تَذَكَّر وَطبَهُ لَمّا رَآني

أَقلِبُ صَعدَة مِثلَ الهِلالِ

He remembered my pasture when he saw me

Turning the hill like a crescent moon

وَأَسلَمَ عِرسَهُ لَمّا اِلتقَينا

وَأَيقَنَ أَنَّنا صُهبُ السِبالِ

And he surrendered his wedding night when we met

And was certain that we were the brave heroes

فَإِن يَبرَأَ فَلَم أَنفُث عَلَيهِ

وَإِن يَهلَك فَإِنّي لا أُبالي

So if he recovers, I have not breathed on him

And if he dies, I do not care

وَقَد عَلَمَت مَعَدٌّ أَنَّ سَيفي

كَريهٌ كُلَّما دُعِيَت نَزالِ

And Ma’add knew that my sword

Is tough whenever it is called to war

أُغاديهِ بِصَقل كُلَّ يَومٍ

وَأَعجُمهُ بِهاماتِ الرِجالِ

I sharpen it every day

And redden it with the blood of men

تَمَنّى مَزيد زَيداً فَلاقى

أَخا ثِقَةٍ إِذا اِختَلَفَ العَوالي

Zayd wished for more of Zayd, so he met

A brother to trust when destinies differ

كَمُنيَةِ جابِرٍ إِذا قالَ لَيتي

أُصادِفُهُ وَأُتلِفُ بِعضَ مالي

Like Munayyah Jabir when he said: If only

I would meet him and gain some of his money

تَلاقَينا فَما صُبنا سَواء

وَلَكِن خَرَّ عَن حالٍ فَحالِ

We met but did not pour evenly

Rather he fell from a state to a state

وَلَولا قَولُهُ يا زَيدُ قَدني

لَقَد قامَت نُوَيرَةُ بِالمَآلي

And were it not for his saying: O Zayd, stop!

Nuwayrah would have led to consequences

شَكَكت ثِيابَهُ لَمّا اِلتَقَينا

بِمُطرَدِ المَهَزَّةِ كَالخلالِ

I shook his clothes when we met

With repeated thrusts like rings

وَأَنزَلَ فارِسُ الرَقعاءِ كُرهاً

بِذي شُطَبٍ يُحادِثُ بِالصِقالِ

And the knight of Raq’a reluctantly dismounted

To one whose youth converses with polishing

أُقَرِّبُ مَربَطَ الهَطالِ إِنّي

أَرى حَرباً سَتَلقَحُ عَن حِيالِ

I bring the tethered horses closer, I

See a war that will ignite from rage

أُسَوّيهِ بِمَكنِفَ إِذا شَتَونا

وَأُؤثِرُ عَلى جُلِّ العِيالِ

I straighten it with a sword when we contend

And prefer it over all the household

وَقَد بَلَغَت سُواءَةَ كُلَّ مَجدٍ

بِأَنفُسِها إِذا سَمِنَت فَصالي

And it has reached the evenness of all glory

By itself when the swords glisten white