تَرى كُلَّ مُنشَقِّ القَميصِ كَأَنَّما

عَلَيهِ بِهِ سِلخٌ تَطيرُ رَعابِلُه

Every tear in the torn shirt

As if flayed skin on it, its tatters fluttering,

سَقاهُ الكَرى الإِدلاجُ حَتّى أَمالَهُ

عَنِ الرَحلِ عَيناً رَأسُهُ وَمَفاصِلُه

Continual darkness made him lean

Away from the saddle; his eyes, head, and joints bent.

وَنادَيتُ مَغلوبينَ هَل مِن مُعاوِنٍ

عَلى مَيِّتٍ يَدنو مِنَ الأَرضِ مائِلُه

I called out, "O vanquished ones! Is there a helper

For a corpse that nears the ground, leaning?"

فَما رَفَعَ العَينَينِ حَتّى أَقامَهُ

وَعيدي كَأَنّي بِالسِلاحِ أُقاتِلُه

He did not raise his eyes until I stood him up,

As if with weapons I were fighting him.

أَقَمتُ لَهُ المَيلَ الَّذي في نُخاعِهِ

بِتَفدِيَتي وَاللَيلُ داجٍ غَياطِلُه

I gave him the strength that was in his marrow

With my ransom, while the night wrapped him in its dark shadows.

قَدِ اِستَبطَأَت مِنّي نَوارُ صَريمَتي

وَقَد كانَ هَمّي يَنفُذُ القَلبَ داخِلُه

My shining sword long delayed me.

My concern pierced through to his inner heart.

رَأَت أَينُقاً عَرّيتُ عاماً ظُهورُها

وَما كانَ هَمّي تَستَريحُ رَواحِلُه

A she-ostrich saw me; I bared her back for a year,

While my concerns found no rest for their mounts.

حَراجيجُ لَم يَترُك لَهُنَّ بَقِيَّةً

غُدُوُّ نَهارٍ دايِمٍ وَأَصايِلُه

Vultures left them no remainder

On a constant morning raid and its evening returns.

يُقاتِلنَ عَن أَصلابِ لاصِقَةِ الذُرى

مِنَ الطَيرِ غِرباناً عَلَيها نَوازِلُه

They warded off from the clinging ribs

Ravens descending on them.

فَإِن تَصحَبينا يا نَوارُ تُناصِفي

صَلاتَكِ في فَيفٍ تَكُرُّ حَواجِلُه

So if you accompany us, shining sword, you will share

Your prayers in the empty wilderness, its valleys winding,

مَواقِعَ أَطلاحٍ عَلى رُكَباتِها

أُنيخَت وَلَونُ الصُبحِ وَردٌ شَواكِلُه

The places where partridges fall on their knees,

At dawn the color of roses, its thorns entwined,

وَتَختَمِري عَجلى عَلى ظَهرِ رَسلَةٍ

لَها ثَبَجٌ عاري المَعَدَّينِ كاهِلُه

And you will simmer eagerly on the back of a speeding she-camel,

Her front knee bare, her shoulders sturdy,

وَما طَمِعَت بِالأَرضِ رائِحَةً بِنا

إِلى الغَدِ حَتّى يَنقُلَ الظِلَّ ناقِلُه

While we sniffed no wind on earth

Heading for tomorrow, until its shadows transferred.

تَسومُ المَطايا الضَيمَ يَحفِدنَ خَلفَها

إِذا زاحَمَ الأَحقابَ بِالغَرضِ جائِلُه

The saddled beasts experience injustice, stirred up behind them

When destiny collided with its tilting misfortunes.