ونحن عَقَرنا مُهرَ قابوسَ بعدما

رأى القومُ منه الموت والخيل تُلحَبُ

And we hamstrung Qābūs’s colt, after

the company saw death coming from him, while the horses strained.

عليه دِلاصٌ ذاتُ نسج وسيفُهُ

جُراز من الجُنثي أبيضُ مقضب

Upon him was supple, closely woven mail; and his sword—

a cleaver of al-Jawnathī make, white and keen-edged.

ونحن جررنا الحوفزان الى الردى

وأبحَرَ كَبلّنا وقد كادَ يَشعَب

And we dragged al-Ḥawfazān toward death,

and fettered Abḥar, though he had nearly proved unmanageable.

جرى لَهُمُ بالغَيِّ من أهلِ بارقٍ

فانجحَ ذو كَيدٍ من القوم قُلَّب

A man of Bāriq’s people moved for them in secret;

but we are masters of stratagem, shrewd among the people.

ونحن بجوِّ إذ أُصِيبَ عميدُنا

وعَرَّدَ عنا كل نكسٍ مُركبِ

And we were at Jaww when our chief was struck,

and every battle-seasoned weakling fled from us.

ولستُ بجنيّ ولكنَّ مَلأكاً

تَنَزّلَ من جوِّ السماءِ يصوب

I am no jinn; rather, I am an angel

descending from the midst of heaven, sweeping downward.