أَلَم يَأَتيكَ وَالأَنباءُ تَنمي

أَلَم يَأَتيكَ وَالأَنباءُ تَنمي

وَتَصعُدُ في المَلمَعَةِ الفَيافِ

وَتَصعُدُ في المَلمَعَةِ الفَيافِ

Has it not reached you, as the tidings spread

Did not the news reach you, and prosper,

and rise across the shimmering desert wastes?

And ascend in the shining heavens?

تَوَقَينا وَمَنزِلَنا جَميعاً

تَوَقَينا وَمَنزِلَنا جَميعاً

أَمامَ الخَيلِ بِالسَمرِ الثِقافِ

أَمامَ الخَيلِ بِالسَمرِ الثِقافِ

We shielded ourselves and our camp together

We avoided it, and our homes altogether,

before the cavalry, with straightened brown spears.

Before the cavalry with the firm hills.

قَسَمنا أَرضَهُم نِصفَينِ حَتّى

قَسَمنا أَرضَهُم نِصفَينِ حَتّى

نَزَلنا مِثلَ مَنزِلَهُم كَفافِ

نَزَلنا مِثلَ مَنزِلَهُم كَفافِ

We divided their land into two halves, until

We divided their land in half, until

we encamped in a place like theirs, on equal terms.

We descended like their dwellings, plenty.

دُعاءً ما دَعونا آلَ كِسرى

دُعاءً ما دَعونا آلَ كِسرى

وَقَد هَمَّ المَرازِبُ بِاِنصِرافِ

وَقَد هَمَّ المَرازِبُ بِاِنصِرافِ

What a summons we gave the house of Kisra,

Calling whom we did not call, the family of Chosroes,

when the satraps were already intent on withdrawal!

And the watchmen were eager to leave.

وَما إِن طبُّهُم جبنٌ وَلَكِن

وَما إِن طبُّهُم جبنٌ وَلَكِن

رَمَيناهُم بِرامِيَةٍ ذُعافِ

رَمَيناهُم بِرامِيَةٍ ذُعافِ

And cowardice was not their nature; rather,

And it was not their courage but cheese,

we assailed them with a deadly volley.

We shot them with a shot of piercing.

فَتَحنا نَهرَ شيرَ بِقَولِ حَقٍّ

فَتَحنا نَهرَ شيرَ بِقَولِ حَقٍّ

أَتانا لَيسَ مِن سَجعِ العَوافِ

أَتانا لَيسَ مِن سَجعِ العَوافِ

We conquered Nahr Shir by a word of truth

So we opened the river Shir with a word of truth,

that came to us, not from the cooing of foraging birds.

It came to us, not from the poetry of deception.

وَقَد طارَت قُلوبُ القَومِ مِنّا

وَقَد طارَت قُلوبُ القَومِ مِنّا

وَسَروا الضَربَ بِالبيضَ الخفافِ

وَسَروا الضَربَ بِالبيضَ الخفافِ

And the people's hearts had flown in fear of us,

And the hearts of the people flew from us,

and they warded off blows with light, gleaming swords.

And they walked the beating with the light thin.