إذا ما الجيادُ الجُرد شدَّتْ لغايةٍ

ولم يُرْض منها بالوجيف عن الحُضْرِ

If the steeds, when urged to speed,

Were not content with vile provender instead of corn,

وجاءت كهوجاء الربيع إذا جَرتْ

بمُخْترَقٍ جَمٍّ مَجاهِلُهُ قَفْرِ

And, in springtide, the rain torrents

Came with driving showers and a darkened horizon,

فهِمَّةُ قُطب الدين أمضى عزيمةً

إذا جَدَّ في كسب المناقب والفَخْرِ

Then the ambition of the Faith's pole, the mighty warrior,

Was fixed on the attainment of glorious feats.

هُمامٌ إذا ما جال في متْنِ سابحٍ

غدا جيشه مستبشراً منه بالنَّصْرِ

A hero, when he plunged into the midst of a surging sea,

His host on the morrow found presage of victory in him.

وأسرعُ منْ إِقدامهِ يومَ حرْبه

نَداهُ إلى العافين في الإِزَم الغُبْر

Swifter than his onset in battle

Was the herald's summons to the beneficent in the dusty fight.

وأحسْنُ من إِقْدامِهِ ونَوالِهِ

خُلُوُّ أياديهِ من المَنِّ والكِبْرِ

Better than his onset and award of gifts

Was the emptiness of his hands from bribes and pride.

فهُنِّيَ طولُ الدهرِ طُولَ بَقائِهِ

سَجيسَ اللَّيالي للصِّيام وللفطْرِ

So the length of Time congratulated his enduring existence,

Devoted to fasting by night and to breaking fast by day.