تَرى عَلِمَت عُبَيلَةُ ما أُلاقي

مِنَ الأَهوالِ في أَرضِ العِراقِ

Does Ubaylah know what horrors I face

In the land of Iraq, evils interlace

طَغاني بِالرِيا وَالمَكرِ عَمّي

وَجارَ عَلَيَّ في طَلَبِ الصَداقِ

My uncle with deceit and tricks has tried

To rob me of my rightful marriage prize

فَخُضتُ بِمُهجَتي بَحرَ المَنايا

وَسِرتُ إِلى العِراقِ بِلا رِفاقِ

With my own soul I crossed the sea of death

To Iraq I went with no friends, no guests

وَسُقتُ النَوقَ وَالرُعيانَ وَحدي

وَعُدتُ أُجِدُّ مِن نارِ اِشتِياقي

I led the camels and sheep and goats ahead

Burning inside from the fires of love unfed

وَما أَبعَدتُ حَتّى ثارَ خَلفي

غُبارُ سَنابِكِ الخَيلِ العِتاقِ

I had not gone far when the dust arose

Behind me, from the purebred horses' toes

وَطَبَّقَ كُلَّ ناحِيَةٍ غُبارٌ

وَأُشعِلَ بِالمُهَنَّدَةِ الرِقاقِ

Dust settled over every little place

And sparks flew up from each horse’s pace

وَضَجَّت تَحتَهُ الفُرسانُ حَتّى

حَسِبتُ الرَعدَ مَحلولَ النِطاقِ

Below them warriors roared out loud

I thought it was thunder from behind a cloud

فَعُدتُ وَقَد عَلِمتُ بِأَنَّ عَمّي

طَغاني بِالمُحالِ وَبِالنِفاقِ

I turned back knowing my uncle vile

Had schemed against me all this while

وَبادَرتُ الفَوارِسَ وَهيَ تَجري

بِطَعنٍ في النُحورِ وَفي التَراقي

I charged the horsemen as they sped

With stabs at chests and flanks instead

وَما قَصَّرتُ حَتّى كُلَّ مُهري

وَقَصَّرَ في السِباقِ وَفي اللِحاقِ

I did not stop until each rider's steed

Fell back, outrun in dash and speed

نَزَلتُ عَنِ الجَوادِ وَسُقتُ جَيشاً

بِسَيفي مِثلَ سَوقي لِلنِياقِ

Dismounting, with my sword I drove them back

Like herding sheep down an icy track

وَفي باقي النَهارِ ضَعُفتُ حَتّى

أُسِرتُ وَقَد عَيِيَ عَضُدي وَساقي

As daylight waned, my arms grew weak

Captured was I, my knees no longer sleek

وَفاضَ عَليَّ بَحرٌ مِن رِجالٍ

بِأَمواجٍ مِنَ السُمرِ الدِقاقِ

A sea of men poured over me

With waves of the thick-woven infantry

وَقادوني إِلى مَلِكٍ كَريمٍ

رَفيعٍ قَدرُهُ في العِزِّ راقي

To a generous king they led me forth

Exalted, lofty his name and worth

وَقَد لاقَيتُ بَينَ يَدَيهِ لَيثاً

كَريهَ المُلتَقى مُرَّ المَذاقِ

Before him there I met a dreadful sight

Foul of face and bitter bite

بِوَجهٍ مِثلِ ظَهرِ التُرسِ فيهِ

لَهيبُ النارِ يُشعِلُ في المَآقي

With a visage like a shield's far side

Fires blazing from his hate inside

قَطَعتُ وَريدَهُ بِالسَيفِ جَزراً

وَعُدتُ إِلَيهِ أَحجُلُ في وَثاقي

I severed his vein with a slash of my sword

And returned, though heavy my chains and cord

عَساهُ يَجودُ لي بُمُرادِ عَمّي

وَيُنعِمُ بِالجِمالِ وَبِالنِياقِ

May he grant me my uncle's desire withdrawn

And grace me with camels and goods finely born