أَلاَ للهِ من هَفَواتِ عمروٍ

أَلاَ للهِ من هَفَواتِ عمروٍ

يُعاتِبُني عَلَى تركي بِرازِي

يُعاتِبُني عَلَى تركي بِرازِي

Ah, by God, what blunders ʿAmr has made!

Alas for the lost years of my life

He reproaches me for forgoing single combat.

That reproach me for abandoning my friend

فَقدْ لاَقَى أبا حَسَن عَلِيّا

فَقدْ لاَقَى أبا حَسَن عَلِيّا

فآبَ الوائلّي مَآبَ خازِي

فآبَ الوائلّي مَآبَ خازِي

For he met Abu Hasan, ʿAli,

He met Abu Hasan Ali

So the Waʾili returned in disgrace.

So al-Wathili retreated like a defeated man

فَلَو لم يُبْدِ عورتَه للاقَى

فَلَو لم يُبْدِ عورتَه للاقَى

به ليثاً يُذَلِّلُ كلَّ نازي

به ليثاً يُذَلِّلُ كلَّ نازي

For had he not exposed his private parts, he would have met

Had he not revealed his weakness, he would have met

In him a lion who subdues every leaping attacker.

A lion that humiliates every proud man

له كفّ كأنّ بِراحَتَيْها

له كفّ كأنّ بِراحَتَيْها

منايا القومِ يَخْطِفُ خَطْفَ بازي

منايا القومِ يَخْطِفُ خَطْفَ بازي

He has a hand, as though within its two palms

He has a palm that seems

Lay the people's deaths; he snatches like a hawk.

To snatch away the lives of people like a hunting falcon

فإنْ تكنِ المنايا أخطأَته

فإنْ تكنِ المنايا أخطأَته

فقد غَنّى بها أَهْلُ الحجاز

فقد غَنّى بها أَهْلُ الحجاز

And if death has missed him,

If death missed him

Then the people of the Hijaz have indeed sung of it.

The people of Hijaz would still sing his praises