طَرِبتُ وَهاجَني البَرقُ اليَماني
وَذَكَّرَني المَنازِلَ وَالمَغاني
I thrilled and yearned when lightning lit Yemen’s sky,
Recalling homes and songs of love gone by.
وَأَضرَمَ في صَميمِ القَلبِ ناراً
كَضَربي بِالحُسامِ الهُندُواني
It sparked a blaze within my heart’s deep core,
As blows my sword, a flaming torch spun high.
لَعَمرُكَ ما رِماحُ بَني بَغيضٍ
تَخونُ أَكُفَّهُم يَومَ الطِعانِ
By God, no coward spears in ambush lie
When warriors of Baghdad charge and vie!
وَلا أَسيافُهُم في الحَربِ تَنبو
إِذا عُرِفَ الشُجاعُ مِنَ الجَبانِ
Their blades flash bright when bold meets craven heart,
As each is known - the brave, the coward's cry.
وَلَكِن يَضرِبونَ الجَيشَ ضَرباً
وَيَقرونَ النُسورَ بِلا جِفانِ
With stunning force they smash the enemy,
While vultures shun the plain and turn to fly.
وَيَقتَحِمونَ أَهوالَ المَنايا
غَداةَ الكَرِّ في الحَربِ العَوانِ
They brave the jaws of death when battle calls,
As war drums sound the charge, the horse's neigh.
أَعَبلَةُ لَو سَأَلتِ الرُمحَ عَنّي
أَجابَكِ وَهوَ مُنطَلِقُ اللِسانِ
Ask of my lance, Ablah, and it relates
In tongue unbridled, while you stand close by
بِأَنّي قَد طَرَقتُ ديارَ تَيمٍ
بِكُلِّ غَضَنفَرٍ ثَبتِ الجَنانِ
How we marched on Teym's abodes one day,
Each knight peerless, each steed fierce and spry.
وَخُضتُ غُبارَها وَالخَيلُ تَهوي
وَسَيفي وَالقَنا فَرَسا رِهانِ
We stirred the dust as horses reared on high,
My sword and spear two stakes I dare not fly.
وَإِن طَرِبَ الرِجالُ بِشُربِ خَمرٍ
وَغَيَّبَ رُشدَهُم خَمرُ الدِنانِ
If drink beguiles some men till sense has fled
And wine of casks has dulled the drunkard's eye,
فَرُشدي لا يُغَيِّبُهُ مُدامٌ
وَلا أُصغي لِقَهقَهَةِ القَناني
No draft makes my reason slip away;
No sip makes me heed the reveler's cry.
وَبَدرٌ قَد تَرَكناهُ طَريحاً
كَأَنَّ عَلَيهِ حُلَّةَ أُرجُوانِ
Prone lies Badr we left as clay-hued corse,
As cloaked in purple dyed a prince laid by.
شَكَكتُ فُؤادَهُ لَمّا تَوَلّى
بِصَدرِ مُثَقَّفٍ ماضي السِنانِ
I pierced his breast with aged spear right through
When he abandoned the fray and turned to fly.
فَخَرَّ عَلى صَعيدِ الأَرضِ مُلقىً
عَفيرَ الخَدِّ مَخضوبَ البَنانِ
He fell stretched out on earth's bare floor, dust-smirched,
Cheek gashed, side bleeding crimson from sword ply.
وَعُدنا وَالفَخارُ لَنا لِباسٌ
نَسودُ بِهِ عَلى أَهلِ الزَمانِ
We turned away; our glory raiment fair
Which we don o'er all people of this time.
