يا عَبلُ أَينَ مِنَ المَنِيَةِ مَهرَبي

إِن كانَ رَبّي في السَماءِ قَضاها

O camel where can I escape from death

If it is my Lord's decree in the heavens

وَكَتيبَةٍ لَبَّستُها بِكَتيبَةٍ

شَهباءَ باسِلَةٍ يُخافُ رَداها

And a troop I clad with a troop

Fiery, courageous, whose onslaught is feared

خَرساءَ ظاهِرَةِ الأَداةِ كَأَنَّها

نارٌ يُشَبُّ وُقودُها بِلَظاها

Silent, their weapons bare, as though they were

A fire stoked by its violence

فيها الكُماةُ بَنو الكُماةِ كَأَنَّهُم

وَالخَيلُ تَعثُرُ في الوَغى بِقَناها

Among them the veiled, sons of the veiled, as though they were

Horses stumbling in the fray from their moaning

شُهُبٌ بِأَيدي القابِسينَ إِذا بَدَتْ

بِأَكُفِّهِم بَهَرَ الظَلامَ سَنَاهَا

Meteors in the hands of those who grasp when they appear

With palms they dazzle the darkness with their brightness

صُبرٌ أَعَدّوا كُلَّ أَجرَدَ سابِحٍ

وَنَجيبَةٍ ذَبَلَت وَخَفَّ حَشاها

Patient men, each bare swift swimmer

And excellent she-camel weakened and light of burden

يَعدونَ بِالمُستَلئِمينَ عَوابِساً

قوداً تَشَكّى أَينَها وَوَجاها

They rush on mild-tempered she-camels, grim

Fuel complaining where they were struck and their faces

يَحمِلنَ فِتياناً مَداعِسَ بِالقَنا

وُقُراً إِذا ما الحَربُ خَفَّ لِواها

Bearing young men, beds spread with lances

And mountain-like when war becomes disordered

مِن كُلِّ أَروَعَ ماجِدٍ ذي صَولَةٍ

مَرِسٍ إِذا لَحِقَت خُصىً بِكُلاها

Of every glorious knight of might, seasoned,

When contacting thighs with both its flanks

وَصَحابَةٍ شُمَّ الأُنوفِ بَعَثتُهُم

لَيلاً وَقَد مالَ الكَرى بِطُلاها

And comrades who scent war, I sent them

At night and the war-bands had inclined to its aims

وَسَرَيتُ في وَعثِ الظَلامِ أَقودُهُم

حَتّى رَأَيتُ الشَمسَ زالَ ضُحاها

And I penetrated the gloom of darkness leading them

Until I saw the sun set its brightness

وَلَقيتُ في قُبُلِ الهَجيرِ كَتيبَةً

فَطَعَنتُ أَوَّلَ فارِسٍ أَولاها

And met in the morning a troop

So I stabbed the first horseman I made him my target

وَضَرَبتُ قَرنَي كَبشِها فَتَجَدَّلا

وَحَمَلتُ مُهري وَسطَها فَمَضاها

And struck the tips of its two horns so it tossed about

And I launched my riding-beast into its midst and went straight through

حَتّى رَأَيتُ الخَيلَ بَعدَ سَوادِها

حُمرَ الجُلودِ خُضِبنَ مِن جَرحاها

Until I saw the horses, after their mass,

Red skins, dyed from their wounds,

يَعثُرنَ في نَقعِ النَجيعِ جَوافِلاً

وَيَطَأنَ مِن حَميِ الوَغى صَرعاها

Stumbling in the pools of Najib in droves

And trampling in the heat of battle its fallen

فَرَجَعتُ مَحموداً بِرَأسِ عَظيمِها

وَتَرَكتُها جَزَراً لِمَن ناواها

So I returned praised, with the head of its leader

And left them as prey for whoever desired them

ما اِستَمتُ أُنثى نَفسَها في مَوطِنِ

حَتّى أُوَفّي مَهرَها مَولاها

No woman was ever denied her price in her abode

Until I paid in full her bride-price

وَلَما رَزَأتُ أَخاً حِفاظَ سِلعَةً

إِلّا لَهُ عِندي بِها مِثلاها

And I never saw a brother denied goods in his charge

Except with me he had its like

أَغشى فَتاةَ الحَيِّ عِندَ حَليلِها

وَإِذا غَزا في الجَيشِ لا أَغشاها

I covered the girl of the camp in her tent

And when on the raid in the army I never uncovered her

وَأَغَضُّ طَرفي ما بَدَت لي جارَتي

حَتّى يُواري جارَتي مَأواها

And I turn my eyes from what of my neighbor was exposed

Until she hides from view her tent

إِنّي اِمرُؤٌ سَمحُ الخَليقَةِ ماجِدٌ

لا أُتبِعُ النَفسَ اللَجوجَ هَواها

I am a generous man, noble of nature

I do not follow the soul that strays

وَلَئِن سَأَلتَ بِذاكَ عَبلَةَ خَبَّرَت

أَن لا أُريدُ مِنَ النِساءِ سِواها

And if you ask Ublah about that she would inform

That I want no women but her

وَأُجيبُها إِمّا دَعَت لِعَظيمَةٍ

وَأُغيثُها وَأَعِفُّ عَمّا ساها

And I answer her when she calls for something great

And aid her and pardon what she did wrong