1. عِقابي أمرُّ من العَلقمِ

    وعزميَ أمضى من الِمْخذم

    My punishment is more bitter than colocynth,

    And my resolve is sharper than a cleaving sword.

  2. وعِزّي يُذلّلُ عُنق العزيزِ

    ويرغمُ أنف الحميّ الكَمي

    My might bends the mighty man's neck

    And rubs the proud armored warrior's nose in the dust.

  3. وجودي أضَرِّ بمعنِ الجَواد

    وألوى بحاتمنا الأكرم

    My generosity has eclipsed Maʿn the bountiful

    And outdone our most generous Ḥātim.

  4. وذكري يطوفُ بأفقِ البلادِ

    وفضليَ يسري إلى النُّوم

    My renown circles the horizon of the lands,

    And my excellence travels by night to the sleepers.

  5. ولي همَّةٌ تنطح النَّيَرْينِ

    وتسمو رُقيّاً على المِرزم

    I have an ambition that butts against the sun and moon

    And rises in its ascent above al-Mirzam.

  6. ولُيِّ يُشا يعني في الخُطوبِ

    ورائي يُحاكي القضا المبرم

    And my mind supports me in calamities [probable reading],

    And my judgment resembles irrevocable fate.

  7. ولي سَطَواتٌ تذلُّ العَزيزَ

    وتوهي قُوى الأسدِ الضّيغمِ

    I have onslaughts that humble the mighty

    And sap the fierce lion's strength.

  8. ويا ُربّ ليلٍ كموج الخِضَمّ

    كثيرٍ تهاويله مظلمِ

    And oh, many a night like the waves of the deep sea,

    Dark and crowded with terrors,

  9. كأنَّ الثُّريَّا به غُرّةٌ

    عَلَت هامة الفرسِ الأدَهمِ

    In which the Pleiades seemed a white blaze

    Crowning a black horse's head,

  10. تدرَّعتُه راكباً جَسرةً

    ترضُّ الحجارة بالمِنْسَم

    I donned as armor, riding a sturdy she-camel

    That crushes stones with her hoof,

  11. جُماليةً من بنات الجَديل

    وتُنسبُ عيصاً إلى شَدْقَمِ

    Powerfully built, one of Jadīl's daughters,

    Her stock traced back to Shadqam,

  12. أمُوناً ذَقوناً من اليَعْمَلاتِ

    تتَيهُ دلالاً على الرُّسَّمِ

    Reliable, head-bobbing, among the hardy she-camels,

    Strutting coquettishly above the swift-paced camels.

  13. وفرعاءَ غَرَّاءَ ممكورةٍ

    من الغيدِ برَّاقة المبْسمِ

    And a long-haired, radiant, shapely woman,

    One of the graceful beauties, with a sparkling smile,

  14. تَسَدَّيْتُها إذ جَنحن النجومُ

    وخاضَ الكرى أعينَ النُّوِّم

    I approached as the stars inclined

    And slumber waded into the sleepers' eyes.

  15. فقالت مَن الطارق المُشْمَعِلُّ

    لبابِ خبانا ولم نعلم

    She said, “Who is the hurrying night visitor

    At our tent's door, without our knowing?

  16. ألا خِفْتَ قَيّمنا الشمَّريَّ

    وشفرةَ صارمِه الِمخْذَمِ

    Did you not fear our intrepid guardian

    And the blade of his cleaving sword?

  17. فأقسمُ بالله أنْ لو رآك

    سميدَعُنا الضَّخمُ لم تسلمِ

    I swear by God that, had he seen you,

    Our imposing chieftain—you would not have escaped unharmed.”

  18. فقلتُ كذبتِ وقلتِ المُحال

    فبالإفكِ باللهِ لا تقُسمي

    I said, “You have lied and spoken the impossible;

    Do not swear falsely by God.”

  19. فنادت بها أختها هوّنى

    فذا صوتُ سيدنا الأعظمِ

    Her sister called to her, “Be calm;

    This is the voice of our greatest lord,

  20. سُليمانَ مَولى ملوكِ الزمانِ

    سَلالة هودِ النبيِّ الأكرم

    Sulaymān, master of the kings of the age,

    Scion of Hūd, the most noble prophet.

  21. لكِ الويلُ أيّ أخي سَطوةٍ

    سواه يزوركِ فاستعصمي

    Woe to you! What man of might

    Other than him would visit you? So guard yourself.”

  22. فأطرقتِ الخودُ حيرانةً

    تعَضُّ البَنانَ كذى مَندمِ

    The young beauty lowered her eyes, bewildered,

    Biting her fingertips like one full of remorse.

  23. وأذرت من الأجفُن الفاتراتِ

    دموعاً على وجنةٍ كالدَّمِ

    And she shed from her languid eyelids

    Tears upon a cheek as red as blood.

  24. وقالت جُعلتُ فداءَ الهُمامِ

    سلُيمانَ من سيدٍ مُنعمِ

    She said, “May I be a ransom for the noble hero,

    Sulaymān, such a bountiful lord!

  25. لقد جئتَ في جيَّةٍ مُنكَراً

    وذنبي العظيمِ فلم أحلمِ

    You came on a visit unrecognized,

    And great was my fault: I showed no good sense.”

  26. وقامت مُسلّمةً سَافراً

    تَبَسَّمُ عن واضحٍ أشْبَمِ

    And she rose in greeting, her face unveiled,

    Smiling to reveal bright, cool teeth.

  27. وقالت بجهلٍ جَنونا عليكَ

    ومثلكَ يَعفو عن المجرمِ

    And she said, “In ignorance we have wronged you,

    And one like you pardons the offender.”

