يا ضارِبَ الجَيشِ بي في وَسطِ مَفرِقِهِ

لَقَد ضَرَبتَ بِعَينِ الصارِمِ العَضَبِ

O you who strike the army in the midst of its detachment

You have truly struck with the piercing, stern eye

لاتَحرُزُ الدُرعُ عَنّي نَفسَ صاحِبِها

وَلا أُجيرُ ذِمامَ البيضِ وَاليَلَبِ

No armor protects its owner's soul from me

Nor do I restrain the reins of the white and the piebald

وَلا أَعودُ بِرُمحي غَيرَ مُنحَطِمٍ

وَلا أَروحُ بِسَيفي غَيرَ مُختَضِبِ

Nor do I return with my spear without it being shattered

Nor do I sheathe my sword without it being bloodied

حَتّى تَقولَ لَكَ الأَعداءُ راغِمَةً

أَضحى اِبنُ عَمِّكَ هَذا فارِسُ العَرَبِ

Until the enemies say to you reluctantly

Your cousin here has become the knight of the Arabs

هَيهاتَ لا أَجحَدُ النَعماءَ مُنعِمَها

خَلَفتَ يا اِبنَ أَبي الهَيجاءِ فِيَّ أَبي

Alas! I do not deny the blessings of their Bestower

After Abu Al-Hayja, you have succeeded your father in me

يامَن يُحاذِرُ أَن تَمضي عَلَيَّ يَدٌ

مالي أَراكَ لِبيضِ الهِندِ تَسمَحُ بي

O you who is wary that a hand may move against me

Why do I see you being so generous with the whites of India

وَأَنتَ بي مِن أَضَنِّ الناسِ كُلِّهِمِ

فَكَيفَ تَبذُلُني لِلسُمرِ وَالقُضُبِ

While you are the most caring of all people towards me

So how can you abandon me to the bay and the roan?

ما زِلتُ أَجهَلُهُ فَضلاً وَأُنكِرُهُ

وَأوسِعُ النَفسَ مِن عُذرٍ وَمِن عَجَبِ

I continued to be ignorant of it as grace and deny it

And make my soul more patient with excuses and wonder

حَتّى رَأَيتُكَ بَينَ الناسِ مُجتَنِباً

تُثني عَلَيَّ بِوَجهٍ غَيرِ مُتَّإِبِ

Until I saw you among the people, keeping aloof

Praising me with an unblaming face

فَعِندَها وَعُيونُ الناسِ تَرمُقُني

عَلِمتُ أَنَّكَ لَم تُخطِئ وَلَم أُصِبِ

It was then, while people's eyes watched me

That I knew you were right and I was wrong