ضَمِنتُ لِسَعْدٍ بالأَبارقِ رَدَّهَا

وكانتْ بنو سَعدٍ تُجيزُ ضَمانِي

I promised Sa'd with lightning response,

And the people of Sa'd acknowledged my guarantee,

طلبتمْ بها أَوتارَ يومِ قُرَاقِرٍ

وما طَالبُ الأَوتَارِ بالمتوانِي

You demanded the strings on the day of Quraqir,

But seekers of strings are not hesitant,

ولمَّا حَلَلْتُمْ بالأَيادِ أَمِنْتُمُ

فَصُبَّ عليكم فَارسُ الغَدَوَانِ

And when you came confidently with your hands,

The horseman of the morning raid poured upon you,

أَمامَ جيادٍ يكتُم النقعُ شَخْصَهَا

ولو ركضتْ بالهَضْبِ هَضْب ابَانِ

In front of steeds whose hoofs conceal their vigor,

As if they galloped with the gallop of Iban,

نزائعُ اما عرضةٌ لِكَريهَةٍ

تُقادُ واما عُرضَةٌ لرِهَانِ

Either vulnerable to hateful adversity,

Led along, or vulnerable to wager,

تَخُصُّ السيوفُ المرهفاتُ جِبَاهَهَا

ويأخذُ منها الطَّعْنُ كلَّ مكَانِ

Swords, sharp of edge, aim at their foreheads,

And spears strike them wherever they go,

فأنقذْتُها منهمْ وهمْ يَطردونَها

كما طُرِدَتْ بالقَاعِ شَاةُ اِرانِ

So I saved them from those driving them off,

As the sheep of Iran was driven in the plain.