أَبكي الفَتى الأَبيَضَ البُهلولَ سُنَّتُهُ

عِندَ النِداءِ فَلا نِكساً وَلا وَرَعا

I weep for the noble white knight whose habit

Was never to falter when called, nor to show cowardice,

أَبكي عَلى مالِكِ الأَصيافِ إِذ نَزَلوا

حينَ الشِتاءِ وَعَزَّ الرِسلُ فَاِنجَدَعا

I weep for the lord of summertides when they descended

In winter, and messengers grew few and were distressed,

وَلَم يَجِد لِقُراهُم غَيرَ مُربِعَةٍ

مِن العِشارِ تُزَجّي تَحتَها رُبَعاً

And found for their villages no shelter

But a single room of the tithe store, where a quarter huddled,

أَهوى لَها السَيفَ تَرّاً وَهيَ راتِعَةٌ

فَأَوهَنَ السَيفُ عَظمَ الساقِ فَاِنقَطَعا

He brandished the sword left-handed, and it was trembling,

So the sword weakened the thigh bone till it snapped,

فَجاءَهُم بَعدَ رَقدُ الحَيِّ أَطيَبُها

وَقَد كَفى مِنهُمُ مَن غابَ وَاِضطَجَعا

Then after the living one's slumber, the sweetest of it

Came to them, for the departed had slept and were still,

يا فارِسَ الرَوعِ يَومَ الرَوعِ قَد عَلِموا

وَصاحِبَ العَزمِ لا نِكساً وَلا طَبِعا

O knight of dread on the day of dread, they learned

Resolution's companion falters not, nor is humble,

وَمُدرِكَ التَبلِ في الأَعداءِ يَطلُبُهُ

وَإِن طَلَبتَ بِتَبلٍ عِندَهُ مَنَعا

And overtaker of victims among foes he seeks,

Though you seek victims from him, he denies,

قالوا أَخوكَ أَتى الناعي بِمَصرَعِهِ

فَاِرتاعَ قَلبي غَداةَ البَينِ فَاِنصَدَعا

They said, your brother, the herald came with his death,

So at dawn of separation my heart was shaken and cracked,

ثُمَّ اِرعَوى القَلبُ شَيئاً بَعدَ طَيرَتِهِ

وَالنَفسُ تَعلَمُ أَن قَد أُثبِتَت وَجَعا

Then the heart regained composure after its panic,

And the soul knows well that grief has been confirmed,