وَلما رآهُ الدَهرُ مَلكاً مُعَظَّماً

وَلما رآهُ الدَهرُ مَلكاً مُعَظَّماً

رَماهُ بِأَمرٍ فَاتَّقاهُ بِأَنفِهِ

رَماهُ بِأَمرٍ فَاتَّقاهُ بِأَنفِهِ

When Time saw him as a great and venerated king,

When Fate saw him a revered king,

it hurled a calamity at him, and he faced it head-on.

It attacked him with a trial, but he met it with his resolve.

وَلو غَيرُهُ يُرمى بِما كانَ قَد رَمى

وَلو غَيرُهُ يُرمى بِما كانَ قَد رَمى

لَولّى سَريعاً وَاتقاهُ بِرِدفِهِ

لَولّى سَريعاً وَاتقاهُ بِرِدفِهِ

Had anyone else been struck by what Time had cast,

Had another been attacked with what it had attacked him,

he would swiftly have turned tail and met it with his rump.

He would have fled quickly, shielding his back.

كَذا الباسلُ الضِرغامُ في الحَربِ إِنَّما

كَذا الباسلُ الضِرغامُ في الحَربِ إِنَّما

يُصابُ بِوَجهٍ لا يُصابُ بِخَلفِهِ

يُصابُ بِوَجهٍ لا يُصابُ بِخَلفِهِ

So it is with the valiant lion in war: he is struck

Thus the valiant warrior in battle -

only in the face, never from behind.

He is only struck from the front, never from behind.