صَبَرتُ وَمِثلي صَبرُهُ لَيسَ يُنكَرُ
وَلَيسَ عَلى تَركِ التَقَحُّمِ يُعذَرُ
I was patient, and patience like mine cannot be denied,
Nor can abstaining from rashness be blamed.
غَريزَةُ حُرٍّ لا اِختِلاقُ تَكَلُّفٍ
إِذا خامَ في يَومِ الوَغى المُتَصَبِّرُ
It is the instinct of a free man, not an artificial affectation,
When the impetuous roar on the day of battle, holding back.
وَلَمّا رَأَيتُ المَوتَ تَهفو بُنودُهُ
وَبانَت عَلاماتٌ لَهُ لَيسَ تُنكَرُ
And when I saw death waving its banners,
Signs unmistakable,
وَأَقبَلَتِ الأَعرابُ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ
وَثارَ عَجاجٌ أَسوَدُ اللَونِ أَكدَرُ
And the Bedouin hordes approached from every side,
A turbulent rabble, black of hue, unkempt,
بِكُلِّ مُشيحٍ مُستَميتٍ مُشَمِّرٍ
يَجولُ بِهِ طِرفٌ أَقَبُّ مُشَمِّرُ
Each bearing a drawn sword, resolute, rolled up in turbans,
In a desolate land where there was no defender,
بِأَرضِ خُسافٍ حينَ لَم يَكُ دافِعٌ
وَلا مانِعٌ إِلّا الصَفيحُ المُذَكَّرُ
No protector but coats of mail forged with great skill,
The resolve of my heart made their great numbers seem small,
فَقَلَّلَ في عَينَيَّ عُظمَ جُموعِهِم
عَزيمَةُ قَلبٍ فيهِ ما جَلَّ يَصغُرُ
In a fateful fray where death held sway
And the flames of battle blazed in the dwelling place.
بِمُعتَرَكٍ فيهِ المَنايا حَواسِرٌ
وَنارُ الوَغى بِالمَشرَفِيَّةِ تُسعَرُ
I did not shield my face from the blows of their swords,
Nor shrink from them though spears struck and shattered.
فَما صُنتُ وَجهي عَن ظُباتِ سُيوفِهِم
وَلا اِنحَزتُ عَنهُم وَالقَنا تَتَكَسَّرُ
I was not timid in the heat of battle
When the meek have no place in war.
وَلَم أَكُ في حَرِّ الكَريهَةِ مُحجِماً
إِذا لَم يَكُن في الحَربِ لِلوِردِ مَصدَرُ
When the glance and the soul of the young man are bold
Though raven dark or milk pale and docktailed,
إِذا ساعَدَ الطِرفُ الفَتى وَجَنانُهُ
وَأَسمَرُ خَطِّيٌّ وَأَبيَضُ مِبتَرُ
Though the noble man be merciful by nature
When warriors throng and jostle in the fray,
فَذاكَ وَإِن كانَ الكَريمُ بِنَفسِهِ
إِذا اِصطَكَّتِ الأَبطالُ في النَقعِ عَسكَرُ
I prevented them from gaining any advantage
And I was their bulwark though tongues dripped venom.
مَنَعتُهُمُ مِن أَن يَنالوا قُلامَةً
وَكُنتُ شَجاهُم وَالأَسِنَّةُ تَقطُرُ
Such were my deeds of old and recent
By which the past was known and the late venerated.
وَتِلكَ سَجايانا قَديماً وَحادِثاً
بِها عُرِفَ الماضي وَعَزَّ المُؤَخَّرُ
My loins refused that I should see myself
Cowardly and submissive though fate be harsh
أَبَت لي قُرومٌ أَنجَبَتنِيَ أَن أُرى
وَإِن جَلَّ خَطبٌ خاشِعاً أَتَضَجَّرُ
They are the Family of God - Fihr son of Malik -
By them the broken bone is mended and the hale broken
أُولئِكَ آلُ اللَهِ فِهرُ بنُ مالِكٍ
بِهِم يُجبَرُ العَظمُ الكَسيرُ وَيُكسَرُ
They are the towering shoulder above every shoulder
Their swords destroy and enrich and impoverish.
هُمُ المَنكِبُ العالي عَلى كُلِّ مَنكِبٍ
سُيوفُهُم تُفني وَتُغني وَتُفقِرُ
