ولمّا اِلتَقينا والقلوبُ مَهيجةٌ

ولمّا اِلتَقينا والقلوبُ مَهيجةٌ

وأَيمانُنا مشغولةٌ بالقوائِمِ

وأَيمانُنا مشغولةٌ بالقوائِمِ

And when we met, with our hearts stirred,

When we met, our hearts aflame,

And our right hands occupied with the hilts,

Our oaths busy with scrolls,

جعلنا القنا فيهمْ مكانَ ضلوعهمْ

جعلنا القنا فيهمْ مكانَ ضلوعهمْ

وحدَّ الظُّبا منهمْ مكانَ العمائِمِ

وحدَّ الظُّبا منهمْ مكانَ العمائِمِ

We set the spears within them in place of their ribs,

We made their spears replace their ribs,

And the blades’ edges upon them in place of their turbans.

And our swords replace their turbans.

وأَقدَمَتِ النَّصْرَ البعيدَ سيوفُنا

وأَقدَمَتِ النَّصْرَ البعيدَ سيوفُنا

وقد كان لولا سلُّها غيرَ قادمِ

وقد كان لولا سلُّها غيرَ قادمِ

And our swords brought the far-off victory,

Our distant swords brought victory,

Which, but for their unsheathing, would not have come.

Though without them, it would not have come.

وعُدنا كما شئنا تَعَثّر خيلُنا

وعُدنا كما شئنا تَعَثّر خيلُنا

عقيبَ التّلاقي بالطُّلى والجماجِمِ

عقيبَ التّلاقي بالطُّلى والجماجِمِ

And we returned as we wished, our horses stumbling

Our horses returned as we wished,

After the clash, over necks and skulls.

Stumbling over skulls and slain bodies.