

And thirsty ones in the flames of their braziers

Are slaked with the gore of skulls and upper backs.

Are watered, all skulls and shoulders,

وَمِنَ البروقِ على الرؤوسِ لِوَقْعِها

وَمِنَ البروقِ على الرؤوسِ لِوَقْعِها

رعدٌ يَصُوبُ منَ الدماءِ بِوابِلِ

رعدٌ يَصُوبُ منَ الدماءِ بِوابِلِ

And from the lightning upon heads at their impact

And from the lightning on the heads because of its falling

Comes thunder, pouring down a deluge of blood.

Thunder aims the blood in a downpour.

وَكَأنَّ أَجنِحَةَ الفراشِ تَقَطّعتْ

وَكَأنَّ أَجنِحَةَ الفراشِ تَقَطّعتْ

منثورةً منهنّ فَوقَ جَداولِ

منثورةً منهنّ فَوقَ جَداولِ

And it is as though moths’ wings were torn apart,

And as though the wings of moths are torn apart

Scattered from them over streams

Scattered above streams from them,

من كلّ أبيضَ راكِضٍ في غِمده

من كلّ أبيضَ راكِضٍ في غِمده

لجّ المنيّة مُعطبٌ بالساحِلِ

لجّ المنيّة مُعطبٌ بالساحِلِ

Of every white blade racing in its sheath—

From every white charger running in its sheath,

A sea of death, deadly at the shore.

Death's cavalry stands massed on the coast,

يَفري الضرائِبَ في حبائكِ سردِها

يَفري الضرائِبَ في حبائكِ سردِها

بمضاربٍ شهِدتْ وقائعَ وائلِ

بمضاربٍ شهِدتْ وقائعَ وائلِ

It cleaves its targets through the meshes of their mail,

Making the tax-collectors gallop in their plots,

With cutting edges that witnessed the battles of Wa’il.

With lances that witnessed the affairs of Wa'il.

وكأنّما قفْرٌ يطولُ بمتنِهِ

وكأنّما قفْرٌ يطولُ بمتنِهِ

في رمله للنملِ إِثرَ أنامِلِ

في رمله للنملِ إِثرَ أنامِلِ

And it is as though a desert stretches along its back,

And as though a wasteland stretches in its expanse,

In whose sand lies the imprint of ants’ fingertips.

In its sands, for the ants, a track of sandals.