لَمdid not تَعرِفِknow الخَيلُthe horses العُرابُpurebred Arabian سَواءَناanyone other than us
لَم تَعرِفِ الخَيلُ العُرابُ سَواءَنا
عَشِيَّةَon the evening of أَغواثٍAghwath بِجَنبِbeside القَوادِسِal-Qawadis
عَشِيَّةَ أَغواثٍ بِجَنبِ القَوادِسِ
The purebred Arabian horses knew none but us,
The horses knew not our equality
On the evening of Aghwath, beside al-Qawadis.
On an eve of confusion by the ships
عَشَيَّةَthat evening رُحناwe set out بِالرِماحِwith the spears كَأَنَّهاas though they were
عَشَيَّةَ رُحنا بِالرِماحِ كَأَنَّها
عَلىabove القَومِthe people أَلوانُcolors الطُيورِthe birds الرَسارِسِflitting (meaning uncertain)
عَلى القَومِ أَلوانُ الطُيورِ الرَسارِسِ
That evening we set out with spears, as though they were
On an eve we lanced with spears as though
Above the foe, the colors of flitting birds.
They were on the folk the hues of cranes