وَمُدَجَّجٍ نازَلْتُهُ في مَأْزِقٍ

يَضْفو عَلَيْهِ مِنَ العَجاجِ رِداءُ

Clad in armor, I assailed him when he was beset,

and his coat of mail shed light upon him,

فَشَفَيْتُ مِنْهُ النَّفْسَ حينَ اعْتَادَهُ

سَفَهاً عَلَيَّ مِنَ المَخيلَةِ داءُ

I cured myself thereby of a malady

that had been a foolish fantasy;

بِصَفيحَةٍ بَيْضاءَ لَمّا شِمْتُها

دَلَفَتْ إِليْهِ مَنِيَّةٌ سَوْدَاءُ

with a shining blade, when I sensed its brightness,

there drew near to it a dark doom.