فعِرضك لا يوفي كريماً بعرضه

فعِرضك لا يوفي كريماً بعرضه

فهل يوفين منك الجزاز المصمم

فهل يوفين منك الجزاز المصمم

Your honor is no full recompense to a nobleman for his honor;

For your honor cannot repay a nobleman for his honor;

will the cleaving blade, driven to the core, exact full payment from you?

then will the keen, bone-cleaving sword exact full recompense from you?

كأنك لم تسمع فوارس وائل

كأنك لم تسمع فوارس وائل

إذا أسرجوا للحرب يوماً وألجموا

إذا أسرجوا للحرب يوماً وألجموا

As though you had never heard of Wāʾil’s horsemen

As though you had never heard of Wa’il’s horsemen,

when, one day, they saddle and bridle for war.

when one day they saddled and bridled their mounts for war.