لَمّا رَأَيتُ الأَمرَ أَمراً جِدّا

وَلَم أَجِد مِنَ القِيامِ بُدّا

When I saw the matter was serious indeed,

And found no way to avoid what I must do,

لَبِستُ جِلدَ نَمِرٍ مُعتَدّا

وَجِلدَ ضِرغامٍ يَقُدُّ قَدّا

I donned the skin of a fierce tiger in its greed,

And the hide of a wild rhino leading the crew.

جَمَعتُ جَمعَ العَرَبِ الأَشِدّا

جَمعاً يُلِدُّ الظالِمَ الأَشَدّا

I gathered the fiercest of all Arab breeds,

An army to smite the cruel and subdue,

يَهُدُّ أَركانَ الجِبالِ هَدّا

كانَ تَميمٌ لِأَبينا عَبدا

To shake the pillars of mountains as it proceeds,

Tamim were slaves serving our father true,

أَسوَدَ نَضّاحَ المَقَدِّ جَعدا

وَنَحنُ كُنّا لِلنَبِيِّ جُندا

Dark warriors with curled and tangled hair,

While we were soldiers for the Prophet too,

يَومَ بُزاخاتٍ وَرَدنَ وِردا

وَعُدَّ لي بَدراً وَعُدَّ أُحدا

On the day of Buzaakha we met them there,

And Badr was promised me as was Ohad too,

وَطَيِّىءٌ قَد أَلبَسَتني بُردا

حَتّى فَخَرتُ فَهَزَمتُ العَبدا

Tayy wrapped me in a coat of mail I wear,

Until I charged and defeated the slave anew.