1. عِقابُ الهَجرِ أَعقَبَ لي الوِصالاً

    وَصِدقُ الصَبرِ أَظهَرَ لي المُحالا

    The punishment of separation brought me reunion,

    and true patience revealed the impossible to me.

  2. وَلَولا حُبُّ عَبلَةَ في فُؤادي

    مُقيمٌ ما رَعَيتُ لَهُم جِمالا

    And had the love of Abla in my heart not

    abided, I would not have tended camels for them.

  3. عَتَبتُ الدَهرَ كَيفَ يُذِلَّ مِثلي

    وَلي عَزمٌ أَقُدُّ بِهِ الجِبالا

    I reproached Time: how could it abase one like me,

    when I have resolve with which I cleave mountains?

  4. أَنا الرَجُلُ الَّذي خُبِّرتَ عَنهُ

    وَقَد عايَنتَ مِن خَبري الفِعالا

    I am the man you were told about,

    and you have witnessed the deeds my story tells.

  5. غَداةَ أَتَت بَنو طَيٍّ وَكَلبٍ

    تَهُزُّ بِكَفِّها السُمرَ الطِوالا

    On the morning the sons of Tayy and Kalb came,

    brandishing the long brown spears in their hands,

  6. بِجَيشٍ كُلَّما لاحَظتُ فيهِ

    حَسِبتُ الأَرضَ قَد مُلِأَت رِجالا

    with an army that, whenever I gazed into it,

    I thought the earth had been filled with men.

  7. وَداسوا أَرضَنا بِمُضَمَّراتٍ

    فَكانَ صَهيلُها قيلاً وَقالا

    And they trampled our land with lean steeds,

    so their neighing was talk and chatter.

  8. تَوَلَّوا جُفَّلاً مِنّا حَيارى

    وَفاتوا الظُعنَ مِنهُم وَالرِحالا

    They turned away from us in panicked flight, bewildered,

    and left behind their women in litters and their baggage.

  9. وَما حَمَلَت ذَوُو الأَنسابِ ضَيماً

    وَلا سَمِعَت لِداعيها مَقالا

    And those of noble lineage bore no humiliation,

    nor heeded their summoner's words.

  10. وَما رَدُّ الأَعِنَّةِ غَيرُ عَبدٍ

    وَنارُ الحَربِ تَشتَعِلُ اِشتِعالا

    And none but a slave turned back the reins,

    while the fire of war blazed fiercely,

  11. بِطَعنٍ تُرعَدُ الأَبطالُ مِنهُ

    لِشِدَّتِهِ فَتَجتَنِبُ القِتالا

    with spear-thrusts that made champions tremble

    at their force, so they shunned combat.

  12. صَدَمتُ الجَيشَ حَتّى كُلَّ مُهري

    وَعُدتُ فَما وَجَدتُ لَهُم ظِلالا

    I charged the army until my colt grew weary,

    and returned, but found not a shadow of them.

  13. وَراحَت خَيلُهُم مِن وَجهِ سَيفي

    خِفافاً بَعدَما كانَت ثِقالا

    And their horses fled from the face of my sword,

    light after they had been heavy,

  14. تَدوسُ عَلى الفَوارِسِ وَهيَ تَعدو

    وَقَد أَخَذَت جَماجِمَهُم نِعالا

    trampling the horsemen as they galloped,

    having taken their skulls as sandals.

  15. وَكَم بَطَلٍ تَرَكتُ بِها طَريحاً

    يُحَرِّكُ بَعدَ يُمناهُ الشِمالا

    And many a champion I left there fallen,

    moving his left hand after his right.

  16. وَخَلَّصتُ العَذارى وَالغَواني

    وَما أَبقَيتُ مَع أَحَدٍ عِقالا

    And I rescued the maidens and the beauties,

    and left no one even a camel's hobble.