لا يَفوتُ المَوتَ مِن حَذَرٍ

لا يَفوتُ المَوتَ مِن حَذَرٍ

إِن وَقاهُ الغابُ وَالغيلُ

إِن وَقاهُ الغابُ وَالغيلُ

He cannot elude death through caution,

Death cannot be evaded by caution

even if the forest and thicket protect him:

Even if the thicket and darkness protect him

مُفرَعُ الأَكتافِ ذو لَبَدٍ

مُفرَعُ الأَكتافِ ذو لَبَدٍ

مُترَصُ الأَوصالِ مَجدولُ

مُترَصُ الأَوصالِ مَجدولُ

high-shouldered, bearing a mane,

Broad shouldered, muscular

compact in limb, sinewy.

His joints arranged, interlaced

إِنَّ دَهراً فَلَّ حَدَّهُمُ

إِنَّ دَهراً فَلَّ حَدَّهُمُ

حَدُّهُ لا بُدَّ مَفلولُ

حَدُّهُ لا بُدَّ مَفلولُ

Indeed, the age that blunted their edge—

Time has let them down

its own edge must be blunted.

Its sharp edge is inevitable

ما بُكاهُم إِن هُمُ قُتِلوا

ما بُكاهُم إِن هُمُ قُتِلوا

صَبرُهُم لِلقَتلِ تَفضيلُ

صَبرُهُم لِلقَتلِ تَفضيلُ

Why weep for them if they were killed?

Do not weep for them if they are killed

Their steadfastness in facing death is a distinction.

Their patience with killing is preferable

إِنَّما أَخبَرَتِ الحَربُ بِأَن

إِنَّما أَخبَرَتِ الحَربُ بِأَن

نالَهُم قَومٌ أَراذيلُ

نالَهُم قَومٌ أَراذيلُ

War merely reported that

War only told that

a vile people had overcome them.

Vile people attacked them

نالَهُم مَنَ لا يُحَصِّلُهُ

نالَهُم مَنَ لا يُحَصِّلُهُ

في كِرامِ القَومِ تَحصيلُ

في كِرامِ القَومِ تَحصيلُ

They were overcome by one who cannot be counted

Attacked by those who cannot appreciate

among the people's noblest, by any reckoning:

The honor of people and gain it

أَعبُدٌ قِنٌّ يُصادِرُهُم

أَعبُدٌ قِنٌّ يُصادِرُهُم

قَومٌ أُسودٌ تَنابيلُ

قَومٌ أُسودٌ تَنابيلُ

slaves born in bondage, confronted by

Civilized, gentle folk

a band of lions, squat and lowly.

Taken by violent, rude people

فَرَأَوا أَن يَهرُبوا طُرّاً

فَرَأَوا أَن يَهرُبوا طُرّاً

وَالطَردُ ما فيهِ تَمهيلُ

وَالطَردُ ما فيهِ تَمهيلُ

So they decided to flee, all of them,

So they saw to flee hastily

and the pursuit allowed no respite.

And haste has no carefulness

بِمَشيجٍ ثالطٍ وَدَمٍ

بِمَشيجٍ ثالطٍ وَدَمٍ

أُخلِصَت مِنهُ السَراويلُ

أُخلِصَت مِنهُ السَراويلُ

With a mingling of loose dung and blood,

With blood, mud and filthy injuries

the trousers were cleansed of it.

The pants got stained

قيلَ والمِقدارُ يَحرُسُهُ

قيلَ والمِقدارُ يَحرُسُهُ

فَنَجا وَالسَرجُ مَبلولُ

فَنَجا وَالسَرجُ مَبلولُ

It was said, while fate guarded him:

It is said predestination guards him

So he escaped, with the saddle wet.

So he survived while the saddle was soaked