  28. وبتنا هنالك في نعمةٍ

    بلمياءَ كالرَّشأِ الأرثمِ

    And we spent the night there in bliss,

    With a dark-lipped beauty like a white-muzzled gazelle fawn.

  29. وقد أُرغمُ الليثَ في غابهِ

    وأسطو على الفارس المُعْلَمِ

    Often I humble the lion in his thicket,

    And assail the warrior marked with battle insignia.

  30. وقد أصدمُ الجيشَ مثلَ الُّلهامِ

    إذا ما وطيسُ هَياجٍ حمي

    And often I crash into the army like a vast host,

    When the furnace of battle grows hot,

  31. على مَتن أجردَ ضافي السَّبيبِ

    شليلٍ سليم الشَّظا شَيْظَمِ

    On the back of a sleek horse with flowing mane and tail,

    Lithe, sound in his shank bones, tall and imposing,

  32. سَبوحٍ أقبَّ كذئب القِفار

    نبيل المراكم والمحزَمِ

    Swimming in his stride, lean-bellied as a wolf of the wastes,

    Nobly built in body and girth,

  33. أغرَّ تعوَّدَ وطءَ الكُماةِ

    لدى الركضِ في القسطل الأقيمِ

    White-blazed, accustomed to trampling armored warriors

    While galloping through the dust-cloud [epithet unclear].

  34. وفي راحتي مُرهفُ الشفرتينِ

    خشيبٌ تعوَّد هرقَ الدمِ

    In my palm is a blade keen on both edges,

    Rough-forged, accustomed to shedding blood,

  35. ورمحٌ من الخطّ صَدقُ الكعوبِ

    زَها بسِنانٍ على لَهذمِ

    And a spear from al-Khaṭṭ, sturdy in its joints,

    Resplendent with a spearhead upon a long, keen lance.

  36. فسلْ عن نفوس العِدى مُرهفي

    وسل عن جزال اللُّهىِ مرقمي

    So ask my keen blade about the lives of my foes,

    And ask my pen about lavish gifts.

  37. أجودُ بمالي بلا موعدٍ

    وأرمي المشاحنَ بالصَّيلمِ

    I give freely of my wealth without a set time,

    And assail the hostile rival with a cleaving sword.

  38. وأضربُ بالسيفِ حتى يؤولَ

    ثَليماً وعرضيّ لم يُثلم

    And I strike with the sword until it becomes

    Notched, while my honor remains unnotched.

  39. وأطعنُ بالرمحِ حتى يحورَ

    حَطيماً وبأسيَ لم يُحطَم

    And I thrust with the spear until it becomes

    Shattered, while my valor remains unbroken.

  40. فسائلْ وجوه كماة الرَّجالِ

    عن المخجلِ الباسلِ المُقْدمِ

    So question the foremost armored champions among men

    About the one who shames others, the brave, bold attacker.

  41. تخبرك أنيَ أغشى الهياج

    وأكفُفُ كفي عن المغنم

    They will tell you that I plunge into battle

    And hold my hand back from the spoils.

  42. أجيدُ الطعانَ وأروي السنانَ

    وأثني العِنانَ عن المذَممِ

    I excel at spear-thrusts and quench the spearhead's thirst,

    And turn the reins away from all that earns reproach.

  43. وأسني الهبات وأُردي الكُماةِ

    وأصفح عن زلَّةِ المجرمِ

    And make my gifts lavish, and fell armored champions,

    And pardon the offender's lapse.

  44. وأتركُ في الروع لحم الطُّغاة

    طعاماً لعُقبانها الحُوَّمِ

    And leave, in battle's terror, the tyrants' flesh

    As food for its circling eagles.

  45. ولم يشف نفسي سوى قولهم

    سليمانُ ياذا الفَخَار أقْدمِ

    And nothing healed my soul but their cry:

    “Sulaymān, possessor of glory, advance!”

  46. أبيدُ الألوفَ وأقري الضيوف

    ولم أصغ في الجودِ للُّوَّم

    I annihilate thousands and entertain guests,

    And in generosity I have not listened to the reproachers.

  47. ألا رُبَّ مالٍ جزيلٍ وهبتُ

    ولم أخشَ فقراً ولم أندمِ

    Ah, many a vast fortune I have bestowed,

    Without fearing poverty or feeling regret!

  48. وخصمٍ قتلتُ وأوقٍ حملتُ

    وحبلٍ وصلتُ ولم أُذممِ

    And many a foe I have slain, and many a burden borne,

    And many a bond I have joined, without incurring blame,

  49. وحمدٍ كسبتُ وأمرٍ رأبتُ

    وأغنيتُ بالمال من مُعدمِ

    And praise I have earned, and affairs I have mended,

    And with wealth enriched the destitute.

  50. وقرنٍ ألدَّ شديد المراس

    مُهاب الشَّراسة مستلئمِ

    And many an obstinate rival, fierce in combat,

    Feared for his ferocity, clad in armor,

  51. أبيّ حمّيٍ جريّ الجنانِ

    ظلومٍ إذا شاءَ لم يُظْلم

    Proud, fiercely protective, bold of heart,

    A tyrant whom none could wrong if he so wished,

  52. كميّ يخالسُ أقرانَهُ

    عتُواً بناظرتيْ أرقم

    An armored champion who struck his rivals unawares,

    Defiantly, with the twin eyes of a speckled serpent—

  53. تحرَّيته ضارباً رأسهُ

    بأبيضَ طلق الشَّبا مخذم

    I sought him out, striking his head

    With a bright sword, keen-edged and cleaving.

  54. فخرَّ هناكَ صريعاً كأني

    خضبتُ محيَّاهُ بالعِظلمِ

    Then he fell there, slain, as though I

    Had dyed his face with ʿiẓlim dye.