قالَت وَلَم تَقصِد لِقَولِ الخَنا

مَهلاً فَقَد أَبلَغتَ أَسماعِ

She spoke without intending insult

Slow down, for you have made my ears hear

أَنكَرتُهُ حَتّى تَوَسَّمتُهُ

وَالحَربُ غولٌ ذاتُ أَوجاعِ

I denied it until I thought it true

And war is a painful misfortune

مَن يَذُقِ الحَربَ يَجِد طَعمَها

مُرّاً وَتَحبِسهُ بِجَعجاعِ

He who tastes war finds it

Bitter, and it imprisons him in shackles

قَد حَصَّتِ البَيضَتُ رَأسي فَما

أَطعَمُ نَوماً غَيرَ تَهجاعِ

My temples have turned white, so

I cannot sleep except fitfully

أَسعى عَلى جُلِّ بَني مالِكٍ

كُلُّ اِمرِئٍ في شَأنِهِ ساعِ

I hurry to help the Bani Malik tribe

Each man busy with his own task

بَينَ يَدَي فَضفاضَةٍ فَخمَةٍ

ذاتَ عَرانَينَ وَدَفّاعِ

Before me a horse, sturdy and brave

With fast legs and chest armor

أَعدَدتُ لِلهَيجاءِ موضونَةً

مُتَرَصَّةً كَالنَهيِ بِالقاعِ

I readied it, tied up, steadfast

Like a pillar fixed in the ground

أَخفُرُها عَنّي بِذي رَونَقٍ

أَبيَضَ مِثلَ المِلحِ قَطّاعِ

I protected it for myself, a graceful one

White like a cutting sword

صَدقٍ حُسامٍ وادِقٌ حَدُّهُ

وَمَجنَإٍ أَسمَرَ فَزّاعِ

A true, polished, sharp-edged sword

And a brown, curved machete

لا نَألَمُ القَتلَ وَنَجزي بِهِ ال

أَعداءَ كَيلَ الصاعِ بِالصاعِ

We do not flinch from killing, and repay

Enemies measure for measure

كَأَنَّنا أُسدٌ لَدى أَشبُلٍ

يَنهَتنَ في غَيلٍ وَأَجزاعِ

As if we were a lion by its cubs

Roaring in a valley of narrow paths

ثُمَّ اِلتَقَينا وَلَنا غابَةٌ

مِن بَينِ جَمعٍ غَيرِ جُمّاعِ

Then we met, and we were a dense

Throng, not a scattered crowd

وَالكَيسُ وَالقُوَّةُ خَيرٌ مِنَ ال

إِشفاقِ وَالفَكَّةِ وَالهاعِ

Wisdom and strength are better than

Mercy, jest and wailing

لَيسَ قَطا مِثلَ قُطَيٍّ وَلا ال

مَرعِيُّ في الأَقوامِ كَالراعي

A cat is never like a leopard, nor is

A sheepherder like a shepherd among men

فَسائِلِ الأَحلافَ إِذ قَلَّصَت

ما كانَ إِبطائي وَإِسراعي

Asking pledges when he had limited

My slowness and haste

هَل أَبذُلُ المالَ عَلى حُبِّهِ

فيكُم وَآتي دَعوَةَ الداعي

Shall I spend money for his love

Among you, and answer the caller's call?

وَأَضرِبُ القَونَسَ بِالسَيفِ في ال

هَيجاءِ لَم يَقصُر بِهي باعي

And strike with the sword in the

Fray - my arm did not fall short

فَتِلكَ أَفعالي وَقَد أَقطَعُ ال

خَرقَ عَلى أَدماءِ هِلواعِ

Those are my deeds, and I have sealed

Bloodshed on the skulls of prey

ذاتِ شَقائِقٍ جَماليَّةٍ

زينَت بِحَيريٍّ وَأَقطاعِ

Of beautiful cheeks

Adorned with kohl and tattoos

تَمطو عَلى الزَجرِ وَتَنجو مِنَ ال

سَوطِ أَمونٌ غَيرُ مِظلاعِ

Swaying to scolding and escaping

The whip, safe, unblemished

أَفضي بِها الحاجاتِ إِنَّ الفَتى

رَهنٌ لِذي لَونَينِ خَدّاعِ

I accomplish my needs through them - the gallant man

Is captive to one of dual guises