دَعانِيَ بِشرٌ دَعوَةً فَأَجَبتُهُ

بِساباطَ إِذ سيقَت إِلَيهِ حُتوفُ

A man called me to battle, so I responded

At Sabaṭ, when the armies were led against him,

فَلَم أَخلِفِ الظَنَّ الَّذي كانَ يَرتَجي

وَبَعضُ أَخِلاءِ الرِّجالِ خَلوفُ

I did not fail the expectation he had of me,

Though some men's comrades may fail and desert.

فَإِن تَكُ خَيلِي يَومَ ساباطَ أَحجَمَت

وَأَفزَعَها مِن ذي العَدُوِّ زَحوفُ

If at Sabaṭ my horses were seen to retreat,

Startled and turned back by the enemies' attack,

فَما جَبُنَت خَيلي وَلَكِن بَدَت لَها

أُلوفٌ أَتَت مِن بَعدِهِنَّ أُلوفُ

It was not from cowardice that my horses fled,

But wave upon wave of reinforcements came against them.

أَقولُ لِفِتيانِ الصَعاليكِ أَسرِجوا

عَناجيجَ أَدنى سَيرِهِنَّ وَجيفُ

I say to the young warriors, saddle up

Your leanest mounts and ride them hard with courage!