تَلقى السَليطِيَّ وَالأَبطالُ قَد كُلِموا

تَلقى السَليطِيَّ وَالأَبطالُ قَد كُلِموا

وَسطَ الرِجالِ بَطيناً وَهوَ مَفلولُ

وَسطَ الرِجالِ بَطيناً وَهوَ مَفلولُ

You find al-Salīṭī, while the champions have been wounded,

The heroes and warriors were instructed

Amid the men, potbellied and defeated.

Among the men while he was exhausted

لَم يَركَبوا الخَيلَ إِلّا بَعدَما هَرِموا

لَم يَركَبوا الخَيلَ إِلّا بَعدَما هَرِموا

فَهُم ثِقالٌ عَلى أَكتافِها ميلُ

فَهُم ثِقالٌ عَلى أَكتافِها ميلُ

They mounted horses only after they had grown old;

They did not mount horses until after they aged

So they weigh heavily on the horses’ shoulders, unsteady in the saddle.

So they leaned heavily on their shoulders