إِنَّا إِذَا مَا الحَرْبُ حُدَّ نابُها

وَصَرَّ فِي قِصَرِهَا أَشْنَابُها

When war unsheathes its blade,

And brandishes its sword in its palace,

نَرُدُّهَا مُفَلَّلاً كُلَّابُها

بِأُسْدِ غَابٍ فِي الأَكفِّ غابُهَا

We repulse it, its dogs routed,

By lions whose claws are concealed.

غابُ وَشِيجٍ سَلِبٍ كِعَابُهَا

عُذَافِراتٍ غُلُبٍ رِقَابُها

With biting, vanquished serpents their necks,

And fleeing, defeated horses their flanks,

قَدْ طالَ بَعْدَ بُزْلِها صِعابُها

عَوَاتِرٌ يَزِيدُهَا اضْطِرابُهَا

Long has their weakness burdened them,

Disasters that multiply their turmoil.

ليناً إِذا ما نشِبَت حِرابها

وَالخيلُ تَعدو لَيِّناً جِنابها

When their swords are drawn,

And the horses charge with yielding sides,

عَدْوَ المَخَاضِ سَرَّهَا جَنابُها

وَحَالَ دُونَ عَقْرِهَا ضِرَابُهَا

The hastening raid pleased them,

And its striking held back their slaughter.

ظَلَّتْ بِأَرْضٍ سَامِقٍ أَعْشَابُها

مِنَ الرَبِيعِ صَخِبٍ ذُبابُها

Their high grasses shaded the land

With the clamor of lively spring.

إِنِّي إِذَا ما عُصْبَة أَنْتَابُهَا

ظالِمَةٌ قد سرَّنِي سِبَابُهَا

Whenever a band attacks me,

Oppressive, their insults please me.

أَصْدُقُها الشَتْمَ وَلا أَهابُهَا

حَتَّى تُرَى جَاحِرَةً كِلابُها

I answer their curses without fear

Until their witchcraft is seen in their dogs,

إِذَا القَوَافِي كُوِّرَت أَذْنابُهَا

وَجَدْتَهَا مُفَتَّحاً أَبْوَابُهَا

When the rhymes are bent in their tails,

You find their doors wide open,

مقْبِلَةً تُسِيلُهَا شِعَابُها

Facing you, their valleys pouring forth.