يا عَبلَ إِن كانَ ظِلُّ القَسطَلِ الحَلِكِ

أَخفى عَلَيكِ قِتالي يَومَ مُعتَرَكي

O young camel, though the shadow of the tall castle obscured from you my fighting on the day of battle,

Ask my steed - did I ever let it loose except against a throng dark as night intertwined?

فَسائِلي فَرَسي هَل كُنتُ أُطلِقُهُ

إِلّا عَلى مَوكِبٍ كَاللَيلِ مُحتَبِكِ

Ask my sword about me - did I ever strike with it on a day of war anything but the coronet of a king?

Ask my spear about me - did I ever stab with it anything but a mailed warrior between throat and palate?

وَسائِلي السَيفَ عَنّي هَل ضَرَبتُ بِهِ

يَومَ الكَريهَةِ إِلّا هامَةَ المَلِكِ

I give drink to the sword and give drink to the spear their fill, and I follow the standard and fear no mishap.

How many a cutting blow with the edge of a sharp sword, and stabbing thrust that cracked the corselet in the links!

وَسائِلي الرُمحَ عَنّي هَل طَعَنتُ بِهِ

إِلّا المُدَرَّعَ بَينَ النَحرِ وَالحَنَكِ

Were it not for Him whom the angels dread in their awe, I would have made my charger's back the dome of heaven.

أَسقي الحُسامَ وَأَسقي الرُمحَ نَهلَتَهُ

وَأَتبَعُ القِرنَ لا أَخشى مِنَ الدَرَكِ

كَم ضَربَةٍ لي بِحَدِّ السَيفِ قاطِعَةٍ

وَطَعنَةٍ شَكَّتِ القَربوسَ بِالكَرِكِ

لَولا الَّذي تَرهَبُ الأَملاكُ قُدرَتُهُ

جَعَلتُ مَتنَ جَوادي قُبَّةَ الفَلَكِ