لَم يَقضِ مِن حاجَةِ الصِبا أَرَبا

وَقَد شَآكَ الشَبابُ إِذ ذَهَبا

He had not yet fulfilled the desires of youth

When gray hair came and youth flew away.

وَعاوَدَ القَلبَ بَعدَ صِحَّتِهِ

سُقمٌ فَلاقى مِنَ الهَوى تَعَبا

After the heart regained health

It fell ill, and from love found only fatigue.

إِنَّ لَنا فَخمَةً مُلَملَمَةً

تَقري العَدوَّ السِمامَ وَاللَهَبا

We have a magnificent, glittering host,

That destroys the vile enemy and flames.

رَجراجَةً عَضَّلَ الفَضاءُ بِها

خَيلاً وَرَجلاً وَمَنصِباً عَجَباً

A rumbling whose spaciousness astounded

Horsemen, footmen, and wondrous ranks.

أَكنافُها كُلُّ فارِسٍ بَطَلٍ

أَغلَبَ كَاللَيثِ عادِياً حَرِبا

Its wings all valiant, mighty horsemen

Who overcame their foes like lions in war.

في كَفِّهِ مُرهَفُ الغِرارِ إِذا

أَهوى بِهِ مِن كَريهَةٍ رَسَبا

In their palms Indian swords which, when

They strike with them from abhorrence, cause sparks.

أَعِدَّ لِلحَربِ كُلَّ سابِغَةٍ

فَضفاضَةٍ كَالغَديرِ وَاليَلَبا

They prepared for war fully armed

With coats of mail like pools and flashes of lightning.

وَالسُمرَ مَطرورَةً مُثَقَّفَةً

وَالبيضَ تُزهي تَخالُها شُهُبا

Brown spearshafts, embellished,

And white blades their brightness adorns like flames.

يا قَيسُ إِنَّ الأَحسابَ أَحرَزَها

مَن كانَ يَغشى الذَوائِبَ القُضُبا

O Qays, ranks are seized

By those who charge at calamities and misfortunes.

مَن غادَرَ السَيِّدَ السِبَطرَ لَدى ال

مَعرَكِ عَمراً مُخَضَّباً تَرِبا

Who abandons the master and lord amidst

Battles, staining his life with dust.

جاشَ مِنَ الكاهِنَينِ إِذ بَرَزوا

أَمواجَ بَحرٍ تُقَمِّصُ الحَدَبا

They surged against the priests when they advanced

Like waves of a sea wearing away the rocks.

لِنَصرِكُم وَالسُيوفُ تَطلُبُهُم

حَتّى تَوَلَّوا وَأَمعَنوا هَرَبا

For your victory they hunted them with swords

Until they retreated, fleeing headlong.

وَأَنتَ في البَيتِ إِذ يُحَمُّ لَكَ ال

ماءُ وَتَدعو قِتالَنا لَعِبا

While you, in the house, water is heated for you,

And you call our fighting mere play.