لعمري لئن ركبُ الجُنَيد تحملوا

لعمري لئن ركبُ الجُنَيد تحملوا

إلى الشأم من مرّ وراحت ركائبه

إلى الشأم من مرّ وراحت ركائبه

By my life, though al-Junayd’s caravan has loaded up and departed

By my life, if al-Junayd's riders have departed

for Syria from Marr, and its mounts have gone,

For Syria from Marr, and his riding camels have gone forth,

لقد غادر الركب الشامون خلفهم

لقد غادر الركب الشامون خلفهم

فتىً غطفانيا يُعلل جانبُه

فتىً غطفانيا يُعلل جانبُه

the Syria-bound riders have indeed left behind them

The Syria-bound riders have indeed left behind them

a young Ghatafani whose side is grievously wounded—

A youth of Ghatafan whose side is being tended.

فتى كان يسرى للعدو كأنما

فتى كان يسرى للعدو كأنما

سروب القطا في كل يوم كتائبه

سروب القطا في كل يوم كتائبه

a youth who used to ride by night against the foe, as though

A youth who used to travel by night against the enemy, as though

his battalions, each day, were flights of sandgrouse,

His battalions were flocks of sandgrouse every day.

وكان كأن البدر تحت لوائه

وكان كأن البدر تحت لوائه

اذا راح في جيش وراحت عصائبه

اذا راح في جيش وراحت عصائبه

and who seemed the full moon beneath his banner

And he was like the full moon beneath his banner,

whenever he marched with an army and his companies marched forth.

When he went forth with an army and his war bands went forth.