وَلَقَد ذَكَرتُكِ حينَ أَنكَرَتِ الظُبى

وَلَقَد ذَكَرتُكِ حينَ أَنكَرَتِ الظُبى

أَغمادَها وَتَعارَفَت في الهامِ

أَغمادَها وَتَعارَفَت في الهامِ

And indeed I remembered you when the sword blades failed to recognize

I remembered you when the antelopes denied

their scabbards and came to know one another within heads.

Their sheaths, and got to know each other in infatuation,

وَالنَبلُ مِن خَلَلِ العَجاجِ كَأَنَّهُ

وَالنَبلُ مِن خَلَلِ العَجاجِ كَأَنَّهُ

وَبلٌ تَتابَعَ مِن فُروجِ غَمامِ

وَبلٌ تَتابَعَ مِن فُروجِ غَمامِ

And the arrows through the dust-cloud seemed like

And the arrows from the crevices of the quivers were as though

a downpour falling in succession from openings in clouds.

They were showers succeeding from the pudenda of clouds,

فَاِستَصغَرَت عَينايَ أَفواجَ العِدى

فَاِستَصغَرَت عَينايَ أَفواجَ العِدى

وَتَتابُعَ الأَقدامِ في الإِقدامِ

وَتَتابُعَ الأَقدامِ في الإِقدامِ

So my eyes made light of the enemy hosts

So my eyes belittled the hordes of enemies,

and the succession of feet in the bold advance.

And the succession of feet in the advance,

وَوَجَدتُ بَردَ الأَمنِ في حَرِّ الوَغى

وَوَجَدتُ بَردَ الأَمنِ في حَرِّ الوَغى

وَالمَوتِ خَلفي تارَةً وَأَمامي

وَالمَوتِ خَلفي تارَةً وَأَمامي

And I found the coolness of safety in the heat of battle,

And I found the coolness of safety in the heat of battle,

while death was now behind me, now before me.

With death behind me at times and at times before me.