أَعددتُ للحربِ فَضفَاضَةً

دِلاصاً تَثَنَّى على الرَّاهِشِ

I prepared for war a supple coat of mail

that bent over the sturdy carrier.

وَأَجرَدَ مُطَّرِداً كالرِّشاءِ

وسَيفَ سَلامَةَ ذي فائشِ

And a polished sword like a pouring rain,

and Salama's sword with a sharp edge,

حُساماً تراهُ كَمِثلِ الغديرِ

عليه كَنَمنَمَةِ النَّاقِشِ

A sword that you see like a large pond

with ripples from the engraver's tool.

وذاتَ عِدادٍ لها أَزمَلٌ

بَرَتها رُماةُ بني وَابِشِ

With a sheath that has a strap for it

held by the archers of the tribe of Waabish.

وكلَّ نَحِيضٍ فَتيقِ الغِرارِ

عَزُوفٍ على ظُفُرِ الرائشِ

And every brave cavalier, deft at spear-thrusts

skilled at reaching the spine and neck.

وأَجرَدَ ساطٍ كَشَاةِ الإرا

نِ رِيعَ فَعَنَّ على النَّاجِشِ

And a smooth lance like a long-necked she-camel,

it rose up towering over the shields.

إِذا ما جرى قلت شوذا نقا

تَنَحّضى من الوابِلِ الحافِشِ

When it sped I said: look at its bending,

how it swerves at the contact of the torrential rain!

وآوي إِلى فَرعِ جُرثومةٍ

وَعِزٍّ يَفوتُ يَدَ الباهِشِ

And I take refuge in the branch of a colocynth tree,

and glory that eludes the aspirations of the seekers.

تَمتّعتُ ذلك وكنتُ امرأً

أَصُدُّ عن الخُلُقِ الفاحشِ

I took pleasure doing that when I was a man

who wards off ugly shameful deeds,

وسعدٌ أبو حَكَمٍ مَنصِبي

به كنتُ أَعلو على الطائشِ

And Sa’d Abu Hakam was my protector

through him I would rise above the rash.