إِن يَقتُلُوكَ أبا حَكِيمٍ غَدرَةً

فَلقد تَشُدُّ فَتَقتلُ الأبطالا

If they kill you treacherously, Abu Hakeem,

Then you will bind up the brave men to avenge you.

إِن يُثكِلُونَا سَيِّدا لِمُسَوَّدٍ

ضَخمَ الدَّسِيعةِ مَاجِداً مِفضالا

If they make us childless by killing our master,

Huge of form, glorious and superior,

فَلِمثلُ قَتلِكَ هَدَّ قَومَكَ كُلهُم

مَن كانَ يَحمِلُ عنهُمُ الاثقالا

Then for the like of your killing all your people were abased,

All who used to bear their burdens and heavy loads,

مَن كانَ يَحمِلُ غُرمَهُم وَيَحُوطُهم

يَوما إذا كَانَ الضِّرابُ نِزَالا

Who used to bear their troubles and protect them

On a day when the blows rained down.

أقسمتُ مَا نِيلَت مَقاتِلُ نَفسِهِ

حتَّى تَسَرَبلَ مِن دَمٍ سِربَالا

I swear the swordsman did not attain his desire

Until he was clothed in a coat of blood.

وَتنَاجَزَ الأبطَالُ حَولَ لِوَائِهِ

بِالمَشرَفِيَّةِ فِى الأكُفِّ نِضَالا

And the brave men contested around his banner

At Al-Mushrifiyyah with blades bare.

يَوما طَوِيلاً ثُمَّ آخِرَ لَيلِهِم

حَتَّى استَبَانُوا فِى السَّمَاءِ هِلاَلا

A long day, then the last of their nights,

Until dawn broke for them in the sky like a new moon.

وَتفَرَّجت عَنهُ الصُّفُوفُ وَخَيلُهُ

فَهُنَاكَ نَالَتهُ الرِّمَاحُ نَهَالا

And the ranks drew apart from him and his horsemen.

There the spears found their mark in plenty.