ونُبِّئْتُ أنَّ الدهر أحدث نبْوَةً

ونُبِّئْتُ أنَّ الدهر أحدث نبْوَةً

فما ذُقْتُ طعم النوم حتى تجلَّتِ

فما ذُقْتُ طعم النوم حتى تجلَّتِ

I was told that Fate had brought about a sudden misfortune—

And I was told that Time had brought a setback;

and so I tasted no sleep until it came fully to light.

So I did not taste sleep until it lifted.

وأشفقتُ من أن يضمر الخطبُ فارساً

وأشفقتُ من أن يضمر الخطبُ فارساً

جريئاً إذا ما المَشْرفيَّةُ سُلَّتِ

جريئاً إذا ما المَشْرفيَّةُ سُلَّتِ

I feared lest the calamity conceal within it a knight,

And I feared that calamity might wear down a knight,

bold whenever the Mashrafi blades are drawn,

Bold when the Mashrafi swords are drawn,

وَهُوباً ضَروباً في قَتامٍ وعِثْيَرٍ

وَهُوباً ضَروباً في قَتامٍ وعِثْيَرٍ

إذا السُّحب ضنَّت أو إذا الخيل ولَّت

إذا السُّحب ضنَّت أو إذا الخيل ولَّت

lavishly generous, a mighty striker amid black battle-dust and swirling grit,

A lavish giver, a mighty striker amid thick and swirling dust,

when clouds withhold their rain, or when cavalry turns in flight.

When clouds withhold their rain, or horses flee.

رشيدٌ إلى طعْن النُّحورِ سِنانُهُ

رشيدٌ إلى طعْن النُّحورِ سِنانُهُ

إذا السُّمْر في ليل العجاجة ضلَّتِ

إذا السُّمْر في ليل العجاجة ضلَّتِ

His spearpoint is unerringly guided toward piercing upper chests,

His spearhead is unerring in piercing throats,

when brown lances lose their way in the night of battle-dust.

When brown-shafted spears lose their way in the night of battle-dust.

ومَن مثل قُطب الدين فارس مَعْركٍ

ومَن مثل قُطب الدين فارس مَعْركٍ

صبوراً إذا حمس الفوارس مَلَّتِ

صبوراً إذا حمس الفوارس مَلَّتِ

And who can equal Qutb al-Din, a knight of battle,

And who is like Qutb al-Din, a knight of the battlefield,

steadfast when even the bravest horsemen tire?

Steadfast when the fiercest horsemen tire?

أحنُّ كما حنَّت إلى الوردِ بالضُّحى

أحنُّ كما حنَّت إلى الوردِ بالضُّحى

خوامسُ أودتْ بالسُّرى واضْمحلَّت

خوامسُ أودتْ بالسُّرى واضْمحلَّت

I yearn as they yearn for the watering place in the bright forenoon—

I yearn—as they yearn for the watering place at forenoon,

five-day-thirsting she-camels, worn down by night travel and wasted away.

Camels due their fifth-day drink, spent by night travel and wasted away—

إليك فإنْ يُقْض اللِّقاءُ فنِعْمَةٌ

إليك فإنْ يُقْض اللِّقاءُ فنِعْمَةٌ

يقِلُّ لها الشُّكر الجزيلُ وجلَّتِ

يقِلُّ لها الشُّكر الجزيلُ وجلَّتِ

For you I yearn. If reunion is decreed, it will be a blessing—

For you; and if our meeting is decreed, it is a blessing

one for which lavish thanks fall short, so great is it.

For which even lavish thanks fall short, so great it is.