وَلا اللَهِ لا أَنسى زُهَيراً
وَلَو كَثُرَ المَرازي وَالفُقودُ
I swear by God, I'll ne'er forget Zuhair
Though hosts of years and friends I've lost and missed
أَبى نِسيانَهُ فَقري إِلَيهِ
وَمَشهَدُهُ إِذا اِربَدَّ الجُلودُ
My soul refuses to forget that peer
When wintry blasts have made my skin resistant
وَذِمَّتُهُ إِذا قَحَمَت جُمادى
وَعاقَبَ نَوءَها خَصَرٌ شَديدُ
And when the penetrating spears draw near
Midst cutting edges keen and unrelenting
وَلا وَاللَهِ لا يُنجيكَ دِرعٌ
مُظاهَرَةٌ وَلا شَبحٌ وَشيدُ
By God! No coat of mail shall save or cheer
When war brings perils great and unpreventing
وَلا يَبقى عَلى الحَدَثانِ عِلجٌ
بِكُلِّ فَلاةِ ظاهِرَةٍ يَرودُ
Nor shall the freshest youth escape the bier
Amid those trackless wastes where death is haunting
تَخَطّاهُ الحُتوفُ فَهوَ جَونٌ
كِنازُ اللَحمِ فائِلُهُ رَديدُ
Though pierced by lances, yet he showed no fear
But bravely galloped on, the bold, undaunted
غَدا يَرتادُ في حَجَراتِ غَيثٍ
فَصادَفَ نَوءَهُ حَتفٌ مُجيدُ
Next day he marched where storms of death blew near
And fate assailed him with its weapons dreaded
غَدا يَرتادُ بَينَ يَدَي قَنيصٍ
تُدافِعُهُ سَفَنَّجَةٌ عَنودُ
Next day he marched upon the battlefield
Though foemen's shafts flew swift as lightnings threaded
جَمومٌ نَهدَةٌ ثَبتٌ شَظاها
إِذا رُكِبَت عَلى عَجَلٍ تَصيدُ
Stout camels trained that naught their speed could yield
Unless caparisoned and riders goaded
فَأَلجَمَها فَأَرسَلَها عَلَيهِ
وَوَلّى وَهُوَ مُنتَفِدٌ بَعيدُ
He curbed them, then upon the foe impelled
And turned him in retreat, by fear bested
كَأَنَّ المَروَ بَينَهُما إِذا ما
أَصابَ الوَعثَ مُنتَقِفاً هَبيدُ
As though between them when the war-clouds swelled
A deadly wind swept by, the soft sands shifting
فَأَدرَكَهُ فَأَشرَعَ في نَساهُ
سِناناً حَدُّهُ حَرِقٌ حَديدُ
He followed till his thirst for vengeance quelled
He pierced him with his sword--its edge blood-dripping
فَخَرَّ عَلى الجَبينِ فَأَدرَكَتهُ
حُتوفُ الدَهرِ وَالحَينُ المُفيدُ
He fell upon his brow. Thus fate dispelled
His years. Fleeting is each life's brief equipping.
