أَذِئبَ الغَضا قَد صِرتَ لِلناسِ ضِحكَة

تغادى بِها الرُكبانُ شَرقاً إِلى غَربِ

The wolves of malice you’ve become a joke

To travelers heading east and west alike

فَأَنتَ وَإِن كُنتَ الجَريءَ جَنانُهُ

مُنيتَ بِضِرغامٍ مِن الأسدِ الغُلبِ

And though undaunted was your soul Dear wolf

You met your end by a lion’s clawing strike

بِمَن لا يَنامُ الليلَ إِلا وَسَيفُهُ

رَهينَةُ أَقوامٍ سِراعٍ إِلى الشَّغبِ

At the hands of one who never sleeps at night

Without his sword held hostage by the valiant tribes so eager for a fight

أَلَم تَرَني يا ذِئبُ إِذ جِئتَ طارِقاً

تُخاتِلُني أَنّي اِمرؤٌ وافِرُ اللُّبِّ

Did you not see me wolf as you crept close in the dead of night

Thinking me but a meek and feeble soul in spite of might

زَجَرتُكَ مَرّاتٍ فَلَمّا غَلَبتَني

وَلَم تَنزَجِر نَهنَهتُ غَربَكَ بِالضَربِ

I scared you off time and again but when you overpowered me

And paid no heed, I put an end to you with heavy blows now see

فَصِرتَ لُقىً لما عَلاكَ اِبنُ حُرَّةٍ

بِأَبيَضَ قَطّاعٍ يُنَجّي مِنَ الكَربِ

You fell prey to Ibn Hurra’s cutting white blade

That saves from harm and damage ever made

أَلا رُبَّ يَوم ريبَ لَو كُنتَ شاهِداً

لَهالَكَ ذِكري عِندَ مَعمَعَةِ الحَربِ

Oh, many are the dubious days my friend had you been witness

My name among the brave would surely not be missed

وَلَستَ تَرى إِلا كَمِيّاً مُجَدَّلاً

يَداهُ جَميعاً تَثبُتانِ مِنَ التُّربِ

You’d see no coward there all bundled in the dust

Both hands covered entirely by soil and rust

وَآخَرَ يَهوي طائِرَ القَلبِ هارِباً

وَكُنتُ اِمرأً في الهَيجِ مُجتَمعَ القَلبِ

And another still with fluttering frightened heart

While I faced the battle clamoring as lions do headlong dart

أصولُ بِذي الزرَّينِ أَمشي عِرضنَةً

إِلى المَوتِ وَالأَقرانُ كَالإِبِلِ الجُربِ

With my proud steed I march with head held high

Toward death itself, my peers around me nigh

أَرى المَوتَ لا أَنحاشُ عَنهُ تَكَرُّماً

وَلَو شِئتُ لَم أَركَب عَلى المَركَبِ الصَعبِ

I see death coming on and do not flinch, too proud am I

Though I could if I wished avoid its grueling tribulation cry

وَلَكِن أَبَت نَفسي وَكانَت أَبِيَّةً

تَقاعَسُ أَو يَنصاعُ قَومٌ مِنَ الرُعبِ

But my defiant soul refused, for it has always been so pigheadedly feign

Never to cower or let people see it frightened or constrained