خُسِفَ البَدرُ حينَ كانَ تَماماً

وَخَفي نورُهُ فَعادَ ظَلاما

The full moon faded when it was complete,

Its light disappeared, so darkness prevailed,

وَدَراري النُجومِ غارَت وَغابَت

وَضِياءُ الآفاقِ صارَ قَتاما

The stars' lights sank and vanished,

The horizons' illumination turned pitch black.

حينَ قالوا زُهَيرُ وَلّى قَتيلاً

خَيَّمَ الحُزنُ عِندَنا وَأَقاما

When they said Zuheir had died in battle,

Grief settled over us and stayed.

قَد سَقاهُ الزَمانُ كَأسَ حِمامٍ

وَكَذاكَ الزَمانُ يَسقي الحِماما

Time made him drink a cup of anguish,

And so does time make the anguished drink.

كانَ عَوني وَعُدَّتي في الرَزايا

كانَ دِرعي وَذابِلي وَالحُساما

He was my support and weapon in adversities,

My shield, my sword, and my spear.

يا جُفوني إِن لَم تَجودي بِدَمعٍ

لَجَعَلتُ الكَرى عَلَيكِ حَراما

Oh my eyes, if you do not weep sincerely,

I will make crying over him forbidden to you.

قَسَماً بِالَّذي أَماتَ وَأَحيا

وَتَوَلّى الأَرواحَ وَالأَجساما

I swear by Him who makes live and makes die,

And alternates spirits and bodies.

لا رَفَعتُ الحُسامَ في الحَربِ حَتّى

أَترُكُ القَومَ في الفَيافي عِظاما

I will not raise the sword in war until

I leave the people in the battlefield as bones.

يا بَني عامِرٍ سَتَلقَونَ بَرقاً

مِن حُسامي يُجري الدِماءَ سِجاما

O clan of Amer, you will face lightning

From my sword that pours blood copiously.

وَتَضِجُّ النِساءُ مِن خَيفَةِ السَب

يِ وَتَبكي عَلى الصِغارِ اليَتامى

The women will shriek in fear of the warrior,

And weep for the orphaned children.