نَحنُ صَبَحنا يَومَ دِجلَةَ أَهلَها

نَحنُ صَبَحنا يَومَ دِجلَةَ أَهلَها

سُيوفاً وَأَرماحاً وَجَمعاً عَرَمرَما

سُيوفاً وَأَرماحاً وَجَمعاً عَرَمرَما

We assailed its people at dawn on the day of the Tigris,

We woke up one day the people of the Tigris

With swords and spears and a vast host.

With swords, spears and a teeming throng

نُراوِحُ بِالبيضِ الرِقاقِ رَؤسَهُم

نُراوِحُ بِالبيضِ الرِقاقِ رَؤسَهُم

إِذا الرَميِ أَضرى بَينَنا فَتَضَرَّما

إِذا الرَميِ أَضرى بَينَنا فَتَضَرَّما

We strike their heads in turn with thin, gleaming swords,

We flutter them with white blades

When the shooting kindles battle between us and it blazes.

Whenever archery came between us, it was injured

قَتَلناهُم ما بَينَ دِجلَةَ وَالقُرى

قَتَلناهُم ما بَينَ دِجلَةَ وَالقُرى

إِلى النَهرَوانَ حَيثُ سارَ وَيَمَّما

إِلى النَهرَوانَ حَيثُ سارَ وَيَمَّما

We killed them between the Tigris and the villages,

We killed them between the Tigris and the villages

As far as Nahrawan, where he marched and set his course.

To Nahrawan, where it marched and proceeded

أَذَقناهُمُ يَومَ المَدائِنِ بَأسَنا

أَذَقناهُمُ يَومَ المَدائِنِ بَأسَنا

صُراحاً وَأَسقَينا الأَلائِمَ عَلقَما

صُراحاً وَأَسقَينا الأَلائِمَ عَلقَما

On the day of al-Mada'in, we made them taste our might,

We made them taste our might at Al-Mada’in

Undiluted, and we made the base men drink bitter colocynth.

Openly, and we quenched the faults with blood

سَبَقناهُم لَمّا تَوَلوا إِلى الرَدى

سَبَقناهُم لَمّا تَوَلوا إِلى الرَدى

كُؤوساً مَلَأنَهُنَّ صاباً وَشَبرَما

كُؤوساً مَلَأنَهُنَّ صاباً وَشَبرَما

We outstripped them as they turned toward death,

We surpassed them when they inclined to depravity

With cups they filled with bitter sap and spurge.

With cups we filled and mixed with wine and bitterness

أَبَيتُم عَلَينا السِلمَ ثُمَّ رَجِعتُم

أَبَيتُم عَلَينا السِلمَ ثُمَّ رَجِعتُم

إِلى السِلمِ لَمّا أَصبَحَ السِلمُ مُحرَما

إِلى السِلمِ لَمّا أَصبَحَ السِلمُ مُحرَما

You refused us peace, then returned

You refused to make peace with us, then went back

To peace, when peace had become forbidden.

To peacemaking when peacemaking became forbidden

وَيَومَ يَطيرُ القَلبُ مِن نَقَراتِهِ

وَيَومَ يَطيرُ القَلبُ مِن نَقَراتِهِ

رَبَطنا لَهُ جَأشاً وَهُجنا بِهِ دَما

رَبَطنا لَهُ جَأشاً وَهُجنا بِهِ دَما

And on a day whose blows make the heart take flight,

And when the heart flutters from its wounds

We made our resolve firm for it and stirred up bloodshed there.

We tied a bandage for it and stained it with blood

دَعَونا إِلَيهِ مِن تَميمٍ مَعاشِراً

دَعَونا إِلَيهِ مِن تَميمٍ مَعاشِراً

يُجيبونَ داعيهِم وَإِن كانَ مُجرِما

يُجيبونَ داعيهِم وَإِن كانَ مُجرِما

We summoned clans from Tamim to it,

We called on them from Tamim, companies

Who answer their caller even if he is a wrongdoer.

Who answer their caller even if he is a sinner

يُجَلّونَ في اليَومِ الشَديدِ قَتامَهُ

يُجَلّونَ في اليَومِ الشَديدِ قَتامَهُ

عَنِ الشَمسِ وَالآفاقِ أَغبَرَ مُظلِما

عَنِ الشَمسِ وَالآفاقِ أَغبَرَ مُظلِما

On the fierce day they clear away its dust-cloud,

They dispel in the intense day its darkness

Gray and dark, from the sun and the horizons.

From the sun and horizons a gloomy darkness

وَإِنّا لنُثني الخَيلَ حَتّى تَمَلَّنا

وَإِنّا لنُثني الخَيلَ حَتّى تَمَلَّنا

عَلى الثَغرِ يَغشاها الكَمِيّ المُصَمّما

عَلى الثَغرِ يَغشاها الكَمِيّ المُصَمّما

And indeed we wheel the horses until they tire of us,

And we curb the horses until we are weary

On the frontier, as the resolute armored warrior bears down on them.

At the frontier overwhelmed by the determined invader

سَمَونا إِلى كِسرى فَولّى مُبادِراً

سَمَونا إِلى كِسرى فَولّى مُبادِراً

بِمَعشَرِهِ إِذ أَصبَحَ الصَدعُ أَضخَما

بِمَعشَرِهِ إِذ أَصبَحَ الصَدعُ أَضخَما

We advanced toward Kisra, so he fled in haste,

We rose up against Kisra so he retreated

With his people, as the breach grew wider.

With his followers when the cleavage grew wider

أَلا أَيهَذا السائِلي عَن عَشيرَتي

أَلا أَيهَذا السائِلي عَن عَشيرَتي

سَتُخبرَ عَنهُم إِن سَأَلتَ لِتَعلَما

سَتُخبرَ عَنهُم إِن سَأَلتَ لِتَعلَما

Listen, you who ask me about my clan:

O you who ask about my tribe

You will be told about them if you ask to learn.

You will be told about them if you ask to know