كَرَرتُ عَلى أَبطالِ سَعدٍ وَمالِكٍ

كَرَرتُ عَلى أَبطالِ سَعدٍ وَمالِكٍ

وَمَن يَدعُ الداعي إِذا هُوَ نَدَّدَ

وَمَن يَدعُ الداعي إِذا هُوَ نَدَّدَ

I charged the champions of Sa'd and Malik,

I charged the heroes of Saad and Malik again and again,

And those the caller summons when he raises his cry.

And who calls the caller when he is urgent?

فَلَأيا كَرَرتُ الوردَ حَتّى رَأَيتُهُم

فَلَأيا كَرَرتُ الوردَ حَتّى رَأَيتُهُم

يَكُبّونَ في الصَحراءِ مَثنى وَموحدا

يَكُبّونَ في الصَحراءِ مَثنى وَموحدا

Then, with difficulty, I wheeled al-Ward into the charge, until I saw them

So I charged the roses until I saw them

Tumbling headlong in the desert, in pairs and singly.

Falling in the desert, in pairs and alone.

غَداةَ بَذَتهُم بِالصَعيدِ رِماحَكُم

غَداةَ بَذَتهُم بِالصَعيدِ رِماحَكُم

وَقَد ظَهَرَت دَعوى زَنيمُ وَأَسعَدا

وَقَد ظَهَرَت دَعوى زَنيمُ وَأَسعَدا

On the morning your spears overcame them on the open plain,

The morning your spears pierced them in the plain

And the war cry of Zanim and As'ad had risen.

And the claim of Zaneem and Saad became clear.

فَما زِلتُ أَرميهُم بِغرَّةِ وَجهِهِ

فَما زِلتُ أَرميهُم بِغرَّةِ وَجهِهِ

وَبِالسَيفِ حَتّى كَلَّ تَحتي وَبَلَّدا

وَبِالسَيفِ حَتّى كَلَّ تَحتي وَبَلَّدا

I kept assailing them with the white blaze of his face,

So I did not stop shooting them with the radiance of his face,

And with the sword, until he tired beneath me and grew sluggish.

And with the sword until my arms were exhausted and weakened.

إِذا شَكَّ أَطرافَ العَوالي لُبانَةُ

إِذا شَكَّ أَطرافَ العَوالي لُبانَةُ

أَقَدِّمُهُ حَتّى يَرى المَوتَ أَسوَدا

أَقَدِّمُهُ حَتّى يَرى المَوتَ أَسوَدا

Whenever the tips of the tall spears pierced his breast,

When the tops of the highlands doubted Lubanah,

I urged him forward until death looked black to him.

I advanced him until he saw death as black.

عُلالَتُها بِالأَمسِ ما قَد عَلِمتُم

عُلالَتُها بِالأَمسِ ما قَد عَلِمتُم

وَعَلَّ الجَواري بَينَنا أَن تَسهَدا

وَعَلَّ الجَواري بَينَنا أَن تَسهَدا

Their second draught yesterday was what you already know,

Her sickness yesterday you already knew,

And perhaps the maidens among us will lie awake.

And the slave girls between us had become drowsy.

لَقَد عَلِمَت نَبهانُ أَنّي حَمَيتُها

لَقَد عَلِمَت نَبهانُ أَنّي حَمَيتُها

وَأَنّي مَنعتُ السَبيَ أَن يَتَبَدَّدا

وَأَنّي مَنعتُ السَبيَ أَن يَتَبَدَّدا

Nabhan certainly knew that I defended her,

Nabhan knew I had protected her,

And that I kept the captives from being scattered.

And that I prevented the captives from scattering.

عَشِيَّةَ غادَرتُ اِبنَ ضَبٍّ كَأَنَّما

عَشِيَّةَ غادَرتُ اِبنَ ضَبٍّ كَأَنَّما

هَوى عَن عُقابٍ مِن شَماريخ صِندَدا

هَوى عَن عُقابٍ مِن شَماريخ صِندَدا

That evening I left Ibn Dabb as though

In the evening, I left the son of Dab as if

He had plunged from a crag among the pinnacles of a towering mountain.

He had fallen from the cliff of high mountains.

بِذي شَطبٍ أَغشى الكَتيبَة سَلهَب

بِذي شَطبٍ أَغشى الكَتيبَة سَلهَب

أَقَبَّ كَسَرحانِ الظَلامِ مِعوَدا

أَقَبَّ كَسَرحانِ الظَلامِ مِعوَدا

With a grooved sword I charge the battalion on a long-bodied horse,

With Zu Shetb I overwhelmed the battalion Salhab,

Lean-bellied, like a wolf in the dark, accustomed to repeated charges.

He crouched like the darkness of night, familiar.