تَمَنّى اِبنُ مَسعودٍ لِقائي سَفاهَةً
لَقَد قالَ حيناً يَومَ ذاكَ وَمُنكَرا
The son of Mas'ud foolishly wished to meet me,
One day long ago he said, rejecting:
مَتى تَلقَ مِنّا عُصبَةً يا اِبنَ خالِدٍ
رَبيئَةَ جَيشٍ أَو يَقودونَ مِنسَرا
When will you meet a group of ours, O son of Khalid,
An unruly army or marching with ease?
تَكُن هَدَراً إِن أَدرَكَتكَ رِماحُنا
وَتُترَكَ في غَمِّ الغُبارِ مُقَطَّرا
You would be idle chatter if our spears reached you,
Left in the gloom of dust spilled forth.
مَنَت لَكَ مِنّا أَن تُلاقِيَ عُصبَةً
حِمامُ مَنايا قُدنَ حَيناً مُقَدَّرا
We hoped you'd meet a group -
A flock of death predetermined for you.
عَلى أَعوَجِيّاتٍ كَأَنَّ صُدورَها
قَنا سَيسَجانٍ ماؤُهُ قَد تَحَسَّرا
On camels crooked-backed as if their chests
Were canals whose waters overflowed.
ذَوابِلَ تُبرى حَولَها لِفُحولِها
تَراهُنَّ مِن قودِ المَقانِبِ ضُمَّرا
Around them young she-camels in calf bleating,
You'd think, with held halters, pressed together.
إِذا سَمِعَت قَرعَ المَساحِلِ نازَعَت
أَيامِنُهُم شَزراً مِنَ القِدِّ أَيسَرا
When they heard the clank of swords they dragged
The fingertips of the warriors, pulling them along.
يَذودُ شِدادُ القَومِ بَينَ فُحولِها
بِأَشطانِها مِن رَهبَةٍ أَن تُكَسَّرا
Their leader kept the camels from their males
With their reins, fearing they'd be severed.
وَكُلُّ فَتىً عاري الأَشاجِعِ لاحَهُ
سَمومُ الثُرَيّا لَونُهُ قَد تَغَيَّرا
And each bare-chested knight unsheathed his sword,
Its poison turning the blade an ashen hue.
عَلى كُلِّ مِذعانِ السَرى رادِنِيَّةٍ
يَقودُ وَأىً غَمرَ الجِراءِ مُصَدَّرا
On every long-necked stud of noble breed
He led a dusty roan mare in estrus.
شَديدَ ذُنوبِ المَتنِ مُنغَمِسَ النَسا
إِذا ما تَلَقَّتهُ الجَراثيمُ أَحضَرا
The females' loins were hard with sinew,
Glistening when the flies alighted.
وَكَم مِن رَئيسٍ غادَرَتهُ رِماحُنا
يَمُجُّ نَجيعاً مِن دَمِ الجَوفِ أَحمَرا
And how many chiefs have our spears abandoned
Gushing blood from their pierced sides, crimson!
وَنَحنُ صَبَحنا الحَيَّ يَومَ قُراقِرٍ
خَميساً كَأَركانِ اليَمامَةِ مِدسَرا
By dawn we were the living on the day of Quraqir,
Like the pillars of Yamamah, chopped down.
وَنَحنُ أَجَرنا يَومَ حَزنِ ضَرِيَّةٍ
وَنَحنُ مَنَعنا يَومَ عَينَينِ مِنقَرا
And we were victorious on the day of Dhariya's sorrow,
We were the ones who prevented at the two springs of Minqar.
