1. When you witness a battlefield, you almost break into song
Instead of swords being drawn or blood being shed
١. تَكَادُ تَغْنَى إذا شاهَدْتَ مُعْتَرَكاً
عنْ أَنْ يُسَلَّ حُسامٌ أو يُسالَ دَمُ
2. With but a glance from you, the horn is bent back furiously
As if your glance against it is a sharp, destroying sword
٢. بِلَحْظَةٍ منكَ يُثْنَى القِرْنُ مُنْعَفِراً
كأنَّ لَحْظَكَ فيه صارِمٌ خَذِمُ
3. You went where the thick-necked lions assemble ferociously
And you were where death's calamities throng and gather
٣. أَقْدَمْتَ حيثُ الكُمَاةُ الشُّوْسُ مُحْجِمَةٌ
وَجُدْتَ حيثُ المَنَايَا السُّوْدُ تَزْدَحِمْ
4. And death did not claim a single soul among them
Except your sword was the shank of generosity or a ruin
٤. وما احْتَدَى الموتُ نَفْساً من نُفُوسِهِمُ
إلاَّ وَسَيْفُكَ كَعْبُ الجُوْدِ أو هَرِمُ
5. And their corpses on the slender bodies lie scattered
As if they are patches of ravens and carrion
٥. وهَامُهُمْ في الجُذُوْعِ الشُّمِّ ضاحِيَةٌ
كأنَّها بَقَعُ الغِرْبانِ والرَّخَمُ
6. Waymarks on the path of the caravan, you'd think them
Calling out to the caravan about their lost bodies
٦. مَوَاثِلاً في سبيل الرَّكْبِ تَحْسِبُها
تُسائلُ الرَّكْبَ عن أَجْسادِها القِمَمُ
7. And the ravens gather around them fallen
As if above their cooked flesh they pick
٧. وقد تُلِمُّ بها الغِرْبانُ واقعةً
كأنَّها فوق مَحْلُوْقاتها لِمَمُ
8. Silent, yet the shape of them says:
"This is the vengeance against the disobedient son of Ma'n."
٨. صَوَامِتٌ نُطُقُ الهَيْئَاتِ قائلةٌ
عُقْبَى عُصاةِ ابنِ مَعْنٍ هذه النِّقَمُ