إِنَّاindeed we إِذَاwhen مَاever الحَرْبُwar حُدَّis sharpened نابُهاits fang
إِنَّا إِذَا مَا الحَرْبُ حُدَّ نابُها
وَصَرَّand grind فِيin قِصَرِهَاthe roots of its neck أَشْنَابُهاits teeth
وَصَرَّ فِي قِصَرِهَا أَشْنَابُها
Indeed we, when war's fang is sharpened,
When war unsheathes its blade,
And its teeth grind in the roots of its neck,
And brandishes its sword in its palace,
نَرُدُّهَاwe drive it back مُفَلَّلاًblunted كُلَّابُهاits hook
نَرُدُّهَا مُفَلَّلاً كُلَّابُها
بِأُسْدِwith lions غَابٍa forest فِيin الأَكفِّthe hands غابُهَاtheir thicket
بِأُسْدِ غَابٍ فِي الأَكفِّ غابُهَا
Drive it back, its hook blunted,
We repulse it, its dogs routed,
With forest lions, their thicket in their hands—
By lions whose claws are concealed.
غابُa reed-thicket وَشِيجٍspear-reeds سَلِبٍlong and slender كِعَابُهَاtheir joints
غابُ وَشِيجٍ سَلِبٍ كِعَابُهَا
عُذَافِراتٍmassive and strong غُلُبٍthick رِقَابُهاtheir necks
عُذَافِراتٍ غُلُبٍ رِقَابُها
A thicket of spear-reeds with long, slender joints,
With biting, vanquished serpents their necks,
Massive and strong, their necks thick,
And fleeing, defeated horses their flanks,
قَدْindeed طالَhave endured long بَعْدَbeyond بُزْلِهاtheir full maturity صِعابُهاtheir stubborn ones
قَدْ طالَ بَعْدَ بُزْلِها صِعابُها
عَوَاتِرٌquivering يَزِيدُهَاmakes them more اضْطِرابُهَاtheir shaking
عَوَاتِرٌ يَزِيدُهَا اضْطِرابُهَا
Their stubborn ones enduring long beyond maturity,
Long has their weakness burdened them,
Quivering, their shaking making them
Disasters that multiply their turmoil.
ليناًsupple إِذاwhen ماever نشِبَتbecome lodged حِرابهاtheir spearheads
ليناً إِذا ما نشِبَت حِرابها
وَالخيلُand the horses تَعدوgallop لَيِّناًsupple جِنابهاtheir sides
وَالخيلُ تَعدو لَيِّناً جِنابها
More supple when their spearheads lodge.
When their swords are drawn,
And the horses gallop, their sides supple,
And the horses charge with yielding sides,
عَدْوَthe running of المَخَاضِpregnant she-camels سَرَّهَاgladdened them جَنابُهاtheir pasture
عَدْوَ المَخَاضِ سَرَّهَا جَنابُها
وَحَالَand barred the way دُونَto عَقْرِهَاtheir slaughter ضِرَابُهَاtheir mating
وَحَالَ دُونَ عَقْرِهَا ضِرَابُهَا
Like pregnant she-camels gladdened by their pasture,
The hastening raid pleased them,
Whose mating has spared them from slaughter.
And its striking held back their slaughter.
ظَلَّتْthey spent the day بِأَرْضٍon land سَامِقٍtowering أَعْشَابُهاits grasses
ظَلَّتْ بِأَرْضٍ سَامِقٍ أَعْشَابُها
مِنَfrom الرَبِيعِthe spring rains صَخِبٍnoisy ذُبابُهاits flies
مِنَ الرَبِيعِ صَخِبٍ ذُبابُها
They spent the day on land whose grasses towered
Their high grasses shaded the land
From spring rains, its flies buzzing loudly.
With the clamor of lively spring.
إِنِّيindeed I إِذَاwhen ماever عُصْبَةa band أَنْتَابُهَاI visit them
إِنِّي إِذَا ما عُصْبَة أَنْتَابُهَا
ظالِمَةٌunjust قدindeed سرَّنِيpleased me سِبَابُهَاtheir abuse
ظالِمَةٌ قد سرَّنِي سِبَابُهَا
Indeed, whenever I visit a band,
Whenever a band attacks me,
An unjust one whose abuse has pleased me,
Oppressive, their insults please me.
أَصْدُقُهاI earnestly give them الشَتْمَabuse وَلاand do not أَهابُهَاI fear them
أَصْدُقُها الشَتْمَ وَلا أَهابُهَا
حَتَّىuntil تُرَىare seen جَاحِرَةًretreating into dens كِلابُهاtheir dogs
حَتَّى تُرَى جَاحِرَةً كِلابُها
I abuse them in earnest and do not fear them,
I answer their curses without fear
Until their dogs are seen retreating into their dens.
Until their witchcraft is seen in their dogs,
إِذَاwhen القَوَافِيthe rhymes كُوِّرَتare wound up أَذْنابُهَاtheir tails
إِذَا القَوَافِي كُوِّرَت أَذْنابُهَا
وَجَدْتَهَاyou find them مُفَتَّحاًwide open أَبْوَابُهَاtheir doors
وَجَدْتَهَا مُفَتَّحاً أَبْوَابُهَا
When the tails of rhymes are wound up,
When the rhymes are bent in their tails,
You find them with their doors flung open,
You find their doors wide open,
مقْبِلَةًcoming forth تُسِيلُهَاpour them out شِعَابُهاtheir ravines
مقْبِلَةً تُسِيلُهَا شِعَابُها
Coming forth, their ravines pouring them out.
Facing you, their valleys pouring forth.