قل لعليِّ الخيلُ قَد خَيّلَت

قل لعليِّ الخيلُ قَد خَيّلَت

أنفُسَها الغُرَّ من الحَزمِ

أنفُسَها الغُرَّ من الحَزمِ

Tell Ali: the horses have indeed disguised

Tell Ali the steeds imagined

their white-blazed selves, out of prudence.

Themselves heroes of valor

أمِيرُها والنَّقعُ مُحلَولِكٌ

أمِيرُها والنَّقعُ مُحلَولِكٌ

يُحسبُ من أفراسِها الدُّهمِ

يُحسبُ من أفراسِها الدُّهمِ

Their commander, while the dust is pitch-black,

Their leader, the polychrome halter,

is reckoned among their black steeds.

Is counted among the noble horses

إن أقبلَت أقبلَ أو أخلَفَت

إن أقبلَت أقبلَ أو أخلَفَت

خالَفَها مُنفَردَ العَزمِ

خالَفَها مُنفَردَ العَزمِ

If they advance, he advances; or if they falter,

Whether they advance or retreat

he goes against them, alone in his resolve.

He counters them, resolute

فَما يُبالي أيِّ مَرمىً غَدا

فَما يُبالي أيِّ مَرمىً غَدا

بِمالِهِ أو نَفسِهِ يَرمي

بِمالِهِ أو نَفسِهِ يَرمي

So he cares not at what target he sets out

So what does he care which target

to cast his wealth or his own life.

He seeks with his wealth or life

كأنَّه في الحَربِ سِلمُ الرَّدَى

كأنَّه في الحَربِ سِلمُ الرَّدَى

إذ كانَ حَرب المالِ في السِّلمِ

إذ كانَ حَرب المالِ في السِّلمِ

It is as though, in war, he were at peace with death,

As though in war an easy prey

since in peace he was at war with wealth.

When the war of wealth was in peace

أحسَنُ مما قلتُه واثِقاً

أحسَنُ مما قلتُه واثِقاً

بصِدقِه قولُكَ خُذ كُمِّي

بصِدقِه قولُكَ خُذ كُمِّي

Better than what I said, confident

Better than what I said confident

of its truth, are your words: ‘Take my sleeve.’

In its truth are your words, take my submission

فامنُن بِما يُبصرُهُ حاسِدي

فامنُن بِما يُبصرُهُ حاسِدي

فإنَّه ليسَ يَرى رَسمي

فإنَّه ليسَ يَرى رَسمي

So favor me with something my envier can see,

So favor me with what my enviers see

for he does not see my form.

For they see not my figure