ما إِن رَأَيتُ وَلا سَمِعتُ بِمِثلِهِ

حامي الظَعينَةِ فارِساً لَم يُقتَلِ

The likes of him I've never seen or heard,

A horseman guarding the helpless one unhurt.

أَردى فَوارِسَ لَم يَكونوا نُهزَةً

ثُمَّ اِستَمَرَّ كَأَنَّهُ لَم يَفعَلِ

He felled the knights, no trivial task achieved,

Then nonchalant, as if he'd done no feat.

مُتَهَلِّلاً تَبدوا أَسِرَّةُ وَجهِهِ

مِثلَ الحُسامِ جَلَتهُ كَفُّ الصَيقَلِ

His smiling face gleamed like a sword kept bright,

Polished to shine, made smooth by hand and sleight.

يُزجي ظَعينَتَهُ وَيَسحَب ذَيلَهُ

مُتَوَجِّهاً يُمناهُ نَحوَ المَنزِلِ

He drove his steed and pulled the reins aside,

Toward his house his right hand let them glide.

وَتَرى الفَوارِسَ مِن مَخافَةِ رُمحِهِ

مِثلَ البُغاثِ خَشَينَ وَقعَ الأَجدَلِ

Seeing his spear the horsemen shrank with fright,

Like insects when the staff falls in their sight.

يا لَيتَ شِعري مَن أَبوهُ وَأُمُّهُ

يا صاحِ مَن يَكُ مِثلَهُ لا يُجهَلِ

Oh, if I knew his sire and dam declared,

None else could be his equal, of renown rare!