إِذا لَم أُرَوّي صارِمي مِن دَمِ العِدا

وَيُصبِحُ مِن إِفرِندِهِ الدَمُ يَقطُرُ

If I do not quench my sword with the blood of my foes,

And the blood continues to drip from its blade,

فَلا كُحِلَت أَجفانُ عَينَيَّ بِالكَرى

وَلا جاءَني مِن طَيفِ عَبلَةَ مُخبِرُ

Then kohl is not applied to my eyelids in grief,

And no news comes to me from the phantom of Ablah.

إِذا ما رَآني الغَربُ ذَلَّ لِهَيبَتي

وَما زالَ باعُ الشَرقِ عَنِّيَ يُقصَرُ

When the West sees me in my weakened state,

And the East continues to sell me short,

أَنا المَوتُ إِلّا أَنَّني غَيرُ صابِرٍ

عَلى أَنفُسِ الأَبطالِ وَالمَوتُ يَصبُرُ

I am death itself, except I am impatient

With the souls of heroes, while death is patient.

أَنا الأَسَدُ الحامي حِمى مَن يَلوذُ بي

وَفِعلي لَهُ وَصفٌ إِلى الدَهرِ يُذكَرُ

I am the lion who protects those who take refuge in me,

And my actions are described for eternity.

إِذا ما لَقيتُ المَوتَ عَمَّمتُ رَأسَهُ

بِسَيفٍ عَلى شُربِ الدِما يَتَجَوهَرُ

When I meet death, I will wrap his head

With a sword dripping with blood.

سَوادي بَياضٌ حينَ تَبدو شَمائِلي

وَفِعلي عَلى الأَنسابِ يَزهو وَيَفخَرُ

My blackness is whiteness when my features appear,

And my actions are superior to lineages and make them proud.

أَلا فَليَعِش جاري عَزيزاً وَيَنثَني

عَدُوّي ذَليلاً نادِماً يَتَحَسَّرُ

Oh, may my neighbor live honored and my enemy bend down

Miserable, regretful and disappointed.

هَزَمتُ تَميماً ثُمَّ جَندَلتُ كَبشَهُم

وَعُدتُ وَسَيفي مِن دَمِ القَومِ أَحمَرُ

I defeated Tameem then slaughtered their captain,

And returned with my sword red from their blood.

بَني عَبسَ سودوا في القَبائِلَ وَاِفخَروا

بِعَبدٍ لَهُ فَوقَ السَماكَينِ مِنبَرُ

The Bani Abs turned black among the tribes and became proud

Of a slave whose pulpit was higher than the stars.

إِذا ما مُنادي الحَيِّ نادى أَجَبتُهُ

وَخَيلُ المَنايا بِالجَماجِمِ تَعثُرُ

When the caller of the living calls, I answer him,

And the horses of death stumble over the skulls.

سَلِ المَشرَفيَّ الهِندَوانيَّ في يَدي

يُخَبِّركَ عَنّي أَنَّني أَنا عَنتَرُ

Ask Al-Mushrifi Al-Hindwani about me,

He will inform you that I am Antar.