أَحِنُّ إِلى ضَربِ السُيوفِ القَواضِبِ

وَأَصبو إِلى طَعنِ الرِماحِ اللَواعِبِ

I yearn for the clashing of swift swords,

And I aspire for the thrusting of slender spears,

وَأَشتاقُ كاساتِ المَنونِ إِذا صَفَت

وَدارَت عَلى رَأسي سِهامُ المَصائِبِ

And I long for cups of death when they are passed around,

And arrows of calamity circle around my head,

وَيُطرِبُني وَالخَيلُ تَعثُرُ بِالقَنا

حُداةُ المَنايا وَاِرتِعاجُ المَواكِبِ

And I am thrilled when horses stumble in the battle,

By the specter of death and the bustling of processions,

وَضَربٌ وَطَعنٌ تَحتَ ظِلِّ عَجاجَةٍ

كَجُنحِ الدُجى مِن وَقعِ أَيدي السَلاهِبِ

And the striking and stabbing under the shade of a canopy,

Like the wings of nightfall from the clamor of marauding hands,

تَطيرُ رُؤوسُ القَومِ تَحتَ ظَلامِها

وَتَنقَضُّ فيها كَالنُجومُ الثَواقِب

The heads of the people fly under its darkness,

And within it they fall like shooting stars,

وَتَلمَعُ فيها البيضُ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ

كَلَمعِ بُروقٍ في ظَلامِ الغَياهِبِ

And the white flashes within it from every side,

Like the flashing of lightning in the darkness of the gloaming,

لَعَمرُكَ إِنَّ المَجدَ وَالفَخرَ وَالعُلا

وَنَيلَ الأَماني وَاِرتِفاعَ المَراتِبِ

By your life, glory and pride and supremacy,

And attaining wishes and rising in ranks,

لِمَن يَلتَقي أَبطالَها وَسَراتَها

بِقَلبٍ صَبورٍ عِندَ وَقعِ المَضارِبِ

Are for those who face its heroes and elite,

With persevering hearts at the striking of swords,

وَيَبني بِحَدِّ السَيفِ مَجداً مُشَيَّداً

عَلى فَلَكِ العَلياءِ فَوقَ الكَواكِبِ

And build with the edge of the sword a towering glory,

In the lofty orbit above the stars,

وَمَن لَم يُرَوِّ رُمحَهُ مِن دَمِ العِدا

إِذا اِشتَبَكَت سُمرُ القَنا بِالقَواضِبِ

And whoever does not water his spear with the blood of foes,

When the reddish-black of spears clash with the swift swords,

وَيُعطي القَنا الخَطِّيَّ في الحَربِ حَقَّهُ

وَيَبري بِحَدِّ السَيفِ عُرضَ المَناكِبِ

And give the slender spear its right in battle,

And prove with the edge of the sword the breadth of shoulders,

يَعيشُ كَما عاشَ الذَليلُ بِغُصَّةٍ

وَإِن ماتَ لا يُجري دُموعَ النَوادِبِ

Will live as the disgraced lives in anguish,

And if he dies no elegy will be sung by the wailing women,

فَضائِلُ عَزمٍ لا تُباعُ لِضارِعٍ

وَأَسرارُ حَزمٍ لا تُذاعُ لِعائِبِ

The merits of resolve are not to be sold to the weak,

And the secrets of wisdom are not to be disclosed to the critic,

بَرَزتُ بِها دَهراً عَلى كُلِّ حادِثٍ

وَلا كُحلَ إِلّا مِن غُبارِ الكَتائِبِ

With them I have always faced every calamity,

My kohl is naught but the dust of battalions,

إِذا كَذَبَ البَرقُ اللَموعُ لِشائِمٍ

فَبَرقُ حُسامي صادِقٌ غَيرُ كاذِبِ

When lightning deceives the critic with false flashes,

The flash of my sword is truthful and no liar,