1. What a fine young man of the two clans, Amr son of Muhsin,
When the hay-caller of the clan shouts at dawn,

2. When the horses parade between them straight towards the lances,
Stirring up a clatter, towering, bristling.

3. The Helpers were profoundly grieved by the loss of their chief,
My brother, tried and true among the virtuous.

4. So, Lord of what is best, You have granted success,
And filled the empty saddle that You left deprived.

5. And Lord of an adversary, You have repelled him with his error,
So he turned away humbled, when he had been enraged,

6. And the banner of glory You carried, and a raid
You witnessed when the coward winced and shuddered with fear.

7. A protector of his noble clan, no base man was he,
No turn-tail among the Helpers reproached and vilified.

8. The pillar of glory was tall, its courtyard spacious,
Fertile when the clan's guide went thirsty.

9. Mighty sparks from the fire were no disgrace to him,
No weakness on the day of battle, defeated.

10. You were a spring whose swords brought benefit to people,
And a slaughtering sword whose sharp edge was whetted.

11. When can he be glad at killing Muhsin's son,
So he lives wretched, then dies tormented?

12. His shoulder was stabbed, and his cheek,
As he confronted a spear with sharp point and blade.

13. If you kill the free man, the noble son of Muhsin,
Then we killed Dhu'l-Kula and Hawshab too.

14. If you kill the two sons of Badil and Hashim,
Then we left amongst you the fork-horned bull.

15. And we left donkeys amongst your ranks
As corpses by death, felled like date palms.

16. And Murthid slipped through beneath the spear-hafts,
A veteran from way back at deserting.

17. While by the parting of lances we left
Your brother Ubaydullah as shredded meat.

18. With lines of men when your ranks recoiled from him
And Ibn Atta's face we left as a playing field.

19. And after Zubayr, Talha, whom we did not spare,
Nor leave for the hyena a sergeant or shoulder.

20. And we surrounded the camel and its rider,
And we gave you poisoned drink, pure and unsullied.