هَلّا سَأَلتِ وَأَنتِ غَيرُ عَيِيَّةٍ

وَشِفاءُ ذي العِيِّ السُؤالُ عَنِ العَمى

Why didn't you ask while you were not helpless,

And asking heals the blindness of the blind?

عَن مَشهَدي بِبُعاثَ إِذ دَلَفَت لَهُ

غَسّانُ بِالبيضِ القَواطِعِ وَالقَنا

About my stance when Ghassan charged it

With steeds as white as hail or flowing water,

وَعَنِ اِعتِناقي ثابِتاً في مَشهَدِ

مُتَنافِسٍ فيهِ الشَجاعَةُ لِلفَتى

And my embrace, standing firm in the battle

Where valor was contested by the youths,

فَشَرَيتُهُ بِأَجَمَّ أَسوَدَ حالِكٍ

بِعُكاظَ مَوقوفاً بِمَجمَعِها ضُحا

So I bought him with the blackest doom of death

In Ukaz, halted at the meet’s pavilion,

ما إِن وَجَدتُ لَهُ فِداءً غَيرُهُ

وَكَذاكَ كانَ فِداؤُهم فيما مَضى

I found no ransom for him but my sword,

And so was their redemption in days gone by.

إِنّي اِمرُؤٌ أَقني الحَياءَ وَشيمَتي

كَرمُ الطَبيعَةِ وَالتَجَنُّبُ لِلخَنا

I am a man of dignity and noble traits,

Nature’s bounty and shunning wickedness,

مِن مَعشَرٍ فيهِم قُرومٌ سادَةٌ

وَلِيوثُ غابٍ حينَ تَضطَرِمُ الوَغى

Of a tribe with glorious chiefs,

And lions absent when fight fires flare,

وَيَصولُ بِالأَبدانِ كُلُّ مُسَفَّرٍ

مِثلَ الشِهابِ إِذا تَوَقَّدَ بِالغَضا

Each bared warrior raging like

A blazing meteor when ignited in the dark